Home from my "Awake lift" lower face lift w/o neck muscle tightening - pics
I’m home from my mini lift/ S lift/SMAS lower face lift. This was not a thread lift but an actual lower face lift (but with no neck muscle tightening) and should last 5-10 years before one might want another lift (depends on the persons genetics and habits). I figure I may not care if I’m sagging in my late 50’s or early 60’s anyway.
The surgery was a breeze, at least so far. I went in at 1:30 PM, they gave me a Valium to chill me out and I waited around for about a half hour and then the doc and nurse prepped me and shot the sides of my face up with a Lidocaine mixture. It was a least 15 shots maybe 20 but they really didn’t hurt that badly, far less than a dentist’s needle. After waiting a few minutes for the numbing to take effect he started the procedure at about 2:30. All I could feel was some pressure and pulling/tightening but absolutely no pain. Some of the sounds were a little gross but I’m not squeamish. I was awake the entire time and able to chat with the doc and nurse. I had them snap pictures through out the procedure which once they review and get permission to release to me, I’ll post.
The surgery took approx 2 hours and I was in recovery for about ½ hour. I was sent home with this neat contraption called an auquecool which is this masque that provides constant cooling compression to the sides of my face and neck. I’m supposed to keep it on as close to all day and all night as I can for 3 days. It supposedly will greatly reduce the swelling and bruising and quicken recovery. I’ve pasted a few pictures below of me and my aquecool. The company makes these things (Aqueduct Medical Inc) to work for all sorts of facial PS as well as BA/BL’s.
Anyway, so far so good, it won’t be a dramatic result as I didn’t have a lot of loose skin, but hopefully there will be noticeable improvement without anyone necessarily knowing exactly what has changed about me. I’ll post more pics after I get my sutures out in 7 days.
46 yr old female; 5'6"; 11/13/08 VSG Dr. Jossart LapSF, SF, CA
SW 213, GW 150, CW 140, dream GW 130 and/or 20% body fat or less
12/22/09 mini face lift; Dr. Hove, Monarch Med Spa, KoP, PA
01/09/10 Reconstructive Surgery Dr. Sauceda, Monterrey, Mexico
U & L eye lid lifts, mini tt w/o muscle tightening, Brazilian buttock lift by fat grafting, Benelli BL & BA
. Good for you!!Martha
High 250/Consult Weight 245/Surgery 205/Now 109
Height 5'4.5" BMI 18.4
In maintenance since June 2009 
46 yr old female; 5'6"; 11/13/08 VSG Dr. Jossart LapSF, SF, CA
SW 213, GW 150, CW 140, dream GW 130 and/or 20% body fat or less
12/22/09 mini face lift; Dr. Hove, Monarch Med Spa, KoP, PA
01/09/10 Reconstructive Surgery Dr. Sauceda, Monterrey, Mexico
U & L eye lid lifts, mini tt w/o muscle tightening, Brazilian buttock lift by fat grafting, Benelli BL & BA
My doctor actually is a PS who focuses only on facial work. A mini lift is an actual lower face lift that includes not just tightening of the skin but also the superficial muscles in the lower (and some mid) face as well (without muscle tightening in the neck). Other names for the mini lift are S lift, short scar, and SMAS type lift. Surgeons may have their own little twists to these techniques but basically this is what the mini lifts are according to my research and my surgeons explanation. I had pretty much an SMAS type lift as my sutures extend up to just about my temple and thus I got a tiny lift of the cheeks and mid face. Here is a great link to reasearch the various types of lifts : www.docshop.com/education/cosmetic/face/face-lift/lower/
What a mini lift is NOT is a deep plane face lift. The deep plane lift is probably the gold standard for patients that have a fair amount of sagging and extra skin around the jowl, lower cheeks, lips and neck. I believe that this procedure requires full general anesthesia. The mini lifts are for patients with minor sagging of the lower face, jowls and neck skin and can be done with local anesthesia with or without sedation.
My procedure cost 5K at was done at a Med Spa in the Philadelphia area but I was able to take advantage of a last minute cancellation they had and received 1.5K discount (I guess it is usually 6.5K but these things are always negotiable to a certain degree). I'm not sure how much a deep plane face lift is, but I think more often than not they are usually done as part of a full face lift (neck/lower and Medial face/brow/eye lifts) so I'm thinking around 20K+ in the US.
Dr. Sauceda lists his full face lift (lower, mid, brow and eye lids) at $6,200 US but I'm not sure it is a deep plane lift or if it includes the neck tightening (platysmaplasty). If it is a deep plane lift that is quite a great deal. I am going to Dr. S next month for upper and lower eyelid surgery, breast lift plus augmentation, naso labial folds fat transfer, lip augmentation (using restilene), liposuction and butt augmentation using my own fat, and small tummy tuck. I couldn't get the mini lift at the same time from him but I have only a small window of time I can be down recovering so choose to get it done here in the US now.
I'll bet if you ask Dr. Lo he could enlighten you/us much more than I can.
I'll be posting more pictures later today of my mini lift surgery progress.
46 yr old female; 5'6"; 11/13/08 VSG Dr. Jossart LapSF, SF, CA
SW 213, GW 150, CW 140, dream GW 130 and/or 20% body fat or less
12/22/09 mini face lift; Dr. Hove, Monarch Med Spa, KoP, PA
01/09/10 Reconstructive Surgery Dr. Sauceda, Monterrey, Mexico
U & L eye lid lifts, mini tt w/o muscle tightening, Brazilian buttock lift by fat grafting, Benelli BL & BA
www.realself.com/question/How-is-a-Lifestyle-lift-different- from-a-traditional-face-lift-Lifestyle-lift
I don't think I'd get the Lifestyle lift, you can get better for the same $$.
46 yr old female; 5'6"; 11/13/08 VSG Dr. Jossart LapSF, SF, CA
SW 213, GW 150, CW 140, dream GW 130 and/or 20% body fat or less
12/22/09 mini face lift; Dr. Hove, Monarch Med Spa, KoP, PA
01/09/10 Reconstructive Surgery Dr. Sauceda, Monterrey, Mexico
U & L eye lid lifts, mini tt w/o muscle tightening, Brazilian buttock lift by fat grafting, Benelli BL & BA
Best wishes on your recovery
Happy Holiday
MO
SW - 223 CW- 130 GW- 140 Start Sz 18 Current Sz 4 Ht. 5'6"
BA- LBL/TT 11/3/09
I'm going to post more pics later today. Looking pretty stretched but my doc said I would but should look better in a week and it will continue to settle over the next month.
46 yr old female; 5'6"; 11/13/08 VSG Dr. Jossart LapSF, SF, CA
SW 213, GW 150, CW 140, dream GW 130 and/or 20% body fat or less
12/22/09 mini face lift; Dr. Hove, Monarch Med Spa, KoP, PA
01/09/10 Reconstructive Surgery Dr. Sauceda, Monterrey, Mexico
U & L eye lid lifts, mini tt w/o muscle tightening, Brazilian buttock lift by fat grafting, Benelli BL & BA
