The skin only facelift, as Dr. Pasquale calls it, is probably one of the more common face lifting procedures. Yet before we discuss this skin only face lift we first must understand some anatomy of the face and face lift concepts. The face is composed of layers of skin, muscle, and fat which lie above the facial bones. These are distinct layers that the surgeon can separate and move individually to some degree. The plastic surgeon can operate on one layer like the skin or change all layers including the bone. In general the face is composed of three layers over the bone of the skull.
A skin only face lift is one of the most common face lifts with a short recovery, yet the results do not last as long as deeper face lifts.
Although this is an over simplification, these three layers and the bone are what the Face Lift Surgeon changes either individually or in combination. With the skin only face lift only the skin layer is separated off the muscle along with the fatty layer. This allows the plastic surgeon to move the skin (pull) in the direction needed. What direction they will pull is determined by which way the loose skin sags. Occasionally with acne scars this type of face lift can be used to improve the scars and make the skin smooth. Too much tension and the scars will be wide, too little and the correction will not have been enough.
Who should have a skin only facelift?
- Clients who may have had previous face lifts such as smas lift and want a touch up.
- If your problem is primarily loose skin and not underlying structures where there are not extensive jowls.
- Need for a quicker recovery, but this may compromise the outcome if a more extensive facelift procedure is needed such as a multiplane or composite face lift.
- The important thing to remember is that it is only the skin layer which the surgeon changes in the skin only face lift.
