What Are The Different Types of Facelifts?

Facelifts are the second most commonly performed facial plastic surgery, according to a survey in 2024, but this encompasses a very broad category. There are many different ways to perform this surgery, with varied effects and results. The procedure type is chosen based on how much aging has taken place in the tissues and structures in the face, and how much correction the patient wants.

At Texas Liposuction Specialty Clinic in Houston, Dr. Eric Payne offers several of these techniques, choosing the method that will provide the best results for each individual. He analyzes everything from the overlying skin to the bone, muscle and fat beneath it. He is fellowship trained in craniofacial and reconstructive plastic surgery, with a deep understanding of facial anatomy and how this affects facelift technique.

How Facial Aging Works

The facial area is made of different layers, with skin, fat pads and a muscular sheet called the superficial musculoaponeurotic system, or SMAS, with support from the underlying bone. Aging affects all of these layers at different rates. As the skin loses elasticity due to reduced collagen production, it begins to sag, often around the jawline. Fad pads shrink and shift downward, changing the shape of the face and making it look more hollow.

As the SMAS loosens, it can contribute to the downward trend of the face and the appearance of jowls along the jawline, and lost bone can give the face less definition. During a consultation, Dr. Payne evaluates all of these layers. While older facial surgery methods only corrected the skin, today’s techniques address underlying layers for a lift that looks more natural and lasts longer.

What Is a SMAS Facelift?

During the SMAS facelift, the surgeon makes incisions along the hairline and around the ears, then separates the skin from the SMAS layer below. That muscular sheet is lifted, tightened and secured in a higher position, which pulls the deeper structures of the face upward. Once the SMAS is repositioned, the skin is redraped over the new contour and any excess is removed. This targets jowls, sagging along the jawline and creases around the mouth.

Who Is a Good Candidate for an SMAS Facelift?

This technique works well for patients with moderate to advanced facial aging, particularly those with noticeable jowling and loss of definition along the jawline. Most candidates are in their late 40s through their 60s, though aging patterns vary.

Dr. Payne’s SMAS Techniques

Dr. Payne lifts the SMAS layer using a vertical vector rather than pulling tissue horizontally. A horizontal pull can create an unnatural, windblown appearance. Vertical repositioning restores the face to a position closer to where it was before gravity took effect. You can see examples of this approach in our before-and-after gallery.

What Is a Deep Plane Facelift?

During a deep plane facelift, the surgeon releases tissue beneath the SMAS, freeing the muscle, fat and skin so they can be adjusted together. Through this method, dropping tissue can be repositioned without putting any tension directly on the skin. This technique provides correction for the midface and nasolabial folds, and is often recommended for those with more advanced aging.

What Is the Difference Between a SMAS and Deep Plane Facelift?

The main difference between the two is depth. A SMAS facelift lifts and tightens the muscular layer but keeps the skin and deeper tissue separated during the process. A deep plane facelift works below that muscular layer, releasing the attachments that hold tissue in place so everything can be moved at once. This typically means less visible pulling at the incision sites and a longer-lasting result, but it also requires a surgeon with advanced knowledge of the structures beneath the SMAS.

What Type of Facelift Lasts the Longest?

Deep plane facelifts are generally considered the longest-lasting because of the multiple levels of correction, but recovery is often more extensive. Ultimately, longevity is dependent on genetics, aging and the lifestyle of the patient and can be different for each person.

What Is a Mid Facelift?

The mid facelift is used for the cheeks and the area between the lower eyelids and the mouth. When fat pads in the area descend, the cheeks flatten, and the nasolabial folds deepen. This surgery lifts the midface tissue to a higher position and restores some of the youthful shape. It is often chosen for those who have more concerns about cheek sagging than jowling or neck laxity, and it is sometimes paired with a blepharoplasty to correct under-eye bags or excess skin under the eyes.

The Mini Facelift

What Is the Difference Between a Mini Facelift and a Full Facelift?

A mini facelift can correct some earlier signs of aging using a shorter incision and often an easier healing process. It focuses on the lower face and jawline. However, while it can tighten mild jowling and early sagging, it cannot address the neck or provide the same deep structural changes that a full facelift can. We like to use the mini facelift for patients who are a little younger or who have less noticeable signs of aging.

Which Facelift Has the Shortest Recovery Time?

Mini facelifts generally have the quickest recovery. Patients can often return to most activities within five to seven days. A SMAS facelift typically requires seven to ten days of initial healing time, and a deep plane facelift may take closer to two weeks before certain activities can be resumed. Recovery time and results vary from patient to patient, so the best way to find the right method is to schedule a consultation.

What Are Non-Surgical Facelift Options?

Non-surgical options can provide improvement without incisions or downtime for patients with mild laxity or early aging. Renuvion^® uses radiofrequency (RF) energy and helium plasma to tighten skin from beneath the surface. Miracle Skin Tightening™ is a minimally invasive procedure using RF energy to tighten the subdermal layers of skin. Dermal fillers and injectables can restore volume and soften lines. Using a “liquid facelift”, we can combine fillers with neuromodulators like Botox^® to lift and smooth the face without incisions.

Thread Lift vs. Surgical Facelift

Thread lifts use dissolvable sutures to physically lift sagging skin and provide a modest lift lasting one to two years. However, they do not reposition deeper tissue. Once significant laxity has set in, surgery is the only way to produce lasting correction.

Which Type of Facelift Is Best for Me?

To understand which facelift type is right for you, you can schedule a consultation with Dr. Payne at Texas Liposuction Specialty Clinic. Call 713-750-9413 or visit our website to request an appointment. Dr. Payne will consider everything from your facial structure to the results you are hoping to see in order to choose the procedure that is best for you.