Facelift

Common variations of facelift surgery.

There are many variations of facelift performed by different plastic surgeons. Some procedures improve the face and some enhance other sections. The standard facelift is a procedure designed to lift sagging skin and muscles under the skin. Incisions are usually placed where easily hidden. The skin is freed and pulled upward with the excess skin trimmed. The saggy face is lifted upward into a new position, and sutured into place. Below, we discuss some of the variations offered at the AB Guerra Plastic Surgery Center.

The Superficial Muscular Aponeurotic System facelift or SMAS lift is the most common modern facelift technique used. The SMAS is a connected system of muscles and collagen-rich connective tissue responsible for smiling, frowning, and other facial expressions. It is important to note the SMAS sits above the plane of the facial nerve. This type of face lift depends on moving and rearranging the components of the SMAS to lift the facial structures into a more youthful position.

The Platysma neck lift or platysmaplasty is the most common surgical technique for rejuvenating the neck. The platysma is the most important muscular structure in the neck with regards to aging. While the SMAS is found in the face, it is the platysma that is the extension of the SMAS into the neck. The paired platysma muscles lie under the skin of the neck and may loosen and sag along with the skin. With the platysma neck lift, the collagen-rich portions of the platysma are tightened and sutured, as the excess skin and fat are contoured resulting in a more youthful neck.

Temporal lift or lateral brow lift is an important technique for rejuvenation of the upper face. This temporal lift moves the saggy eyebrow diagonally outward and upward toward a more youthful location. It can relieve folds and small wrinkles in the forehead and eyelids. A temporal lift also lifts the cheek skin and can restore a more chiseled look to the cheekbones. Some variations on this lift include the use of internal sutures for suspension and underlying muscle tightening. The procedure can be performed as a full, mini or endoscopic-assisted forehead lift.

The subperiosteal facelift technique uses the plane just above the facial bones. This plane is below the facial nerve and the SMAS. The subperiosteal face and forehead lift are commonly performed using this technique. The endoscopic forehead lift utilized at the AB Guerra Plastic Surgery Center uses the subperiosteal plane. This technique was designed to lift skin and tissues at a deep level, just over the bones of the face. It can provide lifting and rejuvenation in the forehead, suborbital area, and midface.