Facelifts

Many patients are under the assumption that dramatic results can often happen with shorter scars or minor surgical procedures.  One of the areas of large misconception is with facelifts. There are two quotes by leading experts in the field of cosmetic and plastic surgery which I would like you to read concerning short-scar facelifts:

Mike Nayak, M.D., from St. Louis – “Short-scar techniques generally utilize an anterior-only incision, or, less commonly, a posterior-only incision. While shorter scars are appealing, the limited incision lines themselves limit the access to the face and neck and also limit skin-excision options. Given these limitations, only about one in five patients is a good candidate for a short-scar lift.

"In my practice, a good short-scar lift candidate is a patient with excellent skin tone and elasticity who needs limited improvement of the jawline only, or a patient with excellent skin tone and elasticity in need of improvement of the neck only. The anterior-only short-scar technique allows for thorough treatment of the jowls with only modest neck improvement, and the posterior-only technique allows for excellent treatment of the neck with modest jowl improvement.…When elasticity is poor or skin quality is crepey, a full anterior and posterior incision approach allows for complete redraping and tailoring of the skin…As my practice develops, I find myself utilizing the short-scar technique more infrequently.”

Dr. Joe Niamtu III, – “Although short-scar facelifts are all the rage now, they are, in fact, exactly the same as facelifts performed in the 1920’s.  I saw a TV commercial about a ‘revolutionary new and easy technique. Drive home from the surgery, no anesthesia, no bandages, go back to work in two days.’  I have an article from a 1927 French textbook that shows a short-scar facelift with purse-string sutures!  Sorry, not new or revolutionary.” 

“I actually have a bone to pick with these ‘franchise facelifts,’ as I call them.  My criticism is not with the surgeons who perform them, as they are probably competent surgeons, but I think the marketing for many of these types of lifts is misleading an preys on patients who truly need a more comprehensive facelift but are falsely lead to believe that this century-old facelift is some new ‘miracle’ technique… I perform 60 to 80 facelifts per year, and only one or two of these patients get short-scar lifts.  My reason is simple.  The average patient who has enough aging for a facelift will have a much better result that lasts longer with traditional pre- and postauricular incisions.”

In my practice as well, most patients coming in for facial rejuvenation have more laxity of the skin than a short-scar facelift can handle.  We all have hopes of getting the full service with only limited time or access, but in reality the right procedure for the right patient is the best medical treatment that any one patient can receive.