How Long Can I Expect Smart Lift Results to Last?

Many branded mini lifts exist with snazzy names.
They generally share several features: incisions of a real facelift, with less pulling and deep restructuring. Local anesthesia. Inexpensive price.
Usually they are tied to a marketing campaign for which the doctor pays a fee to belong. Doctors are not chosen by reputation or stature in the community. They are chosen by a willingness to be associated with an advertising campaign.
A close look at the feedback reports on this website from these lifts shows a general trend: you get what you pay for. Although the facelift ratings are quite high relative to other procedures, it is typically the patients who paid $5000 for a facelift (this is not a typical fee for a facelift) who are most dissatisfied. Chances are they were expecting full facelift results, and they did not receive them. To the contrary, they often experience excessive scarring due to tight closures inherent in a minilift that pulls hard.
So do your homework, but you won't get $20,000 facelift results for $5000.
Longevity per se of these lifts varies, but is generally in the order of a few years (plus the scars) rather than many years (well placed scars).

There are dozens of techniques advertised with snazzy sounding names such as this. Whilst I do not know exactly what is involved in this particular type of lift, all of these techniques have several things in common. They often have smaller scars and a full facelift, our aggressively advertised as having less recovery time and universally involve less manipulation and reshaping of the soft tissue. This means that the results are universally disappointing, either in terms of the amount of initial correction or the longevity of the result. The bottom line is that there are no shortcuts in facelifting and the only way to get a good, long lasting result is to have a proper facelift performed by properly trained surgeon.

The results of a full facelift should last approximately ten years.  Any other type of procedure or its permutation, i cannot promise.  Best of luck.

Beware of branded Facelift names.  The really critical thing to understand is that the Surgeon is the rate limiting step.  Skill is not transferable from Surgeon to surgeon.  I am not specifically aware of what a SmartLift is, but I am also unaware of any measurable breakthrough with this procedure.  I would refer to Dr. Diamond's comments as good advice regarding the world of the "branded lift".

The term "smart lift" is used by several physicians to describe their particular preference for a "mini-lift" and if you have researched their procedure you should ask them regarding patient satisfacion and longevity.
In 2007 we developed a proprietary procedure that involves an entirely new application of technology to perfom facelifting procedures. The SmartLifting technique is quite new and although Dr. Wallach is aware of it as it was reviewed in Elle magazine earlier this year, Dr. Moelleken and Rand have obviously never heard of it and have given you their standard response regarding all mini lifts. Currently I have trained about 5 surgeons to perform this surgery. In a nutshell the tecnique utilizes a subcutaneous laser to elevate the facial flaps prior to perfoming the lift. The lift is done by vertically elevating the jowls and neck with a quill self retaining suture. The results obtained are outstanding with high patient satisfaction in that the vertical lift volumizes the cheek area and also tightens the neck. There is tissue contraction that adds to the results over the next several months. Results are long lasting for 5 to 10 years or more.
This is the first laser assised facelift performed in the United States and Europe and is not tied to any marketing campaign. This tecnique has been presented at meetings of the American Academy of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, The American Society of Plastic Surgery, International Maser Course on Aging Skin, American Society of Laser and Medicine, Inc (April 4 2009)

 Most branded Mini-lifts are heavily marketed and advertised. A comprehensive facial rejuvenation involves tightening up facial muscles and jowls, tightening the neck muscles in 3 locations, removal of fat above and below the platysma muscle in the neck, a platysma plasty, and conservatively tightening  excess neck and facial skin For many examples of a comprehensive face and neck lift, please see the link below to our face lift photo  gallery

Smart Lifts is a very broad term and can encompass a number of techniques including a mini lift, a segmental lift, or a laser assisted facelift.  Each procedure has a different expected duration. If the procedure works on the SMAS in the same way as a traditional facelift then it will last as long as a traditional facelift. If not, then the duration will be less.

Your surgeon is right that tenderness after facelift can occur and is normally due to the nerves growing back.

However, these long after surgery most of the tenderness should have settled in most cases.

Unfortunately, this problem is difficult to treat and it maybe sensible to have a consultation with another surgeon to get a second opinion as to the best way forward for you and whether anything can be done to improve the sensation in your face.

I wish you the best of luck if you do decide to proceed with the further consultation.

Be wary of branded face lifts.  The sexy sounding lifts like thread lifts, etc are less likely to truly stand the test of time.  Ask your surgeon what they are planning to do, and ask to see pre/post operative pics and ask for references.  I find patients flocking to these gimmicky, marketed procedures because they are cheaper.  When you actually add up the costs, they are marginally cheaper than a real surgical procedure and offer minimal results!

The smartlift procedure used in combination with the facelift procedure can last 10+ years depending on the technique and age of the patient.  Smartlifting as a single procedure for neck and jowls in the fourty year-old can last 3-5 years.