People who shy away from needles and surgical knives are always looking for the non-surgical equivalent to the procedures they want. While that works only a small percentage of the time, people keep looking for any and all procedures where they will not need to go under the knife. One such example is the cosmetic procedure known as the facelift.

Dozens of people want to turn back the clock on their faces, but more than half of those people do not want actual surgery. There is a series of procedures done simultaneously and is known as the "non-surgical facelift," but it is not really a facelift. There is the standard full facelift, and there is the mini facelift. Here is what you need to know about all of these procedures before you spend the money and do not like the results. 

The Non-Surgical "Lift"

​This really is not a facelift at all. It is three cosmetic procedures performed to rejuvenate your facial appearance. It does not lift anything. Instead, your cosmetic surgeon uses Botox to temporarily tighten muscles and reduce the appearance of wrinkles, facial line fillers to plump wrinkles (also temporary), and cheek fillers to plump out the cheeks (which is usually fat taken from somewhere else on your own body). All of the results are temporary, and still involve needles to get results. You would need to redo all of these procedures sometime within the next three to six months, depending on how you metabolize the fat, fillers, and botulinum toxin.

​The Mini-Lift

​​The mini-lift is a surgical procedure, but the results are perfect for anyone who does not have a lot of wrinkles or does not want to address the few wrinkles they do have. The surgeon opens up the flesh near the jaw, liposuction out the chin, tights up the neck muscles and sews them tight with dissoluble stitches, and then stitches up the chin. The surgeon moves to the area around the ears, where the skin is cut loose around the ears and then pulled taut to give the cheeks and jowls a tighter, firmer look. The excess skin near the ears is trimmed, and then the skin is stitched closed back around the ears. The results are quite dramatic and will last a few decades. 

The Full Facelift

​The full facelift is the traditional facelift. The skin around the ears and scalp is cut open, pulled upward, excess skin is excised, and the skin is stitched closed. Liposuction or fillers may be used to sculpt the face into the desired shape. Results are permanent. 

Contact a physician, like AURAE MD, for more help.