What is a pinnacle face lift?

With all due respect to you, it continues
to amaze me how normally intelligent people continue to fall for shameless (and
shameful) marketing. I have joked to patients for years that were I to
"name" my carefully-performed, surgically-precise, technically
state-of-the-art, wonderful-result (OK, I agree even THAT is over the top)
pat-myself-on-the-back facelift, it would be called the "Tholen
P-P-P-Power Lift" because that is how a local radio DJ used the word
"power" to describe his station's program, right down to the fake
stutter.

Please, everyone who reads this answer, realize that there are as many
poorly-trained, inexperienced, don't-give-a-damn "cosmetic surgeons"
out there as there are gullible patients who think they can get something
special that nobody else (or only a select few) can get. And they usually pay a
premium for the privilege!

If it was groundbreaking, it would be written about, talked about, and learned
by all of the reputable plastic surgeons who care about their patients, want
the very best results possible for them, and continue to learn and update their
techniques, experience, and patient care rather than these doctors who want to
market another "catchy name" for their usually lousy procedure.

Think about it--if they were really good, or outstanding facelifts, wouldn't
everyone else who saw that work want to know who did it, not what name it had?
And would the surgeon who performs such splendid work really NEED to market
himself (or herself)?

The truly sad thing is that when patients are really harmed by these wannabee
plastic surgeons, the damage is not only to the patient's pride, or pocketbook,
but sometimes to their face. The patient only tells their friends (or the
"friends" whisper behind the patient's back) that they had "bad
plastic surgery," NOT bad surgery by a non-plastic surgeon. And then, the
poor victim often asks a "real" ABPS-certified plastic surgeon to
"fix" the suboptimal, or inadequate, or truly disfiguring result of
an obsession with "Pinnacle" or Lifestyle or Miracle lifts rather
than a well-performed SMAS facelift/necklift by an experienced plastic surgeon.

May I suggest, madam, (said in my best Carson from Downton Abbey voice) the
Dowager to Lady Lift. It's the best of them all. (Even better than the
P-P-P-Power Lift). Please read the answers of my colleagues; they're much more
proper, but not nearly so impassioned! Best wishes! Dr. Tholen

Another week, another self-promoting surgeon who invents a special catchy name for "his/her revolutionary procedure" be it facelifting or body contouring. Every surgeon has some individuality to their technique but in general, the facelift techniques all share many similarities. I am always leery of these self-name procedures.

I do not know what a pinnacle facelift is, but it is likely a "named procedure" by the surgeon.  Be wary of all the marketing hype.

Thank you for the question.This is just a marketing name but the same technique is used for this procedure.Dr. Campos

It is purely a marketing term to try to convey a magical unique advanced procedure. "Named" procedures are usually only done by the surgeon who coined the term. The pinnacle face lift, similar to most "named" procedures, is used for publicity and is not recognized in the valid plastic surgery literature.There are matters that are far more critical in achieving a good result than getting a particular "named" or standardized procedure: Making sure that the procedure is individualized to your particular anatomy and desired outcome, having realistic expectations, and understanding the advantages and disadvantages of the various available options. I would suggest finding a plastic surgeon certified by the
American Board of Plastic Surgery and ideally a member of the American Society
for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) that you trust and are comfortable with
and discuss  your concerns with that surgeon in person.

Robert Singer, MD FACS

La Jolla, California

I have never heard of that. What I would say to you is so many surgeons try to spin the traditional facelift and put some name on it to make them sound special and different. The principals of a facelift are the same and have not changed much over time. What has changed is how we handle those general principals today. We have lots of surgical literature to describe what may work better for a particular patient in a particular setting. But, there really is no such facelift as you describe that I have ever read about in the plastic surgery literature. You want to make sure you are seeing a board certified surgeon who has extensive training in facial cosmetic surgery. Do your homework and seek opinions from many surgeons. Talk to your friends locally who may have had facelift and ask them about their experience with whom they used for their procedure. When I hear strange names for procedures that are not the norm it makes me a little suspicious, but nobody can know but you how you feel about the surgeon.

I must say I have never heard of a Pinnacle facelift.  I have heard of the golf manufacturer, but there is nothing that I know of in the literature about it.  It may be a self promoting marketing gimmick and nothing more than a mini facelift - mini procedure = mini results.

 Hi, I have performed many SMAS facelifts for over 30 years and have performed many minimally, invasive SMAS facelifts.  Lower SMAS facelifts can be performed that do not include formal neck lifts as described below.  
 The reality is, there are many different names and ways to perform a facelift from incision length, incision placement, level of tissue dissection (skin only, SMAS, Deep Plane, Subperiosteal), different degrees of tissue undermining, how to lift and support (imbrication versus plication of the SMAS layer), how much excess skin to trim, is excess fat going to be reduced and finally will the overall shape of the face be made more feminine or masculine (while avoiding the over pulled, windswept appearance).  Price is determined by the reputation, location and experience of the Facelift Surgeon.
In my humble opinion however, there are some basic requirements that must be met in order for a facelift to be "effective", yielding "aesthetic pleasing" and "naturally attractive" results.  These include: 
 1. Some type of incision either curved around the front (preferred) or straight in front of the ear.  This is how excess skin is removed which is not possible with an incision behind the ear alone.  If you have so little excess skin on the face that "none" needs to be removed you are not a candidate for a facelift in the first place.
2. The facelift must address correction and softening of the "jowls" using a long lasting and effective technique.  If you have "jowls” these are sagging facial tissues and the main 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.
3. Facial shaping must be combined to properly shape the cheeks, chin, jaw line and lips for feminizing or masculinizing the face as the case may be.
 In my experience, this is the "key" factor in making the face soft, feminine and naturally beautiful.  An essential part of any facelift on a woman.  Conversely, men look chiseled and handsome when angularity is created in the cheeks, chin and mandibular angles.  The ability to provide precise, facial shaping separately or in combination with a facelift is in my humble opinion the definition of a "facial shaping expert".
 If you have "jowls” these are sagging facial tissues and the main 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 SMAS facelift is the minimally invasive, short incision SMAS 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 anesthesiaproper SMAS Imbrication techniqueno incisions within the hair = no hair lossexcess fat can be removed from the face and neckexcess skin removed from the face and neckcheeks, chin and jaw line can be augmented with dermal fillers (I prefer Restylane Lyft) or facial implantsmost 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.
  Following my beauty principles, 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.  When the cheeks are flat or concave in the front, cheek augmentation with a dermal filler or using silastic cheek implants for a permanent enhancement will create full, round cheeks that will feminize the entire face.
Hope this helps.

The Pinnacle Lift procedure was heralded as the procedure that Chris Jenner had. It is not in the medical literature.  It is just the name the surgeon gave to his face lift technique for publicity purposes.  With any cosmetic procedure such as Botox, breast enhancement or butt lift, finding a really great doctor is critical. There is no magic formula to these procedures - finding a skilled doctor who comes highly recommended, and whose before and after results you have looked at and seen to be effective and natural - and who listens and customizes the procedure to his patients' individuality is the most important predictor of success.I hope that helps.  Best regards.

I'd never heard of the "Pinnacle Facelift, so I researched it and found this was the name given to the facelift for celebrity Kris Jenner's recent procedure.The 'Format Face Pinnacle Lift' is not in the medical literature and I haven't seen it presented at the plastic surgery conferences I attend.So I can't really tell you what a "Pinnacle Facelift" is until the doctor who does it tells the rest of us.Oftentimes, these special names are just for marketing or publicity purposes. These seemingly proprietary names gives the sense of a unique specialized procedure, which typically is "innovated" and done by only that one surgeon. Oftentimes, the procedure is a variation on widely used techniques, which is what every good plastic surgeon does: customize the procedure to fit the needs of a particular patient.With any cosmetic procedure, from Botox to Breast Augmentation, from body contouring to facial rejuvenation, the most important thing is finding a really great doctor. As stated by Dr. Alexander Rivkin: "There is no magic formula to these procedures - finding a skilled doctor who comes highly recommended, and whose before and after results you have looked at and seen to be effective and natural - and who listens and customizes the procedure to his patients' individuality is the most important predictor of success."