Procedure Spotlight: Mini Facelift

While the facelift was the sixth most commonly performed cosmetic surgery performed in the U.S., according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) most recent survey, the mini facelift is likely just as popular.

The surgeons at Naples, Florida-based Gardner Plastic Surgery can attest to the procedure’s popularity, as Dr. Paul Gardner and Dr. Leo Baccaro perform mini facelifts almost as frequently as full facelift procedures. In fact, the surgeons note that many patients coming in for a facelift consultation ask whether the mini facelift can successfully bring about the aesthetic results they seek. While the answer to that question depends upon various factors, those who have facial conditions amenable to the mini facelift can expect to achieve excellent aesthetic results from it with less downtime.

Dr. Gardner, who considers the mini facelift to be one of the procedures he gets the most excited about performing, points out that along with proving aesthetically successful, the mini facelift is great because it is so minimally invasive.

He says: “What I love about it is that we do the procedure on a Monday afternoon, and, during a follow-up checkup on Tuesday, we usually see limited bruising and minimal swelling, and a week later … we take the stitches out, they’re ready to go to dinner, go to events, they can be in public and in a week—they’re on their way to being completely healed, and they look great!”*

Differences between Mini and Full Facelift

As you can surmise, both procedures are similar and both are designed to smooth sagging skin, enhance and redefine facial contours, and create an all-around more youthful appearance. In general, the mini facelift involves fewer and shorter incisions into the skin, as well as reduced skin lifting and underlying muscle tightening compared to the full facelift. The mini facelift targets sagging skin on the lower portion of the face along the lower face and neck and does not directly treat any skin wrinkling or laxity around the eyes, brow, and upper cheek. Those areas require other procedures.

Dermal fillers and cosmetic injectables are often combined with the mini facelift to enhance the other areas of the face.

While the full facelift requires general anesthesia and results in significant downtime, the mini facelift can usually be performed under local anesthesia and normal daily activities can normally be resumed within a couple of days.

Are You A Good Candidate for a Mini Facelift?      

Though the Mini Facelift is very effective at making patients look younger and more refreshed, the result will not be as dramatic as with a full facelift. And although younger patients around the age of 50 are the best candidates for a mini face lift, the procedure works well in correcting skin laxity and underlying sagging of the face no matter what a person’s age. In fact, Dr. Gardner is always pleasantly surprised by how much can be accomplished in the older population.

Learn More Through a Consultation at Gardner Plastic Surgery

If you would like to learn more about how effective a mini facelift might be at rejuvenating your face and restoring a youthful appearance, Dr. Paul Gardner or Dr. Leo Baccaro would be happy to speak to you in a one-on-one consultation. Our surgeons at Gardner Plastic Surgery have a solid reputation for helping patients in the Naples, Florida area choose cosmetic procedures that best meet their aesthetic goals. Contact Gardner Plastic Surgery today at 239.566.2611 to schedule your initial consultation.

*Note that though Dr. Gardner describes a typical patient experience, individual results and recovery times vary from patient to patient.