Info About SMAS facelift in New York, NY
SMAS Facelift New York – 59 Year old female patient of Dr. Jacono discusses her SMAS facelift procedure and her results.
There are many types of facelift procedures performed and they are not created equally or create the same results. The SMAS is the muscle of the face that drops with age and had the scientific name superficial (S) musculo (M) aponeurotic (A) system (S). When the SMAS becomes loose, redundant and drops with age, it creates laxity along the lower face and jawline creating jowls, marionette lines, and nasolabial folds.
SMAS facelift – Extended SMAS Facelift – New York SMAS Facelift – Natural Facelift Results – SMAS Facelift Before and After
Facelift techniques generally lift the skin of the face, but how the SMAS muscles under the facial skin are treated differs. SMAS facelift before and after creates natural facelift results that appear smooth and natural and not “plastic” as will be described below. Everyone who considers a facelift wants to look younger but does not want to like they had a facelift, and this can be avoided with SMAS facelift technique.
SMAS Anatomy
SMAS is an acronym for the superficial musculoaponeurotic system which is a layer of fibrous tissues and muscles that start just in front of and below the ear extending down to the neck. This thin yet strong layer covers and connects the muscles and structures of the face, the midface, and the neck together as a continuous fibromuscular tissue. It encompasses areas of muscles, fat pads, and the entire cheek area, as well as, attaching to the superficial muscle that covers the lower face, the jawline, and neck muscles called the platysma. The platysma muscle in the neck creates vertical muscle bands in the neck and “turkey neck” as we age. This fibrous layer is then concealed below a layer of fat (adipose tissue) and skin. The purpose of the SMAS is to ensure that the mimic muscles, which are important for the expressions of the face, are positioned normally.
SMAS Plication Facelift, Extended SMAS Facelift and High SMAS Facelift Techniques
There are three main types of SMAS facelift treatments, a SMAS plication facelift, Extended SMAS Facelift, and High SMAS Facelift Techniques. In traditional face-lifting, the skin is lifted but the underlying SMAS is not lifted or supported which can create an unnatural tight stretched appearance to the face, often distorting the corners of the mouth (often referred to a puppet mouth). This is prevented by supporting the SMAS layers to obtain the most natural results.
SMAS Plication facelift lifts the SMAS by placing sutures in the SMAS layer (that creates the jowls) and the platysma (that creates the drooping neck) to tighten them. This is a simple procedure, but the suturing technique does not last as long, often creating results that last only 2 or three years. While most surgeons can execute this procedure, Dr. Jacono does not suggest it because he believes facelifts should last 10 years or more, and this can be accomplished by lifting the SMAS.
Extended SMAS Facelift and High SMAS Facelift Techniques do not simply suture the SMAS up but lift the SMAS and platysma muscle. A muscle “flap” is created, lifting the muscle off the structure of the face, and smoothing it out. Because extra SMAS is created as we age, the redundant excess is removed and then it is secured higher in the face from which it dropped. This is a true structural re-engineering of the face that re-supports the beams of the face that weaken with age. This is why the results have greater longevity. This support of the deeper layers of SMAS in both the Extended SMAS and High SMAS facelift, but they differ in that the Extended SMAS technique targets the jawline and neck, while the High SMAS technique can lift the cheeks that droop as well as the jowls and neck because the layers of SMAS in the upper face is also lifted. The Upper Face and Cheek SMAS are the “High SMAS”. Depending on what portion of your face has aged Dr. Jacono will suggest the Extended SMAS or High SMAS approach.
SMAS Facelift Before and After Patient 1: This patient wanted to refresh her appearance while looking natural and younger. Dr. Jacono performed a deep plane facelift and a lower blepharoplasty to address her concerns. Dr. Jacono also repositioned the lower eyebags to reduce the appearance of her dark eye circles. Her after photos show her cheeks have been lifted to reverse the drooping affect and the hollows under her eyes were smooth and filled. She looks natural and decades younger.
Some characteristics of a SMAS Facelift include:
- Surgery time lasts 1½ to 2 hours long
- Vertical lifting of the face and neck by repositioning of the SMAS
- Removal of Jowls, and Drooping/Turkey Neck
- Youthful and Natural-looking results
- Removal of deep wrinkles with long-lasting results
- Safe procedure with very few complications
SMAS Facelift Recovery
Dr. Jacono usually performs the SMAS facelift under local anesthesia or a twilight anesthetic (sedation) without general anesthesia. You will be asleep for the procedure and will not feel anything but you will not have the additional risks associated with general anesthesia. The SMAS procedure should last approximately 1 ½ hours long. Post-surgery, the majority of patients return home the same day of the procedure.
Patients will need to wear a bandage around their face for a full day and their head should be elevated with three pillows when sleeping. During a visit on the following day with Dr. Jacono and his staff, they will ensure that everything is looking perfect and healing properly. At that time, the bandages will be removed and some bruising and swelling will be seen.
In general, patients should be able to return to work within one to two weeks following their procedure. There will still be some swelling and bruising but nothing that should prevent patients from returning to work and most normal activities.
SMAS Facelift Before and After Patient 2: This female patient in her mid-fifties wanted to lift her cheeks which had fallen and remove the appearance of her noticeable jowls. Above all though, she really wanted to remove her ‘turkey neck’ which hung low below her chin. To address her concerns, Dr. Jacono performed his signature deep plane facelift to naturally lift the cheeks, a neck lift with platysmaplasty to smooth the neck and jawline. Her after photos are taken 8 weeks after her surgery and she looks and feels terrific. She is overjoyed with her results.
SMAS Facelift Before and After Patient 3: This middle-aged woman was unhappy with her saggy neck, jawline, and cheek area. She elected to have a SMAS facelift with Dr. Jacono to correct those problem areas. Her after photos show a more youthful appearance with a tighter jawline, smoother neck, and fuller cheeks.
SMAS Facelift Before and After Patient 4: This female patient was unhappy with her jowls and wrinkled sagging neck. Dr. Jacono performed a SMAS facelift on her and the after photos show a defined jawline with a wrinkle-free and tighter neck.
SMAS Facelift Candidate
Men and women who are showing the signs of aging with droopy, sagging facial skin are typically good candidates for the SMAS Facelift procedure. It is best that candidates are in good health and do not have any medical conditions that impair the healing process. Patients should have realistic expectations of the surgical outcome and a positive attitude. For best results, Dr. Jacono recommends that patients are non-smokers and should let him know any medications they may be taking.
SMAS Facelift Before and After Patient 5: This patient did not like her sagging double chin and fatty jowls. She decided to have Dr. Jacono performed a SMAS facelift on her trouble areas and the after photos show a more youthful appearance with a defined jawline.
To learn more about this procedure or to schedule your SMAS Facelift consultation with Dr. Jacono call 212-570-2500 in NYC or 516-773-4646 on Long Island.