ABOUT Minimally Invasive Mini Facelift

Achieve Your Cosmetic Goals with a Minimally Invasive Mini Facelift

 If you want to smooth wrinkles, tighten sagging muscles, and achieve a more youthful appearance, but are not ready for a more invasive surgery, a mini facelift might be the right choice for you. Long Island cosmetic surgeon Dr. Stephen T. Greenberg uses sophisticated techniques to perform a mini facelift so that you can benefit from a reduced recovery time, increased affordability, and excellent results. Mini facelifts are also ideal for younger patients (usually in their 30s or 40s) who have minor cosmetic facial issues they wish to address.

The Procedure: From Consultation to Recovery

A mini facelift involves many of the same steps as a traditional facelift, but uses smaller incisions and often, endoscopic technology, which consists of small, camera-controlled surgical tools. Mini facelifts create subtler changes than full facelifts, which can be a good option for patients who want to reverse the first signs of aging or make a very particular, small improvement to their face. Before undergoing the procedure, you will meet with Dr. Greenberg to discuss your concerns and aesthetic goals. He will also perform a detailed physical examination to determine if you are a good candidate for this procedure. This will ensure you do not have any medical conditions, such as high blood pressure or blood clotting issues that could cause complications.

During your consultation, Dr. Greenberg will also review anesthesia options and give you a list of pre-surgical instructions to help you prepare for the procedure. This will include medications and supplements to avoid, food and beverage recommendations, and smoking/tobacco use guidelines. Because smoking can significantly impair your recovery, it is best to avoid it for two weeks prior to and following surgery.

On the day of your mini facelift, our staff can administer both local and general anesthesia to ensure your safety and comfort. Once you are comfortable, Dr. Greenberg can create small, discreet incisions near your ear and temple as close to the hairline as possible. In some cases, incisions can also be made within the upper lip or lower eyelid to better access problem areas. He can then tighten and reposition your underlying muscle, remove any excess fat, and lift and smooth skin to enhance the contours of your face. If you struggle with hallow facial features, Dr. Greenberg can use the excess fat to add natural-looking volume. If necessary, an additional incision can be made beneath the chin to tighten and reposition neck muscles for a sleeker, more defined jawline.

Once the procedure is completed, Dr. Greenberg will close the incisions with small sutures and apply the necessary bandages and compression garments. Unless it is being combined with additional procedures, a mini facelift generally takes about two hours to complete. Patients who choose to combine their mini facelift with facial peels and photorejuvenation can achieve even more dramatic results.

After your surgery, you should wear your bandages for several days. Dr. Greenberg can remove your stitches within one to two weeks, and you should be able to return to your regular activities within several weeks. Mini facelifts often have a shortened recovery time, and some people even refer to them as “weekend facelifts.” While patients can usually go home the same day as their appointment, they will still require the assistance of a friend or family member.

Determining Your Candidacy

Patients with mild to moderate sagging or wrinkles in the face are usually ideal candidates for a mini facelift. These patients are typically between 30 and 50 years old. If you are mostly concerned with a lack of definition in the lower area of your face or neck, a neck lift may be more appropriate for you. Candidates must be in good health, be willing to avoid smoking for at least two weeks before and after the procedure, and be healthy enough to undergo general anesthesia.

Blond hair smiling women with dimples

Benefits of a Mini Facelift

Compared to a traditional facelift, the mini facelift procedure is less invasive, not as complex, and produces a faster recovery. This procedure can smooth wrinkles, tighten underlying muscles, remove excess fat or skin, and enhance the contours of your lower face. This effective procedure can make patients look younger and reveal a youthful, refreshed, and more rejuvenated appearance.

Patients who choose to undergo this procedure could enjoy:

  • Minimal and easily concealed scars: Because of Dr. Greenberg’s specialized techniques, incisions are small and made within the hairline.
  • Quick treatment with faster recovery and minimal down time:Since a mini facelift targets only the lower half of your face, the procedure can generally be completed in under two hours. Most patients can return to work within a few days.
  • Boosted self-confidence and better quality of life: Reducing fine lines, wrinkles, and excess fat can significantly turn back the clock and enhance your overall appearance. In turn, you could feel more confident about yourself and the way others view you.
  • Reduced amount of anesthesia and incisions: Because it is less invasive than a traditional facelift, a conservative amount of anesthesia is only required. In fact, the procedure can generally be completed under local anesthesia, allowing you an easier recovery period.
  • Natural-looking, lasting results: With specialized techniques, Dr. Greenberg can deliver realistic results that could last you anywhere from five to 10 years.

Mini Facelift vs. Traditional Facelift

While a mini facelift can address minor wrinkles or other cosmetic blemishes in the lower half of the face, it does not offer the dramatic benefits that a full facelift can produce. A full facelift can address areas throughout your face with severe wrinkles, deep facial folds, fallen cheeks, and saggy jowls. A traditional facelift targets the middle and lower third of your face, while a mini facelift only targets the lower face. During a traditional facelift, Dr. Greenberg can lift and remove excess skin and tissue from the cheeks, side of the face, lower face, and jaw line. He can even combine the procedure with a forehead lift or neck lift.

Although incisions are not as conservative as with a mini facelift, a traditional facelift produces a more dramatic transformation. During your consultation, Dr. Greenberg can show you before-and-photos of both procedures to help you in deciding which procedure would be better suited for your unique needs.

Risks and Considerations

Like any surgery, a mini facelift involves some risk of complications. Possible adverse effects include bleeding beneath the skin, scarring, infection, and numbness for up to six months after surgery. Contact our office if you experience severe tenderness or pain after your surgery, your stitches come out before your removal appointment, or your temperature reaches above 100 degrees. However, you can reduce your risk of complications by choosing a highly trained surgeon who is committed to your health and safety. Dr. Greenberg is among the best in his field and has extensive experience helping his patients achieve their cosmetic goals.

Mini facelifts create subtler changes than full facelifts, which can be a good option for patients who want to reverse the first signs of aging or make a very particular, small improvement to their face.

Mini Face Lift Recovery

What to Expect During Your Mini Facelift Recovery

Undergoing a mini facelift can help you achieve a more youthful appearance with diminished signs of aging. Patients can generally return to work 10 days after undergoing a mini facelift at Greenberg Cosmetic Surgery in Long Island, NY. After your procedure, Dr. Stephen T. Greenberg will provide you with detailed at-home instructions to follow to minimize discomfort and bruising as you recover to ensure you achieve a smooth and successful recovery. In most cases, mini facelift recovery is typically shorter than that involved with a full facelift, allowing you to resume normal activities more quickly. With Dr. Greenberg’s eye for detail and years of experience, you can trust that you will receive the best mini facelift results possible.

Side Effects to Expect During Recovery
Because each patient responds to surgery differently, your experience after surgery will vary to some degree from other patients. However, some of the basic responses to expect for the first few days to several weeks after surgery include:

  • Bruising
  • Swelling
  • Redness
  • Loss of feeling in the skin
  • Skin sensitivity
  • Pain
  • Skin tightness
  • Headache
  • Nausea

If you experience severe discomfort or a side effect suddenly worsens, you should contact our office. We can help ensure you do not face any serious complications.

What Happens Following Surgery?
Having your mini facelift performed at our state-of-the-art outpatient surgical facility, will allow you the opportunity to return home the same day as the procedure. Once the procedure is completed, you will be taken to a comfortable room where our knowledgeable staff can monitor your response to surgery. If Dr. Greenberg is happy with the results and how you are responding, you will be released to go home.

Due to the anesthesia involved, you will need to have someone available to drive you to and from our office. We also recommend that you have someone stay with you for the first 24 to 48 hours so they can assist you with basic, everyday activities. Resting in an upright position, taking medications as prescribed, and using cool compresses will significantly limit swelling and any discomfort.

The day after surgery, Dr. Greenberg will check your incisions, clean the area, and change bandages and compression garments to ensure you are recovering nicely. We will also show you how to change your bandages and compression garments at home to prevent infection from developing. Once you return you home after your follow-up appointment, you are free to shower. About one to two weeks after surgery, you will attend another follow-up appointment where Dr. Greenberg will remove your sutures.

When Can You Resume to Normal Activity?
Once your sutures have been removed, you are free to return to work and other normal activities that do not require great exertion. However, strenuous physical exercise and any activities that could strain your incision sites should be avoided until Dr. Greenberg clears you. Within two to three weeks after your surgery, you will begin to notice a younger-looking appearance as the swelling and bruising diminishes. We will encourage you to be patient with the process, as results can continue to be revealed over the next few months to a year.

At Greenberg Cosmetic Surgery, our team is passionate about providing personalized care in our private and comfortable operating facility, ensuring a consistent and smooth mini facelift treatment and recovery.

For the first two to three months after the mini facelift procedure, you should avoid certain lifestyle activities that could inhibit the healing process, such as:

  • Smoking
  • Saunas
  • Stream rooms
  • Excessive alcohol consumption

To maintain your results, it is also important to follow a good skincare regimen that includes sunscreen and limited exposure to direct sunlight.

Achieving a Smooth Mini Facelift Recovery
At Greenberg Cosmetic Surgery, our team is passionate about providing personalized care in our private and comfortable operating facility, ensuring a consistent and smooth mini facelift treatment and recovery. If you are interested in learning more, contact our office today via email or by calling 516-217-8120 to schedule your consultation with Dr. Greenberg.

Mini Facelift Cost

A mini facelift is a great option for women who want to improve sagging and wrinkles, but are not ready to undergo a full facelift. This less invasive procedure allows quicker recovery time, and for many patients, the mini facelift cost is more affordable. As explained by Long Island, NY, plastic surgeon Stephen T. Greenberg, M.D., F.A.C.S, the exact treatment cost varies on a case-by-case basis since each of our treatments is personalized. Although the cost of the procedure can be a considerable investment, many patients feel the benefits far outweigh the treatment cost. To schedule a personal facelift consultation and receive detailed pricing information, please contact our Manhattan, Southampton, or Woodbury office today.

Factors Affecting Treatment Cost
Exact costs for the mini facelift will vary according to the patient’s needs and goals. You should consider several important factors that affect total treatment cost:

  • The experience and training offered by your surgeon
  • Where your procedure is performed
  • The type of anesthesia and sedation you receive
  • Which type of mini facelift technique your doctor recommends
  • The cost of pre- and post-operative appointments

Many mini facelift patients choose to incorporate fat transfer to add volume around the cheek area. Others decide to focus on one area of the face only, such as the jowls, or combine a mini facelift with an eye lift. Combining procedures will obviously increase overall cost. Patients also differ in requirements for after care, including prescription medications and other assistance.

Mini Facelift Cost Savings
Compared to a full facelift, the mini facelift takes less time in surgery and often requires smaller incisions. Although Dr. Greenberg’s mini facelift is performed under general anesthesia, the patient is sedated for a shorter time, so less medication is used. Reduced surgical fees and anesthesiologist fees are the primary reasons a mini lift will tend to cost less than a full facelift.

As always, Dr. Greenberg’s patients benefit by using his in-house surgical center instead of admittance into a hospital for surgery. He performs facial and body surgery procedures in this fully equipped ambulatory center, so patients can forgo a separate hospital bill.

Safeguarding Your Investment
Performed correctly, a mini facelift can have a dramatic, yet subtle impact on your appearance. After the procedure, many of our patients report the huge boost in self-confidence they experienced. This improved sense of pride and satisfaction can have far-reaching effects and impact several areas of your life.

Greenberg Plastic Surgery is not the least expensive way to achieve your cosmetic goals, but many patients agree, Dr. Greenberg’s work is well worth the cost. He is a highly skilled perfectionist, known for beautiful, natural-looking results. We accept credit cards and offer CareCredit℠ to help interested patients finance their treatment.

Learn More About Mini Facelift Cost
A noted author and media commentator, Dr. Greenberg is an acknowledged expert in the field of cosmetic surgery, and Greenberg Plastic Surgery offers a full range of facial rejuvenation options. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Greenberg and learn more about your projected mini facelift cost, please contact us today.