Do I Need a Facelift or a Mini-Facelift?
As one of the oldest and most renowned centers for cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery in the southeast, Atlanta Plastic Surgery, P.C. has always been on the forefront of research into the most advanced technology and surgical techniques. One of the most popular of these advanced plastic surgery procedures is the mini-facelift, and many men and women come to us asking if this procedure is right for them. According to statistics compiled by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), nearly 25% of the more than 125,000 facelifts performed in the United States in 2015 were mini-facelift procedures, and we suspect that percentage will only grow larger in the years to come. Two questions that we hear often are exactly how a mini-facelift differs from a traditional full facelift procedure and which approach offers the most natural looking results. Here are some helpful insights into this popular facial rejuvenation procedure that can help you decide which of these approaches is right for you.
A traditional full facelift procedure has long been considered the “gold standard” of facial rejuvenation. By removing excess, sagging skin and tightening the underlying muscles and tissues of the patient’s face, it can help reduce the appearance of loose skin folds in the neck and cheek areas and reduce the appearance of wrinkles across the entire face. However, not all patients age in exactly the same way and in many cases one specific area of the face may begin showing signs of facial aging while other areas of the face do not. For patients with more specific areas of concern, a mini-facelift is specifically designed to target only the bottom third of the face, from the cheek bones to the jaw line, and so is often a better choice for those who have not yet experienced sagging in either the forehead or neck. While still giving the face a more youthful appearance, the reduced scope of a mini-facelift means that less tissue is involved, so the entire procedure requires fewer surgical incisions and a significantly reduced recovery time. However, unlike a traditional full facelift, the effects of a mini-facelift typically only last between five and ten years, depending on the individual patient and various environmental factors. A mini-facelift is ideal for patients who want a less extensive surgical procedure, and non-surgical maintenance procedures such as injectable cosmetic treatments like Botox® and facial fillers or Sciton® laser skin resurfacing can often prolong the results, maintaining a youthful look for many years. By providing an additional option, a mini-facelift allows us to customize your treatment to your specific requirements and aesthetic goals, while a full facelift can provide generalized relief from several different signs of facial aging across the entire face and neck.
If you are interested in learning how a mini-facelift, a full facelift, or any of the other cosmetic plastic surgery procedures we perform at Atlanta Plastic Surgery, may be able to help you, please contact us in Alpharetta, or at one of our other Atlanta area offices located in Sandy Springs (Northside), Newnan, or Cumming, to schedule a consultation with one of the board certified plastic surgeons. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ for the latest plastic surgery news.
