Beauty Blog

When most people think of a facelift, they picture their skin being “pulled tight.” But a true facelift is much more technical—and understanding it helps you make smarter decisions about your own aging plan.

Your face isn’t held up by skin alone. Beneath the skin is a fibrous layer called the SMAS (Superficial Musculoaponeurotic System). This is the structure that sags with time and gravity. A surgical facelift works by lifting and repositioning the SMAS, not by stretching skin tighter. The skin is then gently redraped over the newly lifted foundation.

What a surgical facelift does:

• Lifts the deeper structures
• Restores jawline definition
• Improves jowling and heaviness

What it does NOT do:

• Improve skin quality
• Treat sun damage, texture, pigment, or pores
• Tighten crepey skin on its own

This is why someone can have a beautifully performed facelift but still have skin that looks aged if the surface isn’t treated.

If you want structural lifting but aren’t ready (or don’t want) surgery, Ultherapy is the only FDA-cleared treatment that targets the same depth as a surgical facelift—right at the SMAS layer. And it does this without needles, incisions, or downtime. Ultrasound energy heats and contracts the SMAS while also stimulating new collagen over time, giving a lifted, tighter appearance to the lower face, brow, and neck. Think of it as a “mini lift” you can do on your lunch break.

But remember: lifting isn’t the whole story. A lifted face with poor skin quality still looks aged. This is where our advanced skin-quality treatments come in.

Morpheus8 RF Microneedling builds collagen, tightens crepey skin, softens lines, and improves texture. It pairs beautifully with Ultherapy—one lifts, the other smooths and tightens.

Lasers treat different layers of skin quality:

• Moxi: Light refresh, glow, pigment, prevention
• Halo: Hybrid resurfacing for pigment and texture
• Halo Tribrid: Moxi + Halo in one treatment!
• Contour TRL: Deep resurfacing for lines, wrinkles, crepiness, and significant texture improvement

Together, they improve sun damage, pores, texture, fine lines, pigmentation, and overall luminosity.

The most natural, beautiful results come from combining treatments. Ultherapy and facelifts lift. But skin quality is an entirely separate category—and the part that makes skin look youthful, healthy, and radiant. Our approach at Gilded Palm focuses on both: structure (SMAS lifting) + skin quality (collagen, texture, pigment). So you get results that look fresh, not “done.”

If you want help deciding which combination fits your goals, we’re always happy to guide you—whether you’re curious about Ultherapy, lasers, Morpheus8, or building a full aging plan.