5 Reasons to Love the Mid Facelift
If you’re a man or woman somewhere near your middle years and you’re noticing early signs of aging, we may have good news for you. It’s possible you could be a great candidate for a mid facelift! Here in New York we perform many of these procedures annually, and there’s a lot to like about this form of cosmetic surgery.
1) No scars: When we perform a mid facelift for New York men and women, we make incisions just below the lower lash line. That means scars are hidden—there’s virtually no trace of surgery after healing.
2) Natural looking results: Through those small incisions, we elevate the triangular area of tissue that runs from your eyes down to the corners of your mouth. This technique softens small wrinkles around the lower eyes and the larger naso-labial folds—the lines that run from your nose toward your mouth. Not only does the skin appear smoother and more youthful, your cheekbones may be enhanced as well.
In addition, if you have fat pockets under your lower lids that make your eyes look puffy, we can remove those. That’s why we sometimes characterize the mid facelift as an “extended lower eyelid lift.”
3) Shorter recovery time: Unlike a traditional facelift, which involves incisions around the ears and a longer recovery, most people who elect a mid facelift experience just minor bruising and swelling. Initial healing takes about a week and patients experience little to no discomfort, usually reporting a sense of pulling or tightness for a few days.
4) Lower cost: We perform nearly all mid facelifts in our accredited outpatient surgical facility under twilight sedation. The benefits include complete privacy, a sparkling clean, modern environment and no general anesthesia hangover. Because the procedure reaches fewer areas of the face and takes less time than a traditional facelift, it also costs a little less.
5) Unlimited combinations: If you’re experiencing early signs of facial aging, you may want to elect a bit of fine tuning elsewhere to accompany your mid facelift. New York patients often choose one or more of these additional rejuvenation options:
• Upper eyelid surgery: If your upper eyelids are droopy, it’s relatively simple to add an upper eyelid lift to the mid facelift. You’ll gain a refreshed look for your entire mid face, from your brows to your mouth.
• Brow lift: We’ll examine you carefully when you come in for a consultation to make the right call for opening up your eyes. Sometimes a brow lift is more appropriate than upper eyelid surgery. It elevates the skin of your forehead and eliminates horizontal wrinkles as well as lifting your brows and lids.
• Botox/Dysport: To put the finishing touches on facial rejuvenation, Botox or Dysport can be a natural choice. Some patients elect small injections in the “elevens” between the brows or crow’s feet around the eyes, smoothing telltale wrinkles.
• Fillers or fat transfer: In some cases, fillers may be needed to soften wrinkles that are beyond the reach of a mid facelift, such as small “smoker’s lines” above the mouth. We also use these injectables, and sometimes a patient’s own fat cells, to fill tear troughs next to the bridge of the nose or enhance the cheeks.
• Skin treatment: Since the mid facelift—and the traditional facelift, for that matter—do not affect the surface of the skin, patients may elect treatment to banish dead cells and reveal a more youthful glow. We can recommend a medium chemical peel, microdermabrasion or a strategic combination to meet your exact needs.
Be aware that not every patient is a good candidate for a mid facelift. If you notice a softening of your jawline and the beginning of a jowly look, the mid facelift will not help this area at all. You may want to consider a full facelift for the ultimate in rejuvenation. Similarly, excess tissues under your neck and prominent neck bands can’t be fixed by a mid facelift. You may be better served by a neck lift or facelift/neck lift combination. Electing the right procedure is critical for great results.
Also, even though the result is a desirable “virtually scar-less mini facelift,” be advised that not every plastic surgeon is comfortable performing a mid facelift through the lower lids. You can find other doctors who perform various lifts—whether they call them mid facelifts, mini facelifts or another name. But to have a procedure that elevates the mid face without scars, you may want to work with us. It’s our thirty years of experience with eyelid lifts and our comfort working around the eyes that enables us to offer this approach to our patients.
Contact us to find out more, even if you’re not local. Since recovery is relatively smooth and short lasting, choosing a mid facelift in New York at our practice can make sense even if you need to fly in for surgery. We’ll assist you every step of the way.
