Subperiosteal lift
- Tessier 1989 "mask-lift": complete subperiosteal dissection of the malar bones, zygomatic arches and orbital margins, via coronal or short vestibular incision (PMID 2473674).
- Ramirez 1991, extended subperiosteal lift: nerve injury was 11% with the Psillakis approach and 20% with the Tessier approach in the authors' first 60 patients; none in 28 with dissection deep to both temporal fascia layers (PMID 1852815).
- Ramirez 1994: endoscopic full facelift with total subperiosteal dissection; patients up to their late 40s treated without skin excision (PMID 7817884).
- Hamra 1995 commentary on the subperiosteal face lift (PMID 7624433).
- Heinrichs 1998, 200 cases over 4 years, all with brow lift: complications 5%; transient frontal branch weakness 2; secondary surgery 1% (PMID 9727455).
- MASK lift (subperiosteal lift of the upper and middle face), 2024 technique paper (PMID 39060149).
- ABPS tracer data: subperiosteal lifts were 1% of 3,400 facelifts in 2006-2021 (PMID 38302713).
Subperiosteal midface lifts
- Concentric malar lift, 342 cases (2010-2016): no secondary eyelid malposition; 10-30 mm of skin recruited into the lower lid (PMID 29464383).
- Intraorbital fixation midface lift, 82 cases: no fixation failure or relapse in primary patients; no ectropion in 58 primary patients (PMID 36342769).
- Medial limited subperiosteal midface lift, 569 cases over 16 years, fixation through drill holes in the orbital rim (PMID 42009921).
Vertical approaches
- MACS: purse-string sutures give a vertical vector (PMID 11994618).
- MADE vertical facelift: deep-plane release of zygomatico-cutaneous ligaments with a vertical suspension, 153 patients (PMID 22065880).
- Vector analysis in deep-plane lifts: mean SMAS vector 70.8 degrees (PMID 38657095).
- V plication facelift, 58 patients: vertical superior suspension of the anterior mobile face (PMID 39843874).
- Vertical vector face lift under local anesthesia with submentoplasty (PMID 21276163).
Endoscopic deep-plane lifts (no preauricular incision)
- Ponytail lift, 600 cases over 22 years: no flap necrosis, no permanent nerve injury; touch-up in 20 (PMID 38152870).
- Endoscopic deep-plane facelift with 5-group classification, 393 patients: no permanent nerve injury; revision 4.8%, mostly in the first 100 cases (PMID 40576459).
- Transtemporal endoscopic deep-plane lift, 140 patients: temporary frontal neuropraxia 5; revision 6; lower eyelid length reduced 22.45% (PMID 39850537).
- Endoscopic en bloc composite flap face and neck lift without preauricular incision, 41 cases; results comparable to the same surgeon's open composite lifts (PMID 37931912).
"Preservation" and "conservation" facelifts
- Preservation face lift with rotating pedicle flap: combines extended deep plane and high SMAS with minimal skin delamination and preservation of deep structures; 134 patients, shorter drainage and fewer complications than extended deep plane (PMID 40104381).
- Conservation facelift ("mesoface"): deep-plane lift repositioning the mesoface fat pad with limited undermining; 864 facelifts in 5 years, 0 nerve complications, 37 hematomas (PMID 42630822).
- Limited delamination extended deep plane, 3,964 patients across 6 surgeons (PMID 39072376).
- Anatomical basis: full release with redraping preserves the deep fascial architecture; no-release lifts drag retaining fibers (PMID 37747400).
- Prejowl: fat grafting with less skin release corrected jowls more than mandibular ligament release (PMID 39001648).
Glossary
- Subperiosteal: under the periosteum, the membrane on bone (PMID 2473674).
- Mask lift: Tessier's subperiosteal lift of the facial soft-tissue envelope (PMID 2473674).
- Midface lift: elevation of the cheek soft tissue below the eye (PMID 36342769).
- Vertical vector: lift direction close to straight up (PMID 38657095).
- Endoscopic facelift: dissection through small hidden incisions with a camera (PMID 40576459).
- Preservation face lift: tissue-sparing deep-plane/high-SMAS hybrid that minimizes skin delamination (PMID 40104381).
- Delamination: separation of skin from the SMAS flap (PMID 40104381).
Papers
| PMID | First author | Year | Journal | Title | Finding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2473674 | Tessier P | 1989 | Ann Chir Plast Esthet | [Subperiosteal face-lift]. | Tessier subperiosteal mask-lift (landmark) |
| 1852815 | Ramirez OM | 1991 | Plast Reconstr Surg | The extended subperiosteal face lift: a definitive soft-tissue remodeling for facial rejuvenation. | Extended subperiosteal lift; earlier nerve injury 11%-20% (landmark) |
| 7817884 | Ramirez OM | 1994 | Aesthetic Plast Surg | Endoscopic full facelift. | Endoscopic full facelift, subperiosteal (landmark) |
| 7624433 | Hamra ST | 1995 | Plast Reconstr Surg | Subperiosteal face lift. | Hamra commentary on subperiosteal lift (landmark) |
| 9727455 | Heinrichs HL | 1998 | Plast Reconstr Surg | Subperiosteal face lift: a 200-case, 4-year review. | Subperiosteal lift, 200 cases, complications 5% (landmark) |
| 39060149 | Jamin C | 2024 | Ann Chir Plast Esthet | [The MASK lift]. | MASK lift technique 2024 |
| 38302713 | Stein MJ | 2024 | Aesthetic Plast Surg | Clinical Practice Patterns in Facelift Surgery: A 15-Year Review of Continuous Certification Tracer Data from the American Board of Plastic Surgery. | ABPS: subperiosteal 1% of facelifts |
| 29464383 | Le Louarn C | 2018 | Aesthetic Plast Surg | Concentric Malar Lift in the Management of Lower Eyelid Rejuvenation or Retraction: A Clinical Retrospective Study on 342 Cases, 13 Years After the First Publication. | Concentric malar lift, 342 cases |
| 36342769 | Bitik O | 2023 | Aesthet Surg J | Intraorbital Fixation Midface Lift. | Intraorbital fixation midface lift, 82 cases |
| 42009921 | Zholtikov V | 2026 | Aesthetic Plast Surg | Medial Limited Midface-Lift-16-Year Experience. | Medial limited midface lift, 569 cases |
| 11994618 | Tonnard P | 2002 | Plast Reconstr Surg | Minimal access cranial suspension lift: a modified S-lift. | MACS vertical purse-string lift (landmark) |
| 22065880 | Jacono AA | 2011 | Aesthet Surg J | The minimal access deep plane extended vertical facelift. | MADE vertical facelift (landmark) |
| 38657095 | Talei B | 2024 | Aesthet Surg J | Vectorial Analysis of Deep Plane Face and Neck Lift. | Vector of lift in deep plane |
| 39843874 | Kontoes P | 2025 | Aesthetic Plast Surg | Vertical Superior Vector Suspension of the Anterior Mobile Face with the V Plication Facelift: A Volumization and Lifting Technique. | V plication facelift, 58 patients |
| 21276163 | Somoano B | 2011 | Dermatol Ther | Vertical vector face lift. | Vertical vector face lift under local (landmark) |
| 38152870 | Kao CC | 2024 | Aesthet Surg J | The Ponytail Lift: 22 Years of Experience in 600 Cases of Endoscopic Deep Plane Facial Rejuvenation. | Ponytail lift, 600 endoscopic cases |
| 40576459 | Firat M | 2025 | Aesthet Surg J | Endoscopic Deep Plane Facelift: A Classified Approach. | Endoscopic deep plane, 393 patients |
| 39850537 | Kul Z | 2025 | Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open | Transtemporal Endoscopic Deep Plane Face Lift. | Transtemporal endoscopic deep plane, 140 patients |
| 37931912 | Mani M | 2025 | Facial Plast Surg | Endoscopic, "Scarless" Composite Flap Face and Neck Lift. | Endoscopic composite face and neck lift, 41 cases |
| 40104381 | Sadati K | 2025 | Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open | Advancements in Face Lift Techniques: Preservation Face Lift With a Rotating Pedicle Flap. | Preservation face lift, 134 patients |
| 42630822 | Quinodoz P | 2026 | JPRAS Open | Conservation facelift: The mesoface. | Conservation facelift, 864 cases |
| 39072376 | Roskies M | 2024 | Facial Plast Surg Aesthet Med | Limited Delamination Modifications to the Extended Deep Plane Rhytidectomy: An Anatomical Basis for Improved Outcomes. | Limited delamination, 3,964 patients |
| 37747400 | Minelli L | 2024 | Plast Reconstr Surg | Anatomy of the Facial Glideplanes, Deep Plane Spaces, and Ligaments: Implications for Surgical and Nonsurgical Lifting Procedures. | Glideplanes: release vs no-release |
| 39001648 | Talei B | 2024 | Aesthet Surg J | Mandibular Ligament and the Prejowl Sulcus Explained. | Prejowl: fat grafting vs ligament release |
Open questions / controversies
- "Preservation facelift" has no standard definition; the 2025 and 2026 papers describe different techniques (PMID 40104381, PMID 42630822).
- Nerve risk in subperiosteal work fell with technical changes (PMID 1852815), but the approach is rare in practice (PMID 38302713).
- Endoscopic series report low complications without comparative controls or patient-reported outcomes (PMID 40576459, PMID 38152870).
- Release against no-release: longevity argument is anatomical, not from long-term trials (PMID 37747400).