For many patients, facelift surgery provides a truly age-defying solution. As you further explore this procedure that smooths deep skin folds, tightens facial tissue and removes excess skin, it is important to recognize that there are several different types. Learn about each and how it is performed to decide which is best for you.

Mini-Facelift

If the signs of aging, including sagging skin and jowling, are mild and in their early stages, this less invasive form of aesthetic surgery may be exactly what you need.

Using a local anesthesia with sedation or general anesthesia depending on your unique situation, your surgeon typically makes incisions above each ear along your hairline or in the natural creases around your ears. Through these shorter cuts, your surgeon can tighten and lift your sagging facial tissues to minimize your jowls, make your jawline more pronounced and help you look younger overall.

Mid-Facelift

If you are in your forties or fifties and are finding that your cheeks are sagging or that you have skin folds around your nose and lips, a mid-facelift can help.

This procedure involves making small incisions inside your mouth and along your hairline to enable the surgeon to lift and reposition the lax fatty layers. Scarring is virtually nonexistent, lines around your nose and mouth are reduced and a rounder look is given to the cheekbones for a more youthful appearance.

Standard Facelift

If the signs of aging that bother you are more advanced and appear in your mid-face or neck, you might be a better candidate for traditional facelift surgery, also known as a deep plane facelift. Although recovery takes longer and the operation is more invasive, the results are quite striking.

Your doctor will begin behind the hairline at your temples and make incisions around the front of your ears, using the natural folds of your skin to hide the cuts. He or she will separate the skin from the muscles and connective tissues that lie beneath. This is done in order to remove excess skin and reposition your facial tissue, thereby smoothing creases, getting rid of jowling and leaving you with an impressively younger appearance. After the extra skin is removed, your doctor replaces the top layer over your restored facial tissue. Find out more about standard facelift surgery and other types of lifts.

Treating the Whole Face

Facelift surgery addresses the changes that occur in the lower two-thirds of your face due to the aging process. But what about the problems that radiate beyond your cheeks and jawline?

Although procedures that enhance the appearance of your eyes and forehead are not technically considered part of a mini- or traditional facelift, they can often be accomplished at the same time. This can also lead to a significant cost savings since you will not need to pay twice for anesthesia and operating room time.

Recovery From Facelift Surgery

In spite of the operation’s complexity, recovery is remarkably easy and fast for most people. That being said, swelling and bruising are normal, particularly for the first 10 days or so. Within two weeks, the majority of patients resume normal activities. Strenuous exercise can be started up after a month. With mid and mini-facelifts, recovery times are even faster.

Whether you have a traditional facelift or a mid- or mini-, you can expect the results to last for many years. No, these cosmetic procedures will not keep you from aging. However, you can expect to look years younger, particularly if you take good care of your skin and maintain a healthy, stable weight.