Also referred to as a meloplasty or a rhytidectomy, face lift surgery is a type of cosmetic procedure that’s designed to remove excess skin from the face and neck and smooth the jawline. Face lift surgeries are effective at removing or reducing the appearance of sagging jowls that may occur naturally as a result of ageing.

Face lift surgeries are also effective for tightening jaw muscles to enhance muscle tone or definition. Excess fatty tissue around the face and neck can also be repositioned to change the shape of the face during face lift surgeries.

The different types of face lift surgery

Face lift surgeries can target virtually every section of the face or only focus on select areas. Here are the most common different types of face lift surgeries:

• SMAS face lift – also referred to as a traditional face lift, an SMAS lift involves making precise incisions to access the SMAS (superficial muscular aponeurotic system) in order to lift, reposition, and then tighten it below the skin before then removing excess skin. Lifting and repositioning the SMAS not only helps alleviate the appearance of wrinkles, but also helps tighten and tone the facial muscles.

• Skin-only (cutaneous) face lift – an alternative to traditional SMAS face lifts, skin-only/cutaneous face lifts only the facial skin. As the loss of elasticity to the SMAS is what causes superficial skin ageing, this type of cutaneous face lift surgery has grown outdated in recent years as the procedure has been known to deliver shorter term results than a traditional SMAS face lift that targets both facial skin and muscles.

• Short scar face lift – also referred to as an S-lift or partial lift, short scar face lifts involve lifting the SMAS of the middle and lower face. Incisions for short scar face lifts are typically made in front of the ear, ensuring that patients experience minimal visible scarring following the procedure. Short scar face lifts don’t address wrinkling and signs of ageing in the upper face or in the lower neck.

• Deep plane face lift – a deeper alternative to traditional SMAS face lifts, deep plane lifts are designed to access deeper layers of facial tissue in order to lift the cheeks higher. Although deep plane face lifts allow meloplasty surgeons to attain a higher lift of the cheeks on average, this procedure is accompanied by a higher risk rate than traditional SMAS face lifts, which makes surgeons hesitant to recommend it to their patients.

• Brow/forehead lift – a face lift procedure designed specifically to address signs of skin ageing on the eyelids and forehead. As traditional SMAS face lifts don’t include a brow lift, patients may seek to combine their full face lift with a brow or forehead lift.

• Cheek lift – also referred to as a mid face lift, cheek lifts are designed to only address the cheeks (or the nasolabial folds).

• Neck lift – a face lift procedure solely aimed at addressing signs of ageing across the neck and lower jawline, neck lifts are effective at correcting double chins, sagging jowls, and loose skin around the upper and lower neck.

Alongside the surgical face lifts outlined above, patients also have the option to undergo non-surgical alternatives, like:

• Liquid face lifts – involves the application of dermal fillers (or smooth gel injectables) to restore volume to facial skin and reduce the visibility of wrinkles.

• Thread lifts – also called ‘suture lifts’, this procedure involves inserting non-absorbable medical polypropylene fibre threads under facial skin to tighten skin and tissue.

• Ultherapy – a face lift treatment that involves using ultrasound therapy to naturally stimulate skin cells into producing collagen and reducing the visible signs of facial ageing.

• Microneedling – another type of collagen induction therapy, microneedling involves repeatedly puncturing the skin with small needles to stimulate collagen and elastin growth.

As there are many different types of face lifts, it’s imperative that patients carefully consider which procedure is most likely to provide the results they’re looking for. Your face lift surgeon can work with you to determine whether a surgical or non-surgical face lift may be the ideal solution for you.

It’s also important to note that as face lifts are surgical procedures that can include the use of liposuction and anaesthesia or intravenous sedation, 2018 amendments to the Health Services Act 1988 stipulates that meloplasties and rhytidectomy procedures should only be performed in Australia by qualified surgeons and only in clinics and facilities that are registered with state health departments.