I am a 32-year-old woman going in for a facelift next week. I have already planned to get Sculptra on the sides of my cheeks for hollowness and tear troughs and am wondering how long after my facelift should I wait to have this done?
Answer:
First, I wish you luck with your surgery. I am sure that all will go well. The question of injectables after surgery is a very good one. The simple answer is to wait at least six weeks until the majority of the swelling subsides. This allows the physician to accurately see where filling is needed. However, there are several things that I would like to point out. First, Sculptra is not a good filler for the tear trough area. The tear trough area is the area that runs down from the corner of the eye near the nose. In some people, this can be depressed and may have a dark color. Filling this area with a hyaluronic acid filler will fill the groove and provide a smoother contour for the area. The only fillers that should be used here are the hyaluronic acids. The fillers are excellent for the tear trough and achieve a very natural fill in this area. This can be done during the facelift procedure or several weeks after, unless lower blepharoplasty is going to be done in conjunction with the surgery. The second thing I would like point out is that perhaps after the facelift is completed, it is very possible that you may be so happy with the results that you may not need any filling! Wouldn’t that be great? This is my recommendation to my patients that are sometimes set on having fillers done after the facelift. I always tell them to wait and see after the surgery. Most patients are so happy with the facelift result, that they do not feel they need the fillers. Posted by Dr. Bustillo