Mini-Facelift

For patients with early age associated changes or for those who are interested in a procedure with shorter recovery time, a mini facelift may be the answer. With this procedure, specific areas such as the jowls and lateral neck can be treated with less healing time involved. Patients who take a proactive approach as soon as signs of facial aging begin to occur are better able to maintain their youthful appearance for a longer period of time, thus delaying or even avoiding the need for more extensive procedures in the future.

Procedure Benefits

Like a facelift, the mini facelift is performed in the operating room under deep sedation. Incisions are similar to those of a standard facelift but can often be shortened somewhat. They run just inside the hairline following the contour in front of the ear and continuing under the earlobe to the back of the ear and to the lower scalp. These incisions are hidden in facial boundaries and in the hair-line. With time, they fade to the point of imperceptibility and do not prevent the patient from wearing any hair style. The skin is tightened and excess is removed. The result is a subtle, but significantly refreshed look. A few of the benefits of the mini-facelift are:

  • Targets specific problem areas
  • Can prevent premature signs of aging
  • Produces a refreshed, youthful look
  • Results are subtle but significant
  • Downtime is less
  • Safe and effective

Recovery

Upon completion of the procedure, neck drains and facial dressings are applied to prevent excessive swelling and bruising. These are removed the following day. Bruising and swelling are generally less than that associated with a standard facelift. We recommend only light activity for the first week following surgery. As with facelift surgery, patients generally report little or no pain with mini facelift surgery. Most patients return to work after 7 to 10 days with makeup easily covering any residual bruising.

What's Next?