Facelift: Q&A

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Facelift Options? (photo)

Considering facelift. Consulted several surgeons. Various options. One surgeon discussed more traditional facelift with incisions starting near temple & ending about 2 inches or more from the back of the ear. 2nd surgeon discussed a mini facelift with an incision starting in the tragus area of the ear and ending about 1/2 to 1 inch from the back of the ear.I am leaning towards the 2nd surgeon. Any feedback you can give me would be helpful.

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26 Doctor Answers | Asked by zoelee

Doctor Answers (26)
Community Comments (0)

Personal consultation needed to determine best facelift option

Thank you for your question about facelift options. There are so many nuances and variations that it is really not practical to advise based only on a picture. The length of the skin incision is only one variable, and probably the least important in terms of results. Facelifting is really a 3-dimensional operation that involves reshaping as much as skin pulling. With all of those qualifiers in mind, my guess is that the more traditional facelift would work best but I also believe in the... more

Facelift Options Full vs Mini

Thank you for your question. From your photo I believe that you will be most happy with ypour result if the cheeks, jawline and neck are all improved. This will require an incision above, in front of and behind the ear. The incision in the Temporal area is necessary to lift the cheek. Behind the ear and under the chin is necessary to tighten and sculpt the neck and jaw line. Do not worry about what the procedure is called. Your concern should be to achieve the result that will make... more

Mini- vs. Full Facelift

The decision between a 'mini-' vs a full facelift can be a difficult one. It is understandable that the concept of a smaller facelift is more appealing to most patients in the hopes that 'less is really the same'. But the reality is less is just that...less in most cases. Therefore do not get catch up in the benefits of smaller incisions and less recovery because the differences in most patients are not as great as it seems to you. Two or three weeks after surgery those issues will have no... more

Most faces age synchronously so a full facelift is indicated more often than a mini.

The photo demonstrates some aging phenomena from the forehead down to the clavicles. A full facelift will address the entire area. A mini-facelift will only address a part of it. I would ask to see representative work of both options so you can be sure you are getting what you want. I would also suggest video imaging.

Facelift options

Certainly a 'mini' facelift or a shorter scar seems attractive, and surgeons use it often. The most important factor however will be what gives the best exposure and correction of the descended jowl, and correction of the neck. The length of the scar will depend on the skin redraping. Most of us would start at the top of the ear in a small S to save the sidburn, and extend behind the ear only enough to manage the skin laxity and fully correct the neck. There is no easy right answer as we all... more

Facelift options

With the right goals in mind, you will likely get a fantastic result with a facelift. The length of the incisions don't matter as much as what they allow to happen - giving your surgeon access to the underlying tissue to reposition it and give you a natural, lasting result. I would recommend you focus on what you want accomplished - neck, jawline, cheek rejuvenation, and discuss this with your surgeon. The two of you should be able to come to a solution that works for you... more

Facelift for sagging skin and jowls.

Facelift for sagging skin and jowls is done by neither of the opinions. You do not want the second one since that is a mini lift. The first is not ideal since it will raise your sideburns. You need a facelift with the incision inside the ear and as long behind as it needs to be to get the job done properly.

Toby Mayer, MD

7 reviews

Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.bevhills.com

Choice of facelift incisions

The length of the scar is usually proportionate to the effectiveness of the result. I do not see how a long lasting result can be obtained with the second approach. Perhaps you should compare results of the 2 surgeons on women who have similar aging changes.

Improving Tired, Puffy Eyes plus Chin and Neck Contours may be enough vs. Facelift

From what I can see in your photos, it seems you may not need a facelift at all until later down the road. Eyelid surgery (likely, lower blepharoplasty with no visible incisions) and surgery to improve the contours of your chin and neck (likely, submental liposuction with very minor, well hidden scar) may give you the sort of rejuvenation you're looking for at this point. These two cosmetic surgeries combined would improve the puffy, tired look around your eyes and also improve the... more

Facelift Options

I would need to examine you more closely than just small photo visualization, as I would like to know the quality of your skin, texture, tone and elasticity. I hesitate to give a cursory opinion from these photos, but would suspect that I would opt for full facelift. Please know, again, that I would much prefer to sit with you and perform a very thorough examination before venturing a concrete opinion. Jonathan Ross Berman, M.D. , F.A.C.S.

Jonathan Berman, MD

Palm Beach Plastic Surgeon

www.drberman.com

Face and Neck Lift or Mini Facelift

Mini Facelift frequently results in mini results. However, it is not necessary to extend a scar into or around the hairline, either anterior or posterior, to remove as much skin as necessary. I perform a short scar facelift with necklift on a regular basis without compromising tightness or final contours.

A Facelift Philosophy

Zoelee, your qustion is very astute and timely as it introduces one of the hot current topics in Plastic Surgery. First, lets assume all qualified Plastic Surgeons can do a facelift. Lets also assume that all Plastic Surgeons agree to a certain extent that no one would make a longer incision than necessary and that all of us are experts at hiding facelift scars. In other words the scar pattern is probably not important. Many Plastic Surgeons have mastered one operation that they try to apply... more

Paul S. Howard, MD

3 reviews

Birmingham Plastic Surgeon

Always choose the incision that will give you the best result.

Hello, Thank you for the question and photos. From what you have mentioned and your photos I would recommend an incision that starts at the temple/sideburn area and ends just behinds the ear lobe. Doing so constitutes a short incision facelift and will allow correction of the face and neck. All the best, Dr Remus Repta

Facelift Options mini vs full

Thank you for your question and for providing photos. The extent of a facelift is more of a spectrum than an either or. The proper procedure needs to be tailored to fit your individual needs with the ultimate goal being to maximize your results while minimizing the resultant scars. In your case, I think that you would be most pleased with a repositioning of the cheeks and a restoration of the neck. A true mini-facelift might compromise some of the results that you may be otherwise able to... more

Facelift Options

For every patient, a facelift needs to be customized for their particular needs. In general, patients with excessive neck laxity tend to do better with incisions behind the ears while patients seeking jowl formation only can be addressed with a shorter scar procedure. The key component here is determination of the laxity of your tissues and anticipated amount of skin removal. see video

Facelift options

Based on your photos, you would benefit from a Facelift. A mini - facelift can buy you some time, but for the best results you should consider a Facelift. The only way to address the neck is with a real facelift. Consult with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, certified by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons ( ASPS) to address your concerns.

Robert E. Zaworski, MD

4 reviews

Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

Facelift options

Dear Zoelee, A full face/neck lift would be appropriate and give you the lasting result you want Also, you want to correct both the lower cheek area and the neck in a comprehensive manner Mini lifts do not last long enough You only want to go through with an operation once, you might as well do the right one Best regards, Nima Shemirani

Full facelifts always give you a better, more lasting result

In my opinion, most patients would have more benefit from a full facelift. I believe mini-facelifts are a compromise, where less surgery is done. The recovery may, in some cases be shorter, but the results are not the same. In facelift surgery, we are trying to relocate structures of the face that have shifted with age. Doing a full, SMAS elevation facelift, utilizing different vectors to shift structures of the face in the appropriate direction, along with doing... more

Mini vs full facelift

This is a great question. Most individuals seeking facial rejuvination avoid doing enough due to fear of scarring. It is important to do a complete evaluation of the upper and lower face when choosing your procedure. The scarring produced by most of these procedures is quite similar, and your particular hair lines will cover those areas quite well. Make sure you get enough "lift" to gain the youthfull appearance you desire including the neck, jowl, cheek and lower... more

Choose the surgeon rather than the technique for facelift

I agree there is a wide variability of techniques recommended. Personally, I would use a mini facelift technique. It is not surprising as there are many techniques, different elasticity of the skin, anatomical variation, different fat deposits (or wasting) and so on. Some techniques as you mention focus on underlying structural lifting (SMAS lifts). But probably most important factor of all is in fact the skill and experience of the surgeon. Always check out his/her before and... more

Many facelift options

There are many derivations of facelift techniques and it can get quite confusing for patients. One of the most important factors is for you to identify what bothers you the most and try to match that with the procedure that will most effectively correct this. Looking at the pictures you have provided I notice that you have some laxity in your neck as well as jowling. I also notice that you have some hollowness in the cheek region with puffiness in the lower eyelids. I would... more

Todd C. Miller, MD

10 reviews

Orange County Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.toddmillermd.com

Facelift Options?

I have performed Face Lifts for 25 years and the goal of the surgery should be to improve the aesthetics appearance, of the face, to one that's more youthful and naturally attractive. IMHO, this means the aesthetic enhancement of the most important aesthetics feature(s) of the face as well as removing excess fat, loose muscle and skin. We use a minimally invasive Face Lift combined with shaping of the cheeks (Perlane or Cheek Implants) combined with removal of excess neck... more

Face lift

I agree with most of the surgeons. It depends upon your expectation. The incision in the temporal area can be avoided. A MACS type face lift that limits the incision behind the ear may be a good option for you.

Scar length in facelift

You are an excellent candidate for a facelift. The incision is not just to give your surgeon access to your face, but also to permit the excision of redundant skin. In this way, both skin and underlying fascia may be tightened. If the scar is too short for the amount of skin to be removed, then 'dog ears' (cones of heaped up skin at either end of the incision) can result. Alternatively, less skin is taken and the result compromised. Since you are fairly young and do not have extreme... more

Facelift Options

Please don't be oversold on the length of incisions or over-wowed by the concept of a "minilift". An excellent Facelift Surgeon will produce a natural, outstanding result with imperceptible scars, regardless of the length of the incisions. Please bear in mind that incision length is directly proportional to the amount of skin that needs to be removed after repositioning of the deeper soft tissues of the face (SMAS). Compromised incisional length just for the purpose of... more

Minifacelift vs Traditional Facelift

Hi, I think you are a good candidate for a minifacelift. You only need your jowls and neckline tightened which can be done with a good minifacelift. I would also address your lower eyelid bags at the same time. Consider a lower lid blepharoplasty. Best, Dr.S. see video