With aging the skin becomes lax and the tissue sag giving the problem of brow droop, cheek sagging, prominent nasolabial folds, jowls and wrinkles, and loose skin in the neck. Although various non-invasive, no surgical treatments using laser resurfacing, botulinum toxin treatment, and intense pulsed light treatment can help rejuvenate the face in milder cases when the problem becomes more severe, generally surgical facelifts will be required. The aging face has loose excess skin resulting in static wrinkles and sagging of the soft tissue resulting in cheek droop, jowls, or neckbands.

What is Facelift Surgery?

The facelift surgery aims to rejuvenate the face by remove excess skin and reposition the sagging facial tissue. The facelift procedure targets 3 main areas:

• Eye and Brow area or Upper Face,
• Cheek or Midface
• Jawline & Jowls or Lower Face and Neck.

Short Scar Facelift or Midface Facelift or Upper Facelift

Early signs of aging usually appear around the eyes and cheek. The lateral brow starts to droop and the cheek complex starts to sag. There is associated anterior cheek flattening and the appearance of the nasojugal groove. A cheek and temple lift is suitable to reposition the sagging cheek and periorbital tissue through a short scar in the hairline. The procedure is called a Short Scar Facelift or Midface Facelift in Singapore, or Upper Rhytidectomy.

SMAS Lift, Lower Facelift or Lower Rhytidectomy

The incision is made in the temple scalp extending down to the lobule. The skin flap is raised to expose the internal periorbital tissue and cheek tissue which are then suspended with internal sutures. The skin flap is lifted, tightened and excess skin removed before closure.

Short Scar Facelift or Midface Facelift or Upper Facelift

With further aging, there is more severe sagging of the cheek and facial tissue leading to the appearance of jowls and accentuation of the nasolabial groove. The sagging tissue is extended down to the lower face and jawline. To remove the jowls and improve the jawline, the SMAS fascia is tightened and lifted with a procedure called a SMAS Lift in Singapore or Lower Rhytidectomy. 

What is a SMAS lift procedure like?

 A similar pre-auricular incision extending from the temple scalp down to below and around the lobule is made. The cheek and lower face tissue, particularly the SMAS (submuscular aponeurotic system) or fascia, is exposed by lifting the skin flap. The sagging cheek and jowls are lifted by tightening the SMAS with plication and partial resection and transposition. The skin flap is redraped and repositioned and excess skin removed.