Full Facial Rejuvenation, Explained: How to Choose Between a Deep Plane Facelift, Mini Facelift, Neck Lift, and More Bengtson Center for Aesthetics & Plastic Surgery

Between selfies, Zoom meetings, FaceTime calls and elaborate 20-step skincare routines, we’re spending more time than ever looking at our own faces.

The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) projects a 19% increase in facial procedures nationwide in 2026, spanning both surgical and nonsurgical care. The most recent annual Global Survey from the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) found a similar trend occurring worldwide. Face and head procedures grew from 2023 to 2024, with the latter seeing more than 7.4 million procedures performed (a 4.3% increase from the prior year).

The data are clear: facial surgery is on many people’s minds.

If it’s on yours, you may be wondering what options are available and which one is the best match for your goals. We have helped thousands of patients make this decision at the Bengtson Center for Aesthetics & Plastic Surgery. Our board-certified plastic surgeons are experts in full facial rejuvenation who can help you decide which procedure is most likely to give you the result you’re envisioning.

To help you in your research process before you come in for a consultation, find your concern below.

“I’ve Loved My Injectables, But I Think I’ve Hit a Ceiling”

Perhaps you ventured into medical aesthetics with injectables, as many of our patients do. You may use neurotoxins (BOTOX®, Dysport®, DAXXIFY®) to keep expression lines at bay, or dermal fillers to smooth unwanted creases and keep youthful fullness in your face. You may use both.

You’ve loved the convenience of nonsurgical treatments, but lately, something seems different. The results don’t feel quite as impactful as they used to. You may be coming in more frequently for treatment or using more product in each session. This is a normal point to reach. It’s a sign you might be ready for a more powerful type of rejuvenation.

Facial plastic surgery could be the next stage of your aesthetic journey. If you know you’re interested in exploring surgical options, the next question is: which one?

“I’m Seeing Early Changes and Want to Get Ahead of Them”

Facial aging doesn’t happen all at once. It usually starts becoming noticeable in a certain area or form, then gradually extends and intensifies as the years pass.

Maybe you’re in your 40s and seeing the first signs of softening along your jawline. You don’t have prominent jowls or a “turkey neck” yet, but there’s less definition than there used to be. Your mid-face has lost some of its lift, and your lower face is getting heavier as a result.

If this sounds familiar, it could be the right time for a mini facelift or “ponytail lift.” These terms describe a less invasive facelift surgery that involves shorter incisions (therefore less scarring), less tissue repositioning and excision, and a shorter recovery period.

Neither a mini facelift nor a ponytail lift can replicate what a traditional facelift or more advanced technique achieves. However, they can be a good choice if you’re in the earlier stages of facial aging and prioritize reduced downtime and more discreet scarring.

“My Jawline and Lower Face Have Changed Dramatically”

The changes are not subtle anymore. You can clearly see that your cheeks look flatter, your nasolabial folds are deeper and you have hanging skin from your jawline, chin and neck. Nonsurgical treatments have little or no effect on the concerns that bother you most.

At this point, you are likely in your 50s, 60s or 70s. You require a technique that goes beyond what a mini facelift can do. Depending on your concerns and the goals you hope to achieve, your surgeon may recommend a traditional facelift or a deep plane facelift. These approaches offer more dramatic rejuvenation and longer-lasting results than other types of facelifts.

You may also want to consider facial fat transfer. This is an all-natural way to restore volume in areas where the aging process has depleted it. Facelift surgery does an excellent job of lifting sagging tissues, but it has a limited effect on facial volume. Combining a facelift with facial fat transfer is a popular choice for comprehensive facial rejuvenation.

“My Neck Aged Before the Rest of My Face”

Many people notice changes in their neck first. Neck skin is thinner and has less collagen and elastin than facial skin, as well as fewer oil glands and less underlying fatty tissue. We are also more likely to neglect our necks than our faces when we apply sunscreen and skincare products.

A neck lift targets this area more directly than a facelift. With a neck lift, your surgeon can smooth loose or crepey skin under your chin and tighten the platysma muscle if you have vertical bands running down the front of your neck. Liposuction can be incorporated if you have submental fullness, more commonly known as a double chin.

Standalone neck lifts are becoming more popular. If your lower face and jawline still look youthful, but your neck has aged disproportionately, a neck lift may be all you need to feel like yourself again. If both your neck and lower face have changed, however, pairing a neck lift with a facelift may give you the most balanced outcome.

“I Always Look Tired, No Matter How Much Sleep I Get”

You try to get a full eight hours of sleep every night. You drink the recommended amount of water daily. Your concealer technique could match a Hollywood makeup artist’s, and you never neglect the eye products in your skincare routine. And still, friends ask if you’re exhausted or under the weather.

Aging can affect your eye area in quite a few ways. Upper eyelid skin loses elasticity and droops downward, sometimes so severely that it limits peripheral vision. Fat pads beneath the lower eyelid can bulge out, creating puffy bags. Your tear troughs may become hollow.

Blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) is one of the most popular facial procedures. Upper blepharoplasty removes excess skin and sometimes a small amount of fat from the upper eyelids to open up the eye area. Lower blepharoplasty reduces bags and puffiness beneath the eyes. Many patients benefit from both. If you’re looking for a way to address tear troughs, consider fat transfer or fillers.

“My Forehead and Brows Make Me Look Worn Out and Grumpy”

Have you noticed that your resting expression reads as stern, tired, unfriendly or annoyed, even when you’re none of those things? Age-related changes in your forehead and brows could be behind it.

Brow descent happens as your forehead skin loses elasticity and the underlying muscles weaken. Your brows lose their ability to fight the pull of gravity. They drop, and as they do, you can be left with deeper creases and a perennially grumpy look. They can also push excess tissue down onto your upper eyelids, compounding the hooded look we discussed in the previous section.

A brow lift elevates your brows to a more youthful position. In the process, horizontal forehead lines fade and you regain a more alert, friendly appearance. Our surgeons perform the less invasive endoscopic brow lift technique as well as direct and temporal brow lifts.

“I’m Here for Full Face Rejuvenation — Give Me the Works!”

If you read through the sections above and found yourself relating to more than one, you’re not out of options. Aging rarely limits itself to a single area, and neither does a comprehensive surgical plan.

Any of the procedures discussed in this article can be combined. Your full facial rejuvenation plan is built around your one-of-a-kind face, not constructed from a template.

Your plan can also incorporate nonsurgical treatments from Symmetry Med Spa by Bengtson Center. Many of our patients appreciate having a full suite of surgical and nonsurgical options available under one roof, with an experienced team of plastic surgeons, master injectors and licensed medical aestheticians coordinating their care.

Don’t see a procedure or combination you’re looking for? Just ask us.

Schedule Your Full Face Rejuvenation Consultation in Grand Rapids, Michigan

The best way to find out which procedures match your goals is a one-on-one consultation with one of our board-certified plastic surgeons, Dr. Brad Bengtson, Dr. David Alfonso and Dr. Narges Horriat. At the Bengtson Center for Aesthetics & Plastic Surgery, your consultation includes VECTRA® 3D imaging, so you can preview potential outcomes before making any decisions. It’s a powerful way to see what’s possible and get on the same page with your surgeon.

Call us at 616-202-5640 or request a consultation online to get started.