Difference Between Facelift Procedures?

The difference between facelift techniques lies in where and how the SMAS (the deep muscle layer) is addressed. The deep plane facelift differs from traditional facelifts in that the mid face is also lifted as well as the jowl and neck.  see video

Facelift was historically designed to remove the loose skin and pull the lower face. This procedure produced the typical "wind-tunnel" unnatural look. Subsequent modifications made the matters worse. Thinking that more pull or more lift is needed, the surgeons added a deeper component to the surgery. These deeper techniques made matters worse! Not only the patients looked unnatural and "overly pulled" but they also lost their natural facial movements and... more

There are many differences between facelift procedures but the key here is what is actually being lifted.  In my experience, lifting the deeper tissues of the face (see attached anatomic explanation of why) provides a more robust change to the face than a SMAS lift.  Basically there area  few categories of lifts to look at: Skin only lifts-  A simple skin only facelift can take a minimal amount of skill to do with possibly no change and poor scar formation.... more

There are many different types of facelifts. There are also many different names of similar types of facelifts, which makes the whole topic even more confusing. Here's what you need to know. In the years past, aging was felt to be mainly do the the changes in the skin, and a "facelift" involved cutting out and repositioning excess skin. While this produced some change, it did not produce the most natural result, and the results were not long lasting. We began to pay more... more

Facelift refers to cosmetic surgery of the lower face (jowls) & neck. Although there are many different face lift procedure terms, there are really only a few different types. These basic face lift types are the SMAS, deep, or composite. Face lift may be combined with other cosmetic surgery such as a neck lift, fat transfer, or others. The amount of tissue adjusted or tightened depends on the specific approach & the requirements of a particular patient. The minimal access or minimal... more