29 Jul Weekend, Ponytail Or Lunchtime Facelift: The Mini-Facelift Has Many Names
What’s A Mini-Facelift?
Around the world, facelift procedures are incredibly popular, with demand staying steady for a number of years. Commonly among the top 5 cosmetic procedures in the US, surgeons perform approximately 200,000 facelifts each year. Widely considered the gold standard of anti-aging, facelift procedures restore a youthful appearance correcting loose skin and sagging jowls. The mini-facelift, also called the weekend, ponytail, or lunchtime facelift, works similar to the standard facelift with fewer incisions than a traditional procedure. Oftentimes, weekend facelifts better accommodate patients with moderate expectations and fully packed schedules. Overall, the success of a facelift hinges on age, family health history, and a patient’s aesthetic goals.
Stopping aging before it starts
Determining anti-aging goals before deciding on a facelift helps patients make the best decision based on individual goals. Aligning patient expectations and clinical timelines helps ensure satisfaction for both patients and practitioners. While many patients pursue facelift procedures to correct aging, certain patients pursue facelifts to proactively minimize aging. Plastic surgeons help patients limit the future impacts of age by securing skin that will droop with age.
What happens during a mini-facelift?
Using general anesthesia, the surgeons make small incisions along the hairline and earlobes. In contrast, traditional facelifts use a longer incision starting in front of the temples, going down around the earlobes, and ending at the lower scalp. After reconstructing skin and connective tissue, extra skin is removed and incisions are closed. Results last up to 10 years, instead of the 15-20 years associated with traditional facelifts.
A quick recovery
A long recovery process is a common misconception about facelift procedures. In past years, the healing process was longer. However, today’s medical technology has shortened healing to approximately 2-3 weeks for results that last approximately 10 years. Since fewer incisions are needed, patients generally recover from mini-facelifts in half the time of a traditional facelift. By manipulating facial tissue, doctors remove deep wrinkles and stubborn skin sagging.
Caring for you
Facelifts are relatively common today, however, the length of recovery relies on the patient’s behavior and the level of post-op care. The more a patient adheres to the doctor’s instructions, the smoother recovery will be. During the first 2-3 days after surgery, swelling and bruising peak. Limiting liquid products on the face during the days after surgery helps minimize disruption and maximize healing.
Same face, new you
With several hundred thousand facelifts performed annually in the US, many new patients seek out cosmetic surgery each year. Younger patients seek out mini-facelifts to lift skin with the potential to deeply wrinkle, minimizing aging proactively. However, the success of plastic surgery largely relies on a patient’s health history and adherence to post-op instructions. While rest and the right type of treatment are key, the mini-facelift helps countless patients match a youthful face with a youthful outlook.