Hello, this is Woori Plastic Surgery.
These days, as we conduct consultations, I can clearly feel that more and more people are considering a facelift along with facial contouring after contour surgery, or even thinking about having both surgeries together from the start. In the past, facial contouring surgery was regarded as something mainly for younger people, but recently, the desire to have a smaller-looking face, a sharper impression, and to address sagging that makes the face look older has naturally extended to middle-aged patients as well. Today, let’s look into whether facial contouring surgery and a facelift can be done together.
Sagging after contour surgery?
Among people considering contour surgery, one common question is, “Does contour surgery make the cheeks sag?” In reality, it is not common for the skin to suddenly loosen as a direct result of the surgery. However, when the bone structure is reduced through contour surgery, the skin that used to cover that structure may feel relatively looser, which can make it seem like it has sagged. In other words, it is more accurate to understand the issue not as the skin stretching, but as a structural change in which the skin remains after the bone structure has changed.
Extra skin after facial contouring?
There are several ways to address excess skin that appears after facial contouring.
✔️ Support firmness with laser lifting
✔️ Non-surgical lifting procedures
✔️ Facelift surgery when skin sagging is clearly noticeable
Among these, when sagging is significant or when refining the midface and lower face line is important, facelift surgery can be a more fundamental solution. That is why, recently, there have been more cases of people proceeding with a facelift after facial contouring or considering the overall flow of both surgeries together from the beginning.
Facial contouring and a facelift at the same time?
These days, many people want to have contour surgery and a facelift at the same time to reduce the time burden. However, simultaneous surgery is not the best choice in every case. Facial contouring does not make the face immediately smaller right after surgery; in the early stage, swelling can actually make the face look larger, and the contour gradually settles over 1 to 2 months. If a facelift is performed too aggressively in this state, there may be considerations related to scar burden or tissue recovery. In some cases, such as chin surgery, simple pin removal, or procedures limited to a relatively central area, it may be possible to combine them with a facelift. However, for larger procedures such as full 3-type contouring or cases with extensive skeletal changes, it is often a more stable choice to allow some recovery time after facial contouring before proceeding with the facelift.
It looks uneven
After facial contouring surgery, there is a period when people may feel that “my face looks even more protruded” or “it feels like the skin has sagged more.” This is often the result of a combination of factors, including swelling, tissue changes during recovery, and the skin volume that becomes relatively more noticeable as the bone structure is reduced. At this stage, it is important to evaluate the exact condition after recovery and determine the surgical scope accordingly.
Advantages of having both procedures at one hospital
When facial contouring and a facelift are performed at the same hospital, there are several advantages.
✔️ The facial condition before contour surgery is understood accurately
✔️ The amount of skin looseness caused by skeletal changes can be predicted
✔️ It is easier to determine the range and direction of the later facelift
✔️ Responsibility for the surgical results is clearly defined
In particular, since facial contouring and a facelift are procedures that affect each other, it is important for medical staff who understand and have experience with both surgeries to plan them together.
Rather than deciding on facial contouring and a facelift simply based on trends or the desire to finish everything at once, it is important to create a customized plan that takes your own facial condition and recovery process into account. We recommend making the surgical scope and sequence decisions through 충분한 consultation.
