Age 38, can a facelift make me look less gaunt & remove the jowls? (Photo)

In short, yes, a limited facelift could result in the change you seek. That being said, you may wish to try non-invasive skin tightening procedures first as they don't pose the same risk/downtime/scars and you'll always have the option of a facelift in the future. You're quite young and have many years ahead of you, so I'd recommend starting conservatively.

Thank you for sharing this photo and this question. It can be confusing to try to figure out which procedure works best for the aging face and who to ask. A facelift can usually be an option on most realistic patients anytime after the age of 35-40. It really depends on your anatomy and genetics. It is best to talk to your surgeon because everybody has different techniques and recovery time is usually based on a number of factors but there's no set number on age. Sometimes even younger people are candidates because of their anatomy or if they have gone through certain medical conditions.

Surgery is not for everyone though. In today's day and age, there are many nonsurgical options to consider although surgery usually gets the most improvement specifically of the neck and jowls. Aging lip lines, forehead wrinkles and skin tone can be nicely improved with injectables and laser treatments.

I would recommend that you see a board-certified plastic surgeon in your area that is a member of both ASPS & ASAPS and performs a lot of facelifts and neck lifts but also offers all the nonsurgical options such as injectables and laser treatments. Go over your concerns with them and make sure above all, you walk out of there with several options and an idea of the pros and cons to each of them as well as realistic expectations.

I hope this helps and wish you all the best in your surgery and event. If it does, please take a moment to up vote this answer on the “respond” button on the top right.