Frequently asked, often confused.

This is one of the most confusing questions for treatment candidates who are not plastic surgeons and are just researching for information.

Let me give you the answer right away:

They are two completely different surgical procedures.

Incision sites, surgical dissection plans, purposes, effects, duration of action and postoperative recovery are different in each.

As different as gallbladder surgery and stomach surgery.

The similarity between them is that they both have the phrase "facelift" in their names.

These two surgeries are NEVER EVER alternatives to each other. They complement each other.

While a midface lift does not have the impact area and effect of a facelift, a facelift does not have the impact area and effect of a midface lift, either.

Therefore,

- The question “Should I have a facelift or a midface lift?” contains a logical error.

It’s a comparison of apples and oranges.

We recommend a facelift if the signs of aging are focused in the impact area of a facelift (around the mouth, jawline, neck, cheek), and if there is skin laxity and sagging.

We recommend a midface lift if the signs of aging are focused in the impact area of a midface lift (under the eyes), there is sagging under the eyes as well as prominent bags, elongation of the lower eyelid and a lack of volume in the section of the cheek adjacent to the nose and under the eye.

If all of the symptoms in the two groups I mentioned above are present, we recommend a midface lift and a facelift in two different sessions done together or consecutively.

I repeat: These two surgeries are performed through different incisions, in different areas and on different surgical dissection planes. Doing one first does not prevent doing the other later. When these two surgeries are performed together on an eligible patient, they create a very effective and long-lasting result.

However, it is useful to note the following:

Problems of the midface area are not related to aging, but to the genetic facial structure of the person. The underlying structural issues cause the signs of aging to appear earlier in this area. The problems that we correct with a midface lift may often be observed even when the person is in their 20s.

 

 

Midface lift candidates often describe their problems with the following expressions:

- That's exactly what my mom's or dad's face was like.

- Even when I was in college, I had sunken eyes.

- I was disturbed about being asked questions such as “Are you having sleep problems?” or “Do you abuse any substances?”,

- I've never had round cheeks in my life.

In summary, a midface lift is aimed at correcting a structural problem no matter how old the patient is.

The name of this structural problem is below:

The cheek soft tissue mass being located below its ideal position on the facial bones.

In patients with this structural problem, a midface lift complements a facelift neatly, permanently and effectively.

I do not recommend midface lift surgery to patients who do not have the structural problems above. In individuals who already have strong cheekbones, a well-developed bony frame around the eyes, a cheek mass on these bones and a face already wide and full under the eyes, midface lift surgery expands the face even more. I think it creates an unnatural look and an exaggerated upper face fullness, which should not exist in a "middle-aged beauty". In this group of patients, I combine lower eyelid surgery and micro adipose tissue transfer with facelift surgery. I prefer a slight lack of volume under the patient’s eyes over a fullness incompatible with the character of that age. This is my aesthetic point of view, a personal preference.

A well-designed and performed facelift brings the face closer to its youthful structure without altering its shape. On the other hand, midface lift surgery creates a permanent and structural change in the shape of the face, just like rhinoplasty, chin advancement and prosthesis surgeries. From this point of view, a midface lift is a beautification surgery rather than a rejuvenation surgery.

Some of my potential patients who examine the results of facelift surgeries state that some patients who do not undergo a midface lift look younger, but they do not get much more beautiful.

However, some of my potential patients who examine the results of facelift surgeries state that some patients who undergo a midface lift look like someone else and their faces exhibit a strange look.

Both views are correct.

It all boils down to the "principle of individuality", which is one of the three basic principles of facial aesthetics in my philosophy.

Facelift surgery is a surgical procedure,

that beautifies the face in eligible patients regardless of their age,

but may turn into an operation that changes the face somewhat exaggeratedly in an ineligible patient and takes their face to a state which is far from the original to a certain extent.

Moreover, once done, there is no turning back.

Therefore, the choice of technique/combination in facial rejuvenation surgeries should be individualized.

Thus, I do not have a "template" surgical approach that I routinely recommend to every patient.

Please feel free to contact us to find out if facelift and/or midface lift can be integrated into your facial rejuvenation project.

Take good care...

... of yourself and your beauty.

OB