How Can I Regain my Youthful Baby Face After my Facelift

Question

I had a SMAS facelift 4 months ago (age 55). I have lost my youthful baby face and have a sculpted face (like all the celebs). Everything is tight again but I have lost my one asset, my round face. I never had cheek bones even in my 20's. But I was carded well into my 30's. Even at age 55 people used to think I was a lot younger. I feel like the facelift almost made me look older. So what would you suggest I do to get some volume back in my lower cheeks to create a baby face?

Brooke R. Seckel, MD, FACS · Answer

While a Facelift can tighten skin and improve neck laxity, jowls and sagging cheek, a Facelift does not add volume to the face.

	A young face not only has a firm jawline and neck but also has volume, produced by normal facial fat, which produces a fresh full plump look especially to the cheeks and cheek bone area. As we age we loose this fat.

	More and more Plastic Surgeons are looking to "volume restoration" as one key to rejuvenating a face to a youthful appearance.

	Volume resoration can be most readily achieved using soft tissue filler injections, Radiesse and Pearlane for the cheek area, and Juvederm and Restylane for the lower face and mouth area.

	Fat injections can also be helpful however they require a lot of skill and experience. I recommend trying the fillers first to see if you like the results-they dissolve with time and thus you can choose not to have the effect, unlike fat grafts which are more likely to be permanent

Ben Lee, MD · Answer

Facelift is a great procedure to turn back the clock. However you must realize that many of the same conditions that existed in your 20s and 30s are no longer there. The skin quality is different as is the quality of the underlying tissues. There are volume changes and possibly bony changes. I can turn back the clock approximatelly 10 years for most people, but the aging process continues. Unfortunately time and gravity eventually win. It's a sad fact of life.

Jerome Edelstein, MD · Answer

Fillers may help improve your facial contour. I'm sorry to hear that you don't like your results, but rest assured knowing that you can do something about it.

Larry S. Nichter, MD, MS, FACS · Answer

The short answer is that you may benefit from fillers or resurfacing procedures following a facelift.

	Fillers  following a face lift makes perfect sense. This is because you age by three factors - sagging (through gravity and time), loss of volume (counteracted by fillers), and skin texture (determined by environmental and genetic factors). Your fillers should enhance your effect of the lifting if placed appropriately by addressing one of the causes of aging..Most often one of these factors are more out of balance than another and therefore your procedures should customize for what is most needed. Often fillers alone can "stall" the inevitable as they only correct one aspect of aging.
	Facelift and Skin resurfacing procedures (laser, Ulthera or Thermage ) and fillers are synergistic so as long as you wait until the Sculptra injection site is soft you should do fine. Not a problem and there is no problem with the timing for a facelift. Sculptra, Radiesse, Jeuvederm, Restylane, fat transfer and other fillers address volume issues, resurfacing procedures corrects surface flaws associated with aging and face lifting addresses the sagging loose skin. Resurfacing procedures address skin texture, color variation (e.g. sun spots)- so all three are synergistic and complementary. It is very common in my practice to do all three approaches to rejuvenation at the same time

Sam Naficy, MD, FACS · Answer

Although it is hard to tell without seeing your pictures what you are describing is likely related to volume loss and would be improved with facial fat grafting

Lawrence Kass, MD · Answer

I usually advise that there are 3 factors to facial rejuvenation and that surgery to address issues caused by gravity addresses only one of the three.  It is also important to consider volume restoration and skin rejuvenation.  Your question concerns the former and this can be addressed with fat grafts, implants, sculptra, and other fillers.  Chances are help is available and that you will be satisfied with the results of volume augmentation.

How Can I Regain my Youthful Baby Face After my Facelift

Answers (16)

Answer: Facial soft tissue fillers and Fat Injection can restore youthful fullness to the face

Answer: Facial soft tissue fillers and Fat Injection can restore youthful fullness to the face

Answer: Can I get my baby face back

Answer: Can I get my baby face back

Answer: Fillers can help

Answer: Fillers can help

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Facelift

Answer: Regaining and Maintaining Youthful Appearance after a Face Lift

Answer: Regaining and Maintaining Youthful Appearance after a Face Lift

Answer: Regaining youthful volume

Answer: Regaining youthful volume

Answer: Regain youthful face again

Answer: Regain youthful face again

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.

How Can I Regain my Youthful Baby Face After my Facelift

Answers (16)

Answer: Facial soft tissue fillers and Fat Injection can restore youthful fullness to the face

Answer: Facial soft tissue fillers and Fat Injection can restore youthful fullness to the face

Answer: Can I get my baby face back

Answer: Can I get my baby face back

Answer: Fillers can help

Answer: Fillers can help

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Facelift

Answer: Regaining and Maintaining Youthful Appearance after a Face Lift

Answer: Regaining and Maintaining Youthful Appearance after a Face Lift

Answer: Regaining youthful volume

Answer: Regaining youthful volume

Answer: Regain youthful face again

Answer: Regain youthful face again

Browse related questions

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.