Sounds ideal, right? A patient could just pop into their doctor’s office during lunch and emerge looking bright and youthful. Well, maybe. The thread lift has been somewhat controversial, in part, because of its short-term results: One study of 33 thread lift patients published in the journal Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery states, “Our results objectively demonstrate the poor long-term sustainability of the thread lift procedure. Given these findings, as well as the measurable risk of adverse events and patient discomfort, we cannot justify further use of this procedure for facial rejuvenation.” There’s also the fact that they can be done in medspas instead of by board-certified plastic surgeons.
“In my opinion, thread lifts produce limited, short-lived results,” says Dr. Leipziger. (About one to three years is typical.) “They are certainly not a replacement for a true surgical facelift that provides global facial enhancement with much greater longevity.” He doesn’t perform the procedure in his practice due to the short-term results and potential complications, including scarring, infection, and dimpling or puckering of the skin. “Threads may sometimes be visible under the skin and may even break if put under too much tension,” he explains. “This would result in loss of the lifting benefit and possible facial asymmetry. In addition, the tissue scarring caused by the thread lift may complicate future facelift surgery.”
What are the risks of a mini facelift?
They are not exactly mini. Actually, they are pretty much the same as the risks of a regular facelift. “There’s always a risk of infection and bleeding with surgery,” says Dr. Leipziger. And any time you’re getting an incision, you’re getting a scar. In the case of the mini facelift, those might be at the earlobe, behind the ear, and into the hairline, but the surgeon should make painstaking efforts that these are as undetectable as possible. “Any plastic surgeon should review risks [and give you a] complete description of the procedure,” says Dr. Leipziger.
Mini facelifts are often done under general anesthesia, the risks of which include anaphylaxis (a severe allergic reaction) and the very rare risk of accidental awareness (waking up while the operation is going on). However, they may also be done under intravenous (IV) sedation, which also carries risks, including anaphylaxis and hypertension. But a “desirable quality of an intravenous anesthetic is patients fall asleep very quickly after it is initially administered, ideally in less than a minute, and can wake up quite quickly after, minimizing time spent in the operating room and allowing them to ultimately be discharged from the postanesthesia care unit faster and in better condition,” says Dr. Lee. “One of the determining factors for some patients to undergo a mini facelift instead of a full facelift surgery is their desire to have the procedure performed under intravenous sedation instead of general anesthesia.”
What is the recovery time for a mini facelift?
The recovery period for a mini facelift is typically shorter than it is for a full facelift, by about a week or two. That’s because the incision is smaller, less deep tissue is repositioned, less skin is redraped, and less excess skin is removed. “After surgery, it’s not really painful; it’s all about swelling,” explains Dr. Lee, who finds most of his patients take only oral narcotic pain medication for a day or two after surgery, then switch to Tylenol for two to three days, and then stop. “On average, after two weeks, about 70 to 80% of swelling goes down for the majority of patients. It’s not that obvious and they can go about their usual activities.” By comparison, the typical facelift recovery time includes about three to four weeks of swelling, with patients usually needing pain medication for about four to six days after the procedure. Dr. Leipzeiger takes a conservative approach with his recovery plan for mini facelift patients, cautioning no exertional exercise for about four to six weeks. “You can get on a treadmill lightly after a few weeks, but more for strolling,” he says.
What is the cost of a mini facelift?
Although the cost varies depending on your location and surgeon (you’ll probably pay more for a mini lift in Beverly Hills versus one in Minneapolis), you can expect a bill of about $12,000 to $20,000. It’s not all that much less than a full facelift, which could run about $20,000 to $26,000.
