As the popularity and interest in cosmetic surgery grows, particularly among a younger patient demographic, there is an increased interest in procedures that offer results but with reduced risk and downtime. The mini facelift promises a great deal – facial rejuvenation with minimal hassle – but is this possible?
London facelift expert Mr Alex Karidis discusses why the mini facelift has become so popular.
Everybody’s quite happy to accept having a ‘mini facelift’ as opposed to a ‘full facelift’. There’s a stigma associated with facial rejuvenation surgery, and partly, this is an ageing thing. You can say to people, I only needed a mini one; I didn’t need a full facelift.
Who is suitable for a mini facelift?
There’s a mini everything, and if you’re subtly aged and don’t need much doing, you may be suitable for a mini facelift. But then you could argue, if the ageing is minimal, why are we doing anything? You can use other modalities to address the early signs of ageing, such as Ultherapy or even dermal fillers.
Why go under the knife at this stage? You’re still typically having a general anaesthetic; there are many of the same risks, and the scarring is not that different between a mini facelift and a standard facelift.
What is the difference between a full facelift and mini facelift?
During a full facelift, we make incisions around the ear and then lift the skin away to address the facial muscle layer, known as the superficial musculoaponeurotic system or SMAS, across the width of the mid-face. With a mini facelift, you may just be peeling back the skin in the area directly in front of the ear, but the incision is still similar.
If you’re not addressing the SMAS layer, you’re relying on skin tension to hold everything in place, but typically this will give relatively quickly. You’re often back to square one at the end of six months.
A mini facelift might not be as expensive as a full facelift, but you’ve still paid a reasonable amount of money, you’ve had to endure some downtime, and you have a scar now, but often you don’t have anything to show for it after six months or a year.
Why has the mini facelift become so popular with patients and surgeons?
The problem is a mini facelift sells. It ticks a lot of boxes for people, particularly if you’re apprehensive about having something done in the first place. It often appeases friends and family that you’re ‘only’ having a mini facelift.
It’s also very popular with surgeons who do not necessarily have the skill and experience to do a full facelift. You get somewhat less technically skilled surgeons offering it because they know they can do it adequately and safely and are still getting a good amount of money from it.
Timing in surgery is everything. If a patient’s ageing is not that advanced, it might be worth considering other minimally invasive procedures first. You’re still creating scar tissue that could affect the results of any future surgery. But, if ageing is more advanced, a full facelift will give you better results and, ultimately, the longevity that you want.
To find out if you’re suitable for facelift surgery, call 0207 432 8727 to arrange a consultation with Mr Alex Karidis.
