The mini facelift treatment is temporarily not being performed at Ivy clinics.
As you age, your skin starts to sag and wrinkles, skin folds and a less tight jawline appear. This is a natural phenomenon because over the years the elasticity of the skin decreases. The strength of muscles also changes and even your bone structure.
A true full facelift has been done less and less in recent years because it sometimes gives a somewhat unnatural result and also changes too much of the natural look that suits a person. When someone is bothered by the folds around the mouth, a less tight jawline, hamster cheeks and a double chin, a mini facelift is a good solution.
In a mini facelift, wrinkles, skin folds and excess fat of the jawline and cheeks are corrected. In most cases, excess fat in the double chin and hamster cheeks is removed directly with liposuction. This in fact makes a further neck elevator unnecessary in most cases.
A mini facelift is a safe procedure under local anesthesia (that is, without full anesthesia), and with a natural result.
A mini facelift involves loosening the skin just in front of the ear and then tightening it in the direction of the hairline. The least invasive facelift is the S-lift. This involves making an incision in the skin, in the shape of an S, in front of the ear. An S-lift produces results only for the area just above the jawline. The contours of the jawline become slightly tighter. Wrinkles around the mouth, lips and eyes do not disappear after an S-lift. With the S-lift, only superficial skin tissue is lifted, not underlying muscle tissue. An S-lift is done under local anesthesia.
With a MACS elevator (Minimal Access Crabial Suspension), things go a little differently. After opening the skin, not only the skin of the cheeks but also the underlying supporting tissue is taken and lifted. The MACS elevator therefore gives a much longer-lasting result than an S-lift. A MACS elevator also takes place under local anesthesia.
At Ivy clinics, we prefer the MACS elevator. Both the S-lift and the MACS elevator fall under the name mini facelift. The doctors at Ivy clinics can best determine which is right for you.
When too much excess skin and sagging skin no longer allows a suitable solution with fillers or a thread elevator, a mini facelift is the next step to consider.
Undergoing a mini facelift aims to restore the skin’s tightness and smoothness. The characteristic facial wrinkles that are visible when you hold a conversation or smile will not be gone after a mini facelift. These wrinkles define facial expression and will never disappear. It is also important to note that aging of the skin is not counteracted by undergoing a mini facelift, for example. The elasticity of the skin, as it was before the mini facelift, will gradually diminish. The result of a mini facelift generally remains visible for about 10 years. After this period it is possible to perform another mini facelift.
Ivy clinics is rated a 9.4 by clients. With the doctors of Ivy clinics you are in safe hands. You are welcome at the Westervoort location (near Arnhem) for a consultation and aftercare. The surgery will be performed in Borken.
Ivy clinics stands for honest advice, even if that means no treatment needs to take place. Accessibility, quality and natural results are our most important core values.
Are you interested in a free consultation with a nice cup of coffee or tea? Ivy clinics can be reached by phone, app and email or book an appointment directly in our online calendar.
Virtually no recovery timeTreatment by highly experienced doctorsClinics in four citiesDuring the consultation, the doctor will go over and discuss many things with you. It is important that you discuss your wishes and intended result so that the doctor can assess whether these can be met. You will also be given information about the procedure, what to expect, what your wishes are, whether it hurts, what the before and after care recommendations are, what you will get from us after the procedure and any risks involved. Of course, we will also assess whether you are suitable for a mini facelift or whether another treatment is more appropriate. The doctor will work with you to decide on an S-lift or MACS elevator with or without liposuction or neck tightening.
The doctor will also go over your medication and health. Some medications can thin the blood, increasing the risk of bleeding or complications. If you use blood-thinning medication, please indicate this during your consultation. Our advice is to stop taking them at least one week before the operation. Smoking also has adverse effects on your recovery after the mini facelift. Smoking can affect the healing of the wound, which can prolong your recovery. Make sure you have a good and healthy lifestyle so you will eventually heal faster.
It is also important to take some preliminary measurements such as weight, height, and your blood pressure. Of course there will be plenty of time to answer all questions calmly. Are you very afraid? Feel free to discuss this with the doctor. Perhaps we can relieve some of your fear or take it into account during the procedure.
Together with the doctor, you will go through the entire procedure again before the procedure. If there are any questions or uncertainties, it is important to mention them before the procedure. The doctor can then discuss them with you at his or her leisure. Your medical file will be discussed in detail, adjusted if necessary, and photographs will be taken. You will be given a preventive course of antibiotics. Depending on the antibiotic, you will be told how long in advance you must start it. You will also be given sedative medication 20 minutes before the procedure at the clinic. This provides more relaxation during the procedure. The procedure will take about 3 hours.
The area is then marked off and covered sterile after which anesthesia is started. The mini facelift is performed under local anesthesia. The entire area is numbed with tumescent anesthetic. The doctor allows the anesthesia to soak in well before starting the procedure. The first part of the procedure is liposuction. Small incisions are made on both sides next to the ear and under the chin. Through these incisions, the doctor can reach the fatty tissue with the cannula to remove it. After liposuction, the doctor will remove the marked off excess skin. To create the lifting effect, sutures are placed under the skin. The muscles are shortened by a technique called reefing. In this technique, the muscles are “double folded” and then reattached. Finally, the skin is sutured. The doctor uses two different suture techniques, continuous sutures and sutures with knots.
The procedure is finished! The assistant is now going to help you further. A gauze with antibiotic ointment is placed on the wound and a compression bandage is applied. It is important that this stays on at least until the first check-up.
There will be several checks. First, you will come back after 3-5 days for a general check. The bandage will be taken off and it will be checked that everything looks calm. Then you will come back after 10-14 days to remove the stitches. Finally, you come back after 4 months for the follow-up check. After photos are taken that we can compare with the photos taken before the procedure. Scars take longer to heal. After 4 months the scars can sometimes still be red. After about 1 year you can see how the scar has become. The scar falls into the hairline so it is often soon no longer visible.
Important! After the procedure, you may go home immediately. Please make sure that someone comes with you. You may not drive yourself after the procedure.
After the procedure, you may go home immediately. You may not drive after the procedure. Be sure to bring a driver with you.
Recovery after a mini facelift takes some time. You may experience swelling and bruising for 1 to 2 weeks. The skin may still feel sore during the first few weeks. If you want to use pain medication for this, choose only paracetamol. Many other painkillers have a blood-thinning effect and should not be taken. Should paracetamol not be enough. Then contact your attending physician.
After the mini facelift, you may feel sluggish. It is wise to take it easy for the first week. Rest and a healthy lifestyle contribute positively to the recovery process. Smoking is not allowed both two weeks before and after the procedure. It causes reduced blood flow, which can prolong recovery after a mini facelift. In very severe cases, it can even lead to skin tissue death.
The assistant wraps a pressure bandage around your face immediately after the mini facelift. The pressure allows fluid to drain better. The bandage remains in place for 3-5 days both day and night and is removed at the clinic. You will then need to return after 10-14 days to have the stitches removed.
After 1 week, you can resume some light exertion. Try to avoid overexertion. Do not drink hot beverages to prevent facial congestion. Intensive chewing is also not recommended, otherwise too much pressure can build up on the sutures. After 6 weeks you may resume sports in addition to daily exercise. Also remember to avoid visiting the sauna and swimming to prevent infections and additional swelling. It is recommended not to work for the first 2 weeks and to start connective tissue massage after 3 months. This form of massage speeds healing and makes the skin more supple and firm.
After the mini facelift, scars may remain visible for some time. The scar from a mini facelift is located in the hairline, which often makes it unnoticeable fairly quickly. Before a scar is completely healed, it can take up to a year. Often scars are somewhat red in the beginning. This can last for a few months. After that the scars slowly color with the skin. Every recovery is different, so it is difficult to say how long scars will be more visible. What you can do yourself to help the scar recover as much as possible is to avoid sunlight, and always use good sun protection. Ivy clinics also has a nice scar cream to take extra care of the scar.
A mini facelift is a safe procedure. The chances of developing a complication are small. Still, there are risks with any procedure. Common is that the face is swollen, blue and red. Also, the skin may feel numb when touched. This is all temporary and these symptoms will go away on their own. Numbness can last a bit longer. Nerves must recover and this takes some time.
There is always a small chance of an allergic reaction. This can be to various agents we use during the procedure. In very rare cases, an infection or internal bleeding may occur.
Sometimes some unevenness or asymmetry may still be visible. Scars may in some cases heal less well and therefore be more visible. In very rare and severe cases, facial nerve damage and hair loss may occur. During the personal consultation, we will discuss in more detail the risks and side effects that are important to you.
If you have concerns or notice any of the above situations, we ask that you call the emergency line.
24/7 emergency number: 088-800 76 54 (dial 1 for emergency)
Mini facelift
Available soon
Drs. Reggy Schift is a registered dermatologist both in Germany and the Netherlands. His BIG registration number is: 69023728801
