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Wrinkles, fat deposits, and jowls can make you appear years older than your natural age. If you have noticed these problems are starting to affect your appearance, a cosmetic procedure known as a facelift can help you reverse visible signs of aging.
Facelift is just a general term used to describe any cosmetic procedure that corrects signs of aging by tightening the skin around the neck, jowls, and cheeks. There are actually three different types of facelift procedures you can choose to have performed by a cosmetic surgeon. The type of procedure you have performed will depend upon how you wish to alter your appearance and what types of problems need to be corrected.
Help determine which facelift procedure is right for you by learning more about the three main procedures offered by Sunrise Facial and Oral Surgery. The three facelift procedures offered are abbreviated facelift, mini-facelift, and a full facelift.
The Abbreviated Facelift
An abbreviated facelift is least invasive and least involved cosmetic procedure of the three facelift procedures. Ideally, it is designed for patients who are just beginning to notice visible signs of aging are starting to appear on the face, neck, or cheeks.
Abbreviated facelifts can correct very minor visible signs of aging such as very fine lines, shallow wrinkles, and smaller sized jowls. These signs of aging are corrected by having a cosmetic surgeon make a very small incision near the front and back of the ears. Once the incision is made, the skin is tightened by gently lifting it.
Some benefits of the abbreviated facelift include:
- Very effective at minimizing visible signs of aging before they become too severe
- Minimal scarring as the incision is made right along the body’s natural crease near the ears
- Short procedure time – the procedure only lasts about two hours
- Quick recovery time – it takes approximately seven to ten days to recover
The Mini-Facelift
A mini-facelift is a slightly more complex cosmetic procedure than the abbreviated facelift. It is still less involved than a full facelift, but its more complex design helps relieve deep or more advanced signs of aging. Common signs of aging that the mini-facelift can correct include deeper wrinkles that are more visible, fat deposits that seem to have settled or developed near the chin, and larger jowls.
The mini-facelift procedure is performed exactly like an abbreviated facelift. The same technique is used and incisions are the same. The only difference is the amount of skin that is tightened. More skin is lifted and tightened. By lifting more skin you are able to have the more advanced signs of aging corrected.
Benefits of the mini-facelift procedure include:
- Ability to correct advanced signs of aging without having to go through with a complex and involved full facelift
- Short procedure time compared to a full facelift
- Recovery time of approximately nine to twelve days
- Incisions are made so there is minimal scarring
A Full Facelift (Traditional Facelift)
The full facelift, which is sometimes referred to as a traditional facelift, is a full surgical procedure designed to dramatically change their appearance. Typically, if a patient is having a full facelift performed they will also have other procedures, such as a necklift or browlift, performed so their entire appearance is altered or changed to reverse visible signs of aging.
The complex nature of the full facelift allows it to correct advanced signs of aging that cannot be easily corrected with the less intense facelift procedures. Advanced signs of aging which have been corrected with a full facelift include extremely deep wrinkles, years of fat deposits that have accumulated under the chin, banding near the neck area, and heavy jowls.
Benefits of a full facelift include:
- Results are impressive and dramatic
- Results tend to last longer than other procedures
- Multiple procedures, such as a browlift or necklift, can be performed at the same time to correct more than just the cheeks, face, and jowls.
There is a downside to the full facelift: the recovery time. Recovery time for a full facelift will vary but the average time is two to four weeks.
Curious to see how a facelift can help you reduce visible signs of aging? Call Sunrise Facial and Oral Surgery today to schedule a facial cosmetic surgery consultation. During the consultation our surgeon will talk to you about your expectations and help you determine what facelift option is right for you.
