After years of touch-up with Botox, fillers, lasers, and anti-aging products, it may be evident that only surgery will provide the results you desire. A facelift can sound like a scary procedure, but it has a virtually painless recovery and offers dramatic improvement. There are many different types of facelifts you can choose from based on your aesthetic goals and expectations.
The most advanced lifting techniques, such as the deep plane facelift, provide patients with the longest lasting results with similar healing times to all other types of lifts including “the lifestyle lift” and are now performed through mini facelift incisions. Now with qualified, well-trained hands, the deep plane lift does not present much risk to the patient. The procedure requires someone with training and experience in the technique to perform the procedure effectively and safely. The vast majority of surgeons have never seen a deep plane lift and conversely have no experience with it. Additionally, the deep plane technique may decrease overall bruising while providing the longest lasting results. A mini lift only allows one to create the shortest skin incisions, but does not generally affect postoperative bruising or swelling.
Facelifts were once “skin only” excisions, which involved facial skin being pulled and secured with sutures. The method created unnecessarily long, obvious scars that sometimes required patients to change their hair style, wear hats, or use more makeup to cover the areas. Also, this technique provided only short-term, temporary results and subsequently proved unsuitable and disappointing to patients. Now, expert facelift surgeons have mastered the deep plane technique through mini facelift incisions by going deep into the facial tissues to appropriately lift the cheek and neck area. This method provides the long lasting results while leaving the shortest, least noticeable scars.
You may also hear the mini facelift referred to as an “s-lift”, or “short scar facelift” because of the small shape and size of the incision. This lift involves an s-shaped incision around the temporal hair tuft and hidden in the creases in front and behind the ear to re-suspend and tighten tissues that form the smile lines, jowls, and extra neck skin and soft tissue. The mini facelift is intended for patients who wish to reduce sagging and droopiness in the cheeks and neck. The procedure is ideal for people of all ages with all degrees of cheek and neck aging who prefer the smallest scars with the long lasting results of advanced facelift techniques.
Speaking to a surgeon about your concerns and expectations is critical to your outcome. I always advise seeking the advice of a double board certified facial plastic surgeon when deciding which facelift procedure is right for you
