What are the tell tale signs of a facelift 8-10 years post SMAS lift?

Question

Very concerned about a lateral sweep or a pulled look later down the road if I get a facelift, how can this be avoided?

William Portuese, MD · Answer

There are many telltale signs of having a facelift which include hair loss, pixie ear deformity, wide scars and the lateral sweep. Study your prospective surgeons before and after facelift gallery which should be extensive and reflective of their work. Look for a surgeon who produces very natural results.

Francis R. Palmer, III, MD (retired) · Answer

Hi, I have performed many SMAS facelifts for over 30 years and have performed many minimally, invasive SMAS facelifts.  Non smiling photos of your face from the front and side would help in the evaluation.  The "windswept" or "pulled" look results from improper or lack of facial shaping as part of the facelift procedure.  In these cases, the facial tissues are lifted up and back without shaping the facial features causing them to flatten out making the face appear pulled and tight.  In my experience and humble opinion these types of results can and should be avoided by: properly shaping the face as described below and performing a "proper" SMAS facelift with the appropriate amount of skin removal.  I would like to mention that a properly performed SMAS facelift will not become or looked pulled or windswept with time and aging.  
 Following my beauty principles, women look the most feminine, youthful and attractive with heart shaped faces.  Heart shaped faces have cheeks that are full and round in the front.  Cheek augmentation with a dermal filler or using cheek implants for a permanent enhancement will create full, round cheeks that will feminize the entire face.
 If the chin is weak, this creates an imbalance making the nose appear larger, the mid face top heavy and the lower face look short that de-emphasizes the lips and allows early formation of a double chin.  Chin augmentation using a chin implant will add projection to the chin creating harmony and balance to the lower face.   I have found that placement of a silastic chin implant, through a small curved incision under the chin (also allows excess skin removal) to be very safe, quick and highly effective.
 If you have "jowls” these are sagging facial tissues and an indication for some form of a SMAS facelift.  The underlying SMAS layer, of the face, must be dissected, lifted, trimmed and re-sutured (not merely folded or suspended with threads or sutures that will not last).  The excess skin is then removed and the facelift incisions closed.
 My most popular facelift is the minimally invasive, short incision facelift that has all the benefits of more invasive facelifts (traditional, mid-face, deep plane, cheek lift and subperiosteal facelifts) but with these added benefits:
very small incisions and no incisions extend or are placed within the hair.
minimal tissue dissection = less bruising and swelling = rapid recovery ( several days instead of weeks or months with the more invasive type facelifts mentioned)
can be performed in 90 minutes or less, with or without general anesthesia
no incisions within the hair = no hair loss
excess fat can be removed from the face and neck
excess skin removed from the face and neck
cheeks, chin and jaw line can be augmented with dermal fillers (I prefer Restylane Lyft) or facial implants
most patients fly back home to parts all over the world in as little as 3 days post-op
I combine facial shaping with every facelift procedure.  When jowls are present, these should be done in concert and not alone or separately in order to create a naturally, more attractive face.
Hope this helps.

What are the tell tale signs of a facelift 8-10 years post SMAS lift?

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Everything you need to know about SMAS Facelift

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What are the tell tale signs of a facelift 8-10 years post SMAS lift?

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Everything you need to know about SMAS Facelift

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.