Lower facelift with vertical skin-pull vectors?

The numbers of available facelift procedures are daunting.  The technical translation from a verbal description of "what procedure a doctor does" to the final result is literally all over the board.  Two doctors using the exact same theoretical technique will have very different results... more

A vertical lift pulls the SMAS up and slightly outward, in the same direction as a smile. But all skin removal should be horizontal. The key to appropriate skin removal is to perform this under minimal tension. This way your skin won't look pulled or shiny.

The so-called vertical vector facelifts that are done via incisions in the temple area or in the lower lids to address the midface cannot adequately address the lower face and neck. While there may be some improvement in jowling with these procedures, it is usually not substantial. Any excess tension in an... more

Dear Youngrace, What you are describing is exactly what I try to achieve in what I call a "cheek and neck lift" procedure. You can see many photos of this at www.randcosmeticsurgery.com. In my procedure, the deep tissues are repositioned directly vertically and the skin is gently removed along... more

A good facelift should not make your lips pulled or elongated. We usually use a combination of vertical, diagonal, and horizontal vectors in a facelift operation. Everybody agrees these days, that the pulled look is very unattractive. Talk to your surgeon about it, and perhaps see several surgeons in... more

Hello, The fear you have expressed of having a lower facelift that "stretches your lips" and pulls your skin horizontally is a very common one. Luckily, modern facelift techniques use multiple vectors of elevation to get natural looking results. Vertical vectors are highly favorable for elevating the... more