What is a Mid-face Lift?

In our practice, a cheeklift, a type of midface lift, is effective at smoothing the lower eyelids at the level of the cheeks, for slight elevation of the cheeks, and for reducing the hollowness below the lower eyelids (especially the LUSIC cheeklift with LiveFill).
Many people think of a cheeklift as an alternative to a facelift. It is not. It is a new procedure designed to make the lower eyelids and midface look better and less hollow. It is also very valuable in correcting the appearance of the lower eyelids if they have had conventional subciliary eyelid surgery and have pulled down, rounded, or changed in appearance. Cheeklifts typically do nothing for the jowls and not much for the nasolabial folds.
Some doctors try to perform aggressive lifts on the midface. This is in my opinion a mistake. Revision of aggressively done cheeklifts is in some cases almost impossible. Midface lifts must be subtle. Radically performed cheeklifts from inside the mouth/temple incision approach can cause a greatly increased intermalar distance (distance between the cheekpads), giving the face an odd cat-like appearance. Aggresive elevation of the cheeks can cause bunching of the tissue beside the eye, necessitating aggressive lateral brow elevation. Cheeklifts done through the lower eyelid at the subperiosteal level also have potential hazards with contraction of the orbital septum and pulling down of the lower eyelid (ectropion).
The lower eyelid tissue is so delicate and prone to problems that extraordinary care must be taken when operating on the midface. It is arguably the most difficult area in plastic surgery. It is not for the occcasional surgeon to perform cheeklift surgery.
Facelifts and minifacelift address the bottom two thirds of the face and the neck, not the area below the eyes.
But for the patient desiring a subtle reduction in hollowness below the lower eyelids, a subtle correction of midfacial descent or correction back to an almond eye shape in patients who have had conventional lower eyelid surgery before, a cheeklift can be just the right thing.
For a full discussion on different types of midface lifts, you may want to read my book chapter in Mathes Plastic Surgery:
http://www.drbrent.com/article_mathes.php

FaceTite can internally tighten the skin in the lower face and neck. After all the skin has been heated and contracted, we shape the neck with liposuction to give definition and remove stubborn pockets of fat. In one quick treatment, we can tighten skin, remove fat, and contour the lower face, jawline, and jowls with only a weekend of downtime.​ Keep in mind that combination approaches will give you a more significant improvement as opposed to a single procedure. I recommend getting a consultation with a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist and facial sculpting expert. Best, Dr. Emer

Thanks for the question. The area where a young face is connected to the cheekbone area and the lower eyelid to the cheek is plump, rounded. The first symptoms of percentage aging are the displacement of the cheek fat tissue downwards. Due to the prolonged distance of the lower eyelid to the cheek, the face in the plump and oval appearance has a longer or thiner appearance. At the same time it becomes evident in the gutter in the mouth corners. All these changes cause a exhausted appearance. I wish you all the best.

A midface lift is often added to a standard facelift with eyelid surgery.  It is basically an attempt to lift the cheeks in a vertical direction.  Plastic surgeons will often use the buzz words “negative vector.”  I have seen this performed and seen the results.  The results are really not so great.  At best it does very little and at worst it will lead to dragging down of the eyelid. I don’t buy into it at all and if it means adding thousands of dollars to a full facelift,  I would not bother with it.

A mid facelift is a refinement to the
traditional facelift that focuses on the midface region, or the area around the
cheeks and nose. During the procedure incisions are made at the temples,
continue along the hairline and end behind the earlobes. Because structural
loss in the midface is one of the concern patients have, this technique is
becoming more popular. A mid facelift can create a more balanced appearance
between the upper face and lower face, resulting in a more natural finish.

The mid face is the area between the outer corner of the eye down to the outer corner of the mouth. Pulling this area up in a mid facelift helps rejuvenate the cheeks, but does little for reducing jowls. The two most common approaches are either through the temple or through the lower eyelid. Each has advantages and disadvantages. The traditional facelift is aimed at pulling the lower two thirds of the face up and, specifically, helps reduce jowls and improves the jawline. It is hard to comment on a "mini-facelift", since it could mean different things to different surgeons.

Thank you for your question. The differences between a midface lift and 'regular' facelift are often not clear to patients.The mid-face region roughly correlates with the area between the lower eyelid and the corner of the mouth. A mid-face lift, sometimes referred to as a cheek lift, can help to restore fullness to the mid-face by vertically repositioning the soft tissue of the cheek to a higher, more youthful position on the cheek bone. At the same time, lower eyelid appearance is often improved as the repositioned cheek tissue is more favorably redraped over the lower orbital rim, minimizing the unfavorable hollow appearance of the lower eye region. A well performed mid-face lift can be a powerful method for facial rejuvenation. Learn more about this procedure on our site.In contrast, what are commonly referred to as a 'regular' facelift or mini face-lift are used to rejuvenate the lower face. The greatest impact of a facelift and mini face-lift are seen in the region of the jowels, marionette lines and neck. The traditional approach to this procedure is by way of facial incisions concealed around the ears. I hope that helps. Warm regards.

a mid facelift is also know as a cheek lift.  It involves lifting the skin and fat back on to the cheek bones.  It is generally easier and cheaper than a regular facelift but not a substitute for it as it addresses a different area of the face.  A regular facelift focuses on the the neck, jowls and lateral face.

A mid-facelift is typically used to lift sagging cheeks. It is mainly performed through an endoscopic approach, and it involves limited hairline and gum line incisions. This type of procedure does not treat jowls and loose neck skin, nor does it address volume loss.

Mid face lift surgery is performed from incisions in the hairline that are about the size of the width of a drinking straw. This allows us to place endoscopes and micro instruments to lift the skin, muscles and fat of the cheek. This lifts the central portion of the face, and reduces nasolabial folds and sinking of the cheeks around the mouth. There are no visible scars. This is a technique that fewer surgeons perform due to the highly technical nature of the procedure. I have published articles on this technique in the Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery and the Journal Facial Plastic Surgery.

This is a great question because there is a lot of confusion over these two terms in the marketplace. In my opinion the term that is the most misunderstood is 'facelift'.

FACELIFT- As Dr. Fleming stated, the facelift is the lifting of only the lower part of the face. He described the area that is below the line connecting the corner of your mouth to the top of your ear. This is indeed the area that a 'facelift' addresses. However, the term 'facelift' is often times used in a general sense by the media (and even surgeons in their marketing) to describe rejuvenation of the face in general. But technically, a 'facelift' is the lower facelift.
MID FACELIFT- The mid facelift is a procedure designed to improve the look of the cheekbone area and the area underneath the eyes. It lifts the area and restores fullness to the face to make you look younger. Often times, I perform fat grafting in conjunction with the mid facelift. Stem cells in the fat give the tissue more blood supply and restores that youthful glow!

Please watch my video below which describes what I think makes a great facelift.
Happy New Year!
Ricardo Rodriguez, MD