Can I get a Minifacelift?

It’s normal to want to look youthful today. While in the past, many would keep that desire to themselves, the influence of social media and particularly celebrities embracing getting treatments, now more people are open to discussing and getting rejuvenation treatments. We are living and working longer. Many people are also healthier—either due to better lifestyles or advances in medical treatments. Unfortunately, while you may be more healthy, active and productive, you are still at the mercy of aging. What you see in the mirror doesn’t match what you feel inside. The increased acceptance of rejuvenation has resulted in the explosion of the beauty industry. Fillers, threads, and numerous energy based devices have flooded the market and can make decision making challenging for the average person. Unfortunately for many people, the rejuvenation desires requires LIFTING your sagging tissue. Fillers and so only so much. Threading is popular but also not a great treatment. In my opinion, the best option is a surgical option—surgically lifting the face. But surgery is also the least popular option. Most people are apprehensive regarding getting cut on, along with the risks involved. Bleeding, scarring, nerve injury, potentially looking unnatural are all common fears. You may say what about a mini facelift. A mini facelift suggests “smaller,” “ less aggressive,” etc. with less risks. The answer depends on what degree of aging you have.

If you just have early jowling or sagging at your jawline, and no issues with your neck, then you may be a great candidate for a mini facelift. You should know that the term mini really depends on what the particular surgeon you are seeing means by “mini.” Because there are no standardized international or national classification for terminology, different surgeons may mean something different when they advertise a “mini facelift.” The best advice is to see the surgeon and discuss your goals and concerns. Then ask if his or her minifacelift is a reasonable option for you. In my practice, a mini facelift basically describes a smaller incision compared to my usual lower facelift. In my practice, the typical lower facelift requires a large incision extending from your temple or hairline, around the ears and into the posterior scalp hairline on both sides. In addition, I usually will make a 3-3.5 cm incision under your chin to gain access to your neck structures. AS you can imagine, the incisions are fairly extensive and can sound a bit scary. A mini facelift just extends from the temple hairline, around the ears and ending just behind your earlobes. So my mini facelift is much smaller incision. But because the incisions are smaller, that then limits my access to the key structure to lift—the Superficial musculoskeletal aponeurosis (SMAS). Thus, the key determinant of whether you are a good candidate for minifacelift is the target for your sagging tissue. If you are just bothered by the jowling and want a sharper stronger jawline like you had when you were younger, AND have no neck concerns, then you are likely a great candidate for a minifacelift. A mini facelift will effectively resuspend the SMAS and result in a more natural youthful appearance. In my opinion, a mini facelift is the best way to achieve a natural youthful result. Fillers can only do so much to lift before real risk of overfilling and giving you an unnatural result. I’m not a big fan of threading. The concept may seem good, but – as a surgeon—I have a hard time accepting this dissolvable thread has the strength to lift the sagging heavy jowling you may have. Furthermore, I ‘ve heard from unsatisfied patients that the results only lasted a year or less. The experience was painful for many. A minifacelift result will last about 8-10 years. Many of my patients conclude that it’s actually more cost effective to do a minifacelift than going back every year for threads, energy devices and spending thousands of dollars a year.

Energy based devices (EBDs)are also very popular in the world. Popular devices include Morpheus, Ultherapy, TriLift, FaceTite, etc. The idea you can get sagging tissue lifted without surgery is very appealing. But you have to realize that these devices have a real failure risk—anywhere from 20-40% failure. Good marketing campaigns will show you nice results but these are often just a few months after the procedure. You know you have met an honest provider if he or she counsels you on this very real failure risk. Many people are willing to accept a high failure rate to avoid surgery and possibly look more youthful. Also, ask to see long term results from these devices. Another very important factor to realize about these devices is that they are purposely causing injury under your skin. The reason is these devices are counting on contracture caused by injury to achieve enough pull to give the result you are looking for. But the injury under the skin is real and has potential to destroy or weaken structures. My experience is confirmed by observations and talks by master surgeons. The skin, SMAS and other tissue are definitely altered by these devices. You can still lift the SMAS, but there is real risk of the SMAS being more flimsy. This results in less aggressive lift because the SMAS starts to tear when I’m pulling to achieve the goal of the patient.

So, if your primary concern is the jowling around the jawline, you might be a great candidate for minifacelift. If you have some neck concerns, depending on the degree of aging and skin tone, sometimes a liposuction can achieve enough improvement. In my experience, the typical mini facelift candidate are usually in their mid to late 40’s to early 50’s. The best way to determine if you are a candidate is to see a board certified facial plastic or plastic surgeon. An in-office consultation allows the surgeon to carefully examine your face and neck and see whether you are a good candidate for a mini facelift.

For more information about San Antonio facelift surgery, please visit our interactive website at www.dryuplasticsurgery.com. Dr. Kenneth Yu Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery is a qualified team of experts serving the San Antonio, Texas area. To schedule a consultation, please contact our Concierge Patient Coordinator at (866) 574-1719 or info@dryuplasticsurgery.com.