why does my facelift hardly look any different? (photos)

Hi foxden,In general, facelifts clean up the neck and jawline.  In your before photo, your jawline has some squaring from the jowls.  In the after photo, it appears more heart shaped.  Your neck does not appear to be improved in the after photo.  I feel that the necklift is the foundation for the facelift.  If the neck is untouched, meaning no liposuction and no muscle tightening (platysmaplasty) then the neck will want to return to its original shape, since nothing was surgically changed.  Usually the necklift portion of the facelift is the "dramatic" part of the result.  Since the neck appears slimmer, and the sagging of the skin under the chin is smoothed out, usually the patients will get comments that they look good, or did they lose any weight, but really they don't really know what was done.  The problem with performing a facelift without a necklift, is that the facelift ends around the jawline area, and the under chin/neck area is not changed.  This creates a "tug of war" effect, where the surgeon lifted up the sides, but the neck is trying to pull back down to it's original shape.  The lifting of the jowls are being offset by the pulling down of the weight of the neck which will want to pull the jowls back down.If a structurally sound necklift is performed, then the loose skin under the chin can freely slide upwards along the sides of the face and actually support the facelift/jowl lift, instead of fight against it.At 7 weeks, you are still swollen.  In your before photo, your lower eyelid area blends seamlessly to the cheek and on the after photo, your cheek area, appears swollen and puffier than the lower eyelid area.  This should resolve and end up looking more like your pre-surgery photo, where it is seamless.  Your upper eyelids appear puffier than your pre-surgery photos, but this may also be temporary swelling.  Your upper eyelids most likely have not changed much in appearance since you were younger (Diane Lane type of eyelid).If you are not happy with your results, you should keep the lines of communication open so that your surgeon knows how you feel.  There is no reason to keep these feelings held in for 6 weeks, and I'm sure the surgeon would want to know sooner, than later, so he or she can reassure you or offer you some advice for swelling and perhaps some other treatments in the meantime.Best,Dr. YangP.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.

During the first several weeks after a facelift the swelling
resolves, and there is some relaxation of the tissues, which is noticeable. In
general, it takes 6 months to see a final result, (after that the normal aging
process continues but is very gradual). The amount of improvement seen with a facelift
varies with the patient and the surgical technique used. However, with a very
natural result as you have, it is not surprising that other people do not
notice. That is far preferable to an "operated on" look, in which the
patient may look younger but also looks different. With that being said, some
improvement should be evident on before-and-after pictures, which from the
limitations of your supplied photos, I think I see.

There are a number of "mini lift" procedures that
offer the promise of quick recovery, but they come with more subtle results. I
am not sure what procedure you had, but I would give it more time. I also
cannot see your neck from the photos, which is an important part of the overall
result.

I would also suggest that you discuss your concerns with
your surgeon, and ask for before-and-after pictures taken by the physician with
standardized lighting and camera for an objective view of the amount of
improvement you have gained. Best wishes.

Your concerns are best addressed by your own surgeon. Seven weeks is too early to make a final pronouncement about the operation but your surgeon should be willing to see you at your request to address your concerns.

It's hard to tell based upon this one photo, but it does appear you do have some improvement in your jawline; nonetheless, you should express your concerns to your surgeon and see if there is something he or she might be able to do for you prior to your wedding.  Best of luck.

You are still relatively early in the healing process and it could take 6-12 months for the final result to reveal itself. I know this doesn't help regarding your wedding. Sometimes, a supplemental procedure such as a filler like Juvederm or Restylane in the tear trough and cheek region can provide a nice balance to the face lift. Try and talk with your surgeon and see if there are little things that can be done to get you a little more improvement before your wedding.

Hello foxden.Nothing can be said about the final result yet, just 7 weeks after a full facelift. There could still be some slight swelling present and this must first disappear completely. It would be good if you could wait at least 3 months or better 6 months, and then post new before and after photos.

I understand that it can be frustrating when you do not see the immediate results that you were looking for. I see some improvement with your jowling of your face, it is hard to tell for sure without a lateral or oblique view.  I would discuss your concerns with your surgeon and I am sure that he or she would be happy to sit down and talk with you. Let them know your concerns.  Sometimes it takes a while for the swelling after a facelift to go down.  I think you still have time before your wedding to see improvement. All the best,Arun Rao Plastic Surgeon Tucson, Arizona

A simple test of how much improvement you can expect from a facelift is to gently pull on each cheek in the mirror. If there is hardly any movement, then probably not much will change with a standard facelift alone. At this point, follow up with your surgeon to see if there are other options to refresh your look to your satisfaction. Good Luck!

It really depends on what type of facelift was done to determine the problem of inadequate improvement.  Hopefully, you have already looked into revision in light of the important March date.  However, ideally we would want the tissues to heal longer before considering revision.  Consider other alternatives for now as well:  laser resurfacing, skin tightening procedures (e.g. radiofrequency, ultrasonic therapies), and fillers.  Good luck!

There are numerous reasons why there may not be a substantative change in your facial appearance after a facelift including the facelift technique used, the degree of the original problem and your expectations of what you thought a facelift could achieve. Now is the time to go back and talk to your surgeon before you get too close to your wedding date.