Which Facial Procedure to do First?

Patients often come to see me with a variety of concerns about their facial appearance. Sometimes it’s a combination of drooping skin, particularly in the cheek area and around the jawbone coupled with wrinkles around the eyes. At other times, it’s the lack of fat in the cheek area coupled with deep grooves in the forehead. They ask me—what should I fix first?

There’s no perfect answer. Our eyes, nose and jawbone/chin area all work together to create the impression we make, the appearance of youth or aging that we have. If only one is detracting from an otherwise satisfactory appearance (and that’s satisfactory to you, not to others, by the way—you are the one who should decide what—if anything—you want to change), then it’s easy to decide what to do first.

At the same time, combining procedures into one surgery is often the wisest choice. Why? Because the cost of the additional operating room time, OR tech, assistants and anesthesiologist is minimal compared with several separate procedures; secondly, the recovery is gotten over with all at one time, and third, it gives you a well-balanced result. When I do a face lift but don’t give the patient a blepharoplasty to correct the drooping and wrinkling around the eyes, it looks funny, to be honest. The face is taken in as one picture in our minds. It’s difficult to separate the three sections of the face.

At the same time, I do advise my patients to make the most of laser procedures, fillers, microdermabrasion and other procedures that can help delay an inevitable face lift combined with an eyelid procedure in our Naples plastic surgery suite. This way, they can save their money until they have everything they need for a complete makeover. They will look better and feel happier in the long run when they combine all the procedures at once.

If you have concerns about various parts of your facial outlook, make time to come in and see me. There’s nothing at all wrong with planning in advance, particularly if you have a reunion, wedding, anniversary, cruise or other event for which you wish to look youthful and refreshed.