Beauty Buzzwords

So-called buzzwords that become part of the marketing vernacular in the lay media can sometimes take on a life of their own. For example, most articles refer to the SMAS, the muscle of the lower part of the face that has been part of the facelift technique since the early 1970s. While patients are now familiar with the word and use it when discussing facelifts, they do not always really understand the meaning of the term and its consequences. Perhaps they have read in an article somewhere to make sure to ask for a “SMAS” lift, or a friend who has had a facelift has offered that advice. Or they have seen a few surgeons who have mentioned this technique to them as being state-of-the-art.

Buzzwords in cosmetic surgery are just that – words that are used to create buzz. SMAS is merely one of the many buzzwords that have trickled down to consumers in search of finding the best doctor for cosmetic work or identifying the best procedure to have done. There is a long list of these terms, some of which mean different things to different surgeons. For example, ‘mid facelift’, ‘endoscopic browlift’, ‘liquid facelift,’ ‘minilift,’ ‘quick lift,’ ‘smart lift,’ are some of the other terms used to describe techniques that have been popularized by consumers and the media.

Anyone can decide to put a memorable name to a technique – whether it is new or old, their own or an adaptation of something that has been around for years. It can be terribly misleading for consumers to rely on the name of a procedure alone, without truly understanding what it means and without having a proper evaluation of their face or body first to find out what really needs to be done to achieve the desired result.