Skin-Only Facelift
The original facelift technique — why pulling skin alone is now largely outdated and what replaced it.
What is skin-only facelift?
The skin-only facelift is the original technique: the skin is lifted off the underlying tissue and simply pulled tighter, with the excess trimmed away. It does not address the SMAS or deeper structures at all.
The skin-only lift is now largely outdated for ageing-face surgery. Because all the tension is on the skin, results tend to be short-lived (skin stretches back) and can produce the tell-tale ‘pulled’ or ‘windswept’ appearance. Modern lifts place tension on the deeper SMAS instead.
Who is it best for?
It is rarely the right choice today. It is mentioned here for completeness and because understanding it explains why modern SMAS and deep plane techniques exist. Occasionally a limited skin-only adjustment has a role in revision or in very specific cases, but it should not be the basis of a primary facelift.