What does a facelift do?
A facelift lifts and tightens sagging tissue in the face, rejuvenating the overall appearance in a natural way. This surgery is the most effective facial procedure to “turn back the clock” and helps you look younger and fresher. Isn’t it wonderful that you can regain a truly youthful appearance under the guidance of a qualified plastic surgeon? By putting yourself in experienced hands, you can fight the effects of aging and gravity and bring the vitality you feel from within to the surface. Learn more about the different facelift techniques that can help you do this, and which one is best suited to you.
Mini-lift
A mini-lift promises to improve areas from the jawline to the cheeks through shorter incisions along the hairline above the ear or within the natural folds around the ear. The procedure is called “mini” because it requires less extensive dissection (usually only some skin is removed) and does not achieve the same degree of improvement as a traditional facelift. This technique is primarily aimed at younger patients of around 40 to 60 years of age, or those who are not so focused on improving the appearance of their neck. I do not perform mini-lifts. It remains an invasive procedure, with minimal effect. Simply removing the skin without considering the deeper tissues results in a minimal lift, the risk of wide scars and short-lived improvements. For longer lasting and more noticeable results, the focus should be on tightening and firming the deep facial tissues, which is not the goal of a mini-lift.
Ponytail lift
A ponytail lift is a procedure to lift the eyebrows, forehead and cheeks for a more youthful appearance. The minimally invasive procedure gets its name for two main reasons: It produces results reminiscent of a high, tight ponytail to tighten facial skin, and patients can conceal the incisions because they are made along the hairline rather than in front of and behind the ears. Although this technique has been popularized with aggressive advertising, it is not really officially recognized among facelift experts or in the leading textbooks. Many surgeons warn that the procedure carries the risk of hair loss due to the incisions and tension in the hair-bearing scalp, which can lead to visible scarring in the hairline as a common side effect.
MACS lift
MACS stands for Minimal Access Cranial Suspension and is a supposedly less risky alternative to a full facelift. The technique aims to avoid deep dissection and facial nerves. The MACS lift targets sagging tissue in areas such as the neck, jowls and jawline. It can be performed under local anesthesia with sedation or under general anesthesia, depending on your preference. In the short scar technique, an incision is made along the temporal hairline that extends to the earlobe without going behind the ear. The skin is tightened in the lateral cheek and temple area and the underlying tissue is tightened with thread to achieve a permanent result. The MACS lift is an effective technique for selected individuals, which provides a high level of satisfaction due to the associated rapid recovery. In addition, the shorter surgery time allows for more combined procedures compared to the traditional facelift, which can take up to four to five hours. However, its effectiveness may be limited in people with significant skin laxity or pronounced fat deposits on the neck.
High SMAS lift
High SMAS lift surgery is a powerful deep plane facelift technique that aims to tighten and rejuvenate the lower face, lateral lower eyelid and midface by repositioning the soft tissues in these areas. The SMAS (Superficial Muscular Aponeurotic System) is a fibro-muscular network that extends beneath the superficial layers of fat and skin over the face and neck. A traditional facelift lifts the deep layer of the face below the cheekbone to reposition the lateral cheeks and correct the lower third of the nasolabial fold and the jowls. In comparison, the High SMAS lift goes further by lifting the deep layer (SMAS) in a higher position above the cheekbone. With limited lateral skin dissection, the composite flap of skin and SMAS lifts the face while reducing the need for a mid-facelift. I often perform autologous fat grafting (lipofilling), blepharoplasty and radiofrequency skin tightening procedures such as AccuTite™ and Morpheus8™ along with a high SMAS lift to enhance results. The High SMAS lift is performed under general anesthesia in an accredited clinic and requires an overnight stay to monitor blood pressure and ensure comfort. Care is taken to hide the scars in the natural folds of the skin and along the hairline so that they are almost invisible once healed. Sometimes the scars can be placed just in front of the ear. I perform the “deep-plane“ high SMAS lift technique on most of my patients .