PSP Facelift Results As Dramatic As SMAS Facelift?

For the sake of simplicity, patients should focus much less on technical jargon, and much more on what they can see with their own eyes. A catchy name for a procedure creates a marketing buzz or tries to draw a distinction between one surgeon who offers it, and the next who perhaps doesn't. A reliable procedure performed with technical skill and artistry by an experienced surgeon, and simply called a "Facelift", trumps any "facelift of the week" technical jargon term,... more

A PSP (platysma SMAS plication) lift initially is usually as powerful as a true SMAS operation without the same level of risk to the facial nerve and lymphatic drainage vessels. It is the procedure of choice in my practice because the recovery is significantly faster. The procedure lifts the skin off the platysma muscle on the neck and SMAS layer on the cheeks/jowls and then plicates, or hems, the layers onto themselves with long-lasting or permanent suture (like one would cuff a pair of... more

I receive questions like this often from patients trying not to make a mistake. Forget about what technique the doctor says he uses, since you'll be asleep and won't know what he does anyway! My son can show you pictures and diagrams of facelifts or noses---he knows nothing about these, but is very good with a computer. Instead, find a surgeon you trust, shows you one year photographs or longer of his results, and lets you see real patients who have had a facelift by him or her. That's what... more

Hi- I agree with my colleagues below- you should try not to get caught up in the nuances of the various techniques available- the most important factors in the achievement of your goals are a very clear understanding of what those goals are on your part, a clear communication of those goals to your surgeon, and finding a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon or Facial Plastic Surgeon that you trust and get along with. Your surgeon's training and expertise, your ability to communicate clear goals... more

Many of the deeper facelift techniques elevate or tighten the deep layer, or SMAS. Depending on which layers exactly are involved, and where exactly the surgeon changes planes, the Composite Facelift, the Deep Plane facelift , Standard SMAS, facelift, SMAS-ectomy facelift, SMAS plication facelift, Extended SMAS Facelift, PSP facelifts, 360 Facelift, are all techniques which can be used. Certainly every experienced facelift surgeon should be capable of performing each and every one of... more

The names can be confusing. There are mini-, mid-, smas- deep plane- facelifts and now platysma smas plication facelifts. What they all have in common is the desire to address the sagging structures of the aging face. From the outside inward, there is excess and sagging skin. This skin is most obvious in the marionette lines and jowls on the face as well as the waddle under the chin. The only way to treat these problems is by removal of the skin. Sometimes, we can be confused by deeper... more

I can't answer for "dramatic," but a SMAS facelift if done correctly will probably look better than a platysma and SMAS plication. This is because a SMAS facelift elevates the tissues and detaches certain ligamentous attachments that allow the soft tissue around the mouth and cheek to be placed in a more aesthetically pleasing position. The PSP doesn;t really allow you to do that.

Excellent results in facial rejuvenation correlate more with the technique an excellent Surgeon is comfortable with than with the specific technique alone. Generally, an accomplished Surgeon will use a time-tested, contemporary SMAS based technique he/she knows will provide aesthetically pleasing, durable results in a predictable fashion.  Be careful of heavily marketed, infomercial based "magic" lifts.

Patients should not get carried away with the different styles of facelifts that even in the very trained eye have very subtle differences. What is most important is to find a facial surgeon the patient can trust. It is important that the patient looks at 15 to 20 before-and-after results from a surgeon to determine the consistency and quality of the surgeon’s work prior to embarking on the style of facelift. The surgeon performing the lift is much more important than the style... more

The number one thing you need to do is find a facial plastic surgeon or plastic surgeon who is dedicated to facial rejuvenation and performs many facelift operations on a regular bases. The facelift is primarily an operation designed to restore the youthful contours of the lower face and neck. How you achieve this depends on the surgeons preference and several factors ranging from safety, downtime, and longevity of the results. The surgeon you choose should be well-versed in performing... more

Dear Susie, Have trust in your surgeon, especially if he/she is a board certified plastic surgeon. Your surgeon will be able to define which procedure, in his hands, for your situation, will provide the most dramatic results. It is as surgeon dependent as it is patient dependent. Also, consider what your goals are regarding dramatic. Some of the deeper plane facelift techniques (subperiosteal, sub SMAS) may indeed cause such dramatic changes that your facial structural appearance is... more