Trademarked Facelifts, Explained

AuraLyft. Ponytail Lift. Vertical Restore. Surgeons demystify their signature lifts.

As if facelift nomenclature wasn’t cryptic enough—SMAS vs. deep plane, bilamellar vs. composite, plication vs. imbrication—a growing number of trademarked terms, whose origins can’t be traced to any medical textbook, have entered the facelift lexicon, compounding patients’ confusion.

On social media, commenters commonly ask: What is the difference between a [insert trademarked facelift name here] and a deep plane facelift? The simple truth: The branded procedures popularized online are almost always some version of a deep plane facelift. Fundamentally, the hallmarks are similar—minimal skin separation, ligament release under the SMAS, repositioning tissues without pulling—but each surgeon approaches the facelift differently, making infinite technical and stylistic decisions along the way to produce a distinct outcome that represents their aesthetic.

There really is no standard instruction manual for restoring a human face. Even when one surgeon teaches another their exact technique, the two doctors, employing the same processes, will inevitably yield disparate results.

This notion often evades the public, however. “There is a pervasive false belief that specific techniques yield specific outcomes, and that if two surgeons share the same technique, they will deliver substantially equivalent results,” says Mike Nayak, MD, a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon in St. Louis. “In reality, though, while sound technique is responsible for the foundation of a good outcome, a truly beautiful result has much more to do with the surgeon’s judgment and artistic eye than the faithful execution of steps particular to any given technique.”

Which may be why more surgeons are coining their facelifts rather than advertising just another dime-a-dozen deep plane. A doctor might trademark a facelift to distinguish their methods or to highlight a special aspect of the procedure. In most cases, there’s also an element of not calling their facelift … a “facelift.” Of avoiding the word and all it connotes. Of separating their work from age-old clichés and stigma.

“When you think of the word ‘facelift,’ you likely associate it with all the fake, weird, or unsubstantial results out there,” says Ben Talei, MD, a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills. By branding his facelift, Dr. Talei intends for us to envision something else entirely: “It’s what you would want for yourself or the person you love most in the world,” he says. With his AuraLyft, “there’s no chance of looking like a different person,” he says. “You just look like the most refreshed, youthful, radiant, best version of yourself.”

I asked Drs. Nayak and Talei and other purveyors of social-famous facelifts to describe their signature surgeries, explain why they trademarked them, and provide ballpark pricing. Since not everyone felt comfortable sharing cost info, you’ll see prices listed for some lifts but not all.

When reviewing the following procedures, please remember that what ultimately determines the safety, longevity, and beauty of a result is the skill, experience, and taste of the surgeon performing the operation. As these doctors can attest, a clever name doesn’t automatically elevate a procedure (though, in some cases, it may elevate its price). Beyond the scope of this story exist many talented plastic surgeons who are successfully performing SMAS and deep plane procedures and calling them precisely what they are: facelifts.

Ahead, six surgeons share the nuances of their trademarked facelifts.