A Facelift at 36? Will Fillers Make My Face Sag? (photo)

Despite being young you do have jowl formation which may be hereditary and you would do well with a mini-facelift like a LiteLift or MACS procedure. In general face exercises do NOT help keep the face looking younger and in some instances will accelerate the wrinkling process. You may also have a weak chin (microgenia) which could be corrected with a small chin implant but evaluation with your chin not pointing down is needed to determine this.

Here is a primer on how your face ages and why one or more approach is required for the best result: Please note that you age by three factors - sagging (through gravity and time), loss of volume (counteracted by fillers), and skin texture (determined by environmental and genetic factors). Your fillers should enhance your effect of the lifting if placed appropriately by addressing one of the causes of aging..Most often one of these factors are more out of balance than another and therefore your procedures should customize for what is most needed. Often fillers alone can "stall" the inevitable as they only correct one aspect of aging.

Facelift and Skin resurfacing procedures (laser, Ulthera or Thermage ) and fillers are synergistic so as long as you wait until the Sculptra injection site is soft you should do fine. Not a problem and there is no problem with the timing for a facelift. Sculptra, Radiesse, Jeuvederm, Restylane, your own fat (fat transfer) and other fillers address volume issues, resurfacing procedures corrects surface flaws associated with aging and face lifting addresses the sagging loose skin. Resurfacing procedures address skin texture, color variation (e.g. sun spots)- so all three are synergistic and complementary. It is very common in my practice to do all three approaches to rejuvenation at the same time

 

One of the challenges we face is that of patient expectation and a decision about facial rejuvenation timing. It is not a numerical decision, "I am 36 and I can't need a facelift yet!" It is actually a matter of architecture of your face combined with the texture changes of your skin.  The photos depicted are of course, not the same as an evaluation in person.  If jowling is of concern that a series of Sciton laser Skin Tyte treatments, once a week for six weeks will be of great benefit.  This non-operative infrared laser technology has the most benefical effects, and the more youthful the person is, the better the skin tightening phenomenon.

If your main concern is some flattening and volume loss around the eyes and in the mouth and marionette lines, called facial lipo-atrophy, then a marvelous improvement of volume that is the most long lasting is the use of autologous (your own) fat transfer.  This minor surgical procedure harvests fat and stem cells and allow for a high rate of "take," namely about 90% of the fat cell volume seen clinically at 3 months after transfer is seen in the 1 year and 5 year follow-up.  It would be a wonderful measure in improving the features I've seen depicted in these photos.  Other fillers have some of the benefits, but nothing beats structural fat!  The short answer is that volume has a reasonable effect of elevating the laxity seen and alleviating most of the midface and lower facial laxity.  The younger and more elastic the better.  But will it be enough to satisfy your goals? That requires our careful discussion not appropriate for this forum. 

That leaves the decision about taking the loose skin and marionette lines and having a mini-face lift effect easily seen when you pull your face in the mirror each morning and night at your bathroom mirror.  There is no substitute for asking you if that makes you happy.  If it does, then simply acknowledge that the cards you have been dealt (vis a vis your mother's heritage is manifesting in you) will give you a better look and make you feel great when you look in the mirror if you have a facial rejuvenation! A mini face lift will solve most or all of the problems you've identified, the ones I have enumerated and won't leave you guessing about the outcome while you heal.

Of course this answer doesn't have the benefit of seeing you or discussing your particular circumstances that allow me to make other recommendations that fit your goals, recovery needs and budget.  That is what the consultation process is for, to tailor your goals in the context of my expertise.