Which Is Best For You?
Types of Facelift and Necklift to Rejuvenate your Face
Your face is the first thing people notice about you. It tells them about your personality. How you are feeling. However, most importantly, it tells them roughly how old you are.
A few decades ago, facelifts and neck lifts were not really a ‘thing’. They were too expensive. They left visible scars. The results were unnatural. Today, face lifting is one of the most popular cosmetic procedures for both women and men. A facelift can rewind the clock and give you back your young and tight face.
Over the years, plastic surgeons have developed several variations of the facelift procedure to provide more personalized options for patients. If you’ve been researching face or neck lifts to know which one is best for you, you’ve probably come across infinite and confusing terminology. So, if you want to understand the different types of facelifts and figure out which one is best for you, keep on reading.
Why are there different types of facelifts?
The problem with the confusing terminology is that many of the facelift terms used are not standard terms and their meaning differs from one surgeon to another. For example, the term “S-lift” might mean a skin-only facelift with one surgeon, while with another surgeon it might include deeper tissue (SMAS) lifting.
The key to understanding the different types of facelifts is by understanding the basic anatomy of the face, and particularly the SMAS. Your face is made of skin, muscles, and fat pads. You can think of the SMAS (superficial muscular aponeurotic system) as the framework holding all of these tight together. The SMAS, running right beneath your facial skin, is basically what keeps your face perky and all its components in place. When the SMAS and the skin overlying it lose elasticity and become lax, you start showing signs of ageing.
So, what are the different types of facelifts?
Facelifts can be categorized depending on the degree of SMAS lifting, the size and location of the scar, and the part of the face they address. Here’s a simplified list of the different variations of facelifts:
1. Skin-only Facelift
As the name implies, the skin-only facelift (or cutaneous), lifts only your facial skin. It is a superficial facelift procedure that does not involve facial muscles and SMAS lifting. Historically, this type of facelift was commonly performed during the ’90s, however, with the advancement of facelifting procedures, it’s rarely used nowadays. By only lifting the skin, the cutaneous facelift ignores the most important part of face-lifting: lifting the SMAS. Since the SMAS’ laxity and weakness is the actual reason behind facial sagginess, skin-only facelifts provide only minimally satisfying short-term results that are not really comparable to a full facelift.
The procedure involves a small 1-2 cm incision in front of your ear. The skin is pulled tight and any excess is cut out. The skin-only facelift is offered to patients where only excess skin is the problem, but this is rarely the case.
ADVANTAGES:
Quick procedure (around 30 mins to complete)
Small scar (1-2 cm) in front of the ear
Minimal downtime
Minimal Swelling
DISADVANTAGES:
Short-term results (6 to 12 months)
Results are not very natural
Limited aesthetic improvements
2. Mini Facelift (Also called S-lift, mini-lift, or short scar facelift)
The mini-facelift is becoming a very popular procedure among our patients for its rejuvenating effects, minimal downtime, and smaller scar. The S-lift is perfect for men and women who have mild to moderate signs of facial ageing, specifically in the middle and lower face. This includes patients with facial wrinkles, saggy cheeks, droopy jowls, and lax skin in the upper neck. The mini-facelift addresses all of these to outline your jawline, perk up your cheeks, and get rid of your wrinkles and lines.
During a mini-facelift, your surgeon will perform a small incision in front of each ear and extend it a little bit around and behind your earlobe. After that, the SMAS will be pulled up and lifted to a perky position. Any excess skin will be cut out and the wounds will be closed with fine sutures. Compared to the traditional facelift, the mini-lift offers a smaller incision and quicker healing time. However, the results are less dramatic than those you would expect with a full or deep plane facelift.
ADVANTAGES:
Acceptable downtime
Smaller scar
A perfect solution for mild to moderate facial and neck ageing
Long term results
DISADVANTAGES:
Less dramatic results compared to a full facelift
Does not address lower neck
3. Traditional (SMAS) Facelift
The traditional facelift also called full facelift or SMAS lift has it all. It offers those with moderate to severe signs of face and neck ageing a chance to get their young tight face back. A full facelift can lift your whole face and neck. It will restore your cheeks’ perkiness and rid you of wrinkles, droopy jowls, marionette lines, and saggy cheek lines. Moreover, a SMAS facelift can tighten your whole neck and contour your jawline and chin.
The procedure can take 3-4 hours to complete. Your surgeon will start by performing a skin incision on each side of your face that goes like this: It starts at your temple along the hairline, back and down in front of your ear, around the earlobe, upward behind your ear, and a little back along the hairline.
Your plastic surgeon will release the skin from the underlying SMAS, muscles, and fat. He or she will then pull the SMAS and deep tissue up to their normal perky position. This lifts your whole face and platysma (neck muscle) and flattens any lines, wrinkles, and tightens any sagginess.
ADVANTAGES
Best cosmetic results possible
The scar is well hidden along the hairline
Lifts the whole neck and platysma
Long term results
DISADVANTAGES
Slightly longer recovery time
Longer scar
Does not address the forehead (additional forehead lift needed)
4. Deep-plane Facelift
Deep plane facelifts, also called composite facelifts or subperiosteal lift, is the most invasive type of facelifts. This procedure involves extensive dissection of the tissue beneath the SMAS. Since there are many blood vessels, nerves, and other structures running in the deeper layers of your face, these might be injured during a deep plane facelift. The only advantage of a deep plane facelift is that it offers slightly more lifting of the cheeks.
In fact, studies have shown that a deep plane facelift offers very minimal improvements as compared to the SMAS full facelift. On the other hand, the rate of complications and injuries is much higher. This has led many surgeons to avoid deep plane lifts since they don’t offer any valuable benefit over other types of facelifts.
ADVANTAGES
Slightly better outcomes, especially in the middle face region
DISADVANTAGES
Longer recovery time
High risk of nerve or vessel injury
More postoperative pain, bruising, and swelling
5. Mid Facelift (Cheek Lift)
The cheek lift is perfect for women or men who only want to tackle saggy cheeks (nasolabial folds). A cheek lift is a focused facelift that aims to lift your cheeks and make them perky again. A mid facelift does not tackle droopy jowls, saggy neck skin, or any other areas of your neck. So if all you want is prominent cheekbones, this surgery is for you.
The procedure starts with two small vertical incisions on each side of your face behind your hairline. Through this incision, your surgeon will grab the SMAS, pull it higher up, and fix it with sutures. Any excess skin is removed, and the skin is closed. The whole procedure takes around 2 hours to complete. The cheek lift is very similar to the mini-facelift, however, the latter offers more extensive results that involve the jawline and upper neck.
ADVANTAGES
Shorter surgical time
Focused at restoring perky cheeks
Small scar
DISADVANTAGES
Does not address the lower face (jawline)
Does not address any neck sagginess
Much less dramatic results compared to a full facelift and mini-facelift
6. Liquid Facelift – A Non-Surgical Facelift
A liquid facelift is a non-surgical alternative to rejuvenate your face using injectable dermal fillers. Your surgeon will inject dermal fillers under your facial skin to plump up the volume and flatten any wrinkles. Dermal fillers can contour your face and augment your cheeks, giving you a tight and young appearance. A liquid facelift can combat aging and will flatten any wrinkles around your lips, eyes, cheeks, temples, and jowls. Moreover, dermal fillers can augment and contour your lips, cheeks, and even your chin to your desire.
Nevertheless, liquid facelifts are not suitable for those with moderate or severe signs of aging. If you have excess skin that is fading your jawline, a liquid facelift is unlikely to cause any satisfying improvements.
ADVANTAGES
A quick procedure (20-30 mins)
No surgery involved, so no scars are left
Cheaper than a facelift
Perfect to reverse mild signs of aging
DISADVANTAGES
Less dramatic results compared to surgery
Does not address excess skin
Short-term results only (6 to 8 months)
Only suitable for those with minimal signs of aging
7. Thread Lift – Non-Surgical Face Rejuvenation with PDO Threads
Thread lifts have been gaining popularity as another non-surgical alternative to the traditional facelift. This procedure offers patients with mild to moderate signs of ageing (mild sagginess, soft wrinkles, droopy jowls, and hollow cheeks) outstanding results. A thread lift can give you a tighter and fuller face and flatten out any wrinkles.
Compared to surgical facelifts, a thread lift is minimally invasive, so it requires much less time to perform and a significantly shorter time to recover. It is usually performed using a local anaesthetic. A thread lift is done using a specialized set and suture lines available in different brands. A needle, with a biocompatible thread attached to its end, is inserted through your skin, into the deeper fat planes, and then out of your skin. The thread is pulled tight to straighten the skin and pull up the underlying tissue. These threads are specially designed to hold their position tight, and within a few months, they get dissolved. However, during this time, they will stimulate your body’s natural healing response to bring in more collagen to your face and help reverse the signs of aging.
ADVANTAGES
A quick procedure (20-30 mins)
No surgery involved, so no scars are left
Cheaper than a facelift
Suitable for those with mild and moderate signs of ageing
DISADVANTAGES
Less dramatic results compared to surgery
Does not address excess skin
Short-term results (12 to 18 months), but still longer than a liquid facelift
8. Brow Lift lift or Forehead Lift
A brow lift is practically a type of facelift, in the sense that it lifts an important part of your face – your forehead. Since the different types of facelifts do not address the eyelids and the forehead, a brow lift might be a good addition for some patients. A brow lift gets rid of forehead wrinkles and folds and pulls up your upper eyelids to give you more alert eyes.
There are several techniques to browlifts, however, the “coronal lift” is the most commonly performed. A horizontal skin incision is done along your forehead hairline. The subcutaneous tissue is pulled up and fixed with sutures. The skin is pulled tight, any excess is removed, and the incision is closed with fine sutures.
What are the different types of neck lifts?
Another name for a neck lift is platysmaplasty or lower rhytidectomy. Since the platysma (neck muscle) is part of the SMAS, neck lifting is an automatic part of the full facelift. However, it can be done as a separate procedure, or combined with one of the less extensive facelift types. A neck lift gives you a strong jawline, outlines your neck angle, and rids you of excess skin, neckbands, and droopy jowls. There are 2 types of neck lifts:
9. Full Neck Lift
The full neck lift is perfect for people who have moderate to advanced signs of ageing showing on their necks.
A neck lift incision compromises a segment of the full facelift incision. It usually starts vertically in front of your ear and extends around your earlobe, and then upward and backward along your hairline. Your surgeon will pull the subcutaneous tissue and fix it higher up to flatten the neckbands and give your neck a tight look. Any excess skin is then removed and the incisions are closed.
ADVANTAGES
Full rejuvenation of the neck with dramatic improvements
Automatic part of the traditional facelift
DISADVANTAGES
Longer recovery time compared to the mini-neck lift
Longer scar compared to the mini-neck lift
10. Mini Neck Lift
A mini neck lift (also called submental platysmaplasty or single incision neck lift) is ideal for women and men who only have an isolated problem on their necks. Patients that would benefit from a mini-neck lift are those who have a small double chin, mild signs of ageing on their neck, some excess fat, and minimal skin sagginess. Those who have advanced signs of ageing and excessive skin would need a full neck lift (or a full facelift).
The mini neck lift is less invasive compared to the full neck lift. A single incision is made right under your chin prominence. Through this incision, your surgeon will pull the platysma muscle and deeper layers up and fix them with sutures. No skin is removed during the single incision neck lift, and the skin is left to redistribute itself.
ADVANTAGES
Less recovery time
Single small incision
Less costly
DISADVANTAGES
Less dramatic improvements
Not suitable for those with moderate to severe signs of neck aging
Does not address excess skin
Regardless of the type of face or neck lift, liposuction, dermal fillers, and skin rejuvenation therapies are frequently combined with the procedure to achieve the best possible cosmetic outcomes.
Let’s face it, signs of ageing, although unavoidable, are never a pleasant sight. So, if you’re thinking of rewinding your cosmetic clock, Saluss medical Group will offer you a personalized experience to match your exact desires, ranging from liquid and non-surgical facelifts to full deep-plane lifts.
