Why do some women have a pulled look to their eyes after a Facelift?

Facial plastic surgery should always natural and be unnoticeable except for giving the patient a more radiant, rested and healthy appearance. A pulled look to the eyes is completely unacceptable and will not happen if the facial plastic surgeon is well trained, experienced, and an expert in facial anatomy and aesthetics. Don't let the bad effects of poorly performed surgery dissuade you from getting the procedures you need to feel better about yourself. The women around you who look amazing and yet seem to have had no work done at all could very well be examples of expertly performed facelifts and mini lifts. Please research and find the most skilled facial plastic surgeon to help you.

You ask a very perceptive question. Unfortunately, many patients have a pulled look around their eyes or a windswept look in the lower face following facelift surgery. The pulled look around the eyes comes from a midface lift in which the cheeks are pulled up too much, or from lower lid blepharoplasty in which the lower eyelid is tightened too much (or both). A lower facelift, which addresses the neck and jowls, can result in a windswept look or tightness around the mouth if the deeper layers are not adequately released and then pulled with stitches. Since the jowls are more mobile than the area of the nasolabial folds and midface area, the facelift results in uneven tension and a distortion of the natural appearance. 
Alternatively, especially when a patient has had more than one facelift, excessive tension on the skin can produce tightness, primarily around the mouth. Ideally, the deeper layers should be adequately released, resulting in even tension, and the skin should simply be redraped in a snug, but not tight fashion.

Ultimately, the skill of the surgeon is more critical than the technique. Consider experience, before-and-after pictures, patient reviews, and word of mouth reputation when choosing your surgeon. 


In my experience of performing 2,000 facelifts, I’ve found patients can invariably keep the surgery secret from colleagues, friends, and even close family if they choose, once the recovery process has progressed. It generally takes 2 weeks to comfortably return to work.

The key to an expertly performed facelift is to make it look natural, without the tell-tale signs of surgery.  There are many details that need to be taken into account when your surgeon is planning his or her approach, such as the condition of your skin, presence and direction of any skin wrinkles, the direction of muscle laxity, the amount of volume loss, and the change in position of your facial volume to name a few.  A facelift should be tailored to each patient's unique aging pattern.  It's best to discuss these concerns prior to your procedure. The surgeon that you have chosen should be able to explain how and why your results will look natural with the approach that's been planned. 

A pulled look after facelift is never acceptable.  In the several thousand of these procedures that I have personally performed,  I always side on the natural look vs the operated look.  The goal is to allow the individual to look more attractive and well-rested but not identifiable as a surgical patient!Patients need to seek out a physician with board certification and copious experience.Best of luck!

Thank you very much for your question. The
fear of a ‘pulled’ or unnatural-looking appearance following a facelift is a
common concern. However, by placing your trust in a board certified plastic
surgeon, experienced in various facelift techniques, you can ensure that you
will receive the most satisfying and natural looking results. Before scheduling
your procedure, look through a surgeon’s before and after photographs, noting
his/her surgical style and the organic-look of their results. This can give you
a good idea of the results you can expect, as well. I recommend that you
arrange for an in-person consultation with a trusted board certified plastic
surgeon in your area. At this time, he/she can evaluate your facial tissue and
determine if a facelift is right for your situation.

This is a very common concern for people considering a facelift. Distortion of the eyes and cheeks is not very common after a face and necklift. The important thing is to put the sagging deeper structures of the face back where they once were, so that you are essentially turning back the clocks. Relying too much on pulling the skin tight is what causes a distorted appearance. The goal is to look better, not different, and putting unnatural tension on the skin only serves to make you look odd.

Thank you for your question!  Your concern is one that we often hear in our consultations.  There are several possible reasons that you notice a 'pulled' look to any area of the face after a facelift.  Immediately after a facial procedure, patients can sometime have swelling which can cause this effect.  Of course, every patient is different and this is not true for everyone.  Also, if a patient has an eyelid procedure performed, which also causes some swelling, this may be the cause as well. Most importantly, with any facial rejuvenation procedure, the goal should never be to appear 'pulled', windswept or overdone.  Modern facelifting and eyelifting techniques are designed to prevent this appearance, and should leave you looking refreshed and natural.  If you are thinking about having a procedure, I would consult with a board certified facial plastic surgeon or plastic surgeon who specializes in face and neck lifting.  I would ask to see the surgeon's before and after photographs to be sure you like his/her results.  I hope that this helps!-David Gilpin

They might have a pulled look because they also had a browlift and/or eyelid lift with their facelift. Also, if the facelift surgeon pulls too hard on the skin, this can leave an unnatural appearance.  If the main goal of your surgery is to address the jowls and neck, it is unlikely that enough tension would be placed on the skin at the level of your eyes to cause a pulled look.  Discuss this with your surgeon so he/she is aware to make sure to err on the side of avoiding this.  It might look a little pulled for the first couple of weeks from swelling but this should resolve by 1 month.  

The appearance of pulled eye lids after a facelift is related to technique. If a facelift is done properly there should be no pulling on the eyes. RegardsDr. J

The pulled eye appearance usually occurs when a mid face lift is performed with the lower face lift. I am not a big fan of mid face lifts for this reason and prefer to improve the area by adding volume rather than physically lift the mid face, as it has repercussions to the surrounding structures such as the eyes. Other times, other procedures such as a lower eyelid blepharoplasty is also performed with the facelift. Some surgeons use techniques that alter the outside corners of the eyes while performing the lower eyelid surgery and this can also result in the look you are referring to. 
My advice is to review the befores and afters of your surgeons facelifts, make sure they do plenty of facelifts surgeries, ask to speak to patients and review your surgeons credentials and reviews.