The SMAS rhytidectomy or SMAS facelift is a facial rejuvenation procedure that targets the lower two-thirds of your face and your neck. Your superficial muscular aponeurotic system (SMAS) is a layer of muscles, fibrous tissue, and fat deep under the skin of your face. It extends from your neck up to the forehead.
Your SMAS Facelift Procedure
Jean will place an incision along your temple and above the hairline, extending along the natural creases of your skin and curving behind the ears. This incision technique will ensure your scar is discreetly hidden beneath the hairline and within the natural creases of your skin.
Basically, the lower face lift addresses issues of the mid-face except for the forehead and crow's feet, which require treatment with other procedures. By contrast, a neck lift focuses specifically on improving skin laxity of the neck and removing fatty tissue beneath the chin.
Why? When the facelift is performed, the skin is tightened and it can flatten out the jowls because the skin is tighter. However, over time as the skin relaxes, the full fatty jowls will restretch out the skin and the jowls will reappear. Weight loss prior to face lift surgery is very important for these people.
A neck lift, or platysmaplasty, is a surgical procedure designed to improve the signs of aging around the neck and jawline. This procedure could be a great option to eliminate the appearance of jowls because it removes the excess skin and fat from around the neck and jawline areas.
Based on years of experience and research, Dr. Mustoe believes that his deep-plane technique produces longer-lasting results than a SMAS facelift. However, not all plastic surgeons have the necessary training to offer a deep-plane facelift and use the SMAS technique for their patients.
The SMAS facelift is a type of facelift that lifts the underlying muscle plane of the face which sits underneath the skin. The word SMAS is an acronym for this muscle plane and stands for the Superficial Musculo Aponeurotic System. As we age, the SMAS layer starts to loosen and descend down the face and into the neck.
What is the average recovery associated with a SMAS facelift procedure? The acute recovery phase following a SMAS facelift is about two to three weeks of acute bruising, swelling, redness, and discomfort. A compression garment must be worn for the first 10 days. Sutures are removed after one week.
The high SMAS facelift that I use usually delivers around 10 to 15 years of benefit.
The MACS technique is a much less invasive surgery than the SMAS face-lift technique. It's ideal for men and women who still have quite a bit of natural elasticity in their skin. It targets the underlying muscular structures in your face, so it's a great option if you have some sagging skin, but good skin tone.
The primary difference between a mini and full facelift is that a full facelift like a deep plane or SMAS facelift focuses on tightening all facial skin and moving the underlying tissues, while the mini facelift focuses on the jowls and neck area specifically.
What Does An SMAS Facelift Cost? The cost of SMAS layer facial plastic surgery varies depending on the person, the specific needs they have for their facelift, and the expertise of the surgeon. The national average cost for a SMAS facelift can be anywhere between $10,000 and $15,000 to start.
So, even though the deep plane facelift is the most invasive facelift technique, it offers patients the longest lasting results. Since it works on the structural elements of the face (tissue and muscle), the deep plane facelift is more durable than SMAS facelifts, often lasting ten years and beyond.
In general, the results from your facelift will look very good after about 1-month and you'll look your best at 6 months. A facelift can produce long-lasting results for years to come. And while everyone has a unique aging process, many of my patients don't feel they need more work for 12-14 years.
The high SMAS facelift is a specialised procedure which repositions ptotic soft-tissue evenly throughout the face. This improves soft-tissue distribution in the midface, cheek and along the jawline - resulting in a balanced and natural facial rejuvenation.
The SMAS lift involves tightening the SMAS along with the skin, by using sutures or tissue glue to reverse the appearance of sagging. Since this procedure goes deeper than the traditional facelift, patients can sometimes expect a longer downtime and recovery period.
According to a study in the February issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (the American Society of Plastic Surgeons). Patients who have undergone a facelift rate themselves as looking at an average of 12 years younger after facelift surgery.
Type II SMAS is a dense mesh of collagen, elastin, and muscle fibers and is found in the lip area (Ghassemi et al., 2003). SMAS thicknesses vary throughout the face from 2 to 3 mm (Har-Shai et al., 1996).
The deep plane facelift is generally considered the most comprehensive and long lasting type of facelift. This facelift involves the layer of muscles under your facial skin. These muscles are responsible for much of the drooping or sagging you may experience in your face as you age.
Approximate Age: 40+
Facelift and/or Neck Lift (SMAS or Deep Plane facelift): The SMAS or Deep Plane face lift is ideal for lifting sagging jowls, mild to severe skin laxity, and/or mid-face sagging.
If there is a worse double chin after surgery, it may be from incomplete contouring or possibly swelling of the area. Your surgeon knows exactly what was done so it's best to check with your surgeon about possible corrections.
A mini neck lift is a procedure or procedures designed to tighten the neck and give a youthful angular appearance to the jawline. It involves an incision underneath the chin (we call this a submental incision), and incisions behind the ears.
Most patients wear their compression garments for about two weeks after their facelift, neck lift, or neck liposuction procedures.
Full Facelift
Larger, behind-the-ears incisions allow for optimal removal of excess skin and fat for more dramatic results. A full facelift provides the longest lasting results, pausing the clock on aging for 20 years or more.