A mini facelift involves the placement of incisions in front of the ears which extend from the hairline to the bottom of the earlobe. The surgeon will then gently pull the skin and tissues up and outward the ear. Excess skin and tissue are removed to tighten the appearance of the skin.
Yes, there is less extensive dissection and cutting in mini facelift procedure as compared with a full facelift. Typically, a mini facelift addresses the jowls and upper neck regions, whereas a full facelift may also include the midface and full neck.
Appropriate Age for a Mini-Facelift
Mini-facelifts tend to be most suited for people who are at least 30 to 40 years-old. The procedure itself is not as invasive as a full facelift, with the ultimate goal being to provide a more youthful appearance.
While a mini facelift uses fewer incisions compared to a traditional facelift, it's still considered an invasive procedure. Like all types of surgery, mild side effects are to be expected. These include bruising, pain, and swelling. Severe side effects are rare but may include excessive bleeding and infections.
In most cases, a mini facelift will last around ten years easily before another lift is needed. A full facelift can last approximately double that at twenty years. Many patients find that the results last even longer with a few more years for both the mini facelift and full facelift.
Mini facelifts are faster and safer than a full facelift, have a shorter recovery time and are usually less expensive than full facelifts. In addition, they usually do not require general anesthesia – just local numbing and the use of mild sedatives.
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.
Because a mini facelift is less invasive than a full facelift, most patients report feeling minimal pain and discomfort following their surgery. It is common to experience some slight bruising and swelling.
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.
Generally, a ponytail lift involves incisions made high up on the face – above the front of the ear or beyond the hairline. The facial cosmetic surgeon then pulls the ligaments below the skin to adjust and reduce sagging.
While facelift results can be different for every patient, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons found that, on average, patients felt they looked about 12 years younger after their facelift surgeries.
A “lunchtime facelift” is essentially a mini facelift. The procedure helps your face look completely refreshed and rejuvenated but in a less intense manner. Our lunchtime facelifts can lift the cheeks, reduce sagging eyelids and jowls, and restore the fullness of your face overall.
A “full “ facelift means the entire face is lifted. That means your forehead, brows, eyes, jawline and neck. But a full facelift isn't just one surgery. Since you're lifting the entire face, different surgeries are indicated for specific anatomic areas.
A mini-facelift is usually performed in an office-based setting. In appropriately chosen patients this procedure is well tolerated using only local anesthesia. Sedation or general anesthesia are other options and would be performed in an outpatient surgical facility.
Swelling and inflammation are normal during facelift recovery. Swelling may occur around the mouth, chin, or jawline, depending on the extent of your facelift procedure and where it was performed. Most patients can expect the majority of their swelling to dissipate after 3 – 4 weeks.
A mini facelift reduces minor sagging on the lower face and neck. It is a minimal skin tightening procedure that offers shorter-lived results than a traditional facelift. The incision is smaller than the incision for a full facelift. The mini facelift has a reduced recovery when compared to a full facelift.
Don't eat or drink (that includes water) from midnight on the night before your procedure until your surgery is complete. Don't Smoke! Smoking alters blood flow, and people who smoke will not heal as quickly as those who don't. You are advised to stop smoking for at least several weeks prior to your surgery.
The time it takes to recover from a facelift depends on what kind of surgery you had and your overall health. You may have bruising and swelling for a couple of weeks. However, it could take two to three months before your face feels “back to normal.”
About a week before surgery, eliminate all vitamin and herbal supplements, Omega 3 capsules, as well as ginger, green tea, flaxseed, cayenne, eggplant, garlic, tomatoes, and potatoes as these may as many may interfere with blood clotting. Also, eliminate alcohol, caffeine, and artificial sweeteners.
The mini-lift is a facelift surgery technique that uses shorter incisions than traditional facelift techniques and thus is less invasive. During the procedure, small incisions are made under the cover of the hair line and around the ears.
Some treatments to treat nasolabial folds include: Mini Face Lift: A mini face lift targets the lower portion of the face. Small incisions are made around the ears where the skin and underlying tissues are gently pulled and tightened, reducing the appearance of nasolabial folds.
Pulled-down earlobes may happen at the time of the original procedure, or can develop with time. The most dramatic distortion has been called “the pixie ear.” Natural contour can usually be restored, but this is often difficult. The earlobe is often not distorted, but simply pulled forward — a tip-off to a facelift.
Dermal fillers can smooth out wrinkles and restore facial fullness that happens with age. Aging leads to sagging skin and wrinkles. While minimally invasive fillers and injections can work for a short time, patients should consider a facelift to reverse the signs of aging and improve self-esteem.
Scars from a mini facelift are typically located in natural creases of the skin or areas that are not prominently noticeable, so they are even less detectable to others.
A facelift is not generally for anyone under the age of 30. In most cases, a facelift works best for people in their 40s, 50s, and 60s when signs of aging begin to become prevalent.