The Weekend Facelift

                                                 The Weekend Facelift

Commonly called the "weekend facelift," the mini facelift is an attractive alternative to surgical correction of ageing facial skin. The procedure rejuvenates the face for a fraction of the cost of surgery, with far less risk and recovery time. A relative newcomer to the world of cosmetic surgery, the weekend facelift is quickly becoming very popular with both sexes.

Patient Evaluation

Generally speaking, mini facelift surgery is most effective on patients who are just beginning to experience the initial signs of ageing. Because the procedure is less invasive, it is also used only to treat relatively minor age-related symptoms. If you have minor droops or sags in your skin, this procedure may be right for you, if you are in good overall health and don't suffer from any circulatory system disorders.

Procedures

What separates the mini facelift from traditional full face lift is that incisions are kept to an absolute minimum. Broadly speaking, there are two techniques used in mini facelifts: endoscopic and non-endoscopic.

•    An endoscopic :       Weekend facelift uses three or more tiny incisions and a small camera,  which the surgeon uses to find his or her way around the area under treatment. The doctor is then able to reshape muscles and trim away excess skin with the help of a monitor.

•    Non-endoscopic:      Procedures require longer incisions, which are used to fold back the skin to reveal the muscle structures underneath. Even so, these incisions are tiny compared to those used in full facelifts, and they carry a greatly reduced risk of scarring and infection.

Many variants based on these two techniques exist. The European mini facelift, for example, focuses on skin and muscle dissection and a natural re-draping of the skin. An anterior mini facelift can be used if you want to improve the appearance of the lower part of your face, and a two stitch mini facelift is a noninvasive solution for treating nasolabial folds and saggy cheek lines.

Risks

Though the risks involved with this procedure are not nearly as worrisome as those presented by full facelift surgery, all surgical procedures carry a degree of uncertainty. The most common risks of weekend facelifts are:

•    Bruising

•    Allergies to the anesthesia

•    Swelling

•    Scarring

•    Excessive bleeding

•    Infection

•    Clotted blood at the incision site

In addition, the following rare complications have been observed in a small minority of patients:

•    Broken capillaries, which may require subsequent laser surgery to correct

•    Skin discolouration, which may or may not resolve spontaneously

•    Facial stiffness

•    Nerve damage, which may or may not be temporary

•    Loss of skin or hair in the treated area

Recovery

Normal recovery time is just 48 to 72 hours. Your actual recovery time may vary, though, depending on whether or not you experience any infections or healing complications.

After the procedure, you should avoid overexposure to the sun and make sure you moisturize and care for your skin diligently. If you do, you should be able to enjoy the benefits of the procedure for five to seven years.