Dear Dr. Joe, what do you think about the MACS facelift?

Sometimes routine questions that I receive on my web page make interesting reading and I occasionally post these in my blog.  This following is an actual question and answer concerning the MACS facelift technique.

Question:   Dear Dr. Joe, I am 46 years old and getting my mother’s neck.  What do you think about the MACS lift?  Where can I see before and after pictures of your facelift results?

Annie

Answer:   Thank you Annie,

If you go to lovethatface.com on each procedure page, there is a Mona Lisa Icon and if you click that you will see hundreds of pictures of procedures.  I believe I have about 16,000 pictures on the site.

The inventor of the MACS lift (Dr. Alexis Verpaele) is a friend of mine and we have lectured together in the US.  Personally I do not agree with that procedure for the vast majority of my patients.  I think it is a shortcut procedure that does not address all the aging changes comprehensively and is a bit of a fad.  It is not a bad procedure for minor aging, but, in my opinion not comprehensive enough for more advanced aging.  When a surgeon tries to do facelift surgery without an incision behind the ear, there is a compromise.  It limits the amount the neck can be tightened and also presents fewer options for the direction of the skin pull, which can give an unnatural appearance.  Also this procedure does not comprehensively address the anterior neck and platysma.  I believe using a posterior ear incision (with the front incision of course) and performing platysmaplasty is the gold standard for the most natural, long-lasting and tightest lifts.  Many surgeons are searching for and easier facelift, i.e., Lifestyle Lift, Quick Lift, Liquid Facelift, etc.  Again, I personally believe they are all compromises of what we know has worked well for years.  Much of it, in many cases is just marketing hype.
There are many prominent surgeons that like these lifts and may get good results on younger patients.  I too, will perform and abbreviated lift on patients with minimal aging, but out of about 80 facelifts that I perform each year, only several are the “short cut” variety.  Basically, facelifts come in small, medium and large.  For patients requiring a small lift any of these “new” lifts will suffice and I also do them, but in my experience, most people need more.
Consults are free, come and see us.

Dr. Joe

To find out more about facelift surgery by Dr. Joe Niamtu, III DMD in Richmond, Virginia visit www.lovethatface.com