I like to refer to the term “one stitch facelift” as primarily a marketing term. Somebody put that on the Internet one day and people liked the concept of doing less for a big result. While in many cases, less is more, that is not always true when it comes to medical procedures, and is not true when it comes to a facelift.
Think about it this way. A one stitch facelift means we are lifting the entire face with one stitch. The success of this really depends on the weight of the face and the amount of aging present in the patient.
My patients typically come to me for a facelift that is secure and long lasting. If somebody’s going to endure facelift surgery, they want it to last at least 10 to 14 years. I commonly see my patients return after about 15 years post surgery, where they might come in for a touch up. With the average age of those coming in for a facelift starting at about 48 to 50. Some people might come back in their mid-60s, but if they got their first facelift in their 60s it might last them for the rest of their life.
In order to provide a long lasting facelift, we have to lift the face in multiple places, so the concept of putting one stitch under the skin and lifting the entire face is quite novel, but probably not successful.
There is a procedure that has become quite popular, which is the thread lift where we place threads through a needle in certain areas to grab the tissue without fully dissecting it openly. Even then, we place these threads in a few different locations to lift the face. While we do get results, it’s subtle and nowhere near the results of a typical facelift, and it only lasts maybe a year to 18 months.
Do you recommend a one stitch facelift?
For some patients who are not quite ready for the bigger operation of a facelift, they opt for the thread lift and I love being able to give them that option. However, the concept of advertising a one stitch facelift is just a marketing tool. I like to perform a bigger surgery that gives a more secure, long lasting, and more natural result. I often have patients come in asking me for mini lifts, but they don’t want mini results, they want bigger results, they want natural results, they want a lift that’s secure and that lasts for a long time. There’s only one way to get that and that’s with a facelift.
If you want to hear about face lifting or other things relating to rejuvenation surgery, eyelid surgery, brow lift surgery, and more, I’d love to speak with you. Call or email me to ask questions. I help patients like you all the time. This is my passion, and I love to see you in my office.
Have questions about facelifts?
Email Dr. Sykes at [email protected]
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About Dr. Jonathan Sykes
Dr. Jonathan Sykes is a world-famous expert plastic surgeon who performs all cosmetic and functional plastic surgery procedures on the face and neck. He is a past president of The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and served on their Board of Directors for over 10 years. He is also a Professor Emeritus in Facial Plastic Surgery from UC Davis Medical Center, and the former Director of Facial Plastic Surgery at that institution.
He is known as the expert’s expert, and is often called to consult and advise other plastic surgeons in both Northern California and Beverly Hills. He has a special interest in eyelid and browlift surgery, facial rejuvenation surgery including facelifts, and rhinoplasty. He also has a particular interest in facial feminization surgery. Have questions? Email Dr.Sykes at: [email protected]
