Mini Facelift Procedure

If you are bothered by early signs of aging in your face, a Mini-Facelift surgery may be right for you. Dr. Thomassen performs the procedure in our Fort Lauderdale Surgical Center under local anesthesia and oral sedation. This means you do not have to go to sleep for this procedure. It makes the recovery much faster with less side-effects and a more comfortable overall experience.

Is it right for me?

Typical candidates for a mini-facelift are patients are in their 40s or 50s who have noticed early signs of aging and wish to have very natural results with little downtime. In some cases, patients in the 30’s opt for this procedure if they have suffered significant weight loss that has resulted in excess skin.

A mini facelift is also a good option for older patients that may have had prior cosmetic surgery. It’s benefit include a quicker recovery. It may not be as aggressive for the neck region, but is enough to correct most issues.

A Mini Facelift is an excellent choice if you are:

• Healthy, without any conditions that would preclude doing surgery in an outpatient office setting
• Not excessively anxious about surgical procedures and therefore being “awake” during the procedure. Nonetheless, You are given oral sedatives which help calm you down.

Mini vs. Full Facelift

The difference between a mini face lift and a traditional facelift is that there is no incision below the chin in a mini facelift. In addition, there is no dissection in the midline of the neck. This results in less scar burden and less swelling in the neck. However, for patients that have excess neck fullness or significant excess neck skin and fat, a traditional facelift would be a better option to correct the neck.

The benefits of a mini facelift

• Less downtime than is necessary following a traditional facelift since typically it is done under local anesthesia, avoiding general anesthetics.
• Patients can see their results almost immediately.
• A minimal recovery time, which means that patients can return to social activities within 1-2 weeks of the procedure.
• The results attained through a mini facelift provide patients with a rested and revitalized appearance.
• It can be combined with a blepharoplasty, neck lipo, or temporal brow lift for a more comprehensive rejuvenation procedure

What does it correct?

• Sagging in the midface
• Deep creases along the nose extending to the corner of the mouth
• Fullness in the lower face
• Jowl fullness and marionette lines that are difficult to treat with only fillers
• Excess neck skin

Your Initial Consultation

During your initial consultation, Dr. Thomassen will discuss your goals for the procedure and ensure you are a good candidate.

Then, Dr. Thomassen will want to know about your medical history as well as information related to any medications, herbal supplements and vitamins you take on a regular basis.

To ensure you are healthy for the procedure, labs are ordered and an evaluation is done in our office. In some cases, medical clearance is requested from a primary care physician to ensure you have a safe experience.

What Happens During Mini Facelift Surgery?

Step 1 – Anesthesia

We give you medications for your comfort before and during a mini facelift procedure. This starts with oral sedatives that are given 5-10 minutes before the procedure. You then enter the surgical suite where you are prepped and draped for the procedure. At that point, local anesthetics are administered that numb up the area to be treated.

Step 2 – The incisions

For a mini facelift, incisions are typically made around the natural contours of the ear to make sure they are optimally hidden and once healed, barely visible. Every incision that Dr. Thomassen makes during a mini facelift is strategically placed to ensure that once they heal the remaining scars are not noticeable.

Step 3 – The Underlying Tissues Are Repositioned

Underlying tissue is repositioned by dissecting the SMAS layer of the face. The SMAS is treated with plication, flap elevation, or excision depending on your particular situation. Addresing the SMAS layer is an important part of the facelift to add longevity to the procedure. The skin is redraped over the uplifted contours and excess skin is trimmed away.

Step 4 – Closing the incisions

The incisions are closed with sutures, with care to result in a fine line closure that will heal optimally.

Step 5 – The Face is Bandaged

A compression dressing is placed after the procedure. This helps control postoperative swelling and reduce the risk of bleeding. Drains are always used and they will be protected by the dressings. You will keep this dressing on for 24 hours, at which time it will be removed in the office.

You will have your prescriptions ready and at home you can take your pain medication and antibiotic. Typically patients only need pain medication the first night and then they are comfortable with just a Tylenol here and there the ensuing week.

Step 6 – Recovery

The next day, the dressings and the drains are removed. At this point you will feel much more comfortable. A removable Velcro compression garment is placed to apply compression for the following week.

You can shower now and wash your hair. Your incisions are treated with an antibiotic ointment we had prescribed previously for you.

For this first week, we ask you to rest with your head elevated. No ice or cold compresses are used during the recovery as this can lead to poor blood flow to the skin and complications.

We also ask you to refrain from any physical activity for 1 whole week to avoid bleeding, bruising, or other complications.

The visible improvements of appear as swelling and bruising subside over the course of this first week.

Step 7 – Your First Follow-Up Visit

Dr. Thomassen removes the sutures about 1 week after the mini facelift procedure. There may be some sutures left behind if you are not completely healed. These are all removed in the 2nd visit 2 weeks from surtery.

Step 8 – Enjoy your results

The results of a mini facelift are visible almost immediately and will last from 5 to 10 years: Individuals who are vigilant about wearing sun protection and usually enjoy the benefits of their mini facelift longer.

If you are interested in learning more about a mini facelift or any of the other cosmetic procedures contact us today

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