Beverly Hills Thread Lift doctors

	Toby Mayer, MD Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon 416 N Bedford Dr Suite 200 , Beverly Hills		2 answers
	Brent Moelleken, MD Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon 120 S Spalding Dr Suite 110, Beverly Hills		2 answers
	Richard W. Fleming, MD Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon 416 N Bedford Dr Suite 200, Beverly Hills		1 answer
	Francis R. Palmer, III, MD Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon 8500 Wilshire Blvd Ste 900, Beverly Hills		1 answer
	Christopher S. Verbin, MD Long Beach Plastic Surgeon 3600 Lomita Blvd. Ste. 100, Torrance

Recent Answers

What is the Difference Between a Thread Lift and a Suture Suspension During a SMAS Facelift? What is the Difference Between a Thread Lift and a Suture Suspension During a SMAS facelift procedure? Is there another (or longer lasting) way to secure the SMAS in the neck and face? Is this something a patient should be concerned about when deciding on a facial plastic surgeon?

A: Thread Lift vs SMAS Facelift

With a thread lift sutures are placed under the skin to lift the skin and underlying muscle. It is easier for the surgeon and patient, but the results are not as good and the duration of the improvement is significantly less. In a SMAS lift the deeper layers of the face are actually mobilized, repositioned, and excess sagging tissue is removed if necessary.

Richard W. Fleming, MD

Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

A: Thread lift vs smas lift. A threadlift is using a suture to lift the tissue under the skin without removal of deep tissue. A smas lift means the skin is elevated, the deep tissue (SMAS) is elevated and trimmed of the excess and sutured. Those of us who have used facelift techniques for more than 30 years feel tha SMAS lifts give better and longer lasting results.

Toby Mayer, MD

Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

A: What is the Difference Between a Thread Lift and a Suture Suspension During a SMAS Facelift?

I have performed Face Lifts for well over 20 years and IMHO, a SMAS Face Lift should not use a suture suspension technique which is the method of lifting the SMAS. For a Face Lift to be effective, IMO it must have the following characteristics:

There must be some type of incision that contours around the front of the ear allowing removal of excess skin.
The SMAS must be dissected, lifted, trimmed and sewn back together in its elevated position.
The midface (cheeks) must be properly shaped by removing excess fat and'or creating the proper aesthetic cheek shape.

A typical SMAS Face Lift should meet the first 2 criterea however, if they use a suture or thread to lift and fold the SMAS on itself it does not dissect, lift and trim the SMAS but merely suspend it. The thread or suture will eventually wear through the SMAS and it will sag back down.

Thread Lifts don't meet any of the above criterea as there's no incision with which to remove excess skin, nor is the SMAS dissected, elevated etc. As such, IMO, thread lifts are a very poor 3rd or 4th option to any Face Lift technique meeting the three criterea listed above. IMHO, you'd be far better off having a minimal incision Face Lift that does all three of the above.

Francis R. Palmer, III, MD

Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon