I am 28 years old with developing nasolabial folds. Is a facial lift too extreme or a smart move? (photos)

At your age you certainly do not need a facelift. The nasolabial fold is generated by facial expression. Even though it can be directly addressed at the time of a thorough facelift it will reemerge because of facial expression. Fillers do a nice job of camouflaging this facial feature.

A facelift is overkill.  Fillers will give you nice results and the procedure is easily done in the office.

Thank you for the question. Although a properly performed
facelift can soften the nasolabial folds (and in particular, a midface lift can
address the upper portion of a deep nasolabial fold), there are nonsurgical
options available as well. Soft tissue fillers (particularly the hyaluronic
acid fillers such as Restylane, Juvederm, Restylane Lyft) are excellent options
to soften the transition between cheek and upper lip, or the nasolabial fold. To
address the fine etched lines that are closer to the skin’s surface and sometimes
associated with the nasolabial fold, Belotero or Restylane Silk are great
options. Prior to any intervention, however, a proper physical exam is
necessary. I hope this information
helps, and I wish you the best of luck.