Both procedures are commonly done together because they are done through very similar incisions. Patients who usually have concerns with the lower face inevitably have concerns with the neck and vice versa. The procedure is commonly said to set the patient’s appearance back ten years, to allow the patient to age gracefully. Commonly with aging there is also a loss of fat and tissue leading to the excess and loose skin in the lower face. Fat grafting from the abdomen to the lips, cheeks and chin can be done at the same time to provide more structure and youthfulness.
The decision to have plastic surgery is extremely personal, and you’ll have to decide if the benefits of the surgery outweigh the risks and potential complications of surgery.
You will be asked to sign consent forms to ensure that you fully understand the procedure and any risks. It is important that you address all your questions directly with your surgeon.
Deep plane, SMAS and mini facelift are different surgical approaches, not a ranking from basic to best. The right approach depends on where tissue has descended, the amount of skin and neck laxity, your goals and the surgeon's assessment.
A deep plane facelift works below the SMAS layer. It releases supporting ligaments so skin, fat and muscle can be repositioned together as one connected unit. It may be considered when the midface, jowls and neck need deeper repositioning.
A SMAS facelift tightens and repositions the supportive layer beneath the skin without dissecting below it in the same way. It is an established approach that can suit a range of facial-aging patterns.
A mini or limited-incision facelift uses a smaller surgical field and may suit earlier jowling or milder laxity. It offers less correction when loose neck tissue or more advanced sagging is the main concern.
No technique is automatically better for every face. Your surgeon should explain why a specific approach fits your anatomy and what that choice means for incisions, recovery and the expected result.
You may also hear terms like ponytail facelift used to describe smaller-scope or limited-incision approaches.
A face and/or necklift is typically done under a general anesthetic. Both a face and necklift have the same surgical incisions. There are two separate incisions on both sides of your face. The incision for a full facelift typically begins at the temple and goes along the natural skin fold in front of the ear, then behind the ear and along the hairline into the scalp. Facelifts also involve a tightening of the deep facial layers (also called the SMAS) and then redraping of the overlying skin. Sometimes a very small incision is required just under the chin to help tighten the neck. Usually black or blue non-dissolvable stitches will be used to close your surgical incisions. Sometimes dissolvable stitches are used, your surgeon will make this decision during your surgery. Sometimes dissolvable stitches may be used for the incisions under your chin and a ‘pink’ paper tape will be placed over top of the chin incision. If you have a Jackson-Pratt (JP) drain, you will have one black stitch to hold your JP drain in place. This will be removed when the drains are ready to come out. The drain will exit through one of your lower scalp incisions.
Facelift and neck lift consultations at art&fact are available with Dr. Aaron Knox and Dr. Mieke Heyns. Our surgeons have overlapping scopes of practice; the most appropriate surgeon is matched to each patient based on clinical needs, goals and availability.
Recovery can be lengthy and the final results of the face lift are sometimes not evident until 6-8 weeks postoperatively with improvement continuing for several months after that. Some patients have very obvious swelling and bruising in the first month. We advised that you are able to comfortably take time off work and social activities in order to have peace of mind.
A good candidate for surgery is a patient who is relatively healthy and has realistic expectations for post-operative outcomes. It is also strongly advised that you be a non-smoker at the time of surgery. If you are a smoker we recommend you quit smoking at least 3 months prior to surgery as nicotine can interfere with blood supply and potentially cause complications with healing after surgery.
A deep plane facelift works below the SMAS layer and releases supporting ligaments so skin, fat and muscle can be repositioned together. A SMAS facelift tightens and repositions the SMAS layer itself. Neither is automatically better. The right approach depends on your anatomy and your surgeon's assessment.
No. A mini or limited-incision facelift generally uses a smaller surgical field for earlier jowling and milder laxity. A deep plane facelift is a more extensive technique used when deeper repositioning is appropriate.
Non-surgical treatments can address volume, texture, expression lines or mild laxity. They cannot remove excess skin or reposition descended tissue in the way surgery can.
Facelift and neck lift consultations at art&fact are available with Dr. Aaron Knox and Dr. Mieke Heyns. Our surgeons have overlapping scopes of practice; the most appropriate surgeon is matched to each patient based on clinical needs, goals and availability.
The live starting price is $24,800 plus GST. Your final quote depends on the surgical plan confirmed at consultation.
