Once we get to a certain age–and that age can be different for all of us–trying to recapture youthful looks using just topical treatments simply doesn’t work. When our skin is younger, we can get a lot of benefits from scrubs, serums, and creams, but eventually, those things just don’t give us the returns they used to. There are many high-tech treatments available that can even take us further, but none of these can actually mimic the youthful look you can achieve with a mini facelift. At Georgia Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in Marietta, GA, we offer this fast, effective procedure to help you achieve your goals.
What Happens in a Mini Facelift?
A mini facelift is a way to get many of the benefits of the traditional full facelift but without the long recovery times and the greater expense of a more invasive procedure. While it’s true that there are some things a mini lift can’t address as well as a full facelift, this procedure fills an important gap. It provides excellent results for many people for whom a full facelift is just too much but who can no longer get the results they want from topical and other simpler treatments alone.
To understand if this is right for you, you should know a bit about what to expect. Your facelift process starts with a consultation before you move on to the process itself. We’ll outline all of it for you here.
The First Step: Initial Consultation
This is your first appointment, and during this time you’ll talk with one of our highly trained and experienced surgeons, as well as some of the other staff, to outline your goals and find out more details about how a mini lift could help you. During this time, we’ll also be able to examine your face and hear first-hand about the symptoms that concern you. This will enable us to make the best plan to get you the results you’re looking for. We’ll also consider your current health, your general medical history, and learn about any medications and supplements you are taking. The goal is always to get you the best possible outcome and to do it safely!
A mini lift isn’t just a run-of-the-mill surgical procedure. It’s also partly an art form. The experienced professionals at Georgia Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery know how to help you look younger, but to look younger naturally. No one wants to end up looking frozen, pulled, or as if they have “had work done.” That’s why we are careful to analyze your appearance and create a treatment plan personalized for you. We may also suggest other options the complementary treatments that could help you achieve the results you’re really looking for.
On the Day: The Lift Process
Once you’ve had your consultation, we’ll set up an appointment for you to come and have your lift. The full process includes a few steps, but the good news is that there’s not much you have to do. For the most part, your job is to come dressed comfortably and excited to turn back the clock on your looks!
Following Pre-Treatment Guidelines
There are just a few things we’ll ask you to do in the lead-up to your mini facelift. We’ll make sure you have a full list of pre-treatment guidelines before the day, but mainly these will cover things like avoiding certain over-the-counter medications for a few days before the procedure and arranging for someone to drive you to our office and take you home when you’re finished.
Sedation
When you have a mini lift, there are two ways we can go about giving you sedation. With general anesthesia, you are fully sedated throughout the procedure and are aware of nothing. However, some people either cannot use general anesthesia or they simply prefer not to.
With a mini lift, it’s also possible–and often preferable–to use a local anesthetic, which completely numbs the area, together with more mild sedation that just enables you to relax. We’ll talk about the options at your consultation.
The Procedure
A mini lift is a fairly simple and straightforward procedure to understand, though it takes experience and a sense of artistry to do it well. Generally, we make a small, s-shaped incision near your ear, which allows the incisions to be hidden easily.
This is the main point for the lift, though it’s possible that another very small incision could be needed near the chin, depending on your goals. We then redrape your skin towards the incisions site and trim away excess skin. Once we’re finished, we close the incisions, and the whole thing takes just a few hours to complete.
Following Post-Treatment Guidelines
You’ll get the best results–and see your final results fastest–if you’re able to follow all post-treatment guidelines. Once your procedure is finished, you will likely notice first that we’ve dressed the incisions with bandages and possibly with drains. We’ll let you know exactly what to do to take care of your skin post-procedure, and this will include instructions about how to clean the incisions and how to sleep in an elevated position for the best results.
You’ll need to limit your activities for a few days after your procedure, just to give your skin a chance to heal and your body a chance to rest. Remember that your body does its best healing and rejuvenation work when you’re asleep, so take this time to rest and sleep as much as you can for the fastest and best results.
We recommend that you have someone available to be with you for the first few days, and if you have children or even active pets, it’s a good idea to arrange for some childcare or pet-sitting help so that you’re free to concentrate on your recovery. The main part of your recovery takes place in the first week after your procedure, and you should be able to get back to your full routine of exercise, work, and busy life in just a few weeks.
What Are the Benefits of a Mini Facelift?
The most obvious benefits of a mini lift are that it requires fewer incisions than a full facelift and it has a speedier recovery period. There are other benefits, however. You can expect your mini lift to provide you with:
- Lifted skin in the jowls
- Minimized appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
- Tightened skin on the chin and jawline
- Minimal to no scarring
Mini lifts normally require less sedation than full facelifts, which means a shorter process overall, less scarring, and a lower cost. Mini lifts are only a fraction of the cost of a full facelift, yet they provide many of the same, long-lasting results. And, a mini lift can still be tailored to your exact needs.
How Long Will a Mini Facelift Last?
A mini lift tightens the skin in the mid-face in particular, allowing you to look younger, with smoother skin and fewer wrinkles and lines. It’s natural to wonder how long you’ll enjoy these benefits! The good news is that the results are expected to last for at least five years. Some people even see results lasting 10 years!
It’s hard to predict the exact timeline for any individual, however, because each person’s natural rate of aging is different. Your results will also depend on your age and skin condition when you have the lift, and, to a lesser degree, your lifestyle post-treatment.
While there’s not much you can do to really extend the results of a lift, there are things you can do to ensure your results don’t fade prematurely. These include:
- Avoid excess alcohol
- Stop smoking (and any other form of tobacco use)
- Protect your skin from the sun and from tanning beds
- Keep up a healthy skincare routine
- Eat well and stay hydrated
- Get plenty of sleep and exercise
Is a Mini Facelift Right for You?
If you’re interested in this procedure, there’s a good chance you’re a good candidate. The best candidates are typically over 40 and are experiencing signs of aging and skin laxity, often a bit earlier than they might have expected. These including sagging or lax skin under the chin or on the jowls or cheeks and fine lines and wrinkles around the mouth. This procedure is the perfect choice for a natural, long-lasting treatment that doesn’t require you to come in every couple of months for injections or other temporary treatments.
You may also be wondering whether to choose a mini lift over a full facelift. The main question is the degree of skin laxity you’re seeing. A full facelift is a perfect procedure for some people, but for others, it’s just too much. The goal is always to look younger, but to stay looking perfectly natural, and that means some people will get the best results from one procedure over the other. That’s why it’s so important to come to talk to us. We can help you understand exactly what’s right for you.
We can help you identify exactly what it is about your face that you’re not happy with and then develop a tailor-made approach to get the results you’re looking for. What’s right for you may not be what’s right for someone else, and we want you to have the results, and the look, that is right for you.
Can You Combine a Mini Facelift With Other Treatments?
A mini lift addresses a very specific set of appearance goals. For some, a mini lift is all that is needed. For others, the lift might only address some of their appearance concerns. That’s one of the benefits of this procedure–it’s easy to come up with a plan that will address all your goals. A necklift, rhinoplasty, or eyelid surgery might be appropriate. Dermal fillers and other injectables or skin-rejuvenation techniques might also help.
If you’re interested in what you can combine with a mini lift, come talk to us. We’ll help you outline a treatment plan that will address all of your concerns and get you the outcomes you’re looking for. Our goal is to meet your goals with professional, comprehensive, and compassionate care.
Learn More or Get Started Today
Are you concerned about early signs of aging? Do you want to give a youthful boost to your appearance? Do you want a solution that delivers reliable, long-term results? A mini lift could give you exactly the results you’re looking for. Contact us today at Georgia Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in Marietta, GA to set up an initial consultation. Our team would love to meet you and help you set up a plan that will fit your lifestyle while allowing you to accomplish your appearance goals. We look forward to meeting you soon!
