Surgical Face Lift
The Mini Facelift or surgical face lift surgery is known by several other names including an S Lift or short scar face lift and as the latter name suggests the cosmetic procedure tightens the face tissues using a less invasive technique than a full facelift.
By using different techniques the mini facelift or surgical face lift can achieve very similar results to the traditional procedure but with less scaring and, as a result, a reduced recovery time and less cost!
Surgical Face Lift Surgery
After consulting with you to understand how and where the incisions and lifts will be made your plastic surgeon will have you anaesthetised by general anesthetic before making a cut around your temple area. This could be close to your hairline or within the hair itself, and it will be made all the way down to the ear. The best path for the incision will be chosen by the surgeon to best reduce the scarring from your mini face lift procedure.
From this point the skin will then be lifted and stretched back before being stitched back up again and any excess skin will be snipped off in the same way it would be with a full facelift, only there is much less lifting and stretching involved in a mini facelift, which means less healing and less recovery time.
Surgical Face Lift Risks
Every surgery presents a certain amount of risk, irrespective of what procedure you are having and this can include things like bleeding, blood clotting, bruising, infection, a bad reaction to anaesthesia, scarring and swelling.
With a mini facelift you also face the risk of broken capillary blood vessels, a loss of colour to the stretched area of skin (which usually corrects itself), a stiffness in the face muscles, nerve damage, numbness and possible hair loss, which is rare.
Although there are risks associated with the surgical face lift surgery the good news is it is safer than a full face lift and can have a dramatic effect.