Facelift for Younger People to Make Face Slimmer and Narrow

When a 25 year old is seeking a more defined face, a facelift is not an option.  A thorough evaluation by a face specialist can help determine what is the best course of action.  The following are treatment possiblities:

Weight loss- In some individuals, weight can be carried in the face.  It is in general a good first step.

Avoidance of gum chewing/ chewy foods/ etc-  Too much stimulation of jaw muscles can lead to an overly wide and square face.  The jaw muscle responsible is called the masseter muscle.

Buccal fat removal- Buccal fat is compartmentalized fat and can lead to a more sculpted facial look, especially in the midface area.

Botox Jaw Reduction- Can lead to a softening of facial features and a less square jaw.

If the goal is to slim and narrow the face, younger individuals would most likely not benefit from a facelift. To accomplish this goal, I would recommend liposuction of the submental area to enhance and sharpen the shawline. For the purpose of a slimmer face, buccal-fat-pad removal can provide optimal results, depending on the patient. I would also suggest the possibility of Botox to your masseter muscles, which can narrow an overly wide jaw. The combination of these modalities, along with weight loss and healthy diet, can certainly help. Please consult with a board certified plastic surgeon who can evaluate and analyze your face, and can create a personalized plan for you with the least risk and most benefit.  

Thanks for your question.  Without photos I cannot give you a specific recommendation.  However there are a number of interventions that can be done to achieve a slimmer appearing face in younger patients.  Typically this does not include facelift however.  Some patients have hypertrophy of their masseter muscle (one of the primary muscles used for chewing), or the parotid glands (the major salivary glands in the cheeks).  Both these issues can be addressed with serial botox injections into the masseter  muscle or the parotid gland.  It may take several treatments to see a significant difference (usually about 6 months).   Another possible cause for fullness in the cheeks is enlarged buccal fat pad.  These can be removed surgically either from inside the mouth or during a facelift surgery.   Any of these issues may be the source of your concern.  I recommend consulting with a facial plastic surgeon to discuss what is the best option for you. 

A Mini Facelift or especially a mid facelift can usually be an option on most realistic patients. It really depends on your anatomy and genetics. It is best to talk to your surgeon because everybody has different techniques and recovery time is usually based on a number of factors. If we are just talking about a short scar facelift or midface lift, this can typically be done in the office under local anesthesia. Usually there are no drains, no outside stitches, and patients can go out in public the same day, although I usually recommend they low for the first couple days. Most of the initial swelling is from the numbing medicine and your body absorbs it within the first 4-6 hours. Obviously the body heals with swelling and inflammation and usually that maxes out at two days and then starts getting better. Most of these patients take no pain medicine and usually feel very comfortable going out in public within a few days.  I usually call my patients the night of surgery and check on them the next day. If everything is fine the next day, I then let them shower and they do not need a dressing over their incisions. They can usually start using make up after a few days.  At the two week check up, I usually have people start working out and then after six weeks they can do whatever they want. I routinely tell people to take a few days to a week off work and to hide out but some people are very nervous especially celebrities and I usually tell them to hide out for two weeks. As with any scar on the human body, initially scars are red, hard and raised and it typically takes six months to a year for them to become a soft thin white line. Additionally with recovery, there're many things we do to expedite healing such as nerve blocks during surgery, oral supplements, skin care and scar therapy recommendations, lymphatic massage sessions that are included in our pricing.I strongly feel that it's very important to have an honest conversation with your surgeon about your particular situation, lifestyle, work environment and specifically which procedures you're having done so that you both have the most honest answer about your recovery and are realistic with expectations and results.Surgery is not for everyone. In today's day and age, there are many nonsurgical options to consider although surgery usually gets the most improvement specifically of the jowls.I would recommend that you see a board-certified plastic surgeon in your area that is a member of both ASPS & ASAPS and performs a lot of facelifts but also offers all the nonsurgical options such as injectables and laser treatments. Go over your concerns with them and make sure above all, you walk out of there with several options and an idea of the pros and cons to each of them as well as realistic expectations. I hope this helps and wish you all the best in your surgery and event. If it does, please take a moment to up vote this answer on the “respond” button on the top right.  

Each patient's anatomy is unique. Fillers could still be an option, if placed properly by an expert injector. Fillers can definitely be used to change the overall facial shape. Buccal fat removal is also an option to decrease fullness in the lower cheek area. In some patients, there is also enlargement of some of muscle in the face (masseter hypertrophy) which can be decreased with Botox injections. 
A consultation with a facial plastic surgeon or plastic surgeon specializing in facial aesthetics can be very helpful to review the options in detail and for a formal evaluation.
All the best,

Typically in your age group for facial contouring I would use a combination of filler or fat transfer and buccal fat removal. It really depends on your facial anatomy and we can only give recommendations after a facial analysis but above is a common protocol for someone in your age group.You mentioned fillers widen your face. The key is to use them in the right locations that will contour and sharpen the face.Hope this helps.Best of luck,DrC

During your #consultation, your skin texture and elasticity, as well as your underlying skin structure and your facial bone structure will be evaluated. Based on this evaluation, your board certified plastic surgeons will create a custom surgical plan, detailing specific techniques and recommendations to meet your goals. In doing so, he or she should be sure to have a full understanding of what results you expect.If you are not a #candidate, your surgeon can make other suggestions to address your concerns and objectives.Patients who desire facial rejuvenation that is affordable, quick, and effective should consider the Lite-lift™. Like the Life-Style™ facelift, this is a modified facelift that can be performed in the office with a local anesthetic and improve signs of aging around the neck, jawbone and lower face. These procedures are not "Thread-lifts" or "String-lifts". We do not use the "barbed" sutures employed in these other lifting operations. The Lite-lift™ uses longer lasting techniques that are discussed below. Because the incisions are limited, there is less bruising, swelling and healing time for most patients. Many patients can be back to work in one to two weeks looking rested and more youthful.The best candidates for #LiteLift are patients 35-60 years old with early changes of the lower face and the neck. Older patients who cannot or do not wish to have a longer operation or general anesthetic can be improved with a Lite Lift™.Lite Lift™ surgery is individualized for each patient. The best candidates for Lite Lift™ surgery have a face and neck line beginning to sag, but whose skin has elasticity and whose bone structure is well defined and do not smoke.

We occasionally see patients who are unhappy with the shape
of their face. When this situation arises it’s not unusual for them to be
concerned about their transverse facial width. Many of these patients would like a slimmer face with a decreased
transverse dimension. These individuals occasionally request facelift surgery
in an effort to address this problem. Although facelifts will make the face
look younger they won’t dramatically impact the shape of the face.In your
case it’s virtually impossible to make a recommendation without pictures or a
physical examination. In the vast
majority of patients who have this concern the anatomic deformity resides at
the level of the boney facial skeleton. Correction of this type of problem is
no simple matter and usually requires surgery on the underlying facial
skeleton. In most cases the risk benefit ratio of this type of procedure
renders this undertaking inappropriate.For
this reason, many surgeons try to disguise the deformity by operating on the
facial soft tissues. Under these circumstances, injectable fillers, micro
liposuction and buccal fat pad removal have all been attempted. These maneuvers are associated with minimal
improvement in facial shape and for this reason aren’t frequently utilized. If
you’re concerned about facial aesthetics, consultation with a board certified
plastic surgeon is appropriate. This
surgeon should be able to evaluate your anatomy and formulate an appropriate
treatment plan.

If your jawline is your concern, then it's better to consider something that would modify the jawline itself rather than a facelift. You can consider Botox to relax the masseter muscles, or jawline contouring to target the actual bone.

It is very difficult to answer your question without seeing your pictures – you should consider posting images showing your areas of concern - it would be very unlikely that a lift is your answer