Is there a type of face lift that can be done through the mouth with no scars at all? (Photos)

DEAR beemao

Thank you for your question and photos!  In some cases the extra fat of the jowl can be removed without any lifting surgery.  This may be combined with fillers or microfat grafting.

With Warm Regards

Trevor M Born MD

While jowls can sometimes be helped by removing buccal fat through the mouth, most times, this procedure is performed for those with heavy faces.  Removal of fat in the normal or thin face can result in deformity as the patient gets older.

Silhouette InstaLift is a dissolvable suture with cones that is inserted through needle holes. It will most likely lift your jowls for 11/2 to 2 years without surgery, and requires little or no recovery.

Our experience with this procedure has resulted in great patient happiness.

I do not think you are a candidate for a lift performed through an intraoral incision.  A well camouflaged mini facelift is probably the most direct approach to benefit your jowl area but I would want a face-to-face consultation before making a final recommendation.  Incisions can be well-designed and camouflaged so that they become virtually invisible and undetectable to others.  This in my opinion would benefit you the most.  Best wishes

Jon A Perlman M.D., FACS
Diplomate, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS)
ABC-TV Extreme Makeover Surgeon
Beverly Hills, California

If you feel that your face does not reflect how young you feel on the inside, a facelift may be the solution to help you look and feel younger. During your consultation, your doctor will evaluate your skin texture and elasticity, as well as your underlying skin structure and your facial bone structure. Based on this evaluation, he/she will create a custom surgical plan, detailing specific techniques and recommendations to meet your goals. Your doctor should make sure you have a full understanding of what results to expect.Always insist on a board certified surgeon!

Patients who desire facial rejuvenation that is affordable, quick, and effective should consider the Lite-lift™. The LiteLift™ is an innovative facelift developed by board-certified plastic surgeons Dr. Larry Nichter and myself which benefits many male patients. The goal of the #LiteLift is to provide a less invasive natural looking option for both men and women desiring to refresh their appearance with less downtime and risks. The LiteLift® is a “real” facelift, which does address the underlying muscle, tissue and overlying skin.

The technique requires limited incisions and takes a vertical lifting approach, in contrast to the traditional facelift, which requires extensive incisions and lifts or pulls the face towards the ears horizontally. The modern techniques used allow us to perform most LiteLift® procedures in the office under local anesthesia. Also, removing the risk of general anesthesia opens the door for more people to pursue facial surgery. All too often people do not move forward with undergoing the desires facelift surgery due to their overwhelming fear of the risks associated with general anesthesia.

This is a modified facelift that can be performed in the office with a local anesthetic and improve signs of aging around the neck, jawbone and lower face. These procedures are not "Thread-lifts" or "String-lifts". We do not use the "barbed" sutures employed in these other lifting operations. The Lite-lift™ uses longer lasting techniques that are discussed below. Because the incisions are limited, there is less bruising, swelling and healing time for most patients. Many patients can be back to work in one to two weeks looking rested and more youthful.
The best candidates for #LiteLift are non-smoking patients 35-60 years old with stable skin elasticity, well-defined bone structure but showing early changes of the lower face and the neck. Older patients who cannot or do not wish to have a longer operation or general anesthetic can be improved with a Lite Lift™. All in all, Lite Lift™ surgery is individualized for each patient. 

It appears as though surgery might be overkill for you.  At your age, I would recommend a skin tightening laser called Reaction.  It uses radiofrequency waves to head the collagen leading to tighter skin and raised jowls.  Fillers can also be used with this.  We could discuss the benefits of each during a consultation.

Thank you for your question!

Dr. Schreiber, Baltimore plastic surgeon

Hi, I have performed facelifts for over 30 years and have performed many minimally, invasive type facelifts.  From the photos your cheeks can't be seen so I can't tell if they are flat anteriorly (in the front), minor jowls are present and I suspect that the chin is weak (can be confirmed with a profile photo).  These factors combine to create an oval shaped face. 

 Following the beauty principles outlined in my book on face and body beauty, women look the most feminine, youthful and attractive with heart shaped faces.  Heart shaped faces have cheeks that are full and round in the front.  Cheek augmentation with a dermal filler or using cheek implants for a permanent enhancement will create full, round cheeks that will feminize the entire face.

 A weak chin creates an imbalance making the nose appear larger, the mid face top heavy and the lower face look short that de-emphasizes the lips and allows early formation of a double chin.  Chin augmentation using a chin implant will add projection to the chin creating harmony and balance to the lower face.   I have found that placement of a silastic chin implant, through a small curved incision under the chin (also allows excess skin removal) to be very safe, quick and highly effective.

 If you have "jowls” these are sagging facial tissues and an indication for some form of a SMAS facelift.  The underlying SMAS layer, of the face, must be dissected, lifted, trimmed and re-sutured (not merely folded or suspended with threads or sutures that will not last).  The excess skin is then removed and the facelift incisions closed.

My most popular facelift is the minimally invasive, short incision facelift that has all the benefits of more invasive facelifts (traditional, mid-face, deep plane, cheek lift and subperiosteal facelifts) but with these added benefits:

• very small incisions and no incisions extend or are placed within the hair.
• minimal tissue dissection = less bruising and swelling = rapid recovery ( several days instead of weeks or months with the more invasive type facelifts mentioned)
• can be performed in 90 minutes or less, with or without general anesthesia
• no incisions within the hair = no hair loss
• excess fat can be removed
• excess skin removed
• cheeks, chin and jaw line can be augmented with dermal fillers (I prefer Restylane Lyft) or facial implants
• most patients fly back home to parts all over the world in as little as 3 days post-op

 I combine facial shaping with every facelift procedure.  When jowls are present, these should be done in concert and not alone or separately in order to create a naturally, more attractive face.  While there are types of facelifts that can be performed through the mouth thus avoiding external scars, they are very aggressive with long recovery times and they lack the ability to remove any excess skin from the face...which is why curved incisions around the front of the ears are created and used in proper SMAS type facelifts.

Hope this helps.

Thank you for your question along with your photos. An in person consultation would be needed to determine which procedure is needed for your particular concerns. Other treatments could be used before resulting to a surgical procedure please discuss with your board certified plastic surgeon. 

A facelift done properly should leave minimal scaring. here are some tips to consider:

1. Begin with a board certified plastic surgeon or facial plasitc surgeon and visit several offices.

2. Seek a surgeon who does at least 100 facelifts per year. 

3. Computer imaging can improve understanding the target result and assist in the discussion with your surgeon. 

4. Have your surgeon take his/her time to use sutures instead of staples for the closure

5. A ice water circulated Cool Mask makes the job easier for the care

6. Again, facelifts are one of the most complicated procedures that plastic surgeons perform and an expereinced surgeon will likely yield the best results. 

Best of luck to you!

Dr. Mentz 

Thanks for your question. We can't do a proper lift by going through your mouth. The issue is that the nerves that control your facial muscles live on the deep side of the muscle. So these nerves would DEFINITELY be at risk if a lift was approached through the mouth. Scars from a facelift can be invisible if they're placed properly and there is minimal tension on them. That said, you won't need a lift of any kind for years. If you're concerned about mild jowling, fillers can be a good option. Good luck!

I am not aware of any reliably successful facelift procedure that is done from the inside the mouth. At your age and from the photo you might do well with non-surgical skin tightening like the Viora Reaction.