“the so-called mini-lift which goes by a lot of names some doctors name their particular brand after themselves and that’s fine first of all is not new. we who have been in this work for decades have seen these types of procedures perhaps under different names come and go. they are predicated upon trying to achieve a certain amount of lift through a less-invasive surgical procedure indeed done through shorter or hidden incisions. the disappointment which is pretty consistent i must say has been that it doesn’t last. so the old saying is that a half hour operation or an operation that lasts less than 4 or 5 hours is probably going to last less than 6 months and there’s a disappointment and for a very sound reason. unless you free up enough skin and slide it and tighten it up and stitch it you’re not going to get long lasting results. there really are no shortcuts here. so basically the reason why the operation is appealing yes short incisions less swelling less down time perhaps less discomfort. but the flip side is less of a result and you’ll be back a lot sooner than if you had a standard traditional well accepted well performed face and often neck lift because the big victory in face and neck lifts it’s in the neck. it’s where the jaw line meets the neck line that’s where the age starts to show. so yes it seems nice to have a little tightening here in the cheeks and perhaps in front of the ears but that doesn’t do anything for the more critical area far away from the operative site. so it sounds good but the reality is that most people are disappointed. but what if you’re young and you just want a little tweaking done. is it worth it then? it may be. it’s a value judgment you make but the real young people generally don’t need much. that’s the reality. most people that are thinking face lift or at least an alternative to it they are going to be at least in their upper 40s or 50s or 60s. we have young people that come in here at 38 and 40 and say you know i need a little tightening. i look at them and say you know what i don’t think it’s a good idea. should you have a 5 hour operation that will give you the benefits of a full face lift when in fact you’re not going to see much of a difference because you can only go from an a minus to an a. i mean you have to grade yourself. i mean on the other hand if you’re 60 years old and your weight has fluctuated and things are hanging you got sags and bags then it makes sense to have that 5 hour operation. and you’re going to miss 2 weeks of work but you’ll have something and you’ll have something that will last you a long time. i think basically the age group that does the best with those types of more involved procedures are usually in their 50s. i think it’s a good time for most people. on the other hand we see a lot of people out here who have had a lot of sun damage haven’t taken care of themselves they may have to enter the system a little younger but they can be helped.
what are the downsides of mini-lifts?