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.

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

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.

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.