Will a facelift help minimize the appearance of wrinkles on the cheeks? (photo)

Question

I'm getting a Fl but it's not so much for my neck. It's for these wrinkles on the side of my face. Will it help fix it?

Muhsin Yilmaz, MD, FEBOPRAS · Answer

Yes, I would consider CO₂ laser resurfacing together with the facelift if your main concern is not only sagging but also the wrinkles and skin texture on the sides of your face. A facelift addresses the deeper tissues and laxity, while CO₂ laser improves the surface of the skin, fine lines and texture. They can complement each other very well.
If the wrinkles are primarily caused by skin quality rather than laxity, the facelift alone may not completely eliminate them. Combining the two can therefore give a more comprehensive rejuvenation, provided your surgeon considers your skin type and the planned facelift technique appropriate.

Semih Yildiz, MD, FEBOPRAS · Answer

A facelift can improve lower face laxity, jowls, and some cheek descent, but it is not usually the best treatment for fine wrinkles or skin texture lines on the side of the cheek. In the photo, the main visible issue appears to be fine cheek creasing rather than only loose neck skin, and that distinction matters.

If the wrinkles are mostly from skin quality, sun damage, or expression lines, resurfacing treatments, chemical peels, microneedling/radiofrequency, laser, filler, or fat grafting may be more useful than a facelift alone. An in-person exam is needed to decide whether a facelift should be combined with a skin-quality treatment for the result you want.

Lucian Ion, FRCS · Answer

Thank you for your question and sharing your photograph.

Facelift surgery has a tendency to improve these lines but doesn't necessarily get rid of them.

An important consideration is to use sunblock regularly to minimise the effect that the ultraviolet light has on the elastic collagen fibres.

For the problems already in place, small amounts of fat transfer can help these lines and make them less visible. They will be less noticeable anyway through the facelift when the face is relaxed but some of them will still be present when smiling.

Another option is to complement a facelift intervention with Sculptra which increases the collagen in the skin and can produce a smoother effect during the shape changes of the face as a result of facial expression.

Farhad Rafizadeh, MD · Answer

The wrinkles appear because the skin has lost its elasticity and the ability to recoil that exist in a young skin. The excess skin is removed during a facelift. This is the role of the skin excision during the facelift as the deep tissue tightening would not correct the skin wrinkles.

Gianfranco Frojo, MD · Answer

The fine wrinkles on the face that are present when smiling will improve. To address the fine lines that are present at rest...this requires some type of resurfacing (chemical peel, laser, dermabrasion). I would recommend finding a board-eligible or board-certified plastic surgeon with 6 years of integrated plastic surgery training followed a 1 year Aesthetic Society accredited fellowship.

Michele A. Shermak, MD · Answer

The short answer is "yes." Skin laxity is well addressed with facelift surgery. You can undergo surgery without addressing the neck if you prefer.
Best of luck to you!

Thomas A. Mustoe, MD, FACS · Answer

Yes , a facelift will tighten the skin which will improve the wrinkles but not eliminate them.  Laser resurfacing done in combination with enhance the results.  However some of the wrinkles are due to loss of skin elasticity and with facial expression and muscle contraction it is inevitable that some wrinkling will occur.  There is no treatment that will enhance skin elasticity.

William Portuese, MD · Answer

To properly evaluate your face, a full set of facial photograph from all angles are required. A surgical face and neck lift accomplishes tightening loose facial and neck skin, tightening loose facial and neck muscles, lifting in the jowls, and removing any fat deposits in the neck which also includes a platysma plasty to significantly improve the jawline. A surgical facelift improves all these issues at repose, but dynamically, your contracting your smile muscles and will still have some degree of wrinkles present even after a facelift procedure.

Ronald J. Edelson, MD · Answer

It will help with those lines to some degree but probably not eliminate them completely. Overall you are an excellent candidate and I think can expect a great result.

Zoran Potparic, MD · Answer

Wrinkles like yours are mostly result of skin changes with thinning of dermis, loss of elastic and collagen fibers and, thinning of fat tissue underneath the skin.  Face lift will not address these issues. Radio frequency based rejuvenations, chemical peels, lasers, as well as fat transfers may help skin aging far better than face lift. Hope this helps.

Will a facelift help minimize the appearance of wrinkles on the cheeks? (photo)

Answers (16)

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