Ripples After a Facelift - Is This Normal?

Rippling after a facelift is more likely to occur if the "high on the side" vector was used to tighten skin.  In that case, the lateral lines of tension sweep upward on the side of the face.  Often loss of the sideburn and temporal hair go hand in hand with this approach.

The problem is worse in patients with sun damage creases, as the creases are altered in their destination and may be somewhat obvious.  Fractional laser resurfacing helps these as well.

A facelift can also be done with the deep tissue being restructured upward, while the skin is pulled in a more backward direction.  This avoids the high lateral sweep effect you may be referring to.

Another factor contributing to an upward sweep is if the midface is not elevated at the time the side the face is elevated; therefore cheeklifts can reduce the "Nike swoop" effect.

It is also possible that you are very early after your surgery.  Hopefully this is the case.

Ripples after facelift are not normal but not unheard of.  Thick skin, previous scar tissue, or adhesions may be the root cause.  We often recommend ultrasound therapy after surgery to improve this or speed it along.  If it is still there at this point, you should be doing some type of therapy to ensure it goes away and does not become permanent.

Although it is hard to tell without seeing your pictures what you are referring to is possibly deep wrinkles and skin creases which are typically not corrected with a face lift

It is not uncommon to have some funny contours in the skin immediately after facelift surgery. After three months you really should not have those kind of irregularities in most cases. There are some patients that have really significant lines in around the mouth before the facelift. In some cases those lines will not improve with facelift surgery. Also, you may want to wait one year to assess the true final results of your procedure. It is impossible to advise you in your case without having examined you before surgery. I would recommend that you discuss this with your surgeon and see what he/she has to say. 

I hope this info helps!

Ripples after a facelift may be seen for a few weeks due to swelling but should relax out relatively quickly.  If there are obvious irregularities after 2-3 months you should consult with your surgeon regarding the likely cause.  MInor irregularities often improve with gentle massage.

Although it is impossible to give an opinion without a picture, at 3 months some minor issues of swelling may remain.  These usually fall within the category of things that you may notice but others will not.  There should not be major ripples in your skin, so I advise your to bring these concerns to the attention of your Surgeon.

It is hard to tell exactly what is going on without seeing your pictures because rippling or irregularities around the jawline and mouth following a facelift can be caused by many things.  It may be that the facelift improved other areas of your face but did not help these areas enough.  You may be noticing essentially what's "left over".  For maximal benefit to the jawline and mouth area in facelifting I usually will also add an endoscopic midfacelift with lifting of the corner of the mouth and buccal fat to an extended SMAS facelift.  Laser or dermabrasion around the mouth further helps to tighten the skin  around that area.   Some temporary irregularities even lasting several months can be just part of the healing process and lymphatic massage, steroid injections, or  just plainly more time can help resolve these issues.  Another option for correction involves adding more volume with microfat transfer or fillers.  If these areas don't seem to be improving over the next 3 months, you may want to see your surgeon and ask about these options. 

On occasion there are noticeable waves, lines, or ripples of the skin following Facelift. Our treatment for these is Ultrasound therapy weekly for 6 weeks. Time generally will soften theses ripples. Massage of the area is also helpful. Give it time. Dr. G

This question is very difficult to answer without a photo.  While these ripples may be present due to prolonged swelling, induration, skin tethering, three months is slighty a prolonged period of time not to see any resolution.  I would first follow-up with your surgeon to get his opinion.  Warm compresses and gentle massage can help to resolve some of the above causes, and your problems may resolve.  It is also possible that you might need a revision procedure, but this decision cannot be made for number of months.  Good Luck,  Dr. Corrado

Ripples can be from many things, including overaggressive liposuction, tethered deep stitches, redraped presurgical folds, or tension irregularities from the surgery.  With the exception of the lipo, they should all go away with time, and since you are only three months out, I would just remain patient.  But continue to discuss this with your surgeon so that he or she is aware of your concerns, and makes a plan with you.

These may resolve with more time. Is it "normal"? That depends on many factors but in 35 years of facelifting I have never had this problem, but I am usually doing a forehead lift at the same time which changes the "pull" vectors.