Mini Facelift vs. Full Facelift: Cosmetic surgery is an operation or medical procedure that enhances a particular body part. There are various reasons people opt for cosmetic surgery. For most people, it’s usually based on personal preferences and not medical reasons.
Facelifting is one of the common types of cosmetic surgery. It’s a medical process where some facial tissues are removed, replaced, and restructured to fit a particular way on a person’s face. While most facelifts are traditional, there’s 3D facelift. This innovative procedure aims to revitalize the skin by adding a 3D filler together with bio-compatible collagen threads.
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What Is A Facelift?
A facelift is a cosmetic surgery performed on people who want to reduce the presence of aging tissues around the face. It’s a surgical procedure known as rhytidectomy, which follows the medical process of removing wrinkled skin tissues, smoothening, and replacing them with newer tissues. It’s often done around the ear and hairline. While it differs from brow and eye lifts, patients can request to do them during a facelift.
Before getting a facelift, patients need to guarantee that they’re in good medical condition to avoid aggravating issues and causing any interference with the post-op healing process.
Types Of Facelift: Mini And Full Facelifts
Many medical practitioners have different opinions on the types of facelifts. But primarily, there are two types, namely mini and full facelifts.
- Mini Facelift: This is a less invasive version of getting a facelift. For a mini facelift, the plastic surgeon removes sagging skin tissues without causing much scarring. An incision is done through the hairline to the jawline, gently pulling the skin, replacing wrinkled tissues and tightening the facial skin.
- Full Facelift: Full facelift is a total facial rejuvenation that involves removing aging folds, excess facial fats, wrinkles, and sagging around the face. Here, the surgeon improves the face, from aging to a more youthful appearance.
Differences Between The Two Facelifts
The decision to go for either mini or full facelifts is dependent on factors, like age, need, and risk tolerance level. Before you choose, learn about the differences between them:
1. Medical Procedure
The mini facelift is a less surgical procedure for rehabilitating facial skin. This type of facelift only focuses on a particular area on the face where the lift is required. During the procedure, less facial tissue is removed and modified. There’s less dissection, incision, and cutting. It’s a good option for those who need a partial facelift.
A full facelift is a comprehensive facelift method where the entire face (midface and full neck) goes through a surgical process. Cosmetic surgeons remove excess aging tissues and fats and replace them with a tighter skin tissue that gives the whole face a younger look.
2. Recovery Process
During post-op recovery, a mini facelift heals faster. The reason for this is that the process is less invasive and is only carried out on certain parts of the face. The stitches after a mini facelift stay up to 10 days before you can return to the surgeon.
The incision on a full facelift is more profound than a mini facelift. Since more skin tissues are affected during the process, the healing of the wound requires time. The healing process involves taking pain medication, caring for the scarring, and taking intensive medical care.
3. Longevity Of Facelift Effect
Facelifts are usually performed for a long-lasting result. But its ability to last longer depends on the aging process, patient, weight changes, and exposure to the sun. Since mini facelifts are less invasive, there’s a tendency that the results will not last for a long time, depending on the patient’s aging process.
Full facelifts last longer. Since it involves a complete overhaul of excess skin fat, aging folds, and wrinkles, the result is evident on the patient for a lengthier period.
4. Cost-Effectiveness
Generally, mini facelifts are cost-effective and less expensive since it’s a less invasive medical procedure. This surgical procedure is budget-friendly and recommended for people looking for cheap, unnoticeable facial reconstruction.
Getting a full facelift costs twice or thrice what it’ll cost to get a mini procedure. The process requires extra effort, carefulness, attention and takes a longer time to complete. Indeed, this is how the cost is determined.
5. Purpose For Getting A Facelift
Another area where both facelift procedures differ is the purpose. Candidates who opt for a mini facelift do so for many reasons. Some of the reasons include minor enhancement on a particular area and cost.
For a full facelift, it’s usually due to the need to completely address an aging look, remove excess facial fat, and rebuild the face structure.
6. Operation Time
Clearly, a mini facelift and a full facelift don’t take up the same length of time. Due to minor incision and dissection involved, a mini facelift will not take time to complete.
A full facelift, on the other hand, consumes more time than required. Understandably, since the process is more detailed and involves many incisions, the surgical time is longer. It takes up to a few hours to complete.
Conclusion
While a facelift is available for everyone, it’s essential to know the different types and how they function before scheduling an appointment. It’s also imperative to consult a physician and make inquiries on every piece of information.
