I had a revision facelift in March and am very disappointed at the results. Very unnatural and stretched (Photos)

Question

The sides of my face are flat now and my eyes have been pulled back. He was suppose to do fat grafting , but my cheeks are much thinner than before he got ahold of my. Skin has been stretched and is falling rapidly. Please can I have some advise.

Andrew Campbell, MD · Answer

I'm sorry to hear about your facelift problems. First, I'd highly recommend you discuss your concerns with your surgeon. Second, by the photos, you look like you are still a little swollen, and therefore, I'd suggest patience. You will most likely look better with time. There are many different facelift techniques. Some work better than others for particular anatomy. Some more advanced techniques can at least partially reverse the tell tale signs of a facelift with a revision facelift if that would be necessary in the future.Andrew Campbell, M.D.Facial Plastic SpecialistQuintessa

Brian K. Machida, MD, FACS · Answer

I see a great deal of swelling on your post op photos. You should probably give it more time and follow with your original surgeon.

P. Daniel Ward, MD · Answer

Hi Leisa1,I am sorry to hear about all the trouble you are having after your facelift. Based on the photos that you submitted, you are still quite swollen and bruised. I would wait for the swelling to go down before doing anything. I would advise you to be in close contact with your surgeon as you go through the healing process. Good luck and please let us know if you have any other concerns or questions.

Trevor M. Born, MD · Answer

Dear Leisa1I am sorry for your distress.  Thank you for posting your photos and question.  At this point you need to heal and let the tissues settle.  The timeline for assessment can be a year or longer- particularly since this is not the first surgery.With Warm RegardsTrevor M Born MD

Benjamin C. Marcus, MD · Answer

Thanks for your post. I am so very sorry you are distressed by your results. What is key for natural looking results is the vector or direction of the lift. The stretch on your eyes and flattening of you face is consistent with lateral rather than vertical pull. You are however still early in the healing process.  I would let things completely settle for at least 6-12 months before making any further moves. The good news is that if you are too "stretched" a deep plane revision that resupports the deeper tissue can reduce some of that unnatural look. In the meantime give your body a chance to heal and consider a second opinion to make sure that your are being diagnosed and treated correctly

Ernest Robinson, MD · Answer

Secondary surgery increases ones risk of having an unnatural appearance.  These subtle cues relate to your earlobe shape, your hairline position in front of your ears, movement of natural wrinkles upward and obliquely..... Many of these concerns can be addressed in secondary surgery, but they have to be identified first.  Looking at your pictures, they appear to be at different post operative times.  A few appear to be within weeks of surgery.  I would caution you to wait, you are not fully healed.  Allow your healing to continue before you start to consider additional treatments or surgery.  Continue to follow up with your surgeon and advise him of your concerns.

Robert J. Paresi Jr., MD, MPH · Answer

I am sorry to hear you are unhappy with your results.  It appears that you are still in the healing phase after your facelift.  This is often the most difficult time for patients after a facial procedure.  The best advise is to give 'tincture of time' a chance to resolve some of your concerns.  Specifically, the stretching of the skin will improve as the swelling decreases and the facial soft tissues relax.

Michael N. Desvigne, MD, FACS · Answer

Leisa1, revision face lift
surgery can be very tricky.  As you
mentioned the tissue will relax somewhat overtime and as this occurs and the
swelling goes down the tissue will not feel as stretched.  Typically, I recommend to clients to hold
on making any general decisions about the results until the swelling has
resolved.  I would encourage you to discuss
your concerns with your surgeon as well. 
Give yourself some time to heal, and certainly hold on any additional
procedures until your healing is complete, then reassess.

Paul B. Mills, MD · Answer

Based on your photographs, your surgery was fairly recent. You still have a moderate amount of swelling and some residual bruising. Unfortunately it is very difficult to make any determination on your final result based on your current photographs. Patients do sometimes have significant amounts of swelling and bruising that can be very concerning immediately following surgery and it may take between six weeks and three months for this to resolve adequately. At that point, I would recommend following up with your plastic surgeon to discuss the results and your concerns. I hope this helps and good luck.

Michael Elam, MD (retired) · Answer

Dear Leisa1, The key to a natural looking facelift procedure is the direction of the pull and the techniques that are used putting the tension on the underlying structures and not pulling the skin laterally but the entire unit vertically.  A lateral pull will give you the results that you are concerned about at this time. Speak with your surgeon and allow some more time for the recovery process. Best regards, Michael V. Elam, M.D.

I had a revision facelift in March and am very disappointed at the results. Very unnatural and stretched (Photos)

Answers (11)

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