Mini Lifts

Facial Rejuvenation Non Excisional/Limited Excisions

There are many cosmetic procedures that Dr. Gentile can perform to fight or diminish the signs of aging, however none prove to be as extensive or as effective as the full facelift. Most patients who receive a facelift do so during their middle or late years, but facial maturity is present long before this time. Often, cosmetic injectable fillers are used in to temporarily fill in fine lines and wrinkles of the face, dermal fillers are especially helpful for lower eyelid depressions and folds alongside the nose and mouth.

People in their thirties and forties with preliminary signs of time and sun induced facial stresses may opt to undergo a mini-facelift surgery. This facial plastic surgery can prolong the need for more invasive, costly cosmetic treatments. Mini-facelift surgery, also known as the mini-rhytidectomy or weekend facelift is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that addresses specific areas of the face that tend to age at a rapid pace. As an alternative to these more invasive methods energy based techniques that were pioneered by Dr. Gentile including Smartlifting and the “New Necklift” may be effective in limiting surgery recovery and incisions.

Energy Based and Minimally Invasive Facial Rejuvenation Procedures

Dr. Gentile has been an innovator and pioneer in the development of non-surgical facelift techniques. The non-surgical or micro-invasive facelift utilizes laser and energy devices to elevate and reposition the brow, cheek, jowl and neck without a scalpel or excisional techniques. A non-surgical facelift involves a series of treatments using fractional Radiofrequency (RF) and fractional laser devices for superficial textural wrinkle reduction and non-ablative RF heating devices for tightening and repositioning of the facial tissues. Color correction IPL and photo rejuvenation applicators may be used at the same time to improve the color and tone of the skin to be lifted. The non-surgical facelift techniques are very reproducible and although they don’t replicate what you can achieve with a surgical facelift procedure, tremendous tightening and rejuvenation can occur without the risk of more open surgical intervention. The culmination of these techniques has resulted in the developed of the “New Necklift” which is a micro-invasive procedure which requires no long incisions and can produce near facelift results in a procedure lasting just more than an hour and can be done under local anesthesia.

The Mini-Facelift Plastic Surgery Procedure

A mini-facelift surgery can be performed manually through standard incisions or through more limited incisions, it may be performed endoscopically. The skin does not have to be fully removed from the face to expose muscle and fat. The key facial structures elevated during a mini-facelift surgery are saggy jowls of the lower jaw line that can create a frowning appearance; the marionette lines (or melolabial folds) that appear as deep parenthesis around the mouth, often drawn down toward the chin; excess skin that hangs from the neck, offhandedly referred to as the “turkey waddle”, “turkey gobbler”, or “turkey neck” because it resembles this feature of the bird.

Mini-facelift patients are placed under a local anesthesia, combined with sedation if necessary. The surgery takes less than two hours to perform, and the newly enhanced facial features immediately show a dramatic improvement due to the surgically raised, shifted, and removal of inner facial tissues. Sutures may be used to hold the delicate, reformed structures in place.

Recovering From the Mini-lift Surgery

Bandages that cover the treated areas to remedy swelling and promote an expedient recovery are removed during the first post-surgical appointment. The recovery period following a mini-facelift surgery is prompt, lasting three to five days on average. The term “weekend facelift” was derived from the idea that a patient could undergo the surgery on a Friday, and likely return to normal activities the following Monday. Very little pain is associated with the mini-facelift procedure, more so when performed endoscopically, as a lesser amount of tissues are disrupted.

Benefits of a Mini-Facelift Plastic Surgery

The mini-facelift is lower in cost compared to other facial plastic surgeries, including the facelift which is about more expensive. Younger patients may not yet wish to receive such dramatic changes to their face, and can opt to repair only the areas that need improvement. Cosmetic injections must be performed every few months for optimal results, but a mini-facelift is a one-time procedure with lasting benefits, which is yet another way the surgery is cost effective. The recovery period is brief and nearly pain-free, so regular activities can be resumed in just a few days, whereas most facial cosmetic surgeries require weeks of downtime.

Surgical risks are very low for this procedure for a number of reasons: there are only a few areas of the face that are surgically treated so less stress is imposed upon the body during healing, there is less manipulation of facial tissues which creates a very low probability for nerve damage, and the use of an endoscope exposes less tissue, which in turn lowers infection rates. The mini-facelift also ranks among some of the least invasive facial plastic surgeries available today.

If you are interested in receiving a “New “Necklift” set up a consultation to visit with Dr. Gentile to learn if you are a candidate for this new facial plastic surgery.