Post facelift maintenance - what procedures are best?

Hi DNL222, maintaining your skin tightness is a challenge for everyone. If you consider that our skin is like our hair & nails and needs consistent, regular stimulation of collagen/elastin/hyaluronic production, you will use some retinol (too much can exacerbate already thin skin), microneedling or texturizing lasers for physical stimulation of new fresher skin growth. Sun exposure can accelerate aging skin appearance by creating laxity/looseness, hyperpigmentation, fine wrinkles, etc. Apply broad-spectrum sunscreen daily with SPF 30 or higher, and wear a wide-brimmed hat when outdoors.
A balanced diet high in antioxidants, vitamins/minerals, protein and less sugar, fats and processed foods with adequate hydration, and avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol all contribute. Wrinkles from facial expression should be minimized with Botox injections-less movement means less tendency towards looseness of skin and soft tissue. Keeping volume in your face with fat or filler helps support soft tissue so that you don't look deflated/saggy as well. Have a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon who can offer you a rotation in products and services, some technology driven like RF microneedling & lasers, and some aesthetician level (facials, peels) when you can't have a lot of downtime. Good luck!

There are several things that can be considered to keep your facelift results looking great. We always recommend using medical grade skin care products like Transform MD and wearing sunscreen every day. Morpheus8 treatments combine RF technology with microneedling to address overall skin tone and texture. Visit a skin care specialist at a medical spa, or a board certified plastic surgeon near you to learn more.

Morpheus 8 is a non-invasive skin and soft tissue tightening treatment that is consistently amazing in our patients. We use the Morpheus to exact fractional induced RF into the skin or tissue in order to tighten collagen and stimulate contraction of the tissue. For acne scars, it is quite useful to build collagen in patients who have atrophic scars but is not very productive for ice-pick scars which require TCA Cross. For tissue tightening, Morpheus is ideal for the face and neck and we often combine it with CO2 laser or Ultherapy to further enhance results. Chemical peels and skin resurfacing should be done at least 5 to 7 days after, but can be performed earlier, depending on treatment severity. Avoid exfoliating skin treatments before Morpheus and expect a period of 2-4 weeks for skin contraction to set in.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon