Facelift - Ask a Surgeon

Thank you for your question. A facelift is typically performed to correct signs of aging or a "tired look". In my opinion, a facelift will not necessarily make you look younger or more vibrant. I have a patient of mine I recall who, at age 35, consulted with me for a facelift. At the time she easily looked beautiful and younger than her age. She lacked the usual issues of loose skin, so I said she was not a candidate. So she saw a surgeon in another state and had the surgery. I ran into her at a social event after and instead of looking younger, she looked "done," not better. The look she achieved made her look like a 50-something lady trying to look 35.

Thank you for your message. Could you let me know your email address? The RNWOOD consultant team will contact you via email.

Thank you so much for your question.

First of all, I am sorry to hear that this is occurring. Skin flap necrosis following a facelift is a known complication and happens a certain percentage of the time despite your lack of risk factors and your surgeon's experience. The treatment for this complication is to leave the area alone and apply antibiotic ointment (neosporin). It should heal in on its own and often will leave a satisfactory appearance. Debridement would be overly aggressive for this issue.

Thank you again for your question and best of luck.

Before answering a question like this I would need to know more about your previous surgery like why was it done, how long ago, were there any complications of that surgery, etc. Ideally, a personal exam would have to be performed before making any firm recommendations but even photos would be helpful. That being said there are some new technological advances that have been made in the arena of skin tightening ,such as Renuvion and FaceTite devices that may be helpful in your situation.