The Non Surgical and the Mini Face Lift

So you decided to get a face lift, now what? Well, for starters not only do you have to pick a board certified plastic surgeon with a specialty in this area (if the lift requires it), but equally importantly, you have to determine what kind of face lift. While there are several different types of this particular kind of plastic surgery, the two that will be discussed are the non surgical and the mini.

According to About.com, there are two types of nonsurgical facial plastic surgeries; they include the thermage and the titan. While these two plastic surgeries are relatively new as well as require the potential patient to be sure to do extensive due diligence in researching a physician who is qualified to perform the procedure, they both are non invasive and require little to no downtown with respect to recovery, they do however differ in the type of instrument used in the procedure. However, a word of caution to potential customers, the thermage and the titan are recommended for individuals who do not necessarily need plastic surgery on their face, but would like it. These individuals are probably younger and just starting to notice some differences in skin elasticity in the face, which is the bounce back of the skin once it is pulled away from the face, but aren’t seeing any real sagging. Also, the customer will not receive the same results as those achieved from a more invasive procedure. Moreover, due to the fact that this technique is new, there are few longitudinal studies that have documented the long term effects and therefore it is paramount that a physician with training in either of these two procedures should be sought out.

On the other hand, the mini face lift is a surgical procedure, albeit minimally invasive. According to the website for plastic surgery, this short scar procedure or the “S” lift as it is sometimes referred to as, specifically target the mid face area near the cheeks and lower eye lids. While the risks are generally the same as any other plastic surgery procedure, such as possible reaction to anesthesia and possible infection, the positives are that the procedures is generally short in length (about 1 to 2 hours) and the recovery time or downtime is about a week, if all goes well. Although the results are “permanent” or long lasting in comparison to a noninvasive procedure, the manner in which the customer treats his/herself thereafter the surgery can and does impact the long term success of the results. Unlike the previously mentioned nonsurgical thermage and titan procedures, the “S” lift has been around for quite some time and therefore a potential customer has a greater chance of finding a physician who has performed the latter procedures as opposed to one who has performed the former procedures.

If all of this information seems overwhelming, keeping in mind it is just the tip of the iceberg as far as research goes, my point has been made. Face lifts, like all other types of plastic surgery should be thought about as well as talked about extensively with a physician before the customer goes under the knife for noninvasive or invasive procedures.