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August 6, 2023
Why Are There So Many Facelift Types?
If you’re looking older than you feel, you may want a facelift to tighten your skin, refresh your appearance, and boost your self-esteem. But, you might be hitting a roadblock with all the facelift (rhytidectomy) “names” out there. What’s right for you?
Truthfully, it’s less about the facelift “name.” Instead, it’s all about your concerns. In your consultation, you will discuss where you would like improvement and what facelift procedure can help get you there.
Facelift Procedures
There are many facelift terms you might come across, including:
- Traditional facelift (with or without a neck lift): During a traditional facelift, your surgeon will remove excess fat, tighten underlying muscles, and re-drape the skin of your face.
- MACS LIFT (Minimal Access Cranial Suspension): Using innovative soft tissue suspension techniques resulting in short scars, this is ideal for people who don’t have too much excess skin. The MACS Lift uses purse string suspension suturing to the deep temporal fascia with an incision that runs from the temporal hairline to the earlobe.
- SMAS (Superficial Muscular Aponeurotic System) Facelift: This procedure refers to correcting the sagging appearance of the neck and the lower two-thirds of the face.
- Mini-facelift procedure (with limited incisions): Ideal for younger patients with early signs of aging, or for people who want a subtle effect, this mini-facelift provides a fresher and more youthful look without a radical change. It does not reverse sagging skin at the neckline.
- Neck lift: If you have a neck lift (often in conjunction with your facelift), your surgeon will make a small, discreet incision underneath your chin. This incision allows your surgeon to remove extra fat and tighten the loose muscles in your neck.
There’s also terminology for a full facelift, a lower facelift, and a mid-face lift. Are you confused? While we just outlined many facelift techniques, this surgery generally involves making an incision that is hidden in the natural contour of each ear, then extends around the earlobe and back into the hairline, minimizing visible scars.
Through these incisions, your plastic surgeon separates the skin from the underlying tissues, pulls the skin up and back, removes the extra skin and fat, and tightens the muscles. Your surgeon will also reposition the deeper tissue for a more thorough lift, improving the jowl region.
What Facelift Is Best For Me?
Most healthy people over 40 years old who are dissatisfied with the appearance of their aging face are candidates for a facelift. A facelift is most effective on people whose skin has some elasticity and who have well-defined bones.
Ultimately, the facelift procedure that is best for you depends on you. During your first consultation with your surgeon, you will discuss:
- Where you would like to see improvement (i.e., jowls, neckline, neck banding, eyelids).
- If you want to improve your face volume.
- The degree of change you’d like to see.
Based on your desired outcome, your surgeon will recommend the best facelift procedure, including if it may include structural fat grafting and/or skin resurfacing. Before surgery, your surgeon will help you visualize your facelift outcome so you’ll know what to expect.
Facelift Results
As you recover, you’ll have some guidelines to follow. Shortly after surgery, you’ll get a good sense of how your face will look, but swelling is expected and normal for several weeks.
Because the healing process is gradual, you may not see the final result for up to 3 months. It may also take up to 6 months for incision lines to fade, which you can easily conceal with your hair or makeup.
While no facelift can stop your face from aging indefinitely, a facelift gives you a fresh and youthful appearance that you can enjoy for years. Once your skin loosens and sags again, you might want to adjust your look with a secondary facelift procedure.
How Can I Book My Facelift?
If you’re considering a facelift (rhytidectomy) or neck lift to tighten your skin, refresh your appearance, and boost your self-esteem, rely on the leaders of plastic surgery in Portland, Maine. Our Plastic + Hand team has the most qualified facelift and neck lift surgeons in Maine.
It’s time to discover the results you’ll love. The first step begins here. Call us at 207-775-3446 or submit this request form to schedule your consultation with our Patient Care Coordinator to determine whether a facelift or neck lift is right for you.
