How does it pertain to a facelift?

Question:

I was doing research on facelifts because I am interested in having the procedure. I found the phrase SMAS, what does it mean? How does it pertain to a facelift?

Answer:

The SMAS is an abbreviation for the Subcutaneous Musclular Aponuerotic System. The SMAS is a layer of tissue that lies beneath the skin and fat of the face and over the muscles, nerves, and glands of the face. It is a little more complicated than that but, for our purposes that is what the SMAS is. The reason the SMAS is mentioned so often in facelift surgery is that several years ago Dr’s. Mitz and Peronie discovered that the SMAS is a separate layer of tissue that is very strong. Prior to discovery and expertise of the SMAS facelift surgery involved elevating the skin of the face. The typical “facelift” look resulted from this skin only elevation. When the SMAS layer began to be incorporated into facelift surgery, we found that we could not only better elevate the face, but, the facelift results were longer lasting and far more natural in appearance. I perform a facelift that incorporates this SMAS layer and my patients have been quite pleased with the results of their surgery. I would be happy to discuss with you the finer points of the SMAS layer and how it relates to the facial anatomy in more detail during your consultation.

Posted by Dr. Philip Schoenfeld