Since everyone ages differently, certain patients require different levels of corrections to improve and enhance their cosmetic appearance.
If you are concerned with how aging has affected your lower face (hollow cheeks, laxity in jowls and neck), then our mini facelift in Pittsburgh might be a good option for you. The purpose of a mini facelift (also known as a limited incision facelift, S-lift or weekend facelift) is to rejuvenate and repair premature signs of aging in the lower face.
What are the goals of a mini facelift?
In reality, it is somewhat artificial to strictly divide facelifts as either being “full facelifts” or “mini-facelifts.” Each individual presents with unique anatomic signs of aging. If those signs of aging are less advanced, the facelift procedure Dr. Leong selects will be adapted to address those changes with less extensive work.
As an example, many patients have a reasonable amount of excess tissue under their chins. In these cases, a small incision (sub-mental incision) is made in order to allow tightening of this area. However, there are some patients who have very minimal signs of aging below their chins, in which case the sub-mental incision can be avoided with a terrific result obtained nonetheless. The point here is that each procedure is customized, and Dr. Leong will do what is necessary to achieve a quality result and no more.
Can a mini facelift be combined with other procedures?
Many different surgical techniques and styles exist when it comes to both a “deep-plane” facelift and mini facelift surgery. Dr. Leong will determine which surgical approach is best for you based on your individual goals and where you currently are in the aging process. For optimal results, mini facelift surgery may be combined with other surgical procedures such as a facial implant, fat transfer injections, brow lift surgery, upper or lower blepharoplasty, or facial liposuction.
Consultation
During your consultation at our Pittsburgh, Wexford, Sewickley or Greensburg office, Dr. Leong will determine whether a full facelift surgery or mini facelift is the right option for you and if you might benefit from any other treatments or procedures. Your health history will be reviewed, along with photos of our previous before and after Pittsburgh mini facelift patients. You and Dr. Leong will also discuss your current cosmetic concerns, chat about what you are hoping to achieve from surgery, and calculate mini facelift costs and fees.
What does Leong Facial Plastic Surgery represent?
Leong Facial Plastic Surgery represents the highest level of integrity in transparency in every consultation and procedure. Dr. Paul Leong makes a point of ensuring his patients are fully informed about their treatment options—even if their desired option is non-optimum. In addition to adhering to clear communication with his patients, he also focuses on delivering natural results—never fake or overdone. When you come to Leong Facial Plastic Surgery, you are coming to a practice with technical excellence and high integrity.
It’s your face. Trust it to a specialist.
Who makes a good mini facelift candidate?
A man or woman in good health with facial aging symptoms affecting the mid and lower face can be good candidates for a mini facelift. Age is not always a guaranteed factor that a mini or full facelift will be a great option for you.
Dr. Leong believes in being honest and straightforward with all his patients. If he thinks that your signs of aging are not sufficient to justify a surgical procedure, he may suggest holding off on surgery for a while and revisiting the idea in the future.
What will my facelift scars look like?
It is a very high priority for Dr. Leong that your facelift scars are absolutely as beautiful as possible. Certainly, some patients’ healing processes are different from others and this can result in subtle variation in quality of the final result.
Having said that, there are a number of very important strategies Dr. Leong uses so that his facelift scars heal as beautifully as possible. First and foremost, when performing a facelift, the tension of the lift is displaced to deeper layers of the tissue (specifically the SMAS). There should be absolutely no tension on the skin at the time of closure. This is probably the single most important technical step that helps produce beautiful and virtually invisible scars. There are other relevant technical details.
For example, Dr. Leong typically places the incision behind the tragus, which is the little piece of cartilage on the front side of the ear canal. This approach breaks up with the scar in front of the ear and makes it very difficult to see. Also, Dr. Leong places the incisions just inside the hairline both in front of and behind the ear. By beveling (cutting the skin at a slight angle) the incision carefully, these scars become virtually invisible.
Some patients have advantages over others in terms of scar healing. Generally speaking, if you have darker pigmentation, incisions might not heal quite as well. On the other hand, if you have very fair skin, incisions can occasionally stay a little red for a longer period of time. Ultimately Dr. Leong’s goal is for all patients to have the very best incision they can with their facelift surgery. It all goes towards our goal: “If it doesn’t look natural, it doesn’t look good!”
Paul Leong MD FACS
The Facial Specialist
Dr. Leong's journey to becoming a skilled surgeon began with his medical degree from Yale University School of Medicine. After that, he spent seven years at the University of Pittsburgh sharpening his skills in head, face, and neck surgery. The University of Pittsburgh is consistently ranked among the top five otolaryngology programs in the US. He then furthered his education through two fellowships - one in Advanced Oncologic Surgery of the Head and Neck at Pittsburgh Medical Center and the other in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Oregon Health Sciences University.
What is a Vampire Facelift?
Dr. Leong finds that patients often have to wade through confusing terminology as they focus in on the services they want. For example, many of his patients in Pittsburgh come across the term “Vampire Facelift.”
It would be a mistake to think this procedure is in the same category as a facelift simply because this procedure is only meant to rejuvenate the skin. The Vampire Facelift does not involve any incisions, therefore, there is no possibility of lifting or tightening.
The results of a surgical facelift and a Vampire Facelift differ greatly. The Vampire Facelift typically consists of collecting the patient’s own blood, using a centrifuge to isolate the PRP (Platelet-rich Plasma), then injecting it back into the skin. The Vampire Facelift is also often combined with microneedling to help produce collagen growth. Dr. Leong hopes that being clear about this type of terminology will help you during your plastic surgery research.
Now Serving Morgantown
Dr. Paul Leong is a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon specializing exclusively in aesthetic facial plastic surgery. With an international reputation for the quality of his mini facelift surgery, Dr. Leong’s practice has a regional scope, drawing patients from well beyond Pittsburgh. To better serve his patients in the region, Dr. Leong has expanded with an additional office in Morgantown, WV.
Financing
At Leong Facial Plastic Surgery, we conveniently accept cash, check, CareCredit and all major credit cards. For more information about CareCredit, please contact our office at 412.621.3223 or email us.
Contact Leong Facial Plastic Surgery
For more information about mini facelift surgery or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Paul Leong to talk more about your options, please contact Leong Facial Plastic Surgery today.