Phoenix, AZ
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CraftMD in Phoenix, Arizona

Facelift Patient Decision Guide

Which Facelift Option Is Right For You?

There are several types of facelifts (rhytidectomy) that benefit individuals with different goals. At CraftMD in Phoenix, Dr. Randall Craft tailors each facelift procedure to individual patients, as he understands that everyone has a different facial structure, skin quality, and medical history.

Reading this guide will help you understand the differences between the facelift options and get a better idea of which is right for you.

1. Begin With Your Primary Goal

Signs of aging often sneak up on people. Before you know it, subtle changes in facial appearance can make you look different from how you feel. You may notice jowls, loose, sagging skin in the face and neck, wrinkles, and deep folds. Depending on which signs you notice, their severity, and what you want to accomplish, you may be more fit for one of the types of facelifts below.

A. Comprehensive Rejuvenation of the Face + Neck

Individuals with more severe symptoms of sagging in the face, cheeks, jawline, and neck may benefit the most from:

  • Deep Plane Facelift
    This is the option Dr. Craft recommends most often for moderate to advanced aging, and it is his default technique. This option is also best for those who want results that last as long as possible, as the deep plane facelift goes beyond skin tightening and addresses the underlying facial ligaments, muscles, and connective tissues that contribute to sagging.

    • Corrects jowls, deep folds, midface descent, and neck laxity
    • Provides the most significant degree of correction
    • Has the longest period of downtime

B. Midface-focused Lift (Cheeks, Under-eye Hollows) 

Individuals with flattened cheeks, hollowness under the eyes, or slight midface sagging may be good candidates for a Midface lift.

  • Midface Lift: Repositions descended cheek tissue and re-supports the lower eyelid. Where volume has been lost, Dr. Craft adds fat grafting at the same operation; a lift alone does not replace volume. This approach is not as extensive as a deep plane facelift but still provides convincing improvement for suitable candidates.
    • Addresses cheek descent and under-eye hollows
    • Ideal for patients without significant lower face laxity

C. Lower Face and Jawline

This procedure may be the best fit for you if you have jowls, a loss of definition in your jawline, or reduced elasticity in your neck.

  • Lower Facelift: Targets the lower face and jawline, resulting in more youthful contours and a more pronounced profile without treating the upper parts of the face.
    • Effective for moderate sagging
    • Often combined with neck rejuvenation for balanced results

D. Early Signs of Aging or Mild Sagging 

You may be a great fit for this procedure if you are just beginning to notice facial aging and want natural-looking, noticeable improvement with less extensive surgery.

  • Mini-Facelift: A lighter surgical option with shorter incisions and less downtime required.
    • Best for mild sagging
    • Ideal for patients needing subtle, refined enhancement instead of dramatic change

E. Non-surgical Options 

Non-surgical options suit two groups: people with early laxity who are not ready for surgery, and facelift patients maintaining a result. They do not substitute for surgery in someone with real skin excess, and Dr. Craft will say so.If you aren’t quite prepared for surgery or are only looking for minimal, temporary changes, you may benefit from these options.

  • Targeted Revolumization:
    • Best for mild volume loss with mild skin laxity
    • Can improve contours, but requires maintenance injections every 6 to 12 months
    • Not effective for significant sagging or excess skin
  • PDO Threads & PDO Thread Lift:
    • Uses tiny, dissolvable sutures with micro-cones or barbs to lift skin
    • Provides immediate results and limited downtime
    • Best for patient with mild to moderate age related changes who prefer an office procedure rather than surgery and are comfortable with annual maintenance

The recovery period for a facelift surgery often influences which option patients choose. With widely different lifestyles, health statuses, aesthetic goals, and healing efficiency, here’s what you can keep in mind for the typical downtime for each type of facelift Dr. Craft offers:

  • Minimal downtime (a few days): Mini-facelift, non-surgical options
  • Moderate downtime (1–2 weeks): Midface lift, lower facelift
  • Longer recovery (2–3+ weeks): Deep plane facelift

Dr. Craft will always recommend a facelift based on your unique lifestyle, convenience, and goals.

2. Evaluate the Surgical Complexity vs. Your Personal Needs

Dr. Craft never takes a “one-surgery-fits-all” approach to treating his patients. He takes your unique goals and concerns into deep consideration before recommending the surgery best suited for you. The complexity of each surgery is best suited to people at varying degrees of facial and neck aging.

  • Most complex/ longest-lasting: Deep plane facelift
  • Moderate complexity: Midface lift, lower facelift
  • Least complex: Mini-facelift, non-surgical options

3. Check Your Eligibility for the Procedure

There are several factors that qualify individuals in Phoenix for a facelift. In addition to your age, your skin quality, facial structure, and severity of your signs of facial and neck aging contribute to which procedure you are eligible for. Dr. Craft prioritizes choosing the procedure that aligns most closely with your goals, anatomy, and comfort level so the result is most likely to look natural and last.

Age & Skin Laxity

  • Mild sagging: Mini-facelift, non-surgical options
  • Moderate: Midface lift, lower facelift
  • Advanced: Deep plane facelift

Medical Considerations

  • You should have good overall health, use no nicotine in any form (cigarettes, vaping, patches, gum) for at least four weeks before and after surgery; Dr. Craft will not operate otherwise, can tolerate anesthesia, and can heal in a healthy manner and timeline.

Expectations

  • It’s important to have realistic expectations for your facelift procedure and understand the limitations of technology. Additionally, you should be aware of what makes each procedure different, particularly the extremity of the improvement.

4. The Longevity of Your Results

While receiving a facelift will not make you stop aging or age backward, it can give you a more rejuvenated and more youthful appearance that stays for a long time.

  • Surgical facelifts: Long-lasting for several years
  • Non-surgical options: Temporary, usually lasting from six months to two years, depending on which procedure you choose

5. Budget Considerations

The facelift with Dr. Craft varies for each patient, as each has different aesthetic goals, and degree of agingsymptom severity, status, and reverse aging appointment needs. Your facelift cost will be provided to you during your consultation. 

  • Highest cost: Deep plane facelift
  • Moderate–High: mid-face lift, lower facelift
  • Moderate: Mini-facelift
  • Lowest: Non-surgical facelift

Dr. Craft’s Approach to Facelift Surgery

Dr. Craft understands that a facelift surgery is a vulnerable procedure that takes time and reassurance to feel comfortable with. That’s why he takes an empathetic approach to understanding your goals, concerns, and questions and gives you direct, honest feedback on the safety, effectiveness, and efficiency of what a facelift surgery could do for you.

Dr. Craft goes beyond tightening skin, treating the face and neck as one unit. A facelift that stops at the jawline reads as a facelift. His default is a deep plane technique that repositions the deeper tissue and the neck together.

He meticulously examines your deeper facial layers, skin quality, bone structure, and the areas you want to improve, ensuring precision and accuracy.

Dr. Craft is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery, and is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery.

Dr. Craft also works with Matthew Anderson, MD, a physician anesthesiologist certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology and a member of the American Society of Anesthesiologists.

Quick Selector

Ask yourself:

  1. Do I want a surgical improvement or a non-surgical improvement?
  2. Which area do I want to address the most — midface, jawline, neck, or the entire face?
  3. What is my realistic availability for downtime?

While your answers are a good place to begin thinking about which procedure you would like, Dr. Craft will help you determine which procedure is the best fit for you during your consultation.

Schedule Your Consultation

If you are ready to speak with Dr. Craft about receiving a facelift to address your concerns of facial skin drooping, jowls, and sagging in the neck, contact us today, and one of our friendly team members will happily assist you with finding a day and time that works for you.

During your consultation with Dr. Craft, you will discuss your rejuvenation goals, share your medical history, and receive a physical examination of the areas you wish to be treated.

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Schedule Your Consultation

You don’t have to live in discomfort forever. When it comes to your breasts and your body, you deserve to feel free. To schedule your consultation, please call our Phoenix, AZ office at (602) 786-6975 or complete the online form.