The mini facelift is a less extensive procedure than a full cheek and neck lift (aka traditional facelift). The incision is shorter and is almost completely within and in front of the ear with no (or almost no) extension behind the ear. The main indication for the mini facelift is the presence of early jowls. As a general rule, mini lifts are best utilized on younger people with early aging changes, who still have a youthful neck.
A brow lift is a plastic surgical procedure that is meant to improve both the position and shape of aging or sagging eyebrows. Various surgical approaches are available, depending on the gender of the patient, the amount of elevation required and the surgeon’s and patient’s preference.
Some misconceptions are that:
The upper eyelid, the outer half of the brow, and the forehead all relax and descend with age. How do you know if you need an operation on the upper lid (blepharoplasty) or an operation on the brow (lateral brow lift) or BOTH? If you lift up the outer half of your brow with your finger, you will see that the amount of excess upper eyelid skin is reduced, indicating that there is a relationship between the brow position and the amount of excess upper eyelid skin. The surgeon must determine whether the main problem is the lid or the brow or both, and recommend a procedure accordingly.
A smooth neck that is separated from the cheeks by a distinct jawline is a sign of youth. The neck tends to lose definition with age, accumulating excess fat, redundant and hyperactive muscle, and excess skin under the chin. The neck lift is a plastic surgical procedure that removes excess skin from the neck, tightens the underlying muscle, and removes excess fat. In some cases, prominent submandibular salivary glands are partially removed to increase the definition of the neck. Also, there are some patients who, even in youth, do not have a well-defined neck and may pursue the procedure at a young age.
A deep plane facelift is a variant of the standard facelift. Like any facelift, it is designed to improve the appearance of the face and neck. The anatomy of the face is arranged in layers and facelift techniques are categorized based on how those layers are manipulated during the procedure. When the face ages, the changes do not just involve the skin so it is logical that a procedure to improve those aging changes would involve the layers deep into the skin as well. The Deep Plane Facelift is one of the techniques that is used to tighten and reposition the tissues of the aging face.
Read moreDifference Between Deep Plane Facelift and other Facelift
Dr. Thorne is the Editor-in-Chief and the author of several chapters in Grabb and Smith's PLASTIC SURGERY, 7th Edition.
