Search Our Site

Mini Facelift

Achieve a naturally-refreshed look with only a week of downtime.

Our mini facelift surgeries are performed without general anesthesia which not only makes the procedure safer but also helps make the procedure and recovery more comfortable. Mini facelift refers to a category of surgical procedures and techniques that restore the jawline with less downtime and a shorter scar line than a facelift. A mini facelift will help restore muscle, fat, and skin to a more youthful, lifted position for natural-looking rejuvenation that lasts.

 

Your mini facelift journey starts with a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon who specializes in facial rejuvenation surgeries. We take the health and safety of our patients very seriously, and that has led us to maintain an excellent record of safe procedures which produce natural-looking results.

Quick Facts About Mini Facelift

  • No general anesthesia necessary
  • Minimal recovery
  • Easily combinable with other procedures

Mini Facelift Using Today’s Best Techniques & Comfort Calm Anesthesia

Our patients love that they don’t have to sacrifice comfort or safety to experience the amazing rejuvenation of a mini facelift at Reflections. Our mini facelift procedures are performed under Comfort Calm Local Anesthesia™ in our private, state-of-the-art surgical suite. That’s right – we offer a mini facelift experience completely free of general anesthesia’s risks and added costs. We want to make sure we can offer each patient the perfect treatment for their needs and wants, whether that’s surgical or non-surgical options

S Lift – Short-Scar Facelift

The S Lift, or short-scar facelift, is named for the shape of the incision, or suture line. In this procedure, a smaller incision line follows the hairline from the temple down and around the earlobe. Following this natural skin crease allows the scar line to camouflage perfectly into the hairline along a naturally-occurring crease. Scars that follow natural skin folds like this are the least detectable and heal the most discreetly. The S Lift restores skin, fat, and muscle to create a tighter, more defined jawline and lower cheek.

J Lift

The J lift uses an even shorter incision than the S lift, starting just in front of the ear and tracing down around the earlobe. The J lift restores a natural contour along the jawline.

The Mini SMAS Lift or Deep Plane Mini Lift

A mini SMAS lift addresses jawline laxity by tightening the superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS), which is a system of tissues between the skin and the deeper musculature. This typically provides a shorter recovery than a facelift and is appropriate for patients with mild to moderate laxity who are seeking early surgical intervention (typically 45 and younger).

The MACS Lift

The MACS Lift stands for “minimal access cranial suspension.” This type of mini facelift involves the use of a small incision in front of the ear to allow for tightening of the SMAS (the system of tissues between the skin and deeper muscles) to create a smoother, tighter jawline. This procedure focuses on the underlying tissues which support the skin and is ideal for a patient with minimal skin laxity but noticeable drooping in the jowls.

Patient Stories About Mini Facelift

View All Patient Stories

“I felt very confident in his surgical abilities. He [Dr. Chasin] spends a lot of time explaining a procedure and answering all of your questions.”

View My Story

“"My Facelift looks so natural that no one knew I had work done. They just thought I look the best I have ever looked and can’t believe my age."”

View My Story

Why Choose Reflections For
Mini Facelift Treatment

If you decide a mini facelift is the treatment option for you, the next step in the process will be to schedule, plan, and prepare for your surgery. Some patients, dependent upon their medical history, will be asked to undergo a surgical clearance examination with their primary care physician to ensure they are healthy enough for surgery.

Reflections is proud to offer our patients exceptional one-on-one care in a private surgical suite. Having your mini facelift in a private surgical suite ensures a comfortable and relaxing surgery experience. This also allows our staff to provide the highest quality of care for our patients. You will enjoy private pre-operative and post-operative rooms, complete with a luxurious en-suite bathroom and a private exit to allow for the most comfortable and relaxing experience possible.

Your consultation will also include an in-depth discussion of what realistic expectations you can set for the results of the surgery. Each patient’s surgical procedure is tailored to provide the best and most natural results for their anatomy, and so we feel it’s important to talk about exactly what you can expect to see and feel after your procedure.

Throughout the experience, patients have the ability to select the music playing or watch TV. Many of our patients do fall asleep due to the relaxing nature of the experience, but those patients who do not sleep still find the experience to be relaxing and enjoyable. In fact, they’ve even said it was more like a day at the spa than a surgery.

Our state-of-the-art surgical suite was designed to provide the utmost safety and comfort for our patients.

How to Find the Best Mini Facelift Doctor Near You

  • Qualifications
  • A mini facelift is ideal for a patient who is just beginning to notice age-related changes along the jawline or has previously had a facelift and is starting to notice jowls reappearing several years later. Many young patients will opt for a mini facelift which is more discreet and less of a transformative makeover than a facelift procedure. This allows our young patients to keep an under-the-radar approach to anti-aging.

  • Private Suite
  • Reflections is proud to offer our patients exceptional one-on-one care in a private surgical suite. Having your mini facelift in a private surgical suite ensures a comfortable and relaxing surgery experience. This also allows our staff to provide the highest quality of care for our patients.

    You will enjoy private pre-operative and post-operative rooms, complete with a luxurious en-suite bathroom and a private exit to allow for the most comfortable and relaxing experience possible. Throughout the experience, patients have the ability to select the music playing or watch TV. Many of our patients do fall asleep due to the relaxing nature of the experience, but those patients who do not sleep still find the experience to be relaxing and enjoyable. In fact, they’ve even said it was more like a day at the spa than a surgery.

    Treatments That Complement A Mini Facelift

    • Facial microVector Analysis

      Each person ages differently. Our surgeons specialize in Facial microVector Analysis™, which evaluates the root causes of your pattern of aging, as well as identifying the proper treatments to restore a naturally youthful appearance. This detail-oriented approach ensures you get matched with the right treatments and procedures to address your unique pattern of aging.

    • Non-Surgical Facial Rejuvenation

      Non-invasive and minimally invasive treatments can address aging skin and volume loss, but do not adequately address muscle laxity.

    • Fat Transfer for Face

      Generally, by the time you're ready for a mini facelift, you've got significant enough fat loss throughout the face from the natural aging process that it's noticeable and leaving you looking a little gaunt (unless you're already treating this by adding in filler volume). Fat transfer is a procedure that will make your mini lift results more natural, longer-lasting, and more youthful. It is easily stacked in, but does increase downtime due to bruising. Ask Dr. Fodero about how this might work for you.

    Read Our Blogs About Mini Facelift

    Blog

    Mini Lift, Big Results

    Weekend lift. S-lift. Partial lift. Lifestyle lift. Mini lift. More and more...

    Read More
    Blog

    Need a (Face) Lift?

    No matter how hard we beg those hands on the clock to slow down, time keeps...

    Read More
    Blog

    Three Options to Thin That Double Chin

    As we age, our slowing metabolism can manifest itself in many different ways,...

    Read More

    Frequently Asked Questions About Mini Facelift

    • Am I a candidate for a mini facelift?

      A mini facelift is ideal for a patient who is just beginning to notice age-related changes along the jawline or has previously had a facelift and is starting to notice jowls reappearing several years later. Many young patients will opt for a mini facelift which is more discreet and less of a transformative makeover than a facelift procedure. This allows our young patients to keep an under-the-radar approach to anti-aging.

    • Can I prepare for a mini facelift?

      There are several things you can do to help prepare yourself for your mini facelift and to ensure your recovery is as quick and easy as possible. We always recommend patients stop vitamin e, fish oil, and any blood thinners two weeks prior to surgery. If you’re on a prescribed aspirin regimen or prescription blood thinner, we will help you plan your care with your primary care physician to ensure the procedure is safe for you and that your recovery is as easy as possible.

      Do not stop taking your prescribed medications without speaking to a physician first. We also recommend patients take arnica tablets to help reduce bruising. Arnica has been used for hundreds of years to help reduce inflammation and aid in the healing process. Arnica tablets can have some side effects, so we do not recommend you take arnica tablets unless under the direct supervision of a physician. However, we carefully monitor patients while using this supplement, and find it can speed recovery, especially for those prone to bruising.

    • How long will my results from a mini facelift last?

      The truth is, you will always look better than if you had not had a mini facelift. So in that respect, the effects of a mini facelift are permanent. However, no one can stop the aging process. So over time, your face will age, and you may find you want to consider additional non-surgical or surgical procedures as part of your ongoing anti-aging plan.

      If you are wondering how long it will be before you want to undergo another procedure, there are some factors that tend to lend themselves to a longer-lasting result in that respect. The healthier and younger a patient is, the longer they tend to go between surgical procedures.

    • Are there risks or side effects to mini facelift?

      With a mini facelift procedure, swelling tends to moderate to mild, and bruising is usually limited to a few inches around the incision lines (near the ears and neck). Patients can help minimize swelling and bruising after a mini facelift by following the instructions detailed in our post-operative care and recovery section below.

      Mini facelifts, when performed correctly by a skilled and experienced facial plastic surgeon, very rarely have long-lasting complications. However, all patients who undergo cosmetic surgery should be prepared for some swelling and bruising.

      There are risks of complication with a mini facelift, some of which include bleeding, infection, scar, nerve injury, and skin necrosis. Serious complications with long-lasting effects are very rare for mini facelift procedures. Our New Jersey practice has extensive experience in mini facelift procedures, and takes steps to proactively minimize risks of complication. Your particular risks, and the actions you can take to minimize those risks, will be discussed in detail during your consultation.

    • What does scarring look like?

      Patients are often concerned with the scars they might have after a cosmetic procedure, so we try to be as transparent as possible when talking about how scars heal, how long they take to heal, and how noticeable they are after they’ve healed. First, it’s important to note that we all tend to think of bad facelift scars when we think of facelift scars because with a good result, the scars aren’t visible or noticeable to others.

      The mini facelift scars take advantage of the natural folds of the skin around the ear and hairline, providing the incisions with natural camouflage.

    • What does recovery look like for a mini facelift?

      We provide customized care instructions and recovery timelines for each patient. However, in general, you should expect to take 5-7 days off of work following your mini facelift. Depending on the techniques used, your bandages will come off on either day 2 or 3 after surgery. Most patients will feel “restaurant ready” at 3-5 days post-procedure. Some patients, like the Real Housewives star Dolores Catania, will feel comfortable at red carpet events in just 2-3 days after surgery.

      Patients are prescribed medication to ensure they are comfortable during the first few days after surgery. Most patients only take medication for 1-2 days following surgery and feel comfortable without medication by day 3. Strenuous workouts or other intense physical activity can be resumed 14 days after the procedure.

    • How much is a mini facelift?

      The price of most cosmetic procedures can vary widely but is usually based on the skill of the surgeon and the geographic region of the office. Our offices are based in New Jersey and our pricing is competitive for the region. The cost of a mini facelift in our New Jersey offices usually ranges between $7,000 – $9,000. This price reflects the level of care and precision in our work and is a great value for the long-lasting and natural-looking results he provides.

      Pricing includes all anesthesia and operating room fees, as well as pre- and post-operative care. An individualized price quote is provided during the consultation appointment.

      Our office provides several financing options, including Prosper Credit and Care credit, as well as traditional credit cards. Click here to learn more about Financing Options.

    • How long do results from a mini facelift last?

      There are many benefits to getting a mini facelift versus a full facelift. They have less discomfort associated and quicker recovery time. Mini facelifts are healed properly within a week whereas full facelifts take several weeks to fully recover from. Also, mini facelifts cost less than traditional facelifts. A downside of a mini facelift is that the results don’t last as long as a full facelift. Mini facelifts have been shown to last anywhere from 2-6 years. Of course, the length of results differs between patients. There are many factors that can change the length of results such as:

      • Genetics
      • Skin Condition
      • Lifestyle
      • Surgeon

      By choosing an experienced, highly-skilled surgeon like the staff at Reflections Center, your results will be long-lasting. Along with the choice of surgeon, there are some things you can do to help your mini facelift results last longer. Some of these are using sunscreen daily, quitting smoking, avoiding alcohol, drinking plenty of water, and maintaining a healthy weight. Your doctor at Reflections center will give you detailed aftercare instructions which will help make sure you get the best results that are long-lasting. With the mini facelift technique at Reflections Center, you will enjoy your youthful look for years to come.

    • Fillers vs. mini facelift: which is better?

      The best procedure for you will depend on your goals and preferences for treatment. If you want more transformative results, then a mini facelift can achieve effective rejuvenation with one procedure. Alternatively, fillers can produce more subtle results without downtime or incisions. During a consultation, our cosmetic physicians can guide you to the better option depending on your concerns and other factors.

    • What are the symptoms or concerns that would be ideal for a mini facelift?

      Shifts in the fat deposits and weakening of muscle support in the lower cheek create a landslide of effects in the face, including deeper marionette lines (smile lines), jowls, and sagging skin along the jawline. This is why simply tightening the skin, whether through non-invasive skin tightening or a “skin pull” procedure, does not resolve the issue.

    Dr. Joe Fodero is a board-certified plastic surgeon with over 20 years of experience. For 20 years, Dr. Fodero has built an amazing resume of plastic surgery work in the New Jersey area and is recognized as a Top Plastic Surgeon in Rhinoplasty, Breast Augmentation, and Body Sculpting. We’re so happy he’s decided to join forces with the Reflections Center team of physicians.