“Franchise” facelifts are those you see advertised on television by a national company that claims little recuperation and remarkable results. Most involve a shorter scar than a traditional facelift. Known to very few, this approach began in the 1920’s in France. However, it is a rare patient that truly benefits from a short-scar facelift.
Younger, 40 year olds, with little jowling and a smooth neck are the best candidates. Anything more and the limited access of a short-scar fails to provide the best possible result. These short-scar surgeries cost thousands of dollars and generally have a shorter longevity.
(Did You Know? The two-layer approach to a facelift I use separates the skin from the underlying tissues that cause jowling. By tightening the underlying tissues separately the skin does not have to be over-pulled. Therefore, the results look more natural. (Go to mckennamd.com to see pre- and post-op pictures.)
The best facelift is one that provides safe, natural, and effective results. Dr. Nayak from Saint Louis University Medical School puts it best: “Not every patient can have a larger lift for numerous reasons, such as health, cost or recovery. Every patient, however, is due the ethics of full disclosure as to what each type of lift will and won’t do.” Ethics is sometimes forgotten in the world of advertising, even in medicine.