What is the difference between a Traditional, Mid Face Lift and a Feather-Lift?

—Lena D., Temecula, CA

Lena, each of these procedures is designed to make your face more youthful. However, each of these procedures has also their own indications and contra indications. If you are interested in facial rejuvenation, your best bet would be to come in for a consultation, and after examining you, I will then be able to review your options. But in general, the vector of the pull and the extent of the dissection are different in each of these procedures. The traditional face lifts entail the most dissection, but still result in the most dramatic and long lasting improvement.

The feather lift is done through shorter incisions and entails very little dissection. The lift is accomplished by passing threads under the skin and pulling the muscles back. Both can help with jowls and the neck.

The midface lift is done through incisions inside the mouth and up in the hairline; it entails dissecting a plane between the two incisions and suspending the midface tissues upward with strong “cable” sutures. Occasionally, a combination of two approaches may be suggested. Like a traditional lift, the feather pulls posteriorly more than vertically, and the mid does pull tissues vertically. With aging, the fatty tissue of the cheek and facial/muscle layers in the cheeks and neck loosen and drift downward. All of these facelift procedures are designed to pull some of these structures back where they were when you were younger. Feather and midface lifts are great for minor deformities in younger people. But as with most things in life, you get what you pay for. The traditional lift will give a more dramatic and longer lasting improvement. You should make an appointment with a plastic surgeon well versed with all the modern face

54 year old female before and after a traditional face lift and chin augmentation to address a predominantly droopy neck.

68 year old male before and two months following facelift with midface lift to address both a lax neck and prominent folds between the cheeks and upper lip, upper and lower lid blepharoplasty, endoscopic forehead procedure to remove frown lines and a laser procedure around the eyes – it takes 3-4 months for the redness to fade after a laser procedure.