Our face is the first thing people notice about us. Based on the way our face looks, people can get a lot of information e.g., how we’re feeling and most importantly how old we are. A couple of years ago, facelifts and neck lifts weren’t so popular because back then (regardless of facelift types), they were considered very expensive procedures. And not just that. They weren’t so advanced as they are now, and they left visible scars and the end results weren’t natural.
But today things are much different. Facelifts have become one of the most popular cosmetic procedures in the world, not just for women, but for men as well. The results look far more natural, there’s no visible scaring and it really looks like someone has rewind the clock.
Through the years, cosmetic surgery has evolved tremendously and now we have more facelift types, so the entire experience can be more personalized for each patient. If you’ve done some research on facelifts or neck lifts, you’ve probably come across different facelift types and you might not understand every one of them. We’re here to help!
Why are there different facelift types?
Facelift terminology might sound confusing because not all terms are standard terms and one term means one thing to one surgeon while it could mean something entirely different to another. For example, there’s are facelift types called the S-lift which in some cases could mean skin-only facelift, and to another surgeon it could mean deep tissue lifting.
In order to understand facelift types, you must first understand the anatomy of your face. It is made from skin, muscles and fat pads. SMAS or Superficial Muscular Aponeurotic System is basically the framework that keeps all the different parts of your face tightly together, making your face look youthful and perky. In order to keep the face looking young, SMAS needs elasticity, but as we age, both SMAS and the skin on your face become less elastic and start showing signs of ageing.
Different facelift types
Based on the degree to which your SMAS is lifted, the size of the scar and the portion of your face which is addressed, we can distinguish different facelift types.
Skin-only facelift
You probably figured it out from the name alone, that this only involves lifting the skin on your face. This can be considered to be a superficial facelift because it doesn’t involve lifting any part of SMAS. It was actually very popular during the 90s but nowadays, people rarely ask for it and surgeons rarely perform it. This is mainly because it only addresses the superficial problems and the results aren’t that long-term.
Mini-facelift
This is becoming a very popular among the different facelift types. Why? Well because it provides great rejuvenation effects, the downtime is minimal and it only leaves a small scar which are barely noticeable (to the untrained eye). If you have only minor signs of aging, regardless if you’re a man or a woman, this is ideal. This type of facelift can address multiple “problematic” areas such as wrinkles, sagging cheeks and lax skin.
Full facelift
Full facelift or also known as traditional facelift is one of those facelift types which has it all and covers all. When you have moderate to severe signs of ageing, this is the perfect way you can get your youthful look back. With this procedure, you can not only lift your face, but your neck too. So during one surgery, you can get your perky cheeks back, restore your jawline, get rid of the droopy jowls etc.
Composite facelift
There are facelift types that are a bit more invasive than others. Composite or deep-plane facelifts are one of them. During this procedure, the cosmetic surgeon cuts deeper into the underlying tissue (beneath SMAS). Now since there are important blood vessels, nerves and other structures beneath your SMAS, they might be damaged during this procedure. The only benefit is that you get more lift for your cheeks, and it might not justify the potential risks. So maybe a full SMAS facelift is the way to go.
Cheek lift or mid facelift
If you only have problems with saggy cheeks, there are facelift types that only address this problem, called the mid facelift. The main focus of this procedure is to lift up your cheeks and make them perky again. Unlike other facelift types, this procedure doesn’t focus on droopy jowls and saggy neck skin. But if you only want to restore your perky and youthful cheeks, this is the way to go.
In our next post, we will discuss the other facelift types and also talk bout our QuickLift procedure, developed and pioneered by Dr. Kotoske.
