Mini Facelift: Procedure, Candidates & Recovery

What Is a Mini Facelift?

The term “mini facelift” (or “mini face lift”) really means a more flexible version of facelift surgery.

Facelift surgeries become more common for patients when there are fewer changes to the mid and lower facial regions (where there is more aging) such that a more extensive surgery is not required.

A lot of the time, inquiries of what is a mini face lift are in the hopes that this is a different surgery than a traditional facelift. This is a limited version of what can be done in facial plastic surgery, rather than a procedure with a specific definition.

The incisions can be shorter and less extensive, but the area in the face that is dissected can be less extensive, too. However, that in no way explains the deeper facial structures.

One of the surgeons might use a limited incision and work along the SMAS. But, someone else might do something totally different.

Patients require more than the procedure name to give informed consent. Where will the cuts be made? Which tissue will be extended? To what extent will the problem be corrected? Surgeries are often completely irreversible, and the patient should be given the opportunity to clarify their concerns at the maximum level.

If you are currently weighing facelift options in Turkey, please read our key facelift guide in Turkey for details on techniques, prices and recovery.

What Areas Can a Mini Facelift Treat?

A mini facelift is most effective for concerns related to the lower half of the face.

Early signs of jowling, mild sagging skin, loss of definition of the jaw, and skin laxity of the lower cheeks are typical concerns.

Depending on the specific mini facelift, some results may be seen in the upper neck area. A neck lift, however, is not a component of a mini facelift by default.

Also, the face and neck are not one Aesthetic region, though they are related.

There are also limitations to a mini facelift as a cosmetic procedure.

If the primary aging concern is around the eyelids, eyelid surgery may be more appropriate. Other concerns like surface pigmentation and skin quality are not improved by a facelift.

In a facelift, it may also be important to consider the degree to which the face has sagged.

Have the changes been mild or has there been more severe sagging of the entire lower half of the face?

Who Are Good Candidates for a Mini Facelift?

Age alone is not a determining factor.

Distinguishing two people’s ages may be difficult if they are the same age. Their aging signs can still appear different.

Mini facelift candidates may be those who are showing early signs of aging and have developed mild to moderate changes in their lower face. They may not yet require a more extensive facelift.

Early aging signs don’t necessarily create a requirement for the facelift.

A mini facelift is still a surgical procedure requiring a medical assessment of the person. Conditions, surgeries, medications, and overall health are factors that may impact the decision to go through with the surgery.

Consider what smoking may do. The nicotine may impact the healing of the wound.

People’s expectations are also a determining factor.

There have been patients who believed the mini facelift was more appropriate due to the less invasive nature of the surgery and the quicker recovery. This may be the thought process for some, but that doesn’t mean the mini facelift is the surgery that fits their anatomy.

Face Lift vs Mini Face Lift

More surgery is required with a traditional facelift than a mini facelift.

There are also more extensive incisions and an extensive area of tissue that a traditional facelift can cover.

A person demonstrating only early aging signs with early jowls may not require that amount of surgery.

There may need to be more extensive surgery for someone who is showing considerable sagging.

It becomes problematic when a smaller procedure is chosen simply because it is perceived as the easier option. A limited procedure is only capable of addressing and altering the structures that are within its reasonable grasp.

There is no reason to select a full facelift if it is not warranted, and the same reasoning can be applied for partial facelifts.

Mini Facelift vs Deep Plane Facelift

Mini facelifts and deep plane facelifts are not really procedures that exist on opposite ends of a spectrum.

The comparison is of a short procedure with a potentially longer one.

“Mini” typically indicates the size of the incision, whereas “deep plane” indicates the level of anatomy that the surgeon is dealing with.

That is a significant distinction.

It is possible for a procedure to have a short incision while still requiring extensive work on deeper structures. Short-incision deep plane facelifts are also a reality.

As such, a mini facelift does not automatically indicate a small operation, nor does a deep plane facelift automatically suggest a large procedure.

Repositioning structures of the face may be a more useful comparison when determining and differentiating the likely extent of facial aging and how much access the surgeon may need to correct it.

Where Are the Incisions?

Mini facelift incisions are typically shorter than the incisions associated with more extensive facelift procedures. However, exactly how much shorter they are can vary.

Some facelift procedures require incisions that extend behind the ear and into the scalp, while mini facelifts may be, for example, limited to incisions around the front of the ear.

The procedure determines the pattern.

Shorter does not equal scar-free.

If an incision is made, a scar will form. The prominent nature of a scar is dependent on the site of the incision, the pressure on the wound, individual healing, and many other factors.

It is better to know this information before the surgery rather than afterwards.

Our guide to facelift scars provides additional information about both incision placement and the healing process.

How Is a Mini Facelift Performed?

The mini facelift procedure starts with the appropriate form of anesthesia or sedation.

Incisions are made, allowing the surgeon access to the necessary tissues.

What happens next can be different.

Some mini facelift surgeries involve working with deeper supporting tissues, like the SMAS layer. In other surgeries, a different form of tissue suspension or a different form of tissue repositioning may be employed.

The tissues beyond the skin play a role as well.

After repositioning the tissues, excess skin is removed and the incision is then closed.

Since the same term can refer to multiple different surgical procedures done in different practices, the dissection that is done is also highly dependent on the procedure.

It is acceptable to inquire exactly what the term ‘mini facelift’ entails to the specific plastic surgeon.

How Much Does a Mini Facelift Cost?

There is no one set mini facelift cost that is applicable all over.

The cost of mini face lift surgery can vary based on how the surgery is done. Everything from the surgeon’s fees and the facility to anesthesia, the locality, and the extent of the surgery—these can all contribute to the total price.

It is possible that even the same surgeries can be performed with different extents of work.

To make a fair comparison, a limited surgery should be compared with extensive surgery.

To make matters worse, the cheapest offer is most often the least informative.

Before asking “how much is a mini face lift?”, patients should look at what the surgeon plans to do, the location of the surgery, and what the price includes.

For the international patient, travel adds a layer of complexity to price comparison. Post-operative care and transportation should be accounted for in addition to the cost of the surgery.

We will not repeat the cost and travel information specific to Turkey. Please see our other resources on cost and procedures for face lifts in Turkey.

What Is Mini Facelift Recovery Like?

A shorter recovery time is one of the reasons people are interested in a mini facelift.

The recovery time from a mini facelift is still shorter than from a full facelift, but it is still recovery from surgery.

The first few days, there will still be bruising and swelling. You may also feel tightness and changes in the sensitivity of the skin.

Some patients may still be required to have dressings. The surgical team will provide instructions for follow up and care for the dressings as well as activity restrictions.

The first week after surgery is usually the most noticeable.

The amount of bruising or swelling differs among mini facelift patients. The amount of swelling can also depend on the type of surgery that the patient had.

The amount of downtime also tends to be misleading. Someone can feel ready to return to their daily activities while significant swelling and bruising still remains.

Returning to work and the healing process are also separate milestones.

The different healing stages are also outlined in our facelift recovery timeline.

How Long Can Results Last?

A mini facelift truly doesn’t stop the aging process.

Although a mini facelift is a more conservative approach compared to a full facelift, the body continues to age and the mini facelift results will also change with time.

Skin quality, sun and cigarette exposure, weight changes, the amount of facelift correction, and the type of facelift surgery all play a vital role in the results of the facelift in the long term.

The type of initial facelift surgery can play a role in the results, too.

Facelifts can truly change the shape of the face and provide a more youthful look.

However, the amount of time that a mini facelift can provide a more youthful appearance is hard to determine.

When May a Mini Facelift Be Insufficient?

The issues surrounding the amount of improvement that a mini facelift can provide are not what truly matters.

The amount of improvement that a mini facelift can provide may not be enough when considering significant jowling, droopy skin, and advanced descent of the lower jawline.

Significant neck laxity can also change the plan.

An example of this is why patient selection is important with the limited facelift.

Another example is when the concern is in the wrong area.

A mini facelift is not appropriate for aging and prominent eyelids. Many concerns with the forehead should be evaluated with a brow lift.

Patients who have significant descent of the lower face should be comparing the mini facelift to the lower facelift.

A smaller incision is appealing, but in the end is only useful if the access is enough to treat the concern.

What Should You Ask During Consultation?

A good first question involves clarifying the terminology.

Patients may schedule a consultation to clarify these points before deciding on surgery.

What does a “mini facelift” entail?

Patients should expect more of an answer than a mini meaning smaller.

Patients should clarify what areas of the face are to be addressed, the placement of the incisions, the extent of the involvement of the SMAS, the deeper layers, and if the neck is addressed.

Patients should also ask why this specific procedure is to be performed and not other facelift options.

While this procedure is being performed, the consultation should also cover the patients health, the patients medications, previous surgeries, the patients smoking status, anesthesia options, recovery, and the potential for complications.

This procedure is being performed where and what are the potential complications? How long until the patient will be able to return to normal daily activities?

Analyzing before and after pictures is a helpful element of facial rejuvenation planning; however, these pictures must consist of patients that have similar problems and will still serve as examples and not as a substitute for the understanding of the surgical plan.

Final Thoughts

When the aging of the face has been assessed and is identified as being of a limited nature and occurs in a defined area, having a mini facelift makes sense.

That is the important part.

While easier recovery and smaller scars are important considerations, they come only after the justification for the surgery has been assessed and evaluated.

A mini facelift, full facelift, and deep plane facelifts are far from being small, medium, and large versions of the same surgery.

There are several different components of the surgical planning that the terminologies refer to.

Prior to the decision to undergo the surgery, the patient must know what the surgery will correct, what structures will be elevated, and what the incisions will be.

If the only thing that is known is that the surgery will be a “mini” facelift, a lot of questions are still waiting to be answered.

Medical Sources

• Facelift Candidates — American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
• Facelift Procedure Steps — American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
• Facelift Recovery — American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
• Facelift (Rhytidectomy): Procedure and Recovery — Cleveland Clinic.
• Review of 1,000 Consecutive Short-Scar Rhytidectomies — PubMed.
• Minimal Incision Rhytidectomy With Lateral SMASectomy — PubMed.
• Short or Minimum Incision Deep Plane Facelift/Rhytidectomy — PubMed.