A face lift procedure can be very unique depending on the patient’s needs. Many different features of your own particular anatomy give surgeons a foundation from which to restore your face to youthfulness; not everyone needs the same thing! Even more specific, many patients don’t require a full face lift, and can therefore opt for what has been termed a mini face lift. Dr. Christine Hamori of Boston presents one of her own patients who chose a mini face lift and describes the specific features of that patient that led her to craft a unique and rejuvenating result.
By: Christine A. Hamori, MD
and Adam McMillon
ThePlasticSurgeryChannel.com
A Mini vs. A Standard Face Lift
In general, the difference between what is termed a mini face lift and a typical face lift is the area being addressed. The mini face lift looks at the face itself, while a standard face lift addresses both the face and the neck area. Depending on many factors of your anatomy, age, and current condition, a board certified plastic surgeon will help make the decision as to which you will require. “Everyone ages differently,” says Hamori. “It depends on your bone structure, history of sun damage, how you’ve taken care of your skin, and how much you weigh.”
For Dr. Hamori’s patient, they decided on a mini face lift. “This patient is thin, meaning she doesn’t have much facial volume that has led to deflation,” describes Hamori. “Yes, fillers can help patients who fit this mold, but you get to a point where just putting a little pleat in that pillow case can really shape it better than trying to push more and more pillow volume in. She’s approximately 55 years old, she’s noted a bit of looseness in her jowl area and has had some weight loss. She’s also noticed the elasticity of her skin is decreasing. We’re going to focus on that and the laxity in her jowl area.”
Facial Maintenance With A Mini Face Lift
As one of the procedures commonly associated with plastic surgery, a lot of misinformation, hype and fear can revolve around a face lift. The procedure is elegant, and, especially with a mini face lift, a little can go a long way. For 
Let Fat Do The Rest
To help with adding volume, Dr. Hamori has turned to fat grafting, which involves the removal of your own fat from one part of your body and then replacing it into the desired area. “During the procedure you harvest some fat, and with a tiny bit of tightening to the skin and the added volume of the fat, you can get a very nice, natural looking result.”
Fat grafting is a very promising adjunct to plastic surgery procedures that has already found great results for patients. In combination with a mini face lift, where a patient only needs a bit of tightening and a bit of volume, the results with fat grafting can last a long time. “The result is great immediately,” says Hamori. “By utilizing the patients own fat to restore volume, it can typically give them another 10 years before they need anything else.”