Mini Facelifts
A question that comes up quite often in my consultations is what is a “mini lift” and am I candidate? Of course everyone thinks that they are a candidate and that they only need “just a little lift right here.” Can plastic surgery be the answer? The answer is dictated by anatomy. If only a few things are out of position then a minimal facelift can fix the problems. If a lot of things are out of position then a full facelift is needed.h.
The mini-lift has been around for a long time. As a matter of fact the first facelifts almost 100 years ago were actually more of a mini lift. The surgeon made and incision in the sideburn and just around the ear then they lifted up just an inch or so of skin, trimmed it and stitched it back in place. Over the years facelifts have become more aggressive and involved with many variations. Most of these involve incisions in front of, around and behind the ear. After that there are many variations of the minimal lift: lifting all the skin of the face and neck, lifting the muscle layer, tightening the muscle layer, lifting everything up off the bone and many other combinations of these.
What is a “Mini Lift?”
The mini facelift fell out of popularity for many years because the thought was if you are not ready for a full facelift don’t do it. Some doctors only did the mini lift on selected patients. In the last 10 years, however, the mini lift has become more popular again. The basic principle is the same: a short incision that barely goes around the ear. The difference with a mini facelift today is that a lot more has been added to it as a procedure. Often it’s combined with some liposuction. It’s almost always done with some management of the muscle layer, the SMAS. This can be either done with sutures or by removal of some tissue. Recently, purse string type sutures have been quite popular. A purse string suture is like the top of a laundry bag. It goes into circle and when tightened pulls everything together in a smaller circle. There are many different types of what we refer to as the “mini lift” – the MACS lifts, S. lift, lifestyle lift, K. lift, quick lift, quill lift. They are all variations on the same minimal facelift: short incision muscle tightening and a small to moderate amount of skin removal.
So, who is a candidate for a minimal facelift? Most candidates are in their forties or fifties, although some people in their early sixties might be. The biggest factor is the the skin of the neck. If there is no loose skin or bands in the neck then a mini lift will work. If there is extra skin in the neck or bands of muscle then a mini facelift will give minimal results in the neck. A mini facelift improves jowls, facial wrinkles, and may give a little result in the neck.
In the past plastic surgery was an all or nothing process for facial rejuvenation. You either had a facelift or you didn’t. Now there is a continuum out of options starting with skincare, fillers, Botox, Thermage, Fraxel, mini lift and then finally full facelift, brow lift and eyelid surgeries.
The only way to know where you are on that scale is to have an actual evaluation by an experienced plastic surgeon to determine if a mini lift or facelift is right for you. Whether you are a candidate for a mini lift, by starting early you can stay lower and longer on that continuum.