What Can Be Done For A Bad Facelift In A Man?

Q: I am a male who is unhappy with the result of my facelift. My plastic surgeon was way too aggressive when he performed a SMAS rhytidectomy three years ago. The outcome from this facelift looks very unnatural and I know it. I get a lot of eye popping stares from women which leaves me feeling very uncomfortable. What was supposed to be a facial rejuvenation for the better has in fact turned out to be something for the worse. When making my concerns known to my plastic surgeon he told me,” look at many other male celebrities, you don’t look like them”. I did not find these words very consoling. Is there any way now to improve the result of my facelift to make it look more natural?

A: Facelifting in men is a bit different than in women. It is easy to overdo a facelift in a man and create a very unnatural result. There are many male celebrities that exhibit this look. What is it that makes them look this way? It is actually not the facelift result per se. A facelift technically is just a neck and jowl procedure. That is not what makes the unnatural look. As part of many facelifts, other procedures are done with it such as eyelids (blepharoplasty) and browlifts. This part of the ‘facelift’ which occurs around the eyes can make for ‘eye popping stares’. Brows that are lifted too high and too much eyelid skin removed (eyes that are too ‘tight’) can make the entire periorbital area look unnatural. Since the eyes are a focal point in conversation, this is a hard area to hide.

Unfortunately, there is no surgery to undo the results of a facelift and its associated procedures. Time, however, will help with some facial skin relaxation and returning to a more natural aging look for a man.  

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana