Facelift Longevity: A 1.5-Year Follow-Up (Progress of Post-Facelift Dimpling)

Title: Facelift Longevity: A 1.5-Year Follow-Up (Progress of Post-Facelift Dimpling)

Hello. I am Dr. Kim Yongwoo, a plastic surgery specialist at Dr. Returning Plastic Surgery. ​ This post is a follow-up review 1.5 years (one year and six months) after a facelift. Typically, we monitor a patient's progress for 6 months to 1 year after a facelift, but due to various circumstances, some patients do not return after their initial treatments are complete. However, the patient in this case has consistently visited the clinic, allowing us to observe her progress up to the 1.5-year mark. Most reviews found online are short-term, so I hope this post will serve as a helpful reference for the long-term results of a facelift.

The patient (in her 50s) I'm introducing today experienced dimpling in the early post-operative stages. This post is intended to be particularly helpful for those who have experienced dimpling or unevenness after their facelift, so they can see the progress. ​ Procedures Performed:

• Upper Blepharoplasty with Ptosis Correction (Revision), Epicanthoplasty
• Lower Blepharoplasty
• Facelift

As always, the facelift involved the widest possible dissection beneath the SMAS layer, followed by a maximum lift. This patient's skin was on the thicker side, which can lead to faster re-sagging, so I pulled the tissue with maximum tension.

Facelift dissection: Always WIDE. The pull: Always MAX. Especially for patients with thick skin!! Dr. Returning's Principle

Early Post-Operative Puckering (Dimpling)

[Unedited Medical Photo] 50s Patient, 2 weeks post-facelift. Dimpling observed on the right zygoma (side-cheek) and left mandibular (jawline) area.

The surgery was successful, but dimpling was visible in the early stages. It was quite noticeable along with swelling at the time of suture removal, especially on the right zygoma and left jawline. In a "Deep Plane" facelift, the skin dissection is less extensive than the SMAS dissection. Therefore, puckering (dimpling) can occur where the SMAS is fixated, and it can appear more pronounced in patients who experience a lot of swelling.

Some patients feel anxious about this early dimpling, but I explain that this issue resolves on its own, taking two months at the absolute longest. Conversely, this can be seen as proof that the SMAS has been pulled tightly and is well-fixated. Of course, this is all based on the premise that a proper deep plane dissection was performed. This does not apply to "unethical surgeries" that involve minimal dissection and the insertion of threads (like a thread lift). In fact, cases with early dimpling after a deep plane facelift often have excellent long-term results.

In a Deep Plane facelift, the SMAS is lifted, pulled, and fixated from within a limited subcutaneous dissection, which can cause puckering in the zygoma and jawline areas.

You don't need to worry too much about dimpling that occurs after a Deep Plane facelift!

At the 2-month mark, the dimpling had all resolved, and most of the residual swelling had subsided.

[Unedited Medical Photo] Facelift at 2 months. The dimpling is gone, revealing a taut, smooth line.

Long-Term Results

[Unedited Medical Photo] Facelift at 18 months. A smoother contour line is observed.

[Unedited Medical Photo] Facelift at 18 months. Improvement in nasolabial folds and marionette lines is maintained.

The patient visited at the 1.5-year mark. Although I have performed thousands of facelift cases, it is not very common to see follow-ups for over a year like this. The scars were nearly invisible. What looked overly tight at first now appeared very natural, and the patient was extremely satisfied.

[Unedited Medical Photo] Facelift maintenance status at each time point. ​ A facelift is a surgery undertaken with high expectations to achieve great joy. It requires a firm decision and significant courage. Therefore, it must not be a surgery that provides satisfaction for only a few months, but one that maintains youthfulness consistently even after many years. Dr. Returning will continue to adhere to our principles to perform facelifts with excellent long-term effects and will do our best for each and every patient.

This has been Dr. Kim Yongwoo, plastic surgery specialist. Thank you.