Would a facelift be the procedure to correct the jowl area? (Photo)

Question

I’m 27F. Non smoker. I recently lost 30LB. However this last year or so I’ve really been noticing my lower face aging me. I don’t know how to LIFT it. My forehead doesn’t have wrinkles or anything. Thank you for any input!

Ali Sajjadian, MD, FACS · Answer

Thanks Jubilant472355 for your question! A facelift at age 27 is generally not considered standard practice but a mini facelift is a less invasive surgical procedure compared to a traditional facelift.  It is intended to treat less severe forms of aging, such drooping skin around the jawline and in the lower face, which includes the jowls. The main distinction between a small facelift and a standard facelift is that the former usually includes less extensive tissue manipulation and shorter incisions.  Instead than treating the entire face and neck, the surgeon concentrates on elevating and tightening certain regions.  Because minifacelift is less invasive, recovery times are shorter. 
Who is a good candidate for a mini facelift?
People who want a more subtle and natural-looking rejuvenation, those with good skin elasticity, and those with mild to moderate lower facial aging indications.
As nonsurgical options,Morpheus and Profound RF are both minimally invasive procedures that can help address jowling and sagging skin by stimulating collagen production.  Radiofrequency (RF) radiation is administered by small needles in both therapies. By heating the skin's deeper layers, the combination of RF energy and microneedling stimulates the body's natural healing process and promotes the synthesis of new collagen and elastin.   One of the main distinctions is that Profound RF often penetrates the skin more deeply than Morpheus8. In comparison to Morpheus8, Profound RF usually requires fewer treatment sessions and has a longer recovery period.   Both devices make shrinkage of tissue and internal lift and are FDA approved.
Both procedures can enhance skin tone and texture while tightening and lifting drooping skin around the neck and jawline.   
Hope this was helpful!
Best wishes,
Dr Ali Sajjadian

Ali Cetinkaya, MD · Answer

You’re not alone &mdash; many young women experience noticeable lower-face changes after significant weight loss. Even without forehead wrinkles, sagging or hollowing in the jawline, chin, and lower cheeks can create an aged or tired appearance.
This is often due to:
Loss of facial fat in the midface and lower face
Laxity in retaining ligaments
Reduced skin elasticity (especially after rapid weight loss)

Ali Riza Öreroglu, MD · Answer

For the aging signs in your lower face, a lower facelift could be a great option. This procedure effectively addresses sagging in the jawline, the jowl area, and the neck, providing a more youthful and tighter appearance. Since you don’t have wrinkles on your forehead, the focus would be on lifting and tightening the lower face. Some minimal fat grafting to your face may also contribute to the overall proportions of your facial anatomy as well as providing volume for a more youthful appearance. A physical examination is needed to determine the best treatment plan for your specific needs.

Zachary Farhood, MD · Answer

Buccal fat removal would be an option for you to reduce that fullness, especially if you have always had fuller cheeks. That is relatively simple procedure that can be performed in office while awake. Filler to the prejowl sulcus is also a reasonable option to camouflage the area.

Ronald J. Edelson, MD · Answer

I normally would not do a facelift in someone your age. But with the weight loss I do see laxity of the skin so a facelift is a reasonable solution

Jeffrey M. Darrow, MD · Answer

At age 27, your tissue quality and strength should be excellent. You have only the very beginning of some laxity of your jawline, and a mini facelift utilizing plication of the fascia layer (SMAS) of your face would help to straighten and sharpen your jawline. This could easily be done under local anesthesia with or without some sedation, depending upon your comfort level.   This procedure has a relatively rapid recovery and should give you an excellent long-term result.  Another option, which may not give as predictable result is the different types of energy base systems where radio frequency and other options are used to heat and tighten the tissues of her face.  Have detailed consultation with your plastic surgeon about your options.

Gary M. Horndeski, MD · Answer

Yes, the facelift would help the jowl area but you are only 27 years old. In your case, an alternative to consider would be a lip lift. A lip lift does 4 things: shortens the distance between your nose and upper lip, increases the mucosa of the upper lip, increases the incisor show and pulls up the corners. This takes 1 hour to perform under local anesthesia and costs $3,000.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Ruslan Zhuravsky, DO · Answer

Hello. Congratulations! It is great that you were able to achieve this level of weight loss. Unfortunately, it does have some drawbacks including loss of volume from the face, which in turn leads to some laxity. In some cases, there is a lack of overall volume, which can be corrected with replacement by fillers or fat grafting. However, in your case there seems to be an adequate amount of volume as you have good underlying facial bone support at the cheek bones and jawline. A facelift at the age of 27 may sound wild because we are used to thinking of laxity related to age. However, it is the treatment for the type of laxity that you are seeing, and it is being done more often than people imagine. In fact, we are seeing an overall shift toward facelifts during the younger years of late 30's and 40's, even when related to aging alone. It just has to be evaluated on a case by case basis. So the answer is yes, a facelift is a valid option for the issues that you are presenting. If you do go down this route, please be aware of some of the gimmicks and misunderstandings that are common in facelift surgery. Mainly that there are many different names for facelifts, mainly to make them seem "special" and attract customers with promises of better results, shorter recovery, or some other shortcuts. In the end it comes down to 3 types: a skin only, SMAS, or deep plane lift. Skin only should not be an option. My opinion is that deep plane facelifts provide the best, most natural, and most durable results. Do not fall into the gimmick that is a facelift has a name to imply a "mini" or "smaller" approach that it will give you a good result with less downtime. To distinguish between these, I advise consultations with several different surgeons that specialize in facelifts and are able to do deep plane lifts. Take your time, don't rush, make the right decision. I wish I could offer a simpler, less invasive solution like threads, radiofrequency, or other such solution, but I personally have not seen results that I find adequate with these methods. However, I have seen problems that occur when patients try many other methods before eventually getting a facelift anyway. Good luck!

Mustafa Aydinol, MD · Answer

Endoscopic approach to mid face lift is the best solution for you. Also it can be combined with double chin Vaser liposuction (to remove the superficial fat), Reunion (to tighten the neck skin), micro liposuction (to improve jowls). I would also add some micro fat grafting for volumizing lips. Your other options can be non-invasive treatments such as laser and fillers but please not that you might require several sessions. Good luck!

Darryl J. Blinski, MD · Answer

Based on your nicely posted photos, my recommendation would be a mini face necklace with SMAS replication in combination with Endo. Fee $12,000-$18,000. Best of virtual consult with.

Would a facelift be the procedure to correct the jowl area? (Photo)

Answers (10)

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