Should you choose a mini facelift or a full facelift? Experts in facial plastic surgery think it is essential to provide patients with many different surgical options at their practices. The reputation of board-certified plastic surgeons are well known, and many surgeons are committed to providing innovative techniques as well as traditional procedures. This ensures that every prospective patient who wants to fight their aging symptoms while at the same time getting their self-confidence back has an option available. Two procedures that are commonly confused include the mini facelift and the full facelift, and the following information will help patients better understand the difference.
Full Facelift
In order to complete a full facelift procedure, a facial plastic surgeon will typically make incisions from the back of the ears down the lower half of the face. These incisions are discrete, however, and an expert plastic surgeon will work to ensure that there is minimal scarring after the procedure is complete. Once the incisions are made, they then work to remove excess skin from the face, tighten the facial muscles and finally reposition the remaining skin on the face, so the person appears to be naturally young and vibrant once again.
The full facelift procedure will provide well-rounded results, allowing the surgeon to eliminate lines and wrinkles from both sides of the patient’s face as well as the lower portion of the face. The recovery process can take 7-10 days to complete, but patients are often pleased to find out they will enjoy their results for much of the next decade.
Mini Facelift
Previously, when patients felt frustrated with some of the signs of aging but did not want to undergo a complete facelift procedure, they simply had to live with the changes on their faces. However, people do not have to settle for this dilemma anymore. Expert cosmetic surgeons now offer a rather revolutionary procedure — the mini facelift. A mini facelift is a procedure that has been proven to eliminate some of the most frustrating signs of aging without requiring the patient to undergo a complete surgical procedure.
The mini facelift is designed to target specific trouble spots on the face, most often frown lines, wrinkles on the forehead, sagging skin at the neck and cheeks, and crow’s feet by the eyes. Patients love this procedure because they can target areas that are bothering them, but they do not have to have a complete facelift procedure. Expert cosmetic surgeons who have practiced this technique and perfected it over time have a very low revision rate.
This procedure is completed through the use of smaller incisions that are located in front of the ears on the patient’s face. Again, a professional plastic surgeon will prioritize discretion and works to ensure that there is little scarring after the procedure is completed. At this point, the surgeon will remove less tissue from the face. Typically, a patient who is qualified for a mini facelift does not need a full facelift performed because there is less excess fat to remove and less tissue to eliminate. The surgeon will reposition the skin on the lower half of the face, but he will not be able to eliminate lines and wrinkles from the sides and upper portion of the face.
Again, most people who require this procedure do not need any work done on the sides and top of their faces. The mini facelift has a shorter recovery time associated with it, but its results are not known to last as long as a full traditional facelift procedure.
Which Procedure is Recommended?
This surgery is also recommended for patients who want to avoid invasive surgical procedures. It can be completed using twilight anesthesia, which is the combination of a local anesthetic with an oral sedative. Patients are able to return home the very same day, and the recovery process is significantly shorter. Professional cosmetic surgeons recognize that discretion is essential, and they use very tiny incisions to remove excess skin, tighten the facial muscles, and reposition the skin.
Immediately following the surgery, patients will find that there is minimal scarring present. However, these scars will disappear quickly, leaving the patient appearing naturally young and beautiful once again. Most people will not even know what you did in order to achieve your new look.
Expert Consultation
Many professional cosmetic surgeons have found that this surgery is a popular choice among both male and female patients. Male patients enjoy the fact that it produces natural and discrete results while still allowing them to feel more confident about themselves. Therefore, it is important that any interested patient sets up a free consultation appointment in order to find out if they are, in fact, a good candidate for a natural mini facelift. Most patients will find that they appear nearly ten years younger than they did prior to the operation, allowing them to look the age that they feel and live their best life.
Patients who are considering one of these procedures should take the time to set up a free consultation appointment with a board-certified plastic surgeon. The surgeon takes the time to get to know each patient personally and evaluates them based on their individual factors. At this appointment, the patient and the surgeon will come up with a surgical plan of action that works for that particular patient, whether that means having a full facelift performed or a mini facelift.