Mini facelift or mid facelift in late 20s for drooping lower face? (photos)

I usually would advise fat grafting but this is even more expensive than fillers in the short term. I usually would not advise a surgical lift and if you think you need skin tightening, would go with a non surgical skin tightening.

Dear moderngirl:

Thanks for sharing your photos. They are useful but not complete.

The beginnings of facial skin laxity start at 30 years old when collagen skin repair diminishes and passive skin aging relaxes downward. The web of fibrous compartments under the skin loses fat, stretches, separates and elongates forming 5 growing “waves” of skin at points of attachment, developing:
• hooding along the eyes,
• lower eyelid / cheek junction or tear trough / nasojugal fold
• nasolabial fold,
• lateral mouth commissure and marionette folds,
• jowls and neck.

If you have gone through a weight gain and loss cycle, you may have reduced the volume of the face and similarly create these folds. If weight loss did occur, this may included lower protein consumption and collagen loss may have accelerated.

As you enter your 30’s, consider the reversal of natural collagen reduction and skin tightening, volume filling and non-surgical face lifting options. You do not appear to require any surgical, ie., incisional face lifting.

I would recommend that you:
1. Consult with a talented, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and his team regarding non-surgical and minimally invasive options. Consider:
2. A Zein Obagi, MD, ZO Skin Health retinoid program and peels for external stimulation and skin tightening and acne / oily skin improvement.
3. Sculptra is a minimally invasive injection series of bio-stimulatory filler for face and neck skin tightening
4. In patients like yourself, I have found micro-lipocontouring of the submalar cheeks, jowls and neck with fat grafting of the cheeks and beginning folds to be extremely satisfying. You may combine this with
5. Minimally invasive tightening options such as ThermiTIGHT or FaceTite, and
6. Minimally invasive jowl and cheek lifting options such as Silhouette FaceLift suspension sutures

I hope this is helpful. All the best!