A very common question in the cosmetic surgery industry is “shall I get a mini or full face lift?” This article will outline the differences between both a mini and a full face lift and give pros and cons to both and hopefully after reading this article be in a better position to make an informed decision on which surgery to have.

During a face lift consultation the surgeon should be honest and open about what kind of treatment to have whether it is a few lifts here and there or a full scale rejuvenation. The less surgery performed the better for the patient, firstly it is safer and secondly it will be cheaper.

Differences Between a Mini and a Full Face Lift

A full face lift will usually involve incisions behind the ears and around the lower part of the face. The incisions go from behind the ears to the front of the ears and are camouflaged behind the natural folds in the skin. The excess skin is then taken off and the remaining skin is moved. A full face lift tightens the skin thus removing wrinkles on the cheeks and jaw line.

On the other hand a mini face lift obviously lifts less of the face than a full face lift. A mini face lift will lift the skin in the middle part of the face or lower part but not both. At the Cosmetic Surgery Partners we use a mini facelift technique called Minimal Access Cranial Suspension (MACS). This is a one day procedure done under general or local anaesthetic and the patient will only be left with minimal scarring in front of the ears.

As S-Lift is another common form of the mini face lift. The surgeon makes a small S shaped incision and the skin and tissue are repositioned. After extensive research the main differences between a mini and a full face lift are;

– How much skin/tissue is removed.
– The incision size.

The Pros and Cons of Both Types of Face Lift

The mini face lift has a few advantages over the full face lift;

1. They cost less.
2. Less recovery time.

With mini face lifts you can be out in a day and may not have to stay over and the healing is usually less time. The disadvantages of a mini facelift over the full face lift are;

1. The effects don’t last as long – they probably last between 4-6 years while a full face lift normally lasts up to 15 years.

A full face lift is more of an investment. The advantage is that it lasts longer than a mini face lift. The disadvantages are the above advantages. More recovery time and more expensive but a lot of people see this as an investment.

There is really no winner here, each candidate is different and will need different degrees of surgery whether it is a little touch up or a full face overhaul.

Author Bio: Gill Kevesten is the an author in the cosmetic surgery field specialising in Face Lift procedures.

Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: face lift, mini face lift, facelift, mini facelift