Mini Facelift

What is Mini Facelift Surgery?

The Mini Face Lift is a Plastic Surgery procedure designed to restore the youthful appearance of the face by lifting the soft tissues of the face and fixing these in a suitable position until natural healing occurs to permanently secure the soft tissues in the desired position.

How a Mini Lift Works

Much like a rubber band that has been over-stretched, the tissues in your face weaken over time, losing their resiliency and ability to maintain a firm, youthful position. Additionally, fat deposits, which normally give the face a soft, rounded appearance, migrate downward and are depleted, creating hollow areas. These changes create deep wrinkles, jowls, and loose skin in the lower portion of the face. During a mini facelift, a layer of tissue under the skin is repositioned and facial muscles are tightened.

Preparation:

Prior to the start of your procedure, you will be given one of three types of anesthesia to make you as comfortable as possible. General anesthesia causes you to sleep through the procedure; IV sedation causes you to relax, but you may not be entirely asleep; or the procedure may be done with local anesthesia, in which tiny injections numb the area surrounding the surgical site. A special type of fluid, called tumescent fluid, may be injected into the area in front of the ear. Tumescent fluid is a sterile saline solution that helps lift the skin from underlying tissues, and contains agents that prevent the sensation of pain and minimize bleeding.

Procedure

Your surgeon will carefully draw a guideline starting from the hairline above the ear, descending in front of the ear and ending behind the earlobe. The narrow S-shaped section is cut away and then the skin is elevated. Sutures are used to pull the underlying fat and muscle toward the cheek bone, lifting the sagging jowls. The skin is gently pulled toward the ear and the incision is closed with fine sutures to conceal scars. The procedure is repeated on the opposite side of the face and the entire mini facelift procedure typically takes less than 2 hours.

Recovery and Results

You may be advised to wear a small bandage for two to three days and external sutures are removed in about one week. You can expect minor bruising and swelling following the procedure, and can usually resume normal activities within four to five days, or sooner. With this relatively quick procedure, and minimal recovery time, your appearance can be rejuvenated, giving you the youthful look that you desire.