This technique tends to be a very safe approach to face-lifting as the SMAS and ... laser skin resurfacing or chemical peeling, fat transplantation

Face lift, technically known as rhytidectomy, is a surgical procedure intended to remove excess fat, tighten underlying muscles and redrape the skin of your face and neck.

It can also be done alone, or in conjunction with other procedures such as a forehead lift, eyelid surgery, or nose reshaping. Although a face lift can't stop the ageing process, it can help 'turn back the clock'. SMAS rhytidectomy begins with the creation of a cheek skin flap. The SMAS is handled in a number of ways. This technique tends to be a very safe approach to face-lifting as the SMAS and sub-SMAS structures are left intact. Baker popularized the lateral SMASectomy approach. Baker's technique is also very safe as the facial nerve is protected by the parotid gland in the area of SMAS resection.

As face-lift approaches multiplied and became more complex, patient desires changed. Younger patients began to seek cosmetic surgery and trends toward less invasive approaches to facial rejuvenation developed. Patients wanted less downtime from their procedure. Additionally, despite increased tissue rearrangement with more complex surgery, a clear and compelling benefit of one type of face-lift over another failed to materialize. While controversial, the few studies that directly compared the various techniques failed to show a significant difference in outcome. Younger patients began to seek cosmetic surgery and trends toward less invasive approaches to facial rejuvenation developed. A number of face-lift alternatives and adjuvant procedures have been recently popularized. Cosmetic medicine disposes of a technique to treat problematic areas without these disadvantages. This method represents an achievable and efficient solution for an increasing number of people who want to obtain a natural result without surgical operation or general anaesthesia.

A number of face-lift alternatives and adjuvant procedures have been recently popularized. For the patient with primarily soft tissue ptosis and little skin redundancy, the use of percutaneously placed suspension sutures is an option. This approach has been proposed for elevation of the brow, midface, and jowl regions.The advantages of these procedures are the use of local anesthesia and minimal scarring, downtime and expense when compared with traditional surgical rhytidectomy. As no skin excision occurs, these techniques will not remove redundant skin and may be best suited for younger patients. Most surgeons using suspension techniques utilize a variety of nonabsorbable sutures.

Conclusion

While the myriad of options for face-lifting may seem confusing to physicians and patients at first glance, there are advantages and disadvantages to each. With more options available, we can cater our treatments for each patient. With proper education and a firm preoperative assessment of goals, the surgeon and patient can select the approach that optimizes their probability of a successful outcome. Clearly there is no one solution to all forms of facial aging.