How Effective is a Mini Facelift?

Mini Lift usually refers to a skin-only excision around the ear, with minimal or no undermining (surgical release of tissues to aid in repositioning). The technique tightens the cheeks and jowls by creating a pull (tension) on the skin of the area without lifting or tightening the underlying support structures. The advantages are a quick procedure with minimal or no recovery that will refresh one's appearance. The disadvantage is lack of longevity (a few months to a couple of... more

Depending on the technique, a mini-facelift can be very effective.  The key is that the underlying deep tissue (SMAS) is tightened and secured.  If this is done, it is hard to differentiate this from a facelift, which does essentially the same.  The other important component is the direction of the lift, if it is upward (eg vertical) you would get some improvement in the neck as well.  The best thing to do is look at the surgeon's before and afters and judge for... more

I have developed a different attitude towards what I categorize as a mini incision face and neck lift called a "Celebrity Lift". Performing face lifts of all sorts, sizes and depth over the past 20 years, I believe it's not how hard you pull the skin and or muscles of the face but what shape the face has when you are done. I spend more time shaping the cheeks to a soft, natural, feminie shape for women and an angular shape for men and tend to do less tissue dissection. The result... more

Minimally invasive face lifts are very successful. As always, patient selection and appropriate expectations are the key. 1.) Minifacelifts are defined by shorter incisions. Therefore, the surgeon has less "room" to remove excess skin. Patients with a large amount of loose skin should likely go with a standard lift. 2.) Minifacelifts involve less undermining of the SMAS (deeper dense tissue). The surgeon completes less dissection of the... more

Most of my patients don't need a full facelift.  Most patients in the forties and fifties only have mild facial laxity and neck droop.  These patients can often be treated with a mini-facelift.  I often peform this procedure without the need for general anesthesia, I lift the loose skin but I also lift up the muscle-fibrous layer under the skin to give the results last longer.  And when the procedure is combined with a fat transfer or sculptra to give back facial... more

The answer to this depends on what your current issue is related to the aging process. In the right hands and with proper patient selection, a mini facelift procedure can produce a very nice result in helping turn back the hands of time. Many of the risks of a standard facelift procedure still apply to a mini lift procedure. These include possible bleeding, infection, nerve damage and poor wound healing. Fortunately, these risks are quite low in general with most patients enjoying a... more

A mini lift is a modifcation of a face lift. This usually entails minimal skin undermining and excision and some deep soft tissue plication or excision and tightening.

Full Facelift vs. Mini Facelift is the biggest question/controversy in my practice today. They both have their place and the patient must understand the pros and cons of each to make their decision. Other than in the easy decision cases (70 year old with very droopy tissue needs a full, a 40 year old with minimal issues--Mini) it boils down to patient expectations. A Mini can give 50-75% of a Full result with less risk, downtime, cost,etc. Each patient must decide which procedure will... more

It all depends on how much jowling and neck sagging you have. If you have a small to moderate amount of neck sagging or jowling then a Mini Facelift will suffice. If there is extensive jowling and neck excess then a minilift may not be adaquate. Also it depends on your exectations.

The most important things to know about facelift: 1: Choose a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon with experience and whom you trust 2: Discuss your areas of concern and your expectations 3: Healing time, risks, scars 4: What to expect, results, swelling, bruising 5: Anesthesia, who is administering the anesthesia 6: Where the procedure is done. Is the facility certified? 7: Ask to see pictures and talk with previous patients 8: Availability of the surgeon, not other staff, after the surgery 9:... more

It is not a procedure for every person with concerns about aging of the lower face and neck. For the most part a mini-lift is done in our practice on the patient below the age of 50 who has very limited sagging of the front of the neck. We also use mini-lifts on those who have already had a facelift in the past and simply want a little tightening of the lower face and the area below the chin. In point of fact there is not a ton of difference between a lower face and neck lift and a... more