I am worried about my upcoming facelift making my face look too tight

First, I don't place the tension of the facelift on the skin flap. Rather, I use the tougher, fibrous layer underneath the skin (known as the SMAS layer) to hold the tension. This allows for a more natural appearance. Second, the direction of the lift is important. Lifting in a superior and posterior direction provides a more natural appearance than lifting in a posterior direction.