There are several different kinds of facelift surgery today and not all are created equal. Each is suited to specific needs and each includes some aspects that you should not overlook before agreeing to undergo the treatment.

Traditional Facelift

What Is It? The traditional facelift involves making incisions within the hairline that extends down in front of and behind the ears. The skin is pulled back, the superficial musculoaponeurtoic system (SMAS) or deep facial tissues are repositioned and the excess skin in cut off and sewn back together.

What to Consider - This is a good procedure for people with sagging mid-facial skin, and loose neck skin, but it does create long scars and may have one of the most painful recovery periods of any face lift.

Deep Plane Lift

What Is It? This lift is very similar to the traditional face except that it is more extensive. The skin and facial muscles are separated from the deep facial tissues and then the muscles and skin are reshaped. This is good for several wrinkling and sagging and can produce the longest lasting results, even up to 15 years.

What to Consider - This is often the most expensive type of face lift, and it has the greatest risk of damaging facial nerves.

Short Scar Facelift

What Is It? This procedure uses a smaller incision - one that only extends to the temples or front of the ear lobe, not to the back of the ear. While not as in-depth as the traditional or deep plane, it is still helpful in improving the look of skin and wrinkles around the jowls and smiles lines. The recovery is often quicker than other types and the scarring is less noticeable.

What to Consider - This surgery cannot always improve sagging skin in the lower face or neck.

Mid-Facelift

What Is It? Only small incisions are made in the hairline and inside the mouth. This allows the tissues over the cheekbones to be reshaped and repositioned.

What to Consider - This lift does not produce dramatic results but costs roughly the same as a short scar lift which can give dramatic changes.

Endoscopic Facelift

What Is It? For those who want minimal scarring, this procedure is ideal. It uses a tiny probe with camera at the end to perform the surgery underneath the face without peeling back the skin. The tissues are then reshaped with tiny instruments. The small resulting scars are easy to hide and the recovery is very quick.

What to Consider - This is not good for those with neck skin sagging and it really only is able to improve sagging in the cheek area.

Facelift surgery can be a very satisfying experience as long as you consider all the pluses and minuses and understand what each type of lift entails.