Q. The Different Types of Facelift Techniques: Which is Right for Me?
A. There is a confusion over what is considered a “mini facelift”, a facelift, a mid-face lift, a face and neck lift and just a neck lift. The reason for this confusion is that different parts of the face are addressed by these different procedures. Dr. Dean Kane, a board certified plastic surgeon, in Baltimore Maryland and has been performing all these procedures for the past 33 years. He is a true artist and expert in face lifting procedures. The difference of all these face lifting procedures are described below:
Mini-FaceLift and FaceLift
The women and men that desire this procedure are generally in the late 40’s to 50’s. They feel their faces have begun to look drawn and tired and complain about their deep nasal folds and pouchy, hanging jowls.
For Dr. Kane the Facelift and The Mini-Facelift are essentially the same surgical lifts. Some patients mentally like to feel that they are only having a mini-lift! So we let patients feel that they are only having the mini-facelift. However, Dr. Kane’s facelift surgeries he is addressing the upper part of the face that lifts the cheeks, nasal folds and jowls. Dr. Kane begins the incision along the sideburn hairline and goes down into the inside of the edge of the ear to the bottom of the earlobe. Through these well hidden incisions he will lift the cheeks, nasal folds and the jowls. The excess skin laxity of removed and the face will be removed leaving a more youthful and refreshed appearance.
Mid-FaceLift
The Mid-Facelift is a unique procedure in which Dr. Kane is combining a lower eyelid lift with a cheek and nasal fold lift. The incision is made right under the lower eyelid eyelashes only. Through this very small hidden incision Dr. Kane goes as far down as the nasal folds to lift the entire middle of the face, hence it is called the mid-face lift. This is a great procedure when someone wants their lower eyelids tightened as well as a lift of their cheeks.
Generally this procedure is ideal for the 40 to 50’s age group who still have excellent lower eyelid tone. As you get older, the lower lids become more lax and are not suitable to handle this double type of surgical lift.
Face and Neck Lift
Patients who choose this more extensive face surgery are generally in their late 50s and into their 60s who feel their entire face and neck have draping excess skin of their cheeks, nasal folds, jowls and neck. These women and men have lost a lot of their facial volume and their skin has lost its elasticity due to years of losing collagen and elastin.
In this surgery, Dr. Kane is extending the Facelift described above to also include tightening the muscles of the neck, called the platysmaplasty and removing the extra skin and fat from the neck and jowls. He uses micro-liposuction of the jowls and neck to remove the fat and often transfers this fat up into the cheeks to plump the hollows of the upper cheeks. To achieve this, Dr. Kane makes a small incision just below the chin in the crease and extends the facelift incision to go around the earlobe and behind the ear. The Face and Neck Lift rejuvenates the entire face and neck. People choose this level of surgery when they feel they have the combination of a turkey neck, hanging jowls and deep nasal folds.
Neck Lift
The Neck Lift alone is often directed to a younger person generally in their 40’s who feel they have the beginnings of jowls and fullness in their necks. They often feel they have lost their youthful contoured profile. These individuals, both men and women do not have excess skin or skin laxity that needs to be removed. They are just looking for more definition to the jawlines and neck.
Since there is no skin removal, Dr. Kane simply uses the same small incision below the chin to tighten the muscles of the neck, the platysmaplasty, and a tiny puncture behind each earlobe to perform the liposuction of lower cheek, jowls and neck. This is a perfect procedure for the person just looking to get back their slimmed facial appearance.
Set up your Facelift Consultation Today!
Patients coming to Dr. Kane will be given a complete evaluation to determine which of these surgical face lifting procedures are best for them. The great news is that because of Dr. Kane’s extensive surgical years of performing face lifts, he is able to give you the entire spectrum of options to choose from.
Give us a call today (410) 602-3322 or email Lauri@DrDeanKane.com to set up your consultation. Lauri, Dr. Kane’s wife had her face and neck lift over 5 years ago and would be happy to share her personal experience. She has written a blog that recounts her weekly recover with photos at every stage.
