Dent/hollow directly 3 weeks after facelift surgery, will it improve? (photos)

Thanks for your question!  There are a number of things that could be potentially contributing to your "dent", but as your plastic surgeon said and as you know, it's too early to tell how the final result will look.  My guess will be that will improve with time once swelling goes down and your tissues have time to settle, but if it didn't go away, fat grafting or fillers would always be an option.  Good luck!

A contour irregularities on your cheek following a facelift surgery could be due to underlying stitches that may or may not dissolve, or could be from a little bit of bleeding that has caused a small hematoma. Also, swelling can account for it. In most instances this subsides with time. Your surgeon will no the sub techniques utilized in your particular operation and will have the advantage of being able to examine your cheek. He or she may at some point advocate gentle massage to help speed up the process.

Dear curlybe:
Thanks for sharing your photo! There are several reasons for such a “dent” or irregularity following facelift surgery including:

·        A collection of seroma (yellowish fluid) or blood or a combination

·        The desired upward lifting of underlying tissues (we call the SMAS) while the overlying skin drapes inferiorly

·        A suture which has snagged the overlying skin.

A you mentioned, “time is a virtue” and I would expect it to fully settle.

You should speak with your surgeon as to his recommendations for massage to gently hasten the healing and proper settling of tissues.

All the best!

The indentation  may be a result of an over tightened suture of the deep tissues or secondary to liposuction of the fat  if that was done.  There may also be a small collection of blood or serum above the indentation which gives the illusion of a dent.  Your are early in the game and hopefullythings will improve. One  suggestion that you may want to ask your surgeon about: 1] massage several times a day to keep the tissues loose and prevent abnormal adherence  
Good luck
Armand Simone, MD FACS   New York, NY
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

Hi Curlybe and thank you for your question.
Following facelift, contour irregularities can be a part of the healing process until swelling the in skin and underlying structures that were elevated smooths out. In some cases, this can take several weeks to occur. Additionally, small fluid collections can develop under the skin and can be the cause of the irregularities. Sometimes massage or steroid injections into these areas can help hasten the healing process. Alternatively, if a depression remains, it may need to be treated with dermal fillers or autogenous fat injection.
In the photo posted, it appears that a version of a cross-cheek depression may have developed.  This is often due to a patient's facial structure pre-facelift and is usually treated with volume in the areas of depression. Either dermal filler or fat can help treat this concern.
I would recommend keeping in close touch with your surgeon and he can help guide you through the healing process.
Good luck!