The Difference Between a Facelift and Mini Facelift in Dallas

A facelift is a surgical procedure that tightens and smooths the facial skin. Drooping or sagging skin that is subject to wrinkling often becomes apparent once the individual reached a certain age. Properly performed, a traditional or mini facelift can produce excellent results that last for up to a decade. These days, modern techniques and advanced procedures in Dallas can effectively smooth the skin on the upper and lower portions of the face using specialized techniques.

We serve the entire Dallas area and will be happy to discuss the various facelift procedures with you during a consultation. The traditional facelift is still the preferred treatment for large areas of folding, creasing, or sagging, but the mini option is a simpler, less invasive procedure that can help smooth away wrinkle lines on the cheeks. The procedures differ slightly, and these differences will be discussed below.

Good Candidates

The individual should be in overall good health and have no severe skin conditions that could affect the outcome of the procedure. A positive attitude and realistic outcome expectations are important. This type of surgical procedure involves the use of sedatives, and certain medications need to be avoided in the weeks leading up to the treatment.

A traditional facelift will ease away wrinkling and creasing on the upper half of the face. Suitable candidates include those with sagging skin along the jawline, drooping along the corners of the mouth, and shadowy folds between the cheeks and the upper lips.

A mini facelift is designed to pull the skin upward and toward the posterior hairline. Those individuals whose main concern is wrinkling on the cheeks are excellent candidates for this procedure.

Traditional vs. Mini Lift

A traditional facelift is a relatively straightforward procedure. Well before this surgery is performed, the entire facial structure is examined in detail. Everyone’s muscle and bone structure is different, and the surgical design is based on the individual’s muscle size, strength, bone shape, and skin thickness.

A mini facelift is performed while keeping these same considerations in mind, and sometimes, a single incision is all that’s necessary to smooth the skin on the upper half of one side of the face. Less tissue is removed or repositioned as opposed to a traditional lift. However, a limited incision lift will not correct lower facial sagging such as folding along the jawline.

A Closer Look at the Traditional Procedure

A traditional facelift procedure begins with the administering of a sedative. The surgeon begins to pull the skin away from the subcutaneous tissues. The skin layers are raised upward so that fatty tissue and some muscle can be repositioned or removed. Special tools are used to loosen and remove fat and muscle. Excess skin can be removed. When all is said and done, fine lines are gone, and the folds and creases have also been eliminated. It takes some time and proper healing for the skin to bond permanently to the subcutaneous tissues once more.

The Mini Facelift Procedure

A mini lift is designed to correct more localized problems such as fine lines on the cheeks. As with a traditional lift, the procedure begins with the administering of a sedative. Unlike a traditional facelift procedure, however, the skin generally isn’t pulled away from the underlying tissues. Instead, a special tools are inserted into the incision. Several areas will need to have fat and muscle removed or repositioned. The skin is pulled upward and outward toward the incision line, the excess strip is removed, and the incision closed.

Generally speaking, this is a less involved procedure than a traditional facelift. It smooths away lines on the cheeks and brings about a more youthful, healthy contour to the surface. Recovery is also typically swifter than what is expected after a traditional surgery.

This option is becoming more and more popular with those individuals who feel that skin-smoothing is the main goal. It doesn’t eliminate large folds or creases, but many adults aren’t yet experiencing these problems.

What to Expect

During the initial consultation in Dallas, we will review the client’s medical history. We will check the medications being taken and advise which of these prescriptions should be modified in terms of dosage or active ingredients. Certain painkillers can cause unnecessary complications, so we will inform the client about which products should be avoided in the weeks leading up to the surgery.

After we have assessed the facial features, we will design a customized treatment based on the amount of loose skin, sagging, and creasing that needs to be corrected. We will inform the client whether a traditional or a mini lift is the best procedure for bringing about the desired results.

We can then schedule a date for surgery and give the client information that details proper skin care and other things in the days leading up to treatment. The client will have to have someone else on hand because the sedatives will prohibit driving home afterwards.

After the surgery is complete, the recovery period can begin. Normal activities can be resumed shortly as directed. This may be especially true if a mini lift has been performed. As previously stated, the skin will bond once more to the subdermal tissues in time.

Long-Term Benefits

Many of the skin rejuvenation treatment options in Dallas produce short-term results, and they need to be repeated at regular intervals. That’s fine for a while, but most of our clients come to us for advice about surgery because they knew that eventually they would desire something more permanent in terms of a fix.

A facelift, whether it be a traditional one or a mini lift, can produce results that last for many years. The procedure not only corrects sagging and drooping of the skin but also positively changes the overall facial contours for the better. Indeed, years can be taken off one’s appearance via this surgical procedure. However, it’s important to note that results vary.

Of course, the biggest benefit of a lift procedure is the elevated self-confidence that comes with the positive results. There’s nothing like a greater level of self-esteem when the facial features appear younger and healthier. After all, the whole idea of the surgery is to produce a positive cosmetic fix, and nothing accomplishes this better than a traditional or mini lift.

Combined with Other Treatments

During the consultation at our office in Dallas, the client may express concerns that cannot be addressed via this procedure alone. These problems could include sagging and wrinkling of the neck skin, sagging eyelids, and other issues. These problems can be fixed with other lift procedures or a completely different treatment.

If a traditional lift is performed, it will smooth skin as far down as the jawline, but a neck lift may be necessary to erase neck banding. This procedure is similar to a facelift in that the skin is pulled upward, and this eliminates wrinkling on the upper one-half of the neck. However, some additional procedures on the neck may also be required. In some cases, liposuction may be a good option for addressing problems with neck banding and neck skin folding because of the amount of fat that needs to be removed.

If a mini lift is performed but the client also wished to have the eyelids raised, blepharoplasty can be a good option. This is a sort of lift procedure that is performed on a much smaller scale. If horizontal banding on the forehead is a problem, it can be corrected at the same time a facelift is performed.

We will inform the client of all of their options during a consultation. The choice of procedures depends on the wishes of the client as well as the ability for us to reposition the skin to a certain degree.

An Important Reminder

A facelift, whether a traditional lift or a mini lift, isn’t going to completely change one’s appearance. The causes of sagging and drooping skin are usually fat buildup, a decrease in the amount of collagen and other proteins in the skin, and moisture imbalance. The surgeries described here will help improve the overall facial contours, but the skin health needs to be maintained by the client.

We can offer suggestions for this as well. Depending on the cause of skin wrinkling and sagging, we may suggest alternative treatments in combination with a lift procedure, or we may offer advice about skin rejuvenation treatments that should be considered after the surgery has been performed.

Having a positive attitude is the most important thing to remember. A facelift isn’t some sort of fountain of youth miracle, but it can dramatically change your outlook on life so long as you enjoy the positive results without being overly confident in how it will affect your personality. The procedure will not change your personality at all. It can, however, give you the self-confidence you’ve been lacking as soon as you realized you were looking older than you really are.

Our Team in Dallas is Here to Help

Here at Sule Plastic Surgery Clinic, Dallas we are experts in facial plastic surgery, and as this procedure has advanced, so has our ability to bring about results that meet or exceed our clients’ expectations. If you live in the Dallas area, you’re close to us. Learn more about the facial procedures, specifically the difference between a traditional and mini facelift, by scheduling a consultation. You might just be surprised at how easy it is to have this type of cosmetic surgery performed. You could take years off your appearance with this popular surgery and have a healthy, youthful look again. Contact us today to book your initial consultation and get started!