The Many Types Of Facelift Available

Only a few decades ago, if you wanted a facelift, you could expect to take months off from work and social life and then return to regular life looking like you obviously had work done. Today, that’s no longer how it works, explains Dr. Joel Aronowitz. Plastic surgeons changed the methods used in a traditional facelift and developed other options, such as the deep plane lift and mini lift. With numerous surgical options available, and anesthesia advances, patients can return to their normal routine much quicker than before.

Traditional Facelift

The traditional facelift used to draw the skin upward, which resulted in an overly taut appearance. That’s why people who underwent facelifts a few decades ago showed obvious signs of having done so. Today, doctors use a different lifting technique, one that repositions fat pads and deeper tissues, and releases some ligaments.

Another change in lifts came from the realization that using more than one procedure at a time could better address the overall face. In 21st-century facelifts, the plastic surgeon combines a facelift with at least one other procedure, typically an eyelid lift or fat transfer, according to Allure. The facelift process addresses the lower two-thirds of the face and the patient’s neck. After the facelift turns back the clock, the patient re-ages, so eventually, they need a second facelift.

Deep Plane Facelift

The results of a deep plane facelift typically last about 10 years, according to Joel Aronowitz MD. This procedure utilizes the sub-superficial muscular aponeurotic system (sub-SMAS) technique to access deep tissue and facial muscles and reposition them. By lifting and rearranging these tissues, the surgeon restores the youthful appearance of the face. The surgeon removes excess skin and redrapes the remaining skin, creating natural appearance, which these before and after photos on RealSelf illustrate.

Mini Lift

A mini facelift uses fewer incisions and a less invasive technique to lift sagging skin. The doctor accesses the facial structure via small incisions around the ears and hairline, lifting and pulling the facial skin into a new position. The surgeon may remove excess tissue before closing the incisions.

What Each Procedure Has In Common

Patients experience bruising and swelling for a few weeks after the procedure. After any of the three types of facelifts, the patient wears wound dressings and may have drains inserted. Patients who spoke with Allure said they needed four to six weeks of active recovery time. The process for the final results of the surgery takes between three and four months, which explains part of the reason today’s surgeries appear more natural.