Much like any high-end investment, purchasing your dream car or finally moving into your dream home, surgical procedures and especially your dream face come with maintenance. Making the choice to undergo a surgical procedure is a significant investment in your self confidence and self-image. Protecting your investment requires a commitment to proper recovery, specialized aftercare and long-term maintenance treatments.
Keep a longevity mindset during your facial plastic surgery consultation. Do not hesitate to ask your surgeon questions about recommended maintenance treatments and associated costs. Depending on the practice, recovery and maintenance treatments may be discounted or bundled into your surgical plan.
About one year post-operation, once the tissues have fully healed, it is highly recommended to continue a regimen of clinical medspa treatments. Integrating neuromodulators, biostimulators, or advanced skincare ensures you are maximizing the results of your surgical outcome.
Cheng Plastic Surgery and Medspa offers private surgical care and in-house medspa treatments. Trained by our double board certified brother-sister facial plastic surgeon duo (Dr. Elbert Cheng and Dr. Jacqueline Cheng), the Cheng Medspa team provides top quality care tailored to your personal surgical treatment. When choosing Cheng for your facelift, you are choosing the best in Silicon Valley.
Facelift Maintenance Recommendations
Botox (3-4 times per year)
For patients who have utilized Botox, Dysport, or other neuromodulators in the past, maintaining a consistent 3-4 month injection schedule remains relevant after facelift surgery. While a facelift addresses sagging and deep tissue repositioning, neuromodulators manage fine lines caused by repetitive muscle movement. Keeping up with treatments will reduce any new fine lines from being created as the skin ages in its new architecture.
Fillers (2 times per year)
While a facelift corrects moderate to severe skin laxity and repositioning of deep tissue, it is important to remember that surgery does not address biological volume or collagen loss. For patients who maintain a regular dermal filler schedule, we recommend continuing that plan post-operatively. In the years following your facelift surgery, fillers continue to be an excellent option for refining and enhancing the lips, chin, and cheeks. Injectors at our Saratoga, CA and Redwood City, CA locations partake in continued education training multiple times a year and are closely supervised by Dr. Elbert and Dr. Jacqueline. Our practice offers several types of fillers from the Allergan and Galderma families. Your injector will choose the correct firmness and amount of filler specific to your face and personal aesthetic goals.
If fat grafting was performed during your procedure, you may find that less filler is needed to achieve your desired results. In some cases, filler enhancement may not be needed for a longer period of time if fat grafting was part of your facelift surgery. If dermal fillers are not something you are interested in, trust the Cheng Medspa team to make more suited natural collagen building treatments.
Collagen Building (1 time per year)
After receiving a facelift surgery, offsetting yearly collagen depletion is in your best interest. Scheduling annual treatments for Ultherapy, Thermage, or Sculptra will provide the most longevity when it comes to your facelift procedure. While surgery repositions the anatomy, these 'collagen banking' treatments work at the cellular level to reinforce the skin’s structural integrity. By utilizing energy-based lifting (Ultherapy/Thermage) or biostimulatory injectables (Sculptra), you are essentially building a 'collagen reserve,' ensuring your skin remains resilient, firm, and youthful for years to come. The Cheng Plastic Surgery and Medspa offices are up to date on recommended uses, best practices, and new indications for prejuvination collagen banking treatments.
Hydrafacial (4 times per year)
To complement deeper structural work, quarterly HydraFacial treatments are highly effective for maintaining skin luminosity and cellular hydration. Unlike standard facials, this medical-grade treatment is fully customizable to your skin's immediate condition, utilizing a specialized three-step process: exfoliation, extraction, and infusion. By removing surface debris and replenishing the skin with targeted serums, HydraFacials act as a vital maintenance treatment to preserve the smooth texture and hydration of post-operative results.
Skin Resurfacing (1 time per year)
While a facelift restores the underlying architecture of the face, skin resurfacing perfects the surface by addressing texture, fine lines, brown spots, and blemishes in ways that surgery alone cannot. Treatments such as laser resurfacing and chemical peels work at a cellular level to stimulate collagen and elastin production, correct pigmentation and sun damage, and refine the overall appearance of the skin for a more complete and natural result. Incorporating periodic resurfacing treatments into your post-surgical care plan is one of the most effective ways to extend the longevity of your results. When combined with a consistent skincare regimen, resurfacing laser or chemical peel treatments ensure your skin continues to look and feel its very best for years to come. Cheng Medspa offers genuine HydraFacial treatments performed with authentic HydraFacial consumables. Being supervised by our medical team you can trust that you are getting the best HydraFacial experience in the Bay Area.
Skincare (Daily)
Sunscreen is non-negotiable. It is the single most important step in your daily skincare routine and should never be skipped. Post-surgery, your skin has been compromised and is significantly more vulnerable to UV damage, making daily SPF not just a recommendation, but an absolute necessity. UV radiation is the leading cause of hyperpigmentation and the breakdown of collagen and elastin, and without consistent sun protection, the results of your surgery can be undermined over time.
To revitalize and maintain your skin following surgery, we strongly recommend a dedicated daily regimen that includes Vitamin C, peptides, growth factors, hydration, barrier protection, and Retin-A (Tretinoin). Each of these products serves a distinct and vital purpose. Growth factors signal cellular repair and regeneration, while Vitamin C acts as a powerful antioxidant to brighten and even skin tone. Peptides help firm and restore the skin, and Retin-A accelerates cell turnover and stimulates collagen synthesis. Barrier protection plays a foundational role by minimizing moisture loss, shielding the skin from environmental damage and infection, and promoting optimal wound healing.
For expert skincare recommendations our medical aestheticians in Saratoga and Redwood City will aid in the customized creation of your personal skincare routine. We carry clinical grade products from Epicutis, Plated, Marini Skin Solutions, Alastin, and Skin Ceuticals.
Your skin has been through a significant process and deserves thoughtful, consistent care. Integrating these clinical-grade topicals into both your morning and evening routines is essential for maintaining dermal thickness, supporting long-term skin health, and slowing the visible signs of aging.
Well Balanced Diet (Daily)
True aesthetic beauty is an inside-out process. A diet rich in antioxidants and fresh foods is always recommended but especially in the wake of a surgical investment. By focusing on a clean, anti-inflammatory diet, you protect the structural integrity of your facelift and health of internal systems that help keep your body functioning in an optimal state.
Intracellular Hydration (Daily)
Hydrated skin is resilient skin. We recommend focusing on both fluid intake and water found in whole foods. Eating your water via water-rich produce allows for slower absorption and better cellular uptake. We recommend keeping cucumbers, watermelon, celery, zucchini, and strawberries in your weekly rotation. When consumed in their raw, enzyme-rich state, these foods provide essential vitamins and minerals required to maintain smooth skin texture and a vibrant post-operative complexion.
As someone who values their appearance and well-being, you may already be following many of these best practices for skin health and age prevention. Getting a facelift surgery does not mean your self-care routines are obsolete; in fact, they are more important than ever. Just as you wouldn’t want to put used tires on a new car or broken furniture in a new home, those who commit to a facelift should make a point to treat themselves with the utmost care and respect.
