Age 30F, healthy - what type of face lift should I be asking for? (Photo)

Question

I have attached a photo of the type of incision I want, as well as the area that I want lifted. I am 30F, healthy, non-smoker. I cannot, for the life of me, find a surgeon in Ontario that will take me as a patient for a face lift and I think it is because I am asking for the wrong type of face lift. I would like a single incision on each side of my face, right above my ear/around the temple area (not in front of my tragus) and I would like my mid-face lifted. What type of face lift is this?

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD · Answer

All surgery has unwanted side effects. When the problems outweigh the unwanted side effects, surgery is recommended. Your issues, whatever they are, are minimal. It is improbable that risk/reward makes a facelift appropriate for you now and in the foreseeable future. As you age, that often does change.

Jonathan Kulbersh, MD · Answer

Hello, and thank you for your question. Perhaps you are seeking the wrong kind of procedure for the specific aesthetic goals you have. You are very young and your current signs of aging might not be severe enough to warrant a facelift. Furthermore, the specific kind of surgical technique will depend on your degree of skin laxity and goals and not on the type of incision you prefer. That said, this is where the importance of an in-person consultation with a reputable board-certified facial plastic surgeon comes in. During your consultation, you can express your specific concerns and goals while your surgeon will recommend the best procedure or combination of procedures for you. With your current age and skin quality, you may already benefit from non-surgical options such as Botox, fillers, and lasers to rejuvenate your appearance. Your surgeon will assess your skin and facial profile and help ensure you achieve the most natural-looking results possible.

George Volpe, MD · Answer

Probably the best question would be to ask what type of facelift will achieve the goals I am trying to get. At your consultation you will be able to discuss with your surgeon the various concerns you have. That does not mean they can be addressed by the incision that you wish. It gets much more complicated than that. If you are requesting a short incision but a large lift, you will be left with extra bumpy skins on both sides of the incision. Also, if you're asking for an incision within the hairline to elevate loose skin, you will see that your hairline will be repositioned farther back giving you an unnatural look.  There is also the possibility of what we call scar alopecia which means a visible scar with no hair growing out of it. Midface lifts in general have not been very popular as no one technique has been developed that reproducibility shows results. A lot has to do with anchor points, your lower eyelid, and possible visible scarring. It would probably be wise to listen to the reasons that plastic surgeons are unwilling to perform what you are asking.

Kerem Sami Kaya, MD · Answer

Hi, You actually gave the answer in your question, the type of surgery you describe in the picture is called mid-face lift surgery. If only mid-face improvement is required, this surgical method can be performed and can make you happy. However, it is difficult to evaluate whether this surgery can solve the problems you are complaining about, based on this picture. It is important that you could manage the process with a competent surgeon.Have a nice day.

Gregory S. Keller, MD, FACS · Answer

You are asking for what is known as a mid-face lift.  We have performed these for over 30 years, and, with our current rendition, this procedure can be done, even under local anesthesia.  If you go to our web site: gregorykeller.com, you can see an explanation and pix of these. (Pull down “facial plastic surgery”, then “mid-face and cheek lift” If you go to our before and afters, patient #999 will give you an idea of someone similar to you.  I think that this should do the job for you.  The incision and pull if what you are requesting.

Jeffrey H. Spiegel, MD · Answer

You have an upper / midface type facelift incision drawn. It should be readily done, even in the office.

Ronald J. Edelson, MD · Answer

You are too young for a facelift. Making the incision you show and pulling from there will not do anything for you. If you see enough surgeons you will eventually find someone who will operate on you just for the money

Barry M. Weintraub, MD, FACS · Answer

You appear to have a lovely, young face and I would expect that surgeons turned you down because it is very uncommon to perform a facelift on a 30-year-old, particularly one who looks as young as you do! Just based on your photo, I would agree that you are not at all a surgical candidate for a facelift. What you are drawing on the picture could possibly be achieved with facial threads. The threads are inserted near the hair line and lift the midface in almost the exact direction that you drew on your picture. The threads are made of suture material that slowly dissolves over time, leaving behind collagen. However, I caution you against doing too much, as there is *nothing* that ages a young face like excessive aesthetic procedures. I recommend that instead of requesting a facelift, ask what the surgeon would recommend to help lift your midface -- and try to be open to their suggestions.

Patrick Flaharty, MD FAACS · Answer

At age 30 you don't need a surgical facelift. Non-surgical, or minimally invasive options may include facial fillers which can lift through filling and work very well in the cheeks, jaw line and temples. Fillers can also be used to strengthen your chin which would be fanbtastic. Another option would be the Instalift which uses absorbable sutures to lift the cheeks and are placed under the skin in a pattern very similar to the diagram in your photograph. The ellipse behind the temporal hairline you drew is very similar to a temporal brow lift, but your really don't have enough laxity to warrant this type of incisional surgery. My strong recommendation is to explore the liquid facelift (Botox and fillers) and/or the Instalift which are less invasive and more appropriate for your age and the mild degree of facial aging.

Scott C. Lindsay, DO · Answer

Thanks for your question! You are probably struggling to find a surgeon to do a facelift because it isn't indicated for someone that has a face as young as yours. Try to find someone who does threading. It can improve that area while not completely altering your face. Good luck.

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