Category Archives: Nasolabial Folds

I Had a Facelift 4 Years Ago and Don’t Want Another One What Can I Do to Help Sagging?

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Sharla DeCelle in Las Vegas, NV asks:

I had a facelift approximately 4 years ago and have started to get the deep fowls around my mouth. I’m 60 years old and want to look vibrant for my age but do not want a another facelift. Are there other alternatives that will help the wrinkles and jowls?

Several options for nonsurgical facial rejuvenation:

If your areas of concern are the “deep frowns” around your mouth; so often the nasolabial folds and marionette lines around the mouth contribute to the sagging and contribute to the aged appearance.  Without doing “surgery”, injections into these areas, particularly with fat transfer or other materials can provide good resolution/good improvement, without undergoing a repeat facelift.  Specifically for wrinkles on the other hand; wrinkles are nicely treated with expert fractionated laser treatment.  If you are concerned about the sagging jowl; in some instances laser lipolysis can provide some tightening in this area although this has to be done with great expertise and care.

Nonetheless there are options to help rejuvenate the face that don’t entail or require facelift surgery.  But there is not a single procedure that will provide resolution for the areas you are concerned about, but a combination of these treatments can remedy the problem.

David Q. Santos, MD

Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

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How Can I Correct This Naseolabial Fold Problem on One Side of my Face?

 msmmi in sf in Pleasanton, CA asks:

2 months ago I had 4 qaud eye lift, brow lift, full facelift and lipo of the neck. I had some nasolabial folds before surgery, and the doctor assured me these procedures would correct the problem. However, the fold on one side is still there, and never seemed to get better. I feel the malar fat pad may not have been lifted as much as it should have been. I am not into fillers that don’t last, after spending all this money for a more lasting fix. what should be done?

Photo Courtesy of RealSelf.com

It is now two months after the procedure and there has been a number of procedures performed, including your eyelift and brow lift and facelift, liposuction and neck lift.  These are a lot of procedures and even though it has been two months there is still some reasonable amount of healing that needs to occur.  Most people desire resolution of all their swelling and healing problems by a week or a month, but essentially three and six months or more is required.

Therefore assessing the nasolabial folds is somewhat premature at this phase, but a number of things can be discussed at this time.  Facelift procedures can soften the nasolabial folds, but rarely get rid of the significant concerns of the nasolabial folds.  Fillers are the best answer.  There are a number of fillers; the temporary ones are beneficial.  If you are interested in a “lasting fix” then more permanent type fillers are helpful, including Artifill and Sculptra, as well as fat grafting.  Fat grafting tends to be the best answer in many instances due to its reliability and the fact that it comes from your own body to begin with.

So the best answer to your question is to wait a little bit of time, at least three months if not six months, and assess things and consider fillers after that period of time.  Fat grafting would be my first option, Sculptra would be a second answer.

David Q. Santos, MD

Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon
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