Facelifts: From Dramatic to Discreet

Facelifts: From Dramatic to Discreet

If you think of facelifts as overly tight, "windswept" faces from the past, it’s time to update your mental picture. Facelifts are back, and they’ve evolved! Women (and men too!) are now opting for procedures that look so natural you might not even realize they've had work done.

Back in the day, facelifts were all about pulling the skin taut, which often left people looking more startled than youthful. Those traditional facelifts primarily focused on the superficial layers of the face, such as the skin and subcutaneous tissue. The skin is pulled tighter to smooth wrinkles and lift sagging areas. While this can create a refreshed appearance, over-tightening may look unnatural over time.

But today, surgeons focus on deeper layers of the face, repositioning muscles and fat for a look that’s smooth but still has that natural movement and character. It’s less about looking like someone else and more about looking like the best version of yourself. A deep plane facelift targets deeper layers of facial anatomy, including the SMAS layer (superficial musculoaponeurotic system) and underlying muscles. Instead of simply pulling the skin, this technique repositions and lifts the entire facial structure. It restores volume to key areas like the cheeks and eliminates jowls without creating tension on the skin. The result is a youthful, natural appearance that avoids the “done” look.

The rise of non-surgical treatments like Botox, fillers, and lasers means people can tweak their appearance gradually. These treatments complement modern facelifts, creating results that are subtle and far from the overdone looks we used to see.

Now, it’s all about embracing your age with a little finesse. The goal isn’t to erase years but to enhance your natural beauty.