Are Revision Facelift and Neck Lift Surgeries Common?

Unfortunately, every Facial Plastic Surgical procedure carries with it the possibility of revision.  At the same time, revision surgery, especially for Facelift, should be relatively rare; a low revision rate (1-5%) is typical of an experienced Facelift Surgeon who take the time to understand an individual patient's concerns and expectations.  The possibility of revision increases when a patient is overweight, or has a very heavy neck.  The classic timing for revision is about a year, by can vary based on the circumstance. The best place to start is with a frank discussion about your concerns with the Surgeon who performed the procedure.

Thank you for your question;   revision after five months after your surgery are not common.  If you feel you have still laxity go back with your surgeon and discuss the possibility of a revision.

Hello!
A facelift does not slow the aging process, it just sets the clock back a few years. Your face continues to descend, and the skin thins. In this process, the initial snugness of the result fades, and some of the stigmata of age return. There are other treatments that can slow this process - fat grafting is one known way to improve the quality of the overlying skin - the infusion of stem cells in the fat graft stimulate regeneration of collagen and elastin, rendering a more youthful appearance. A repeat facelift is usually very easy and straightforward - I suggest you see a board certified plastic surgeon, and get an opinion. 
Dr Camp

There is some relaxation that occurs after facial rejuvenation which is noticeable in some but not all patients. It would be very helpful to see pictures but in general, revisions are performed no sooner than 12 months after surgery. Most facelift techniques put more tension on the deeper structures so that the skin can naturally redrape; if there is relaxation of the skin after surgery than a second procedure would be required to address this excess.

Hello.  You need to try and focus on goals.  Were they met?  Were they written down and discussed in detail with your surgeon?  If so, you should have covered the possible need to "stage" your facial restoration in order to achieve the optimal result.  Surprises are not good and I can tell by your question that you are very surprised.  Assess things in detail with your surgeon please asap or you might need to find a new one if he is not helpful and forthright.  Lastly, always make sure that you have a general timeline that lets you know when you should see the final result.I hope my answer helps and if it does, please take a moment to up vote this answer on the “respond” button on the top right.  Have a great day.

Many thanks for posting your question.One of the keys to understanding facial ageing is to understand that there are several layers to the face (skin, fat, muscle layer (SMAS), deep fat and bone) and in addition appreciate that we all have different skin quality. Skin quality is influenced by our genetics, sun exposure, smoking history and diet.The ability to surgically rejuvenate a face and neck is determined in part by the surgical technique and procedure (ensuring a good SMAS lift, and not a skin lift, for example) but is also governed by your pre-existing skin quality.In people with very lax and saggy skin, there is a much higher risk of early recurrence of sagging, however well the operation has been performed.The best thing would be to openly discuss your concerns with your surgeon, who will be able to advise you on whether any further procedures are warranted and will improve on your result.

Occasionally after facelift, there can be laxity that is residual.  This can be due to tension, swelling, or your own tissue stretching.  In some cases, with hormonal changes, or massive weightloss, the skin is more prone to relaxing, even after surgery.  If you are very disappointed, I would discuss the timing of a reoperation with your doctor.  In general, the 6-12 month window is the minimum time most surgeons would wait before planning revision surgery.

Hope that helps,
Christopher C. Chang, MD

Overall, true revision facelifts are not common, but are occasionally needed. Remaining laxity in the neck after a facelift is usually due to either poor technique or difficult pre-operative anatomy (such as a heavy neck, extreme laxity, prominent salivary glands, etc). In some cases, even with good technique, it is difficult to totally remove all laxity in the neck at the initial operation. If any revision procedures are needed, patients should be encouraged to wait at least 9-12 months before considering a revision procedure in order to allow the tissues to fully heal and inflammation to resolve. 
Any concerns from an unsatisfactory procedure should first be discussed with the surgeon who performed the initial procedure, as there may be an anatomical reason for the results. This also allows the patient and surgeon to each express their concerns and formulate a plan to get the patient to their ultimate goal of looking his or her best!

Facelift tuck up rates, or revision rates, are going to vary do to the following factors:-Technique-  This is the most important factor as failure to lift the muscle adequately.  If the muscle of the neck is not properly dissected and suspended laterally, the neck will ultimately show some early laxity-Skin elasticity-   Patients with poor skin elasticity tend to have some laxity.  Treatment of the skin with skin rejuvenation techniques can help alleviate this concern.-Weight loss- Significant weight loss after a facelift can lead to skin laxity Seek an experienced facelift surgeon for best results.

I am sorry that you are not feeling satisfied with the results of your facelift. Ideally, your surgeon should have alerted you that the neck can be a difficult area to treat as the skin in that area is thin and tends to lose elasticity. However, your surgery was relatively recent and you may not be seeing the full results yet. I would suggest waiting for one year to allow your skin to heal and regenerate.

If you are still dissatisfied with your appearance at that time, you might consider nonsurgical procedures to tone and lift the skin, or consult for a neck lift or revision surgery. I hope this helps.

As a facial plastic surgeon, the most common procedure I perform is facelifts.  We commonly do facelift revisions for other physicians but I don't think facelift revisions are actually that common.  Usually, I find that the patient is aging differently as a result of genetics or previous environmental exposure or the loss of volume.  The most common reason patients request a revision is for visible scarring or neck tissue laxity.Even in the best of hands, the vast majority of patients older than 45 years of age get some relaxation of the neck tissue as a result of the pull.  This is mild however and instead of considering it excessive, most patients find that it is minimal and makes their result look natural.  Some patients have poor skin elasticity, or haven't recognized that they are losing volume as well that hasn't been addressed, or because of previous sun exposures, the quality of the skin is not ideal.  In these situations, sometimes a tuck up may be necessary but generally waiting 9-12 months is advisable to make sure the tissue has had time to adequately mature from the surgery.  To read more about different facelifts, visit our website.