Facelift Surgery (Mini & Full)

A facelift improves the appearance of aging facial skin by removing excess fat and sagging skin that has lost elasticity from the cheeks and lower portion of the face to the jawline and neck. It addresses concerns such as severe wrinkles, deep facial folds and jowls. The result is a younger-looking, refreshed, healthy face. It’s no wonder that a facelift is one of the most frequently performed cosmetic surgeries.

A facelift may be performed at the same time as a neck lift, forehead lift, eyelid lift, nose reshaping or chin surgery.

A mini-facelift firms the lower facial skin, improves jawline definition and refines the neck-chin angle. Because it is less invasive and not as extensive of a procedure, a mini-facelift is popular among people who are not quite ready for a full facelift, but would benefit from facial rejuvenation. This procedure may also be used as a follow-up procedure by people who’ve already had a full facelift.

Candidates for Facelift Surgery

Facelift surgery can be performed on men and women of a variety of ages. The techniques chosen depend on each unique individual and vary from a mini-facelift to a full face and neck lift. An initial facelift consultation includes an examination of a patient’s skin and underlying facial structure. During the consultation, it is important that patients openly discuss goals for surgery as well as disclose any medical conditions they may have or any medications they are taking that may affect their ability to heal after surgery.

Full Facelift

The Facelift Procedure

The facelift procedure takes several hours to complete. Dr. Giachino or Dr. Cromwell begin the surgery by making an incision just behind the hairline at the temples. If they are performing a neck lift in conjunction with the facelift procedure, the doctor sometimes makes a second incision beneath the chin. After separating the facial skin from the underlying muscle, Dr. Giachino or Dr. Cromwell remove excess fat and tightens the muscles. Then, they carefully tighten and smooth the skin, close the incisions and bandage the area.

After Facelift Surgery

After surgery, patients may experience some swelling, discomfort, or numbness. Any pain can be managed by taking medicine prescribed by Dr. Giachino or Dr. Cromwell, and resting with the head elevated can reduce swelling. Most patients are able to engage in mild activity a day or two after surgery and return to work in one to two weeks. While it may take several weeks for the face to recuperate after facelift surgery, the vast majority of patients are thrilled with their more youthful appearance.

Mini-Facelift

Aging alters the body in many ways, but nowhere are these harsh realities as visible as on the face. Coupled with the sun’s damaging rays, the aging process coarsens the texture of the skin, diminishes its youthful layer of fatty tissue, and causes the angularity of the face to be lost. As the skin makes its downward descent off the cheeks, jaw and neck, it pouches into unsightly bags and overhanging jowls. These outward signs often generate comments of tiredness and questions of sadness that really belie an inner vitality. The great value of a Mini-lift is that it can help counter this generalized facial sagging and give the face a more rested and youthful appearance. The procedure does not change you; it simply makes you look the way you did years ago.

The Mini-Facelift Procedure

You will only need local anesthesia, which is a relatively painless local injection of an anesthetic mixed with epinephrine to numb your face. The idea behind avoiding major anesthesia is so the patient will have a safer procedure and be able to go home right after. Dr. Giachino or Dr. Cromwell are an experts in keeping even the most anxious patients relaxed and comfortable. A Mini-Facelift removes excess skin and fat from the face and neck area through well planned incisions that start in the hairline and run down in front of the ear, up behind the ear. It repositions and supports the underlying structures and drooping fat, muscles and skin. The pre-operative analysis evaluates the quality of the skin, looseness at the jaw line, the angle from the chin to the bottom of the neck and the amount of fat and excess skin present in the neck area. The results are very dependent on the elasticity of the skin. If the skin has had extensive damage, additional procedures may be required. A Mini-Facelift can best correct skin laxity in the face and neck as well as contour problems caused by protruding fat.

How Long Does a Mini-Facelift Last?

In every face, regardless of the person’s age, some slack can be found. Following the procedure, the aging process continues and the skin loses more of its elastic properties. Gravity causes the loose skin to accumulate along the jaws, along the sides of the mouth and in the center of the neck under the chin. It is impossible to predict when – and to what extent – this may happen. Genetics, age, ethnicity, stress, illness and nutrition all play a role in how soon other Mini-lift procedures may be considered. However, on the average, it may be 10-15 years before you need any additional tuck up.

Mini-Facelift Recovery

By avoiding anesthesia, swelling and bruising is significantly reduced. You should be able to go out in public with the help of makeup within a few days, but this varies with each patient. It’s important to limit your activities for several days following your procedure. It will probably be 4-7 days before you can return to work.