Facelift Results: Can They Be Good Even at a Young Age?

Hello.

I’m Yoo Young-gi, the chief surgeon at Roi Plastic Surgery.

Before getting a facelift, many people ask:

Can I have it even though I’m still this young?

Or

Am I too old to have it done now?

and other questions about whether surgery is appropriate based on age.

Everyone has different factors,

such as skin condition, degree of sagging, and level of aging.

There are cases where someone in their mid-30s looks like they are in their 50s,

and cases where someone in their 50s looks like they are in their 30s.

In other words, age is only a reference point,

and cannot be an absolute standard.

Today, I’d like to introduce a case of a relatively young patient who underwent a combined facelift and neck lift and achieved a satisfying result.

Many people receive relatively simple cosmetic procedures such as fillers, Botox, and thread lifting multiple times to maintain a youthful appearance.

These procedures can temporarily restore volume

and help improve elasticity,

but when they are repeated excessively,

problems can accumulate that are difficult to solve without surgery.

The patient I’m introducing today had also previously undergone fillers, thread lifting, and other cosmetic procedures several times,

and as a result, she was worried that her facial line had become uneven

and looked less firm.

Shall we look at her appearance before surgery first?

Accumulated effects of previous procedures and an uneven facial line

This patient is a woman in her mid-40s,

and from the time facial wrinkles and loss of elasticity began to become noticeable,

she had been receiving cosmetic procedures intermittently.

At first, she was satisfied with the results,

but as fillers layered on top of one another

or were absorbed unevenly in the body,

the cheek area became uneven.

In addition, thread lifting can temporarily improve firmness even with a small incision or minimal invasiveness,

but sagging can return before long,

and depending on the position of the threads,

dimpling

or asymmetry may also occur.

With these repeated past procedures,

the facial line became less smooth, and parts of the face looked swollen,

or conversely, the cheeks appeared sunken.

Because of this issue, she looked more tired than her actual age,

and the uneven impression continued,

greatly lowering her aesthetic satisfaction.

Sagging around the neck due to aging and a double chin

In addition, for this patient, sagging under the chin, that is, the double chin area, was another concern.

Even though she had not gained much weight,

as she entered middle age, naturally increased subcutaneous fat,

enlarged submandibular glands..

and decreased elasticity made the jawline unclear

and the double chin more prominent.

Because of this, she felt she looked older from the side,

and even a slight downward tilt of the head made neck wrinkles visible, so she said that at some point she became reluctant to take selfies at all. ㅠㅠ

The first thing she emphasized when visiting our clinic

was that she wanted improvement that would be natural, yet dramatic.

Rather than cosmetic procedures or laser treatments that can be done over a short period of time,

she chose to consider a surgical method

to fundamentally address the sagging of the face and neck.

Combined approach with facelift and neck lift

The surgery decided upon through consultation was to perform a facelift and neck lift together.

In the case of a facelift, an incision is made around the ear,

and the sagging skin of the mid and lower face

as well as the underlying tissues (such as the fascial layer and fat layer) are lifted upward.

It is not simply a matter of pulling the skin,

but the SMAS layer,

a layer called the “SMAS (Superficial Musculo-Aponeurotic System),”

must also be firmly lifted to achieve a more natural and definite lifting effect.

Even though the external incision line may look exactly the same at a glance under the name “facelift,”

the surgical method inside can vary widely.

Among facelift procedures that lift the SMAS layer, the most difficult technique,

but also the one with the highest satisfaction,

is the Deep plane technique,

which approaches the layer directly beneath the SMAS.

Because important nerves and blood vessels are located directly beneath the SMAS layer,

it may seem like a risky surgery,

but if the technique allows for a safe approach,

even the nasolabial folds and the folds right beside the mouth can be dissected very safely with almost no bleeding.

A neck lift is performed in cases of reduced elasticity, fat accumulation, severe wrinkles in the neck area,

or when the double chin is prominent.

Small incisions are made discreetly behind the ear or under the chin,

and the procedure is performed by removing or tightening the sagging neck fascia and skin.

When the neck line is neatly refined through a neck lift,

the facial line also appears much clearer,

which can greatly improve the aged appearance caused by a double chin.

This is my personal opinion, but

I believe dramatic improvement in the jawline

can truly be life-changing.

Surgical process before and after, and recovery

Because this patient underwent a facelift and neck lift at the same time,

the surgery took a little longer (depending on the individual),

but the advantage was that both problems could be solved at once with a single anesthesia and recovery period.

• Preoperative preparation:

• We carefully gathered her medical history as thoroughly as possible to identify the locations of previous fillers and threads,

and planned the surgical range precisely.

• To avoid an unnatural result from pulling too strongly,

one where it would be obvious to anyone that she had had cosmetic surgery,

we designed the lift carefully so it would be natural and harmonize with her existing volume.

At this time, in line with the incision shape around the ear,

we designed a similar incision line that penetrates into the deep layer of the SMAS,

and made efforts to fill in even the sunken areas as much as possible.

• Recovery after surgery:

• Daily activities may be limited for about a week,

and swelling or bruising appears differently depending on the individual’s constitution.

In my experience, when bruising occurs, most cases show a noticeable fading after a week.

• Stitches are usually removed on the 12th day after surgery,

and from then on, light outings are possible,

and after about two weeks, the visible swelling decreases significantly.

• The neck lift area may feel tight,

but if you wear the compression band and continue with regular follow-up care,

it becomes softer over time.

Changes after surgery: a clearer jawline and natural facial contour

First, let’s look at the photos taken 42 days after surgery.

Next are the photos from 6 months after surgery.

Before surgery, repeated cosmetic procedures had made the facial line uneven and the skin lacked elasticity,

but through the facelift,

the line extending from the temples to around the ears and down to the jawline

was improved smoothly and naturally.

Especially, the part she was most satisfied with was that as the aged-looking area around the jaw was refined,

she felt as if she had become 10 years younger.

In particular, because the neck lift was performed together and the sagging under the chin improved,

the double chin disappeared and the neck line became long and slender,

making the face itself look slimmer.

When taking side-view photos,

the sagging under the chin that had bothered her before was gone,

which made her feel much more confident.

Surgical methods for a natural youthful effect

These days, many non-surgical lifting procedures have been developed,

making them a good alternative for those who want immediate results

or feel burdened by surgery.

However, if there have already been accumulated changes in the skin and tissues

due to multiple filler and thread lifting procedures,

surgical methods can be a more fundamental and reliable solution.

A facelift and neck lift go beyond the simple concept of “pulling” the skin;

they are surgeries that reposition the skin structure changed by aging

closer to a younger and healthier state.

In particular, to achieve a natural lift,

the SMAS layer and the fascia around the neck must be adjusted,

and this must be supported by a specialist’s careful surgical plan and skilled technique.

Today, I introduced a case of a patient whose balance had become uneven due to several previous cosmetic procedures,

and who looked older because of sagging in the double chin area,

but achieved great satisfaction through a facelift and neck lift.

Every surgery must take into account the individual’s condition and desired results,

as well as aesthetic and functional factors.

The surgical case introduced in this post may vary from person to person,

and the actual results of the procedure may differ depending on each patient’s skin elasticity, tissue condition, and degree of aging.

If you are considering surgery,

I strongly recommend receiving 충분한 상담 with a trusted board-certified plastic surgeon.

A facelift and neck lift can be one solution for those who want a more definite youthful effect,

but proper postoperative care and following the recovery period are also very important.

Going forward, we will continue to do our best to provide results that are more natural and satisfying,

tailored to our patients’ needs.

Thank you.

Facelift Scar, Why It Looks So Natural After 6 Months: Naver Blog

Click the image below for Plus Friend chat inquiries

Roi Plastic Surgery Clinic (Line 3, Sinsa Station) Main phone: 02-516-5525

Weekdays 10:00 ~ 19:00 Saturdays 10:00 ~ 16:00

Roi Plastic Surgery complies with medical law. The photos in this post were taken under the same conditions, and are images taken with the patient’s prior consent. In addition, after plastic surgery and procedures, side effects such as bleeding, infection, and inflammation may occur depending on the individual, so caution is required.​