What is the recovery time for a flick lift? (Photo)

Ultimately, a surgical face lift provides the best contouring for someone with moderate or severe laxity. This procedure could include tightening your underlying musculature to give you a better contour and also removing the excess skin laxity. Together this allows for a much better face and neck contour. In some instances, some liposuction is also beneficial to reduce the submental fullness. This would be the most impactful to address the jowls in the photos.  I am not familiar with the term 'flick' lift so it is difficult to assess what is being addressed during the procedure.However, there are effective non-surgical options for you. I would recommend Ulthera if you are looking for something with no downtime, or Profound if you could tolerate some downtime. Ulthera is an ultrasound based energy that heats the underlying tissue and stimulates collagen in response. Profound is a radio frequency microneedling device that allows for the creation of Elastin, collagen and hyaluronic acid and hence restores some of the lost elasticity in the face. It has more visible downtime with the possibility of some swelling and bruising that diminishes in about a weeks time.Dermal fillers may also give you more cheek (mid face) definition and soften the jowls to a lesser degree than surgery, but create a nice contrast. Based on the photos, you would also be a great candidate for Sculptra and this may help soften some of the facial volume hollowing in the cheeks and outer face.I would visit with a board certified plastic surgeon who has the portfolio of non-surgical options in your area who can help explain the treatment options for you and the limitations of each option, both surgical and non-surgical.

Thank you for a great question and for sharing your concern and photos.  I am not familiar with "flick lift", but it is likely some form of a facelift that has been branded for marketing purposes.  Perhaps your surgeon can connect you with one of his patients that have had the procedure to help you with your research.I hope you find this helpful. Best wishes!Consult with a Board Certified Fellowship Trained Facial Plastic Surgery Specialist."This answer has been solicited without seeing this patient and cannot be held as true medical advice, but only opinion. Seek in-person treatment with a trained medical professional for appropriate care."

Hello,

Thank you for your question. As we age, skin becomes looser.
Underlying tissues (fascia and fat pads) also sag. Excess tissue adversely
affects the jawline and neck as the development of wrinkles, creases and
sagging becomes more visible. A facelift is designed to remove excess skin and
reposition deeper tissues for a smoother, firmer contour. The procedure targets
the mid and lower thirds of the face (a brow lift and eyelid lift target the
upper third). A dramatic improvement can be achieved in smoothing away the
creases and sagging tissues that exist in the areas of your cheeks, around the
mouth, along the jawline (jowls) and neck. If you are concerned about how aging
has affected any of these areas, then a facelift may be right for you.

A good facelift candidate will have :

Realistic expectations

The goal of looking like yourself, but younger

Relatively good health, both physically and
psychologically

A stable and healthy weight

No underlying health conditions that may make
surgery risky

A good understanding of the facelift procedure,
as well as its related risks

The ability to stop smoking for a few weeks
before and after surgery, to minimize complications with healing



I recommend that you contact a
board certified Plastic Surgeon who's before and after photos appeal to you,
then set up a consultation to discuss your options for rejuvenation.



All the best. 

I would recommend a mini facelift with a high SMAS elevation technique to move the cheek soft tissues up to your malar eminence.  This would correct your deep nasolabial folds and jowls as well as neck laxity without needing to dissect into the neck, making for a quicker recovery.  Maybe you can ask about more details regarding this "flick" lift. 

The lower cheek tissue that begins to descend with aging + gravity we refer to as 'jowls'. This is usually not fat as some believe. We see this more in some families than others but aging is indeed a big factor. 'Facelift' surgery can indeed help this but so can injectable fillers by softening the valley near the jowl.  Or a combination of both surgery + fillers is also used. Fillers require no real downtime but are not as aggressive as surgery of course. It can be helpful to consult with an experienced surgeon who performs both. 

Patients interested in knowing more about certain surgical procedure on the face should know the common layman's name or the medical term. "Flick lift" is not a medical term or common layman's name, but rather seems to be a marketing name.

I tried to find something on google about this and couldn't.  Thus it is hard to discuss its merits or lack of merits.  With that said your NLF and jowls look a lot worse on your front on photo because the image is taken from below and with overhead lighting.  The resulting shadows make those look more profound than they are.  With that said you may benefit from some facial procedure, just hard to tell with the limited photos available.

I am not familiar with the Flick Lift. As my other colleagues have mention, new terminology is often used for the same techniques. The best way to address facial aging is to address the deeper SMAS layer. If you are unsure of your surgeon's recommendation, seeking a second opinion is always a good way to determine which procedure is best for you. 

Hello Brackj-I am also unfamiliar with the "Flick" lift but often new names for common procedures aren't reflecting a novel new approach to something, but rather just reflecting some new marketing. The essence of a good, natural appearing and longer lasting facelift is in the elevation and posterior/superior fixation of the SMAS layer. If your surgeon is still cutting below the chin to tighten the medial platysmal bands, that may be a sign of an older style facelift where the SMAS is not elevated well. There are too may aspects/angles of a what contributes to a good facelift to mention, but postop swelling should be minimal and usually there is not a lot of associated pain. Good luck with you decision and interview a couple board certified plastic surgeons. 

Honestly, flick lift isn't a term with which I am familiar. You might want to ask your surgeon exactly what it entails. And perhaps get a second opinion to ensure that the technique is going to deliver your desired results. Best, Dr. Nazarian