As you age, the skin and fat in your face can begin to get loose, sag, and hang. This loose skin and excess fat can cause wrinkles, lines, and creases. The overall effect makes you look much older than you actually are.

“I perform facelifts and mini-facelifts to correct many of the signs of aging people are suffering from,” says Dr. Douglas Hendricks in Newport Beach, California. “Depending on how extensive a patient wants their results to be, a mini-facelift may fulfill their expectations better than a normal face-lift.”

For years, people have been resorting to facelifts in order to revitalize their appearance and regain the youthful appearance they once had. Now, mini-facelifts are being performed on people as a way to target specific areas of the face that they are unsatisfied with.

A facelift is performed to correct excess skin and fat that develops around the jowls, cheeks, and neck. Facelifts are usually performed on older individuals that are unhappy with the creases that have developed in their face.

Facelifts are performed by making incisions within the hairline. First, the skin is separated from other tissues, then excess skin and fat is removed, and the skin is pulled back. The plastic surgeon will make sure the skin is not pulled too tightly or over stretched. After the facelift, there are far less creases, and your face will look years younger.

Mini-facelifts are a newer form of facelift that many younger people are taking advantage of in order to correct the problems they have with their face. Rather than having an extensive facelift performed later in life, people that are even in their thirties are having mini-facelifts performed to correct specific problems they have with their face.

Mini-facelifts are different than traditional facelifts because they are performed with fewer and smaller incisions. A mini-facelift is an ideal option for someone that has one or two problem areas, but does not need their entire face treated.

The best way to determine if a mini-facelift or a traditional facelift is right for you is to schedule an initial consultation with an experienced plastic surgeon near you. During your initial consultation, your plastic surgeon will go over each procedure with you and help you make a decision.

“I listen to may patients to determine exactly what results they would like to see and what they would like to correct,” says Dr. Hendricks. “Afterward, I can suggest a plastic surgery option that will correct their problems.”