Facelift option when I'm 26? (Photo)

Hi Sashaspmm,A facelift is not an option at this point.  Facelifts on very young people like yourself, will result in no improvement and only facelift scars to show for it.  Facelifts are for loose sagging skin.  Young faces can have irregular contours which appear to be sagging, but is actually not sagging.  Many young people as well as old will have a small bulge of fullness just above the outside of the corner of the mouth.  Even a very tight facelift will not flatten out that bulge.  Depending if the cause is partially contributing from the buccal fat, that may help, but may not achieve the desired result.  The cause of the bulge is due to an anatomic structure called the modiolus, which is a collection of muscles which are all overlapping at the corner of the mouth to help lift, pull back or lower the corners of the mouth depending on your emotions.  Please see the web reference for a description of the modiolus of the face.  There are 8 muscles which control the corner of the mouth.  Even if each muscle edge is very thin when they are all stacked on top of each other, there can be some bulk to that area.One option is to add volume below the lower lip to make the chin area and marionette area fuller and brighter.  This can make the volume of chin below the lower lip match up better with the modiolus area.  I have tried using facelifting techniques to try to flatten out that bulge.  Liposuction won't get it.  Buccal fat reduction is a possibility, but too much buccal fat removal can be aging in itself, and cause the skin of the cheeks to become looser.Don't bother with Contour Threadlifts, which was recalled in April of 2007 (Google it).  There were numerous complaints and when the results looked good, they did not last more than a year.Young skin is firmer not, tighter.  When pinching the skin it is firm and thick, not tight like a drum.  Try squeezing cheeks on a child.  Firm not tight.Hope that adds some additional insight along with my colleagues.Best,Dr. YangP.S. If you find my answers or other doctors answers to questions are helpful, please +1 those answers to push up the better answers to the top, which helps others who read the same post, get to the more helpful answers first.P.P.S. There is a new feature on Realself, which is the "Follow" button. It is similar to the "Like" button on Facebook. If you like my response or any of the doctor responses while you research on Realself, you should "Follow" them. You will get email updates, when the doctors you follow post any new answers to questions, post new photos, or have any new reviews.

It's way too early for a facelift.  However, filler and Botox can help fill in areas or contour your face gently without surgery.

Hello Sashaspmm,Thanks for your question.Honestly, a facelift would not be right for you.Your main issue is a mismatch between the volume of your facial skeleton and surface area of your skin. This can be seen in the slight sag in your cheeks primarily.If Radiesse worked for you, I would suggest you stick with using it to restore your cheek volume.  The rest is up to the maintenance you perform on your skin.  Sunblock usage is a must to slow down UV damage to the skin.  To this you could add chemical peels, hyaluronic acid topical products, microneedling, laser resurfacing, and medical grade skin care.It is important to avoid losing too much weight as this deflates the volumes in your face.  This makes people look older.Thread lifting is a waste of money so don't bother.  Just my opinion though!I hope this was helpful.Take care,Dr. Shah