What Is A Mini Facelift?

The Mini-Facelift is a version of the traditional facelift procedure that suspends your SMAS facial muscle and gives you a refreshed look. It is a cosmetic procedure that reduces signs of aging in the neck region and face. It involves making a small incision through which Dr. Cherup will make the necessary corrections to provide a rejuvenating effect on the jowls and the cheek regions while reducing procedure complications and post-op recovery time.

The aim of the mini facelift procedure is to help rejuvenate your face and give you a more youthful look. It can help lift the skin around your jawline and redefine sagging cheeks. It can also help tighten the underlying muscle and tissue structures while removing excess skin. The goal is to correct marionette lines, double chins, jowls, and midface sagging.

How Is Mini Facelift Performed?

For the mini facelift procedure, Dr. Cherup will start by making an incision at the hairline that extends behind the ear. Unlike in the deep plane facelift or SMAS facelift, the incision in the mini facelift does not extend into the upper forehead or temporal region. This is the reason why it is considered to be a far less invasive procedure.

Through this simple incision, the Dr. Cherup will be able to raise the SMAS muscle. During the procedure, the SMAS is raised and either imbricated or plicated. At the end of the procedure, the Dr. Cherup will close the incision using sutures. Dressings will then be applied to keep the treatment area secure and safe as it heals.

How To Prepare For A Mini Facelift?

Dr. Cherup will provide you with specific instructions about what you need to adhere to in order to properly prepare yourself for the mini facelift. Before the procedure, disclose all the medications and supplements you are taking. Dr. Cherup will advise that you to stop taking certain medications like ibuprofen and aspirin as they might lead to excessive bleeding. You will also be asked to stop using tobacco products and smoking for at least 4 to 6 weeks before the procedure.

Since a mini facelift is an invasive surgical technique that utilizes anesthesia, it’s important that you make prior arrangements to have someone with you to drive you back home from the facility.

What Is The Recovery Process After The Mini Facelift?

After undergoing a mini facelift, you can expect to experience some swelling and bruising in the treatment areas. These symptoms are temporary, however, and will subside. You will need to take one to two weeks off work to rest and recover properly. During this time, you should also avoid performing strenuous physical activities. You will be provided with in-depth post-surgical instructions that you will need to follow to ensure the best results possible.

How Much Does a Mini Facelift Cost?

The price of a mini facelift can vary from one patient to another based on the specific details of the procedure. Dr. Cherup carefully plans every mini facelift to best meet the needs of the individual. Once Dr. Cherup has determined the optimal approach to achieving your aesthetic goals, the cost of your procedure will be reviewed with you.

Contact Our Office

If you are considering a mini facelift in Pittsburgh, don’t hesitate to contact our office to schedule your informative consultation. Dr. Lori Cherup is a well-renowned leader in plastic surgery in Pittsburgh and will gladly help guide you through the entire process.

Dr. Cherup’s Opinion on Mini-Facelifts

When a 66 year-old patient looks at me and asks, “Can’t I just have a mini-facelift?”, I sigh heavily.

Mini-facelifts are a short-cut. They involve less-than-normal work for the surgeon, and result in less-than -normal improvement for the patient, and that improvement is clearly less long-lasting. Mini-facelifts involve less SMAS dissection, less skin flap undermining, and less suturing.

Mini-facelifts produce almost no deep anterior neck improvement, no improvement in the lateral neck, mild elevation of the jowls, and mild cheek plumping. A Mini-F does produce smoothing of the lateral cheek, some flattening of the nasolabial fold, and some tightening along the jawline. All of these effects are more dramatic with a traditional full facelift.

I would only recommend a Mini-F to a 39 – 54 year old with minimal skin laxity, with normal weight, and with adequate fat in their face. Deep defatting of the neck, correction of platysmal bands under the chin, filling of an empty anterior cheek, correction of horizontal neck bands, and any adjunct work such as a lip lift, fat grafting the tear troughs, blepharoplasties, and browlifts are NOT included with a Mini-F.

As a sidelight, I charge 20% less for a Mini-facelift than for a traditional facelift. It should be understood as a technique that produces acceptable results in ONLY young patients.