Mini Lift: Q&A
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Results, Recovery, Incisions from Mini Facelift: What to Expect?
What do you think of the lifestyle lift or, for that matter, any minilift, if a person does not require a complete facelift? Is it lasting, and where are the incisions made? How long is the usual recovery time? Many thanks for your opinion.
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25 Doctor Answers |
Asked by
debra weintraub
in las vegas, NV
+3
Mini Facelifts Are Still A Facelift!
Mini facelifts are facelifts done under local anesthesia and still have the incisions around the ears and in our practice, are the same as a full facelift except just don't cover the upper cheek area. It does great for the jawline and neck with minimal downtime such as only a few days to 1 week off and is what most patients need and want for $6000-8500 rather than the full lift for $15-25,000. I take special pride in hiding and minimizing the incisions and making the 4 hr experience as...
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Thes so-called name brand facelifts that offer minimum...
Thes so-called name brand facelifts that offer minimum down time done in a dental chair under local anesthetic are not very good. They are great marketing tools to have patients come in.
A quality facelift, whether it is a full facelift or a short scar facelift done under adequate and safe anesthesia, will often give a better longer lasting result.
A professor of mine once said that "I can give you a caricature sketch-type facelift that will be very quick, and give you an OK result for...
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Mini Facelift - Recovery, Incisions, Expectations
Thank you for your question. In my practice a "Mini Facelift" usually has the following characteristics:
A Mini Facelift is typically done on younger individuals with cheek or midface aging who do not have jowls or neck sagging
Incisions are usually limited to the hairline on the temple and to varying degrees the front of the ear
The result should lift the cheek and midface and to a lesser extent the lower face
Recovery time is time for bruising and swelling to...
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Mini Lift = Mini Results
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...
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Can be the right answer....sometimes
The mini-lift is a fine operation if it is used in the RIGHT patient.
Any qualified surgeon should have the mini-lift as PART of their toolbox. The problem arises when the doctor has the mini-lift as their ONLY tool.
As many of the surgeons here have stated the issue is especially worrisome when the procedure is being marketed.
When I see a patient in my office that comes in looking for a mini-lift I can discuss this with them in the context of comparing it to a full Facelift.
So here are...
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Incisions from minlift
The incisions for a minilift are basically the same in the front of the ears as for a facelift. However the incision stops just behind the earlobe. Muscle and tissue are pulled up and repositioned. It improves the slightly sagging jawline and snugs up the skin on the face to just behind the earlobe. It will not improve the neck beyond about 1 to 1 1/2 inches down the neck.
Recovery is about 5 to 7 days. The results should last for 4 to 6 years depending on the elasticity of the...
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Mini facelift is a right operation for the right patient
As you can see, the doctors vary in their opinion in what a mini facelift will achieve. One reason for that is the patient: the results will be different for different patients. A younger (40's or 50's) patient who is thin, has good bone structure and some sagging skin will do great with a regular facelift, but will also do very well with a mini facelift with a long duration of the results.
The other reason is the doctor: all surgeons are not created equal, and some are just better at doing...
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Facial Rejuvenation - No two surgeries are alike
FACIAL REJUVENATION: no two surgeries are alike
I prefer the term 'facial rejuvenation' over the more antiquated term 'facelift', as many patients that I see who seek a more youthful and refreshed facial appearance undergo a set of surgical procedures very different from what would have been considered a 'facelift' twenty-five years ago.
The word 'rejuvenation' means, literally, 'to make young again'. In each individual, different facial...
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Expect mini results, almost the same down time.
Mini-lifts including the Lifestyle Lift offer minimal pulling through usually traditional facelift incisions. The downtime is slightly less than for an actual facelift. Many patients are very disappointed to learn that their mini-lifts had the same incisions as if they had a real facelift, but half the result or less. Because of the excessively tight closure of many minilifts (in an attempt to pull on tissues that are far away), the scars can be wide and unsightly. The results are...
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A mini facelift gives a mini result for a mini length of time
If you are young and are seeing early signs of facial aging, perhaps a mini facelift is adequate to treat your situation. Far too many patients, however, are tempted by the allure of a mini lift thinking it will give them the same result as a properly done facelift and that the results will last as long. This is simply not true.
The Lifestyle lift is a heavily marketed procedure trying to capture your interest with a clever name and promises that are frequently not delivered when you read...
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Mini face lift expectations
A mini face lift or limited incision face lift produces a rejuvenation of the face, jowl, and cheek area.
The results are quite good and recovery takes about 10 days to 2 weeks. The incisions heal well and quickly.
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A lifetyle lift is not necessarily a good choice
When it comes to facelifts you will usually see that well-known, board-certified, capable plastic surgeons do not use cute catch phrases such as "mini-lift", "lunch-lift", "weekend-lift", "lifestyle lift", etc. This is because we take our work very seriously and would never make an operation sound trivial. If you read about a "facelift" that is done in one hour with only local anesthesia and with no down time you can be sure that no plastic surgeon would ever sign up for one of those. That...
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What To Expect From A Mini Facelift
Every facelift surgery is different, and every facelift surgeon has a different post-operative norm for their patients. It is also important to remember that every person has a unique reaction to surgery. With that said, it is of utmost importance that you know and trust your facelift surgeon, and that he/she has expertise in all aspects of facial rejuvenation. "Cookie cutter" surgery should be a thing of the past, so make sure that your surgery is customized to your aging process in order...
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Recovery time is the same for a mini-lift and a facelift
I agree with Dr.Moelleken: there is very little difference in the recovery time for a mini-lift and a face lift. By repositioning muscles to take tension off of the skin, a facelift with muscle movement (deep plane, SMAS, etc) can diminish the tension on the skin incisions that a mini-lift cannot, long term. Addressing the ligaments that fall as we age can be addressed and rejuvenating them with a lifting of the muscles in a deeper layer diminishes the pull back in these areas...
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Mini Facelift vs Traditional Facelift
For a person who does not require a full facelift—and many don't—a mini-facelift is a perfect solution.
Incisions in a mini-facelift are quite minimal, but will vary depending on which variety of a mini-facelift you have. The LiteLift, for example, typically involves incisions made around the ear, sideburn, and earlobe. These incisions are about 40% shorter than those used in a traditional facelift.
The early recovery period for a mini-facelift is usually about one...
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Mini facelift results
A mini facelift means something different to each surgeon. In my practice, a mini facelift refers to the incision, not what happens under the skin. The incision is placed in front of the ear and what happens under the skin is exactly what happens with a standard facelift with repositioning of the muscles and fascia on the side of the face. As a result, there is marked improvement of the jowls and mid face region. The neck is minimally improved with this...
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Mini Facelift Results
There is no exact definition for "mini facelift," and most doctors have their own interpretation, based on their personal results, experience, etc. Look at before and after photos to gage the type of result you may expect from your doctor's "mini facelift" and then ask specific questions such as: does it address my neck, my jowls, my cheeks, my brows? Ask about anesthesia. Some "mini facelifts" may involve "max" anesthesia.
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Results and recovery after of mini lift
If performed on the right patient a mini lift can achieve very nice results. The scar places along the hairline in front of the ear in such a way that new hairs will grow through it and conceal it. It then extends around the ear stopping behind the earlobe. I find that there is usually less bruising after a mini lift than a standard facelift. It should be noted, however, that a mini lift is not for everyone. It will not achieve satisfactory results in those...
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Minneapolis Plastic Surgeon
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Minlifts are Great for the appropriate patient. Trust your face to a Facial Plastic Surgeon.
Minlifts are great for the appropriate patient. Mild jowling and neck laxity will be improved with this technique. The problem with minilifts is that many surgeons will try this technique in individuals with more severe changes. These patients often do better with extended lifts. Minilifts have a quicker recovery. This is due to the fact that less work is done and the post operative changes are less dramatic. I recommend you seek consultations from...
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Incision and scar in a minilift
A minilift uses an incision that is shorter (i.e. ends behind the ear and does not extend into the hairline behind the ear) and requires less undermining. The vector of elevation changes by shortening the incision, limitiing the amount of lift you get in the middle portion of the neck. It's a perfect procedure for those who are somewhat early in the aging process (40's to 50's). Many surgeons market the minilift, swift lift, lifestyle lift or...
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Mini facelift
Generally, a mini facelift is one that uses shorter scars and less is done under the skin - thus less improvement. For the right patient, this is a wonderful operation. A facelift must consider correction of excess skin, loose muscle, and excess/deficient/shifting fat. The scars for a minilift are limited around the ear. You can expect a little swelling and bruising for up to 2-3 weeks depending upon what is actually required, but may be able to camouflage the...
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Minilift
A minlift will work if it is going to address the changes you have. A minilift will address the jowls, early deepening of the facial creases, and minimal neck laxity. If you have anything else or more significant changes, then a minilift may not give you the best result.
The incisions are usually in front of the ear and stop at or slightly behind the ear lobe. Recovery is between 5-10 days. As for the longevity of the lift, it will vary. No lift is forever, and aging changes will...
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Mini Facelift
Hi,
The principles of a minifacelift are the same as for a full face lift. The SMAS and Platysma muscles should be tightened. The extent of a mini facelift will depend on what needs to be done. The less that needs to be done the less swelling and bruising. The incisions are usually in front of the earlobe and extend around the earlobe. The extent of this incision will depend on how much needs to be done. No two patients are the same.
Best,
Dr. S.
+1
Mini-Facelifts and All That Jazz...
To key to success in Plastic Surgery is to try to ALWAYS better to under-Promise and Over-Deliver.
In my opinion all the MINI lifts and, especially, the branded XXX-Lifts, do exactly the opposite. They create false expectations in eager people who are "mini"-informed.
These operations are only adequate in people with MINI-aging and are grossly mismatched when attempted in patients with real signs of aging. Unfortunately, the marketing behind the Mini-lifts intentionally creates...
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Mini Lift for Minimal Indications
Generally, I offer Mini lifts to patients in my practice who have less dramatic aging changes, but want to stay ahead of the curve. The technique I utilize has an incision that starts along the temporal hair tuft, follows a line behind the tragus, and stops behind the earlobe. It does not include a postauricular or occipital hairline incision. For this reason, it is not appropriate for patients who have substantial aging changes in the neck. As others have posted, the downtime is slightly...
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