Will Skin Continue to Tighten 10 Weeks Post Op Face/necklift?

Question

I am just under 10 weeks post necklift/ lower facelift with playtsma tightening. One year ago I had lipo under my chin and this left the playtsmal banding more pronounced. Since my last surgery 10 weeks ago, as the swelling goes down, the sagging gets worse.The playtsma banding, although much improved from before surgery, is still there. I am still swollen around the ears, cheeks and under the chin. I can feel tightness and pulling when I move my neck. The scaring is healing beautifully.

Sam Naficy, MD, FACS · Answer

Unlikely that the skin will continue to tighten although sometimes skin will re-drape more smoothly over time

Rod J. Rohrich, MD · Answer

In general, one can see the final results from a facelift in 6 weeks. After this time period, one sees improved face skin tone but not tightening. Therefore, one must adequately improve skin/face reshaping intra operatively to prevent early skin sagging or re-lapse. Also, one must leave an adequate layer of fat tissue in the face and neck so there will not be post-op skin adherence of the neck platysma to the skin which causes a neck deformity which is hard to correct.

Babak Azizzadeh, MD, FACS · Answer

Yes, skin tightening will continue for 6+ months so just try and be patient - and good luck with your results!

Frank P. Fechner, MD · Answer

No, I do not expect any furthe tightening of the face or neck. In fact, even after 10 weeks the outcome is not complete as illustrated by your continued swelling and tightness feeling. There will be a little more loosening of the neck muscles over the next 3 months.

	I like to judge the final result not earlier than 9 months after the facelift.

Ritu Chopra, MD · Answer

Skin will not generally tighten after a facelift. Swelling causes the face to become overly tight in the first couple of weeks. After the swelling decreases your Facelift will age like any part of your body. The key is to start out with a relatively tight lift and as gravity takes affect it will loosen. The caveat to that is if its to loose to begin with it will never tighten to the appropriate level. Hope this helps.

Ariel N. Rad, MD, PhD, FACS · Answer

Generally speaking, facelift surgery corrects loose, hanging skin by removing the excess and pulling the rest of the facial skin taut. So, you can say that the skin is "tightened" across the face. As most of the surgeons here are saying, the "tight" feeling of the skin after surgery is in part due to swelling which stretches out the skin. As swelling goes down, the feeling of tightness does as well. But be clear that facelift surgery does nothing for the natural elasticity, or "stretchiness," of the skin. To restore the snap-back tone you used to have, you may benefit from ultrasound (Ulthera), radiofrequency (Affirm), or infrared (SkinTyte) laser treatments which may be a helpful adjunct. For recurrent platysmal bands, Botox or Dysport may be very effective to weaken them. Maintaining the quality of your skin is an ongoing process. Find a great board-certified dermatologist to keep your skin looking healthy after your facelift!

Toby Mayer, MD · Answer

Skin tightening will continue for at least 6 months. Be patient and it should continue to improve with time.

Amy T. Bandy, DO, FACS · Answer

No, sorry.  As you can see, as the swelling goes down, you notice more looseness.  This will not improve over time.

Adam Rubinstein, MD · Answer

Your skin will be at its tightest immediately after the facelift is complete. This is due to the fact that the skin has been made tighter surgically and that there is swelling. 10 weeks after surgery the swelling is resolving and should be nearly completely resolved. The amount of swelling that persists at 10 weeks is not likely to make too much of an impact on your appearance, though it can. As a rule of thumb, I advise my patients to wait three months before viewing the results as "final". Even so, it can take one year to return to normal and feel like surgery was never done. However, it is very unlikely that the skin will tighten further at this point of your recovery. You should know that platysmal bands are rarely completely removed, and that there is usually some amount that remains (though this is usually a lot less than the pre-operative state). You can expect the skin to soften and look more natural in the coming weeks, but not to tighten further.

	I hope this info helps!

Lawrence Tong, MD, FACS, FRCSC · Answer

Hi spokane6975,

	At the time of the procedure, the skin is pulled to an appropriate tension. Immediately after surgery (first week) , things are at their tightest due to the swelling. As the swelling resolves (1-4 weeks), the tension will decrease, and the skin will start to relax (1-6 months). As these things occur, you should not expect the neck to tighten; if anything, it will become more loose. Hope this helps.

	Best regards,

	Lawrence Tong MD FACS FRCSC