3 Months Post-Facelift and Still Have Jowls

Swelling from a facelift can take some time to resolve and this swelling could mimic jowling; However, at 3 months, it is odd that the jowling is still present.  Liposuction or smart lipo is not a good idea in this area.  Talk to your surgeon about your concerns and visit a couple of others to get different opinions and then decide.  Also, wait at least 9-12 months before having it revised.

Good morning!It sounds like you would be best suited to get at least one more opinion from another surgeon as to what would be best for your  issues at hand.  Be sure to see a reputable well established board certified plastic surgeon.  This is your face, and spending a few hundred dollars on consulting fees are well worth it to be sure you are getting good non biased advice as to what would be best for you.I hope this helps

It is very difficult to answer your question without seeing you in person and examining you.  What you perceive as jowls may not be correctable with additional surgery.

I’m not sure how a second doctor can say that this is “not normal”, for depending on the thickness and elasticity of the skin, there can sometimes be the need for a more aggressive touch up.

If your surgery was 3 months ago, your only option right now is to wait at least a year despite your disappointment.  A Facelift is generally an excellent procedure for jowls.  However, results can vary based on who was doing it and what technique was used. If you had one of the quickie "branded lifts", 3 months is about all you were going to get out of it anyway.

Dear Sharon,
You’re are still healing and it would be premature to have another procedure right away. I recommend waiting for another 6 months then seeking a revision. Talk to you surgeon first and ask him if he is comfortable with a revision. If so, a repositioning of the muscle (SMAS) would be recommended.

I agree with some of the answers of my colleges, the elevation of the SMAS with the fat  tissues and the fixation in the new locations is the best way to achieve the improvement of the  jowl's.  I wonder if that  was perform and if not consider a revision

The goal of facelift surgery is to correct jowling. This best done by correction of the underlying lax musculature (SMAS).  Using a SMAS technique helps improve the longevity of the procedure.  If you have had under correction or recurrence 3 months after surgery I would not recommend revisiting this anytime soon.  I would wait a year.  Your postoperative course is not the norm.  I would seek consultation with other board certified plastic surgeons before moving forward.

Dr. ES

If it has been three months since your facelift, then all the changes that are going to occur should be done by now.  If you are still having some jowling, then that may need some tightening of the muscle system (SMAS), or some focused liposuction.  Without seeing you in person, it is hard to give you an accurate idea.  If you trust your surgeon, and have a good rapport with he/she, then they are usually best to perform the revision since they know exactly what went on during surgery.  If not, then find a board certified plastic surgeon in your area and go for a second opinion.  I hope this helps.

There are a variety of techniques utilized in face lifting to achieve the desired result.. In most cases,  SMAS is used to support and elevate and reposition sagging structures. It is not uncommon to have persistent jowls after a skin only facelift. Dicuss the techniques used by your surgeon. It is not generally adviseabel to go after the jowls with the SMART LIPO