What Skin Care Treatments Are Beneficial Prior to Face Lift Surgery?

The aesthetic treatments such as photo facials, chemical peels and micro dermabrasion will not have any effect on facelifts whatsoever; those are complementary adjunctive procedures that address other issues and do nothing for the deep structures of the face. The photo facial is used to address color pigmentation such as red telangiectasias and brown spots on the face. Chemical peels are used for wrinkles on the upper lids and upper and lower lips, and micro dermabrasion is used to soften the outside texture of the skin. A facelift is performed to improve the jaw and neckline, re-elevate the jowls, and address facial skin laxity, tighten up the facial muscles and remove fat underneath the neck.

If you are going to have a facelift in 3 months one can begin a skincare regimen of Retin-A as well as fillers or Botox. If it will be less than 3 months, I generally tell patients it will be better to wait and do it concomitantly along with your operative procedure.

Certainly you don't "need" to prepare your skin preoperatively for a facelift, but my best surgical results have been on patients who used Obagi (with Retin-A) before and after their surgery. These patients also maintained their results longer than those who did not use Retin-A. I would suggest meeting with an aesthetician who is skilled in the use of the Obagi skincare system, and start ASAP. Of all the potential treatments you listed in your question, it is probably the most cost-effective, too!