When patients come in for facelift consults, they’ll often ask me, do I have to do a full facelift, can I do a mini facelift? Well, what I’d like to talk about are the differences between a full and a mini, the pros and cons of using one versus the other.

A full facelift really encompasses the midface, the jaw area, and part of the neck. Bigger commitment of time, money, and recovery, but the results are phenomenal. And for the patient who expects or wants their face to be completely rejuvenated, a full facelift is really what they need.

A mini facelift is perfect for someone who has a little bit of jowling here, maybe some loose skin down here, tissues have sagged a little. They’re pretty happy with their eyes and their cheeks. It’s just they really don’t like what’s happening here. Is it for everyone? Absolutely not. Because if the cheeks have dropped and they’re hollow in here and their face is sagging up here, you do a mini, they’re going to look out of balance. This is still going to need work and it’ll show. So we definitely don’t want to do a mini facelift on someone who needs a full facelift. But for those who can do a mini facelift, minimal downtime, minimal incisions, great results. It’s a great procedure.