It may sound super cute, but is a “ponytail lift” the right facelift option for you? Chances are, probably not. There is no standard definition of a ponytail lift, and it is not a widely accepted term among medical professionals. Instead, this is marketing-speak for a less-invasive facelift technique for people looking for very targeted and subtle lifting effects.
Ponytail Lift Defined
The procedure’s name has 2 meanings: it hopes to achieve the lifting effect you might get from a tight ponytail, and the incisions are hidden entirely within the hairline, so no one will see scars when your hair is up in a ponytail. Because it skips the traditional incisions around the ear, lifting is focused only on tissue in the midface area.
For this reason, candidates for a ponytail facelift are typically individuals who are beginning to experience mild to moderate sagging in the midface. It simply won’t provide a good outcome for more traditional facelift patients, namely those who have jowling or sagging skin along the jaw and neck.
Benefits and Drawbacks
The touted benefits of a ponytail lift include:
- The procedure is less invasive than a traditional facelift
- The recovery period is generally shorter than that of a traditional facelift
- Incisions are hidden entirely within the hairline
But it’s not without its limitations:
- Cannot address the more severe sagging that typically prompts someone to consider a facelift
- Results will disappoint those who are looking for a dramatic improvement
- More invasive and longer downtime than non-surgical skin treatments such as Vivace® RF Microneedling
A Better Innovation: The Deep Plane Facelift
While not necessarily getting as much buzz, there is a newer face lifting technique that many cosmetic surgeons are adopting to deliver higher quality, longer lasting results to their patients. The deep plane facelift is a technique that involves the manipulation of the deeper layers of the facial and neck tissue to create a more natural looking lift, since the surface skin and underlying tissue are repositioned as a unit. It is a more involved procedure than a ponytail lift, and even more involved than a traditional facelift, but surgeons who are skilled in this technique can deliver dramatically more youthful and appealing facial contours for their patients, without the gimmicks and trendiness.
If the ponytail facelift has you intrigued, take the time to talk with a few facial cosmetic surgeons to understand which facelift technique is likely to deliver the best outcome for your cosmetic goals.