But What Kind of Face Lift Will You Get?

We all know that aging is not just skin deep. Gone are the days when only the skin of the face is stretched to achieve a facelift. These “skin only” lifts had no longevity. Merely stretching the skin results in that look of the old time Hollywood stars; that stretched, artificial look no one wants. The poor elasticity of aging skin makes this kind of face lift last no longer than injections of fillers, six to twelve months. Notice how much better Hollywood is looking these days? There is a continuum of procedures for a face lift depending on how deep the surgeon will work with the facial tissues.

The effects of gravity over the years pull down not only the skin, but also fatty tissue and the underlying supporting structure of the face. The most important tissues involved in a facelift are called the SMAS. SMAS stands for Superficial Muscular Aponeurotic System. The SMAS is an anatomical layer of supporting deep tissue including ligaments and a continuous fibrous net sending many fibers up into the dermis. The SMAS is very important, not only as a supporting structure, but also for the job it performs. Being doubly attached to the skin above and muscles below, the SMAS is what translates the contraction in the muscles into your facial expressions.

In a SMAS facelift, the supporting structure of the Superficial Musculo Aponeurotic System is elevated and repositioned by resection, to counter the effects of gravity. The resection or cutting and shortening of the SMAS is what gives your facelift maximum longevity. The skin is then lifted and carefully re-draped over the SMAS in the proper position. Fat and excess skin may also be removed during the procedure. My SmartLift is a lower face and neck SMAS lift procedure that will take many years off you looks.

The Cosmetic Surgery Center SmartLift is a SMAS facelift. This is important to know because there are many kinds of face lift procedures.  As a matter of fact, I trademarked my SmartLift ten years ago, here in Arkansas. The SmartLift is an acronym for SMAS, Resection and Tightening lift.

Feel free to call Melinda at the front desk for your consultation with me. 501-277-0707