The midface lift is just one variation of a face lift procedure. These face lift variation procedures are becoming more and more popular because they avoid the full amount of surgery required in a total face lift, which basically means it reduces the length of the incision, the time for recovery, and the amount of surgery to the patient. The midface lift essentially addresses two frequent areas of concern to both men and women, which is the loss of fullness in the upper and mid-cheek region due to sagging, as well as the creation of jowls. The incision with the midface lift is through the sideburn and then usually extends into the ear and then wraps around just behind the ear lobe. Through the incision, the deep tissues can be elevated as in a full face lift so that there is a long-lasting result and then the incision is reapproximated. Most of these face lift area procedures are performed under local anesthesia with some oral sedation, rather than full twilight sleep, and recovery is significantly shorter with the midface lift, typically four to five days versus a full eight to ten day with a face lift.

Posted by Jeffrey S. Epstein, MD, FACS