312.642.5252
676 N. Michigan Avenue · Suite 3850 · Chicago, IL 606119100 Wilshire Blvd. · East Tower Penthouse · Beverly Hills, CA 90212
Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery
Are you starting to notice:
- Deepening nasolabial folds (from your nose
to the corners of your mouth)? - Drooping cheeks?
- Sagging jowls?
- Looseness in the skin under your chin?
These early signs of facial aging may be reversed with a mini-facelift. Many Baby Boomers—and even people as young as their 30s—
are turning to this quick procedure to get noticeable results with minimal downtime.
What is a mini-facelift?
A mini-facelift is an outpatient surgical procedure that rejuvenates the bottom third of the face as well as the jowls and neck.
This procedure:
- Is done under local anesthesia
- Takes only about an hour
- Costs up to 75% less than a traditional facelift
You can drive yourself home afterward, and recovery takes only a few days.
Mini-facelifts are also known as S-lifts or short-scar facelifts due to the incisions' shape and length. Some plastic surgeons call them weekend facelifts or quicklifts. One popular variation is the Lifestyle Lift® developed by David Kent, DO.
What are the advantages of a mini-facelift?
- Same-day results
- Minimum downtime
- Very little bruising or swelling
- Lower cost than a full facelift
- No general anesthesia or hospitalization
| How do mini-facelifts compare to traditional facelifts? | ||
| Mini-facelifts | Traditional facelifts | |
| Local anesthesia | General anesthesia | |
| 1-hour procedure | 3-5 hour procedure | |
| Very little bruising or swelling | Considerable bruising and swelling | |
| Recovery in 2-5 days | Recovery in 2-3 weeks | |
Who are the best candidates for a mini-facelift?
- Women and men with mild to moderate drooping of the jowl and neck skin.
- People whose facial bone structure is strong and well-defined
- Healthy adults from their 30s to their 60s
Who are not good candidates for a mini-facelift?
Keep in mind that the mini-facelift is most effective in treating mild to moderate drooping of the skin around the jawline. A mini-facelift will likely not produce the level of lift you require if you have:
- Severe drooping of the neck and jowl skin
- Drooping of the forehead or brow
During your consultation, Dr. Parungao will evaluate you and recommend the procedure that will best achieve the results
you want.
A mini-facelift also may not be right for you if you have:
- A tendency to form excessive scars or keloids
- Uncontrolled high blood pressure
- Blood-clotting problems
If you plan to lose more than 15 pounds, your weight loss could affect the results of a mini-facelift. It is better to wait until you've lost the weight before going ahead with surgery.
A mini-facelift can predictably improve:
- Minor sagging of the jowls and jawline
- Drooping cheeks
- Minor looseness of the neck skin
A mini-facelift can't predictably improve:
- The forehead or brow
- Drooping corners of the mouth
- Extreme excess skin, folds and loose muscles of the neck
How is a mini-facelift performed?
After administering local anesthesia, Dr. Parungao makes an incision starting at the base of the sideburn, curves down in an S shape and stops at the earlobe. A traditional facelift incision would begin higher and continue around the hairline and behind the ear, ending about two inches from the mid-back of the neck.
A mini-facelift elevates the facial skin and trims away loose, excess skin, which is highly effective in reversing the effects of jowling. And because a mini-facelift disturbs less tissue than a traditional facelift, it results in less bruising and swelling.
A traditional facelift, by contrast, extensively separates the facial skin from the underlying tissue and muscle—resulting in considerable bruising and swelling.
How fast is the healing process?
Faster than you might expect. Unlike traditional facelifts, a mini-facelift requires minimal healing time. Results are noticeable the day of surgery, and bandages are optional. You can expect to resume your normal activities after only two to five days of recovery.
What results can you expect from a mini-facelift?
It is important to realize that although a mini-facelift can produce very pleasing aesthetic results, it is a less-extensive procedure than a full facelift—and thus cannot be expected to achieve the same degree of lift as traditional facelift surgery.
Mini-facelift FAQ
Q. Is a thread lift the same as a mini-facelift?
A. No. A thread lift—sometimes also called a suspension lift or Contour Thread Lift®—is a non-invasive procedure that uses barbed facial suspension sutures to lift the skin. Because no loose skin is removed during a thread lift, the results are less predictable than those of a mini-facelift.
Also, thread lifts do not do anything to lift the underlying muscle and fat—they simply suspend the skin higher. Results can be expected to last up to two years.
Other variations of this technique include Loop Lift from Surgical Specialties Corp. of Reading, Pa., and the APSOS lift or Feather lift from Kolster Methods, Inc. of Anaheim, Calif.
Q. If I have a mini-facelift, does that mean I can't have a full facelift in the future?
A. No. Having a mini-facelift today will not rule out the option of having a full facelift—or another mini-facelift—in a few years.
Q. Will a mini-facelift remove the nasolabial fold?
A. No. A mini-facelift usually softens this fold, which runs from the nose to the corners of the mouth, but will not remove it.
Q. How long does a mini-facelift last?
A. The answers depends on many factors, including your age, race, skin type, genetics, smoking history and sun exposure. It is realistic to expect a mini-facelift to last about five years.
Q. Can a mini-facelift make me look 20 years younger?
A. No. The goal of a mini-facelift is to give you a refreshed, rejuvenated look. Remember that it is not realistic to expect the same degree of results from a mini-facelift as you could from a full traditional facelift.
Q. Will my mini-facelift leave a noticeable scar?
A. Whenever the skin is cut, it heals with a scar. Dr. Parungao will do everything he can to make your mini-facelift scars as inconspicuous as possible. Much depends on your body's ability to heal.
Please let Dr. Parungao know prior to surgery if you have a history of keloid or poor scarring. Your earlobes may also be pulled or stretched after a mini-facelift.
Q. Will a mini-facelift eliminate a turkey neck?
A. No. Although a mini-facelift can smooth out minor sagging of the neck skin, it cannot be expected to eliminate a turkey neck. A turkey neck would require a full facelift, and perhaps additional procedures such as a neck lift or platysmaplasty. Dr. Parungao will advise you on the procedure(s) he recommends for your specific needs.
Newsletters related to “Mini-facelift, s-lift, short-scar-lift, Chicago, IL”
May 2007Baby Boomers look years younger with mini-facelifts - May 2007
June 2007One Baby Boomers facelift story - June 2007
July 2007Making a smart decision on plastic surgery - July 2007
January 2008Mini-facelift vs Full facelift - January 2008
News releases related to “Mini-facelift, s-lift, short-scar-lift, Chicago, IL”
August 22, 2007—IPL Photofacials, Microdermabrasion, Tri-Luma(R) Cream Enhance Baby Boomers' Facelifts
A facelift may lift and tighten Baby Boomers' aging skin, but it can't improve the condition of the skin itself. Board-certified plastic surgeon and author Allan Parungao, MD FACS, recommends improving the skin's texture and reversing sun damage and melasma with IPL photofacials, microdermabrasion and Tri-Luma(R) cream.
July 25, 2007—Facelifts Help Aging Baby Boomers 'Reinvent Themselves'
Many Baby Boomers in their 50s and 60s are turning to plastic surgery to help them look as young as they feel. Oak Park, Ill. plastic surgeon and author Allan Parungao, MD FACS, notes that according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 65% of patients who had a facelift in 2006 were age 55 and older.
PDF version of Facelifts Help Aging Baby Boomers 'Reinvent Themselves'
May 30, 2007—Mini-facelifts Make Baby Boomers Look Years Younger with Minimal Downtime, Cost, Plastic Surgeon Notes
Oak Park, Ill. plastic surgeon and author Allan Parungao, MD FACS, notes that although American Society of Plastic Surgeons statistics show the number of traditional facelifts dropped 22% between 2000 and 2006, there was a 66% increase in minimally invasive procedures. More and more Baby Boomers are opting for less-invasive mini-facelifts.
A mini-facelift is a quick outpatient procedure that corrects minor sagging of the jowls and jawline, lifts drooping cheeks and reduces minor looseness of the neck skin.
> See more mini-facelift photos
Today, many women and men are looking for ways to look younger instantly—without surgery. If you'd like to rejuvenate your face, but aren't ready for a mini-facelift, Dr. Parungao offers several effective options:
- Juvéderm and Restylane are injectable hyaluronic acid facial fillers that add volume and restore moisture to the skin. These facial fillers can:
- Plump up the nasolabial folds that run from the nose to the corners of the mouth
- Fill in lines in the glabella, or the area between the eyebrows.
- Add natural-looking fullness to thin lips
- Diminish vertical lip lines known as “smoker's lines”
- Fill in acne scars and pits
- Botox Cosmetic ® is an injectable treatment that can visibly smooth and soften moderate to severe frown lines between your brows.
This information is merely an introduction to mini-facelifts. Your next step is to schedule a personal consultation with Dr. Parungao, where he will listen to your personal goals for rejuvenating your face, evaluate you and advise you on how you can best achieve the outcome you desire.
Questions? Call our office at 312.642.5252
We will be happy to answer your questions or schedule a consultation with Dr. Parungao.
Prefer e-mail?
Send your questions to: info@parungao.com
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