Q: I lost 20 lbs. Should I work on the additional 30 lbs before having the facelift? (Photo)

Dr A’s Answer:

This is a common question. I suggest patients be within 15 pounds of their anticipated long-term weight prior to having the facelift. The exact affects of weight gain or loss on any one individual are virtually impossible to predict however. The more over-weight you are to start with, the less change you are likely to see in your face with a 15 pound loss. For example, going from 200 pounds to 185 pounds will likely be much less obvious than going from 120 pounds to 105 pounds. How fat distributes with weight change is individual. If you have gained/lost weight in the past, you can use your own history to predict how it will affect your face in the future.

If your facelift is to include fat transfer you should plan on being very close to your long-term weight and it would be extremely important that you do not gain weight after the procedure. Should you have a successful fat transfer, weight gain anytime later in life has resulted in some individuals filling out in a very unnatural, even bizarre fashion.