Mini face lift vs. Lifestyle Lift

The term mini-lift is nebulous, but is often used either to mean a facelift for the upper face alone, for the neck and lower face alone, or for a minimal skin-only facelift.

The Lifestyle lift, according to its practitioners, and the post-LSL patients I have seen, involves the incisions of a full facelift, minimal undermining with no SMAS work. No SMAS work means all the volume that has descended down and rests on the jowls stays there.

The loose neck muscles stay the way they are. Most of the excess skin stays where it is because it is not undermined and advanced. The lost volume remains uncorrected. So all the technology, incisions and benefits of a circa 1910 Lexer facelift...

The Lifestyle lift was a marketing label by a group of facial plastic surgeons who were advertising an affordable mini lift procedure in order to appeal to the larger public. The procedures are very similar although there are some subtle differences and variations depending upon the surgeon.

The mini lift was developed for (and is appropriate for) the patient who has mainly facial skin laxity and not as much neck laxity. These tend to be, but are not always, younger patients. The advantage is that they can be performed under local anesthesia and have a quicker recovery time. The results are very natural and very satisfying for the right patient. The downside is that it is a lesser procedure and thus there is the potential for a lesser result in a patient who needs a full face lift.

As with any procedure, an appropriate consultation to provide an individualized treatment plan is always best.