Before & Afters
*Each patient is unique and individual results may vary.
Doctors Edward Buckingham and Erin Smith offer Mini Lift solutions for patients in Austin & Sunset Valley, TX. Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon Dr. Buckingham personalizes each facelift at Buckingham Center in Austin, Texas, to match the needs of the patient. The Mini Facelift or Limited Incision Facelift is a modern procedure that Dr. Buckingham performs in place of the traditional facelift surgery procedure in the appropriate patient. He uses less invasive but technically advanced technique with years of experience to perform a mini facelift, which lifts and beautifies the lower face of men and women and provides outstanding results, including a minimal recovery period and limited, well-concealed incisions. The limited incision facelift is the answer that many individuals desire as they seek to achieve tighter, lifted skin with minimal scarring.
The Facelift Procedure
Dr. Buckingham’s personalized facelifts provide each patient with natural-looking results rather than the traditional, windswept appearance that was common in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Dr. Buckingham offers modern, proven techniques that provide his patients with outstanding results with a minimal recovery period and confined incisions that are easily hidden. For example, during a limited incision facelift, the anterior neck is not opened. The limited incision or mini facelift is an aesthetic procedure that beautifies the lower face, including the jaw line and the area running from the corner of the mouth to the upper ear.
Dr. Buckingham adjusts the facelift procedure to match the patient’s needs and desires, and he may recommend the limited incision facelift or mini facelift to patients who want minimal scarring and reduced recovery demands. All limited incision facelift incisions are limited to the area around the ears and hairline, and an incision on the anterior neck is not needed. The post-surgical swelling and bruising are confined to the lateral neck and around the ears, and patients with medium to long hair can completely hide the sutures, swelling and bruising.
The limited incision facelift procedure is recommended for patients with limited neck banding and thin necks. Dr. Buckingham tailors each procedure to match his patient’s needs. Even patients with moderate to severe jowling benefit from the limited incision facelift because even though the incision and dissection is limited, the Submuscular Aponeurotic System (SMAS) is being elevated as in a larger more invasive lift. However, patients with heavy faces and significant signs of aging achieve more substantial benefits if the SMAS is lifted and combined with anterior neck work including neck liposuction with platysmaplasty. In either procedure, Dr. Buckingham utilizes a “high SMAS” technique. With this technique, the SMAS is elevated in a completely superior vector and secured to deep tissue over the cheek bone providing a more significant, secure and long-lasting result. Dr. Buckingham examines each patient during their private consultation and recommends the best facelift options for their skin type and needs.
What to Expect During the Procedure
Facelift surgery is customized for each patient depending on the amount of sagging skin, muscle banding and deposits of fat. The limited incision facelift is usually performed in the office operating suite with light oral sedation, relaxing medication taken by mouth, and local, injectable, anesthesia. A hidden incision is then formed around the ears, exposing the Submuscular Aponeurotic System (SMAS), which is linked to the superficial platysma muscle that covers the lower face and neck. The SMAS is then incised using the “high SMAS technique” and then elevated off the deeper salivary gland to release the tissues allowing maximal lift. The SMAS is then secured in a vertical direction to the deep fixed tissue layers. Once the layers are tightened, Dr. Buckingham removes just enough of the excess skin to allow the edges to lie together without creating tension. Beautiful skin with minimal, postoperative scars is achieved with the mini facelift. The mini facelift surgical dissection and recovery are limited, yet the procedure produces remarkable results as the Superficial Musculoaponeurotic System (SMAS) is still undermined and tightened in this procedure.
Limited Incision Facelift Expectations
The limited incision or mini facelift refreshes and rejuvenates the lower face and involves only minimal scarring and a short recovery period. Additional cosmetic procedures are not required but may be used to enhance the refreshed look that is achieved with the mini facelift. Dr. Buckingham will provide you with before and after photos during your consultation and many photos are available in our photo gallery. The limited incision, mini facelift results will include the following:
- Elevated facial skin
- Reduced wrinkles
- Tightened and redefined jawline
- Lifted jowls
- Lifted neck skin
- Reduced neck banding and lines
- Tightened skin and removal of hanging skin from the lower face
Facelift Surgical Recovery
The mini facelift recovery is minimal. A light dressing is worn on the first night after the surgery and replaced on post-op day one. The patient removes the dressing on day three at home and may then shower and wash the hair. The sutures are removed in approximately one week, and bruising is typically resolved in the first week as well. Many patients resume social activities within just three to four days after the surgery. Improvements to the incisions and a reduction in swelling will continue to be experienced daily. Residual swelling and some areas of minor firmness, which are noticeable upon close inspection, could be experienced but will improve significantly within a short period.
Facelift Consultation
Dr. Buckingham believes that a truly successful surgery is based on a good rapport with the patient that is established and maintained during the consultation and each subsequent visit. During your initial mini facelift consultation at the Buckingham Center for Facial Plastic Surgery, our patient care coordinator will introduce you to the practice and will explain the facelift process. Dr. Buckingham will review your medical history and will listen to your desires and concerns. Doctor Buckingham will share before and after photos that display former mini facelift patients who had similar goals and interests. After your consultation is completed, you will receive a written quote and treatment recommendations, along with an option to select a surgery date.
The Ideal Limited Incision Facelift Candidate
Ideal mini facelift candidates are in good mental and physical health and are nonsmokers with realistic and healthy surgical expectations. The procedure is best for individuals with minimal to moderate neck laxity, but without significant platysmal banding and thin necks. Jowling can be moderate in nature and the limited/mini facelift procedure is still indicated. Generally, Dr. Buckingham’s younger patients often undergo the mini facelift, while older patients with more significant signs of aging often benefit from a variation of a full or deep plane facelift. However, the ultimate decision is based more on anatomy than age, and a full range of ages may or may not be well suited. The ideal age for limited incision facelift and the determination will be made in your personal consultation with Dr. Buckingham.
Facelift Cost
The cost of a mini facelift depends on the details of the procedure because each treatment is personalized to match the unique needs of the patient. The Buckingham Center staff and Dr. Buckingham never pressure a patient to have a procedure completed, and we work with each patient’s budget to accomplish their desired results when possible. Financing packages are offered that fit most budgets and help to keep the limited incision facelift procedure affordable.
Limited Incision Facelift Questions and Answers
What is a Limited Incision Facelift?
Am I an Ideal Limited Incision Facelift Candidate?
What Should I Expect at My Facelift Consultation?
Where is the Limited Incision Facelift Performed?
What Type of Anesthesia is used During a Mini Facelift?
How Long is the Facelift Surgery?
Where are the Facelift Incisions?
What must I Do to Prepare for a Limited Incision Facelift?
Is Mini Facelift Surgery Painful?
Do Limited Incision Facelifts Result in Permanent Scarring?
What is the Recovery Period for Mini Facelift Surgery?
When are Patients Released to Return to Work?
Does a Mini Facelift have Risks?
Is the Limited Incision Facelift Right for Me?
Schedule Your Mini Lift Consultation in Austin Today
Plastic Surgeons, Dr. Edward Buckingham and Dr. Erin Smith are a renowned facial surgeons who provide excellent, artistic surgical results. To learn more about a mini facelift in Austin, Texas, with Dr. Buckingham or Dr. Smith, call 512.401.2500 to request a consultation.
Related Procedures
- Bell’s Palsy
- Chemical Peel
- Chin / Cheek Augmentation
- Chin Liposuction
- Earlobe Reduction
- Ear Surgery (Otoplasty)
- Endoscopic Forehead Lift
- Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty)
- Asian Eyelid Surgery (Double Eyelid)
- Facelift
- Facial Asymmetry
- Facial Fat Transfer
- Limited Incision Facelift
- Lip Enhancement
- Lip Lift
- Nasal Obstruction
- Neck Lift
- Rhinoplasty
- Revision Rhinoplasty
- Rhinophyma
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