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?

Toby Mayer, MD · Answer

Well, you can't! You can improve the upper 1/2 with cheek implants and the lower 1/2 with fat grafting which we have used successfully for 35 years. We can turn back the clock, but not to 20.

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.

Kevin Sadati, DO · Answer

Dear Dilee,
	As we age, some of our dermal fats and deep facial fats are reduced or lost. This process results in hollowness of facial features that contribute to appearing older. Since you had a lower face lift, your best option is fat grafting. I recommend getting fat grafting with PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) since addition of PRP makes fat more viable and long lasting. Good Luck.

Jason Hess, MD · Answer

It would be interesting to know whether your buccal fat pad (cheek fat) was excised during your surgery. This can lead to some loss of volume over the long term. Fat grafting may help, to a degree, but fillers are also an option. Fillers reliably enhance volume, but they generally last 6 months to 2 years depending on the product. Fat transfer is advocated by many, but its retention at 1 year is about 50%. Facelifts, unfortunately are not the fountain of youth. They can shave years off of your appearance, but there are limitations.

Otto Joseph Placik, MD · Answer

Losing facial fat is a typical hallmark of aging. It is unlikely that the facelift removed any significant amount of fat and it is more likely that it redraped lax skin that made the facial atrophy more apparent. Fillers and/or fat grafting may be beneficial in restoring your loss of facial fullness. Discuss these options with your surgeon.

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

If your face appears a bit thin, you may want to consider facial fillers or autologous fat injections to the areas that appear to be a bit thin.

How Can I Regain my Youthful Baby Face After my Facelift

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