Learn About Expert Toronto Facelift Techniques

Cosmetic Surgery Procedure: Facelift

Aging affects more than just the outer layer of your skin and its influences can cause the underlying layers and muscles to sag over time. Facelift techniques that only tighten the outer layer still leave the lower levels sagging and pushing against the surface. The results of these facelifts tended to appear unnatural and awkward. Fortunately, science and technique have come a long way and getting a facelift in Toronto nowadays means having a thorough treatment to provide a more complete anti-aging effect.

The Layers Of The Skin

The face has three layers that are relevant when performing a facelift:

• The Superficial Plane: This is the outermost layer and the one you see every day in the mirror.
• The Mid-Plane: This is the SMAS, the submuscular aponeurotic system. The term refers to how this layer is the one with the muscular connective tissue.
• The Deep Plane: This is the lowest layer targeted by a facelift and helps provide structure and support to the upper levels. It exists between the SMAS and the muscles that are used in facial expressions. The fat pads of the cheek are located here.

The exact layers that get targeted during a Toronto facelift depend on the specific improvements to be made and which regions of the face are being targeted.

The Regions Of The Face

For the purposes of a facelift, your face is divided into three regions that help dictate what techniques are used.

• Upper Face: Anything above the corners of your eyes, mainly the brow lines and forehead.
• Mid-Face: The area between the corners of your eyes and the corners of your mouth. The cheeks and nose are the most prominent features here, but facelifts avoid touching the nose unless being combined with rhinoplasty.
• Lower Face: Everything below the corners of the mouth. This includes the jawline, the laugh lines (nasolabial folds), chin, and neck.

Types Of Facelift Techniques

Now that you’ve gotten a primer on how the layers and regions of the face are divided up, it’s time to talk about the types of technique you will encounter when looking for a facelift in Toronto.

SMAS Facelift

This technique targets the mid-plane of the skin and focuses on lifting and repositioning the muscles to correct age-related sagging and looseness. The result is smoother than techniques that focus on on the superficial plane and is excellent for giving a more youthful appearance to the lower face, since this region is more prone to severe facial sagging and “wattles”. Keep in mind that very pronounced laugh lines might extend too deep for a SMAS facelift to fully reach.

Deep Plane Facelift

The deep plane technique is more encompassing than an SMAS facelift and can address the most pronounced signs of aging such as deep laugh lines and heavy jowls. If used on the mid-face region, a deep plane facelift allows access to the fat pads under the cheek. Once these pads are repositioned and raised, the result is typically a stronger contour and more youthful cast.

Sub-SMAS Facelift

This is a secondary term that, confusingly, has been used to refer to both SMAS and Deep Plane Facelifts. If a doctor uses this term when you are consulting them about your Toronto facelift, be sure to ask for clarification.

Brow Lift

The tissue on the upper face is not as thick as the other two regions due to the prominence of the skull. Techniques for treating brow lines and the forehead tend to focus on re-tightening the skin and don’t go further than the SMAS layer.

Dr. Philip Solomon is an Otolaryngologist Head and Neck Surgeon practicing Facial Plastic Cosmetic Surgery in Toronto. He and his staff count Facial Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery among their specialties and take pride in the care and expertise they provide. For more information on facelifts or to book a consultation, call Solomon Facial Plastic at 1-866-293-0616.