RealSelf members give mini facelifts a 92% Worth It Rating, with many saying the procedure made them feel more like themselves again. That's similar to the Worth It Rating for full facelifts, which cost about $5,000 more on average.
In general, good candidates for mini facelifts are men and women in their mid to late 40s up to 60s or 70s. There is not a cut-off age, per se, but instead we look at one's overall health, mobility, and treatment goals.
Both the full and mini facelift procedures provide long-term results. While each patient is different, the mini facelift typically lasts 10 years. Some patients continue to see results for longer than 10 years.
You can look literally a decade younger than before the mini-facelift, with useful definition restored to your chin, jaw, and lower facial area, and previously sagging skin tightened up. You'll simply see a much better version of you in the mirror each morning.
Facelift recovery time
You should look and feel normal after 2 – 4 weeks. Keep in mind that facelift surgery cannot stop natural aging, so we encourage patients to continue to take care of their skin and make healthy lifestyle choices.
Less Pain: Since mini facelifts are less invasive, the amount of post-procedure pain or discomfort most patients feel is minimal. Light bruising or swelling may be common, but it is significantly less than what occurs after a full facelift and usually resolves over several weeks.
You must wear the chin strap continuously for the first two weeks after surgery except while eating and showering/cleaning incisions. The strap helps fight the forces of gravity immediately after surgery and helps improve any swelling.
No, A neck lift will treat the neck only. S - lift or a mini lift uses a minimal incision along the front of the ear and cheek to elevate the skin and soft tissue to tighten up the cheek and maybe the jowl region only. A neck lift is commonly not done alone, it is often done with a facelift.
Fat and excess skin may be removed or redistributed from the face. The underlying muscle and connective tissue are redistributed and tightened. If there's minimal skin sagging, a “mini” facelift may be done. This involves shorter incisions.
The mini facelift is performed mostly to tighten the lower half of the face (the jawline and jowls), and is not typically used to address sagging skin of the neck. In fact, with a mini facelift in Palo Alto, the facial skin is pulled only very slightly. The result is a very natural-looking appearance.
Why? When the facelift is performed, the skin is tightened and it can flatten out the jowls because the skin is tighter. However, over time as the skin relaxes, the full fatty jowls will restretch out the skin and the jowls will reappear. Weight loss prior to face lift surgery is very important for these people.
Your face likely will be bruised and swollen. The swelling may get worse before it gets better, but it will probably go away in 1 to 2 weeks. After a few days you may get some bruises on your neck and chest.
AVOID BENDING OVER OR LIFTING heavy things for one week. Besides aggravating swelling, this may raise the blood pressure and start hemorrhage. AVOID HITTING OR BUMPING YOUR FACE, HEAD AND NECK. It is wise not to pick up small children and you should sleep alone for one week after your operation.
Can Someone Be “Too Old” for a Facelift? There is no age at which an individual is too old for any cosmetic enhancement, so long as they are healthy enough to undergo the rigors of surgery, anesthesia and recovery from the procedure.
A mini facelift focuses on the areas of the lower face, like your jaw, cheeks, and around your mouth. While your eyes may appear tighter after the surgery, no skin will actually be removed during this particular procedure. You can add eyelid surgery to your facelift to help if your eyes are an area of concern for you.
The mini facelift focuses on eliminating sagging in the cheeks and jowls, perfect for those looking for a less invasive procedure with a quicker recovery time. Mini facelift scars are short and unnoticeable.
Mini facelift scars are minimal
Traditionally, an incision is made in the hairline near the temples on each side. The incision goes in front of the ear, down the front of and hugging the earlobe area, then back to the lower scalp behind the ears.
It's possible for a patient to remain wide awake, using only the local anesthetic, during the procedure. However, in some cases, it's preferable for the patient also to be given a sedative (a medication in the same class as Valium), in order to help them relax and fall asleep during the procedure.
Generally speaking, patients who undergo facelift surgery will be advised to sleep on their back with their head elevated to about a 30-degree angle for several weeks.
While a facelift can be customized to address a wide range of facial issues, from the neck through the cheeks, it does not include the forehead region. A forehead lift addresses the brow and above the cheekbone area of the face, which is where much of our emotional expression happens.
Don't smoke or drink alcohol for two weeks before your mini facelift and for two weeks afterward. Reduce stress as much as possible by incorporating some relaxation periods into your daily routine – listen to soothing music, do yoga, meditate, take naps – whatever helps you tone down the stress.
Its primary purpose is to target sagging skin and help a person attain a youthful look. The corrective cosmetic procedure is less invasive than a traditional facelift, which targets the entire face. It will still leave behind a scar, but a tiny one.
A facelift can absolutely be performed very safely without the use of general anesthesia. I've performed thousands of procedures in an office setting using light sedation and local anesthesia.
After 48 hours, you can take the chin strap off to wash your hair. In the first week, only use baby shampoo and only apply conditioner to the ends of the hair so that you avoid the incision site. Use lukewarm water when you wash your hair.
On average, patients should plan to spend about 2 – 3 weeks sleeping with their head propped up after facelift surgery, though this can vary based on the nature and extent of the procedure.