I get this question very frequently. There are many variations to a facelift, from the placement of incisions to how you dissect and suspend the deeper structures, to attain and maintain a long lasting youthful appearance. A mini facelift usually has shortened incisions and less dissection of the soft tissues of the face that you want to have lifted for a very long time. My general philosophy is mini facelift-mini result...unless it is a younger patient with isolated areas to treat. I would probably recommend a standard lower facelift, which would give you a more comprehensive, long lasting result. Many patients try to cut corners and do less, while expecting the same result, but I always say "if you don't want to do it right the first time, you will need to set aside more time to do it right later."

Posted by William E. O'Mara Jr., M.D.