The Liquid Facelift Debunked

A term that has become the bane of my existence is the “liquid facelift” due to a recent appearance on Dr. Oz that has caused quite a media stir.  Although I perform a huge volume of facial fillers and fat grafting in my practice, it is not the same meaning of “liquid facelift” that has surfaced more recently in the media.

What I have heard from my patients is the claim that injecting the outer portions of the face will cause the neck to lift upward like a facelift.  Are you kidding me?  That is complete bunk.  First, that is literally impossible.  Second, I do not like filling the outer face unless someone needs it otherwise the face will just become fat looking and unbalanced.  Now, if someone has some early neck banding then I do like to use fillers around the edges of the neck bands to cover them up but that is a direct fill.  I do not believe you can fill a face to lift the neck.  This is simply a ridiculously grandiose comment that has no bearing on reality that has stirred more consumer misunderstanding than I would like.

Samuel M. Lam, MD, FACS is a board certified facial plastic surgeon in Dallas, Texas. To learn more about Dr Lam’s facelift procedures please call 972.312.8105 to schedule a consultation. If you would like to ask Dr Lam a question about facelifts or facial rejuvenation please visit our facial plastic surgery forum.