Web Log – September 2023 – Minimally Invasive Treatments Make Face Lifts More Difficult

A recent article in Plastic Surgery’s primary academic journal,  Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, documented what most of us face lift surgeons have noticed over the past few year… prior minimally invasive treatments can add new challenges to an already challenging surgery.  Thread lifts are not very effective or durable, but they leave behind rope like scar.  Fillers can distort facial proportions and can sometimes leave scar balls (granulomas).  Kebella in the neck can cause diffusely firm tissue.  I have even seen scarring from long term Botox use in the brow when doing a brow lift.  All this scar makes raising planes of tissue  for movement and tightening more difficult and more dangerous due to poor blood flow and increased risk of nerve injury.  So, just because you have had minimally invasive treatments does not mean you cannot have surgery, just warn your surgeon and understand the additional potential risks.