Still sagging after facelift. Is this normal?

I can understand your frustration if the benefits of the facelift are already starting to evaporate. Seeing this sort of a problem early on is rather uncommon. This is something you should discuss with your surgeon.

The answer to your question is not simply black and white. There are many different ways to perform a facelift and the result depends on the anatomy you started with as well as the procedure done and your healing capabilities. Sometimes the marrionette lines need to be filled as well as lifted for a better result. Be sure to discuss your concerns with your surgeon.

No facelift will permanently remove marionette lines. It is a great technique for resiting jowl sagging and recovering the jawline. I tell all my patients that whilst the facelift MAY improve the nasolabial fold a little, perioral postoperative management will need to include dermal fillers, skin care +- fractionated CO2 laser resurfacing. Like all investments there is an ongoing committment to maintenance to ensure longevity of performance.

Thanks for your questions.  Its difficult to assess without any before and after photographs as there are many variables including the quality of your skin prior to surgery, the type of facelift performed.  Importantly though, you are still in the very early post operative recovery period and its normal for you to see some asymmetry during this healing phase.  For some patients, non surgical treatments such as dermal fillers are still required after facelift surgery as a facelift on its own does not deal with lost facial volume.  Be patient and keep your surgeon informed of your progress.

It is perfectly normal to see different changes occur on one side of your face than the other, as each is a separate surgery site. Parts of your face may look distorted until the swelling subsides. The healing process varies dramatically from patient to patient, and the time it takes for all residual issues to resolve is a full year. A facelift is often combined with volume replacement with injectable fillers. Areas that are often injected include the cheeks, marionette lines, and the hollowed areas in front of the ears. That said, please give yourself at least several more weeks of healing time to allow changes to settle before considering further treatments or procedures.