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I Had a Facelift 4 Years Ago and Don’t Want Another One What Can I Do to Help Sagging?
Photo from here
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.
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.
Would a Lower Lift Help with Sagging in the Marionette Area?
Marionette Area
Katt122 in Florida asks:
“Would a Lower Lift Help with Sagging in the Marionette Area? Due to 30lb weight loss I have sagging in the marionette line area. Its not too bad but it bothers me that I look sad. I talked to a plastic surgeon about a lower lift. He said this would also help my jaw line. What would this entail. Is the recuperation difficult. I am 48. Would juvederm help to hold off the surgery for awhile? Can it help the neck? I have already had my eyes done and rhinoplasty so surgery isn’t new to me.”
Combination treatment facelift plus filler is best answer for sagging marionette lines. The marionette area sometimes is reasonably simple to treat, but other times is more difficult. A simple answer is to utilize simple, safe and less expensive techniques such as Juvéderm or Restylane for the marionette line area. This can be a potential six to nine month or even one year successful therapy in many instances, but not all. More permanent answer entails Sculptra or lipo injection to the area that can additionally soften the marionette line. These answers are safe and less expensive. Nonetheless a facelift provides an excellent improvement in marionette lines in most instances, but there are some instances where supplemental injection is needed. So at 48 years of age I would suggest trying fillers first and if this doesn’t resolve things to your satisfaction then strongly consider a mini-lift or facelift by an expert surgeon in the area who has done a lot of facelift procedures. And again even then, consider subsequent injections if this is not satisfactory. – Dr. Santos MD, FACS
