Types of Facelifts

Since people first start having facelifts, the facelift procedure has been significantly refined. These days, you can choose from several different types of facelifts depending on your own facial structure and what your desired outcome is. Some patients will require more extensive surgery while others will only require a minimum amount of work. The facelift risks and side effects for each type vary and these should be carefully discussed with your plastic surgeon in Mexico.

SMAS Facelift
SMAS stands for Superficial Musculo Aponeurotic System and refers to the muscle system under the facial skin. In this type of facelift, the plastic surgeon make a large incision above the hairline from temple to temple and then down to the ear. The incision continues along the front of the ear, curves below it and then finally stops behind the ear. The SMAS is manipulated during the facelift according to what the patient requires and then the incision is stitched back up. The main advantage of the SMAS facelift is that the results last longer than other types of facelifts – especially in patients who have very saggy skin on their face and drooping jowls. The main disadvantage of the SMAS facelift is that the scar is much larger and the facelift recovery period takes longer.

Deep Plane Facelift
This type of facelift is similar to the SMAS facelift but the surgeon does not go into the superficial muscle layers as deeply. The deep plane facelift was developed in order to correct sagginess in the midface structures (malar fat pad) and the nasolabial folds. The incisions for this type of facelift are made in front, below, and behind the ear. They extend upwards along the hairline but do not span temple to temple. The surgeon separates the skin and superficial muscles from the deeper muscles beneath before lifting and repositioning the malar fat pad. Excess skin is removed and the incisions are stitched back up. The deep plane facelift lasts 10-15 years but is slightly riskier because of the surgeon’s proximity to facial nerves.

Short Scar Facelift
The short scar facelift is also referred to as a minimal-incision facelift. It is called a short scar facelift because the incision made is shorter than in other types of facelifts. This incision starts at the temples and only extends to the front and below the ear, not behind it. Because the incision is smaller, the surgeon has less access to the superficial muscle tissue. As a result, the short scar facelift is less involved than other types of facelifts and is usually carried out on patients who don’t need so much work done of the lower part of their face and neck. A good candidate for this type of facelift is a younger patient who isn’t showing extensive signs of aging. Recovering from a short scar rhytidectomy does not take as long as other traditional facelifts.

Endoscopic Facelift
This type of facelift is suitable for younger patients who don’t require as much surgery as older patients. The endoscopic facelift corrects sagginess in the cheek area and is carried out using a small camera called an endoscope. This camera is connected to a screen that the surgeon can look at while performing the surgery. Rather than making a large incision, a few small incisions are made in order to access and manipulate the tissue beneath. For those concerned about scarring, this may be the best type of facelift for you.