Facelift techniques have evolved dramatically over the past several decades, giving patients more options than ever before when considering facial rejuvenation surgery. Today, patients researching facelift surgery are often faced with an overwhelming number of choices, including the Deep Plane Facelift, SMAS Facelift, Mini Facelift, short scar facelift procedures, and various non-surgical alternatives.
One of the first questions they ask is simple:
What is the best facelift technique?
The answer, however, is rarely straightforward.
Many practices market one technique as superior to all others, creating the impression that there is a single “gold standard” procedure.
According to Dr. Jason Champagne, a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills who specializes in facelift surgery and comprehensive facial rejuvenation, the reality is much more nuanced.
The best facelift is not necessarily the newest procedure or the technique generating the most headlines online. The best facelift is the one that best addresses a patient’s anatomy, aging pattern, skin quality, and long-term goals while maintaining natural facial movement and preserving facial harmony.
This philosophy forms the foundation of Champagne Full Facial Rejuvenation, Dr. Champagne’s comprehensive approach to facial aging that evaluates the entire face rather than focusing on a single feature or procedure.
With that in mind, here are eight facelift approaches compared by the concerns they address, their limitations, and the patients for whom they may be appropriate. For a general overview, start with our complete rhytidectomy guide. To understand the surgical journey from consultation through recovery, read our step-by-step facelift procedure guide.
The Customized Facelift: The Most Natural Results Come From Personalization
This answer may surprise some patients.
According to Dr. Champagne, there is no single facelift technique that is objectively better than all others.
The most successful facelift is the one designed specifically for the patient sitting in front of the surgeon.
Some patients benefit most from a Deep Plane Facelift. Others achieve exceptional outcomes with an SMAS Facelift, while some may require a combination of facelift surgery, neck rejuvenation, eyelid surgery, fat transfer, or facial balancing procedures to create the most harmonious result.
This philosophy forms the foundation of Champagne Full Facial Rejuvenation, Dr. Champagne’s approach to facial rejuvenation that evaluates the face as a complete system rather than focusing on isolated areas of aging.
By considering the relationship between the cheeks, jawline, neck, eyes, facial volume, and overall facial proportions, Dr. Champagne develops personalized treatment plans designed to create elegant, natural, and long-lasting results.
Ultimately, the best facelift technique is not determined by trends or marketing. It is determined by which procedure best serves the patient.
Deep Plane Facelift
The Deep Plane Facelift has become one of the most discussed facelift procedures in modern facial plastic surgery.
Unlike traditional facelift techniques that reposition the skin and underlying tissues separately, the Deep Plane Facelift releases important retaining ligaments and elevates the deeper facial tissues together as a single unit. This approach allows for more comprehensive rejuvenation of the cheeks, jawline, and neck while preserving natural facial movement and expression.
For patients experiencing midface descent, jowling, and neck laxity, the Deep Plane Facelift can provide exceptional and long-lasting results.
Dr. Champagne frequently incorporates Deep Plane Facelift techniques into his customized facial rejuvenation plans when they represent the most appropriate solution for the patient’s anatomy and goals.
Best For:
- Moderate to advanced facial aging
- Midface descent
- Jowling
- Neck laxity
Advantages:
- Natural facial movement
- Excellent longevity
- Comprehensive facial rejuvenation
- Improved jawline definition
Extended SMAS Facelift
The Extended SMAS Facelift expands upon traditional SMAS techniques by addressing a broader portion of the face and neck.
Because facial aging affects multiple structures simultaneously, the extended SMAS approach can provide additional rejuvenation for patients experiencing more significant tissue descent while maintaining many of the advantages associated with deeper plane surgery.
For selected patients, this technique provides an excellent balance between correction, longevity, and recovery.
Best For:
- Moderate to advanced facial aging
- Combined face and neck aging
- Patients requiring more extensive correction
Advantages:
- Long-lasting improvement
- Improved lower facial contour
- Excellent neck rejuvenation potential
SMAS Facelift
The development of the SMAS Facelift represented one of the most important advancements in facelift surgery.
Rather than focusing exclusively on tightening skin, the SMAS Facelift addresses the deeper superficial musculoaponeurotic system, often referred to simply as the SMAS layer. This layer plays a major role in facial support and contributes significantly to facial aging.
By repositioning these deeper tissues, surgeons are able to create longer-lasting and more natural-looking facelift results while reducing tension on the skin itself.
For many patients, the SMAS Facelift remains an excellent option for facial rejuvenation.
Best For:
- Moderate facial aging
- Early jowling
- Patients seeking natural facelift results
Advantages:
- Reduced skin tension
- Improved longevity
- Natural facial movement
Short Scar Facelift
The Short Scar Facelift builds upon the Mini Facelift by addressing deeper facial tissues while utilizing smaller incisions than traditional facelift surgery.
For carefully selected patients, this procedure can provide meaningful facial rejuvenation with shorter recovery periods and less extensive surgery.
However, because facial aging often affects the neck and midface as well, the Short Scar Facelift may not provide sufficient correction for patients experiencing more advanced aging changes.
Best For:
- Early to moderate facial aging
- Mild jawline changes
- Patients seeking moderate improvement
Advantages:
- Smaller incisions
- Reduced recovery time
- Natural results in properly selected patients
Mini Facelift
The Mini Facelift has become increasingly popular because of its reputation for shorter recovery and less invasive surgery.
Mini Facelift procedures generally target early jowling and mild lower facial aging while offering less correction of the neck and midface compared with more comprehensive facelift techniques.
For the right patient, a Mini Facelift can provide excellent results.
However, one of the most common mistakes Dr. Champagne sees is patients pursuing a Mini Facelift when their anatomy would be better served by a more comprehensive approach.
Best For:
- Early signs of aging
- Mild jowls
- Minimal neck laxity
Advantages:
- Shorter recovery
- Smaller degree of surgery
- Effective in younger patients with mild aging
Thread Lift
Although not technically a facelift surgery, thread lifts are frequently marketed as an alternative to surgical facial rejuvenation.
This procedure uses dissolvable sutures placed beneath the skin to create temporary lifting of facial tissues.
While thread lifts may provide modest short-term improvement in younger patients with very mild tissue descent, they are not a replacement for facelift surgery when more significant aging is present.
Dr. Champagne believes it is important for patients to understand the limitations of non-surgical lifting procedures before making treatment decisions.
Best For:
- Very early signs of aging
- Temporary improvement
- Patients not yet ready for surgery
Limitations:
- Short duration of results
- Limited lifting ability
- Does not replace facelift surgery
Skin-Only Facelift
Years ago, the skin-only facelift represented the standard approach to facial rejuvenation.
As the name suggests, this technique primarily focuses on tightening and removing excess skin without significantly repositioning the deeper facial structures responsible for aging.
While this approach can initially create improvement, it often relies heavily on skin tension to maintain results. Because modern facial aging occurs beneath the skin, skin-only facelifts generally produce less durable outcomes and may increase the risk of an overly tight or unnatural appearance.
For this reason, skin-only facelifts have largely been replaced by procedures that address the deeper layers of the face.
Best For:
- Very mild skin laxity
- Highly selected patients
Limitations:
- Shorter-lasting results
- Greater dependence on skin tension
- Increased risk of an unnatural appearance
Why Technique Matters Less Than Expertise
Patients often spend months researching facelift techniques, trying to determine whether the Deep Plane Facelift, SMAS Facelift, or another procedure is objectively the best.
In reality, surgical expertise and patient selection often matter more than the name of the procedure itself.
A beautifully executed SMAS Facelift performed on the appropriate candidate will almost always outperform a Deep Plane Facelift performed on the wrong patient.
Likewise, a surgeon’s understanding of facial anatomy, aging patterns, facial balance, and long-term facial harmony plays a major role in achieving natural facelift results.
As a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, Dr. Jason Champagne specializes exclusively in the face and neck, allowing him to customize every facial rejuvenation procedure to the unique characteristics of each patient.
Final Thoughts
The discussion surrounding facelift surgery often becomes dominated by procedure names and marketing terminology.
However, the most natural and successful outcomes are rarely determined by selecting the trendiest facelift technique.
Instead, they result from selecting the right procedure for the right patient and approaching facial aging comprehensively.
Whether a patient is a candidate for a Deep Plane Facelift, an SMAS Facelift, a Mini Facelift, or a customized treatment plan, Dr. Jason Champagne’s focus remains the same: restoring facial harmony while preserving the features that make each patient uniquely themselves.
Through his philosophy of Champagne Full Facial Rejuvenation, Dr. Champagne continues to help patients achieve refreshed, balanced, and natural-looking results through personalized facelift surgery and facial rejuvenation in Beverly Hills.
