Facelift: Full or Mini?
- Posted on: Jun 30 2018
For years now, we have relied on facial plastic surgery to give us the highest return on our investment into anti-aging. Today, we are seeing trends that facilitate more graceful aging. Fewer and fewer people are trying to hide their age. Instead, we are owning our beauty through the ages – and with a little help as needed. A facelift can correct a wide range of cosmetic concerns, from deep creases around the nose and mouth to sagging jowls. The question that many people have is how much improvement they want and need. Here, we discuss details of the mini-facelift technique.
What is a Mini Facelift?
A mini-facelift is a minimally-invasive technique that involves short incisions around the ear where they can be hidden in the hairline. Using small instruments, the surgeon readjusts structural tissues to sit higher on bony contours. This lift corrects mild sagging along the jawline to restore a younger looking appearance.
Advantages of a Mini Lift
Some of the common reasons that patients choose a mini facelift include:
- Expedited Recovery. One of the primary benefits of a mini facelift is that recovery takes place over about one week versus 4 to 5 weeks for a conventional facelift. In many cases, patients who undergo their mini lift on a Friday can return to most normal activities (even work) on Monday. Keep in mind; sutures are in place for a full week.
- Improved comfort. The minimally-invasive nature of a mini facelift results in less swelling and bruising than full facelift procedures. Post-procedure comfort is typically high with this technique.
- Lighter anesthesia. Many facelift procedures are performed under general anesthesia. When a mini facelift is selected, there is an opportunity to choose twilight anesthesia and local numbing medication. Together, these sedative and anesthetic techniques ensure comfort without causing usual surgical sided effects like nausea and vomiting.
- A shorter, less-involved surgical procedure incurs fewer costs than full surgical techniques.
There’s a Second Side to Every Coin
Mini facelift procedures are popular and effective. However, there are patients for whom a full facelift is more appropriate. The two primary drawbacks of the mini facelift technique are that the signs of aging will become noticeable again sooner than they would with a full facelift. This is because (second drawback alert) the results of a mini lift are less dramatic to begin with.
Contact us online or call (212) 508-0000 to discuss your concerns regarding facial aging. Together, we can develop a course of treatment to address your needs.
Posted in: Facelift, Uncategorized
