Face Lift: The Many Types Available

Often, when people begin looking into having a face lift or any kind of cosmetic surgery, they are surprised by the number of options out there. Sometimes, the variations and the choices lead people to grow scared or feel as though they don't have enough understanding of the subject to go any further. Here, we'll look at some of the different variations available and show that it isn't that scary at all. As long as you can find a competent, professional surgeon who has your best needs in mind, you can easily determine which type of face lift you want to have done.

The Short Scar

This is an excellent choice for those who want to minimize the amount of scarring they have after the procedure. The surgeon makes a short s-shaped incision at the ear or the temple, but does not take the incision all the way to the back of the ear. From this incision point, the doctor can manipulate the tissue to get rid of frown lines in the chin region and take care of some moderately excess skin. Besides the minimal scarring, this procedure is ideal for people who want a shorter recovery time with less bruising.

The SMAS

The superficial musculoaponeurotic system face lift targets both the superficial top layers of the facial skin as well as the deeper layers in the tissue and in the neck. This is the most common areas where people of a certain age begin to have trouble with loose and sagging skin. The incision in this procedure is done at the temple just above the place where the hairline begins. It travels down from there, following the contours of the face until it reaches the bottom of the ear lobes, where it finishes behind the ears. This is the ideal choice for those who need a nice tightening of their tissues, particularly if the problem comes with neck sagging and some formation of jowls. The recovery period for this type is longer than some others and the procedure itself takes longer to perform, but it is still regarded as the number one procedure within the industry.

The Deep Plane

While there are a number of different types of face lift, the last one we'll look at here is the deep plane variety. This is similar to the SMAS in many respects. The same general incision line is made, traveling down from the hairline to behind the ears. The difference is in how deep the doctor goes when performing the surgery. With deep plane, they separate the skin and the muscles from the deeper tissues. This type of surgery is best performed on older individuals who have a great deal of sagging they wish to repair.