Does a person have to stop using Botox and fillers before they seek a facelift consultation?

A facelift consultation can be obtained with Botox and fillers having an effect.Find a plastic surgeon with ELITE credentials who performs
hundreds of
facelifts, necklifts, facelift revisions, and facial procedures each
year. Then look at the plastic surgeon's website before and after photo
galleries to get a sense of who can deliver the results. Kenneth
Hughes, MDLos Angeles, CA

A patient does not have to stop using Botox or fillers prior to having a facelift. Botox and fillers are injected around the eyes and frown lines, while a facelift mainly targets the jowls and neck. This means that undergoing a facelift would not interfere with the action of the fillers or Botox. Sometimes we even inject fillers at the same time as a facelift with no interactions at all. It is important to go to someone who is experienced in combining these modalities when thinking about proceeding with surgery.

Because Botox relaxes muscles that cause wrinkles in a way that surgical facelifts do not, there isn't usually any problem planning a facelift. However facelifts often include the addition of volume with fat grafting so it is important for your plastic surgeon to know if you have fillers.

Dear Linda, As you can see from the previos responses, it is quite controversial. In my opinion and experience, botox caries no consequences for face lift. On the contrary, fillers can significantly alter the face , especially after the , so called, "liquid face lift" . So, in my practice, I ask my face lift patients to stop the fillers injection 3 - 6 months before surgery for restylane and juvaderm and 6 - 9 months for radiase. Consult with experienced board certified plastic surgeons and check the before and after pictures to make sure that you like the results. Best of luck, Dr Widder

There shouldn't be any need to stop Botox injections prior to a facelift consultation. Just inform your facial plastic surgeon of your prior treatments.

No, but you do want to let your plastic surgeon know exactly what treatments you have had and when they were done.

I don't think this is necessary. You should tell your surgeon what you've had injected, when, where and how much. It would be most helpful if your injectables and planned surgery were coordinated with the same office. It would then be possible to review the chart and know exactly what injectable treatments had been performed. However, that is not necessary if you can provide an accurate injection history. I hope this information is helpful.Stephen Weber MD, FACS

The important thing is to inform your surgeon what you have done and when. As long as they know that, they can perform a good consultation with that in mind.

Botox and Filler treatments prior to faceliftIt is rather common to see a patient in consultation for a facelift that
has had prior non-surgical treatments. You do not have to wait for the filler
and Botox to wear out the see a plastic surgeon for evaluation. An experienced
and skilled surgeon can take these factors into account and still properly
assess the face anatomy to properly plan out appropriate surgical

A face which has had Botox and fillers could still be evaluated for a facelift, but you should mention these past treatments at the time of your facelift consultation. Facelifts are primarily done to help with sagging skin while fillers are used to restore volume and Botox helps with lines or furrows caused by facial movement.