Is there a set list of procedures included in a mini-facelift or is that just an expression.
Any idea on cost? Does it hurt? (I am applying Carac to my face right now to treat for sun damage and it hurts like blazes, because of all the sun damage. Not sure I could tolerate pain.)
@CT1417 - I have Carac on my face now too. I did 10 days in November and now doing a 2nd ten days. This round I am not reacting much so I think the first round got most of it. I have done Picado in the past and that was terribly painful.
I also did a BBL a few years ago. I also have been getting facials for the past year about once a month. Every few month I have a Silkpeel facial. My skin has never looked better.
@mom60 – I do not like the idea of a second round! Were the results from the first round not satisfactory?
I applied for 14 days on top spots a couple of months ago. Dermatologist then suggested I treat the entire face. I have used Carac several times during the past maybe seven years; you would think by now that I would be used to the pain.
I don’t know BBL or Silkpeel. Will need to go look those up. The pain, redness and tightness of the Carac treatment is my threshold for discomfort.
@nottelling – AFAIK, Carac is a chemotherapy agent that causes my skin to turn bright red anywhere I have sun damage. The first time I used it, my entire face turned red and literally peeled off, except for the bridge of my nose where my sunglasses sit. I use it for 14 days in a row, and by the 10th day, I am ready to quit. My skin has only peeled in a couple of small areas this time, so perhaps there is not as much damage as there used to be when I spent my summers outdoors with the children.
From what I’ve read on the neck, a mini facelift costs anywhere between $3,500 - $7,000, depending on location
, doctor and what you need done specifically. If you have a lot of skin under chin, neck area, I believe they make an incision under you chin and go in that way, too. The main incision if in front of your ears for a lower facelift. I found this all on different websites. A mini is really for those that just have minor jowling and are just starting to lose lasctivity in the neck area.
I would love to look younger/better but I am too much of a chicken to consider surgery or needles. I am seriousl about skin products though. My dermatologist told me that every woman over 50 should be on a retinol, not only for anti-aging, but because they can reverse early skin cancers. Of course, her first recommendation was sunscreen year-round, at least SPF 40. The third recommendation was vitamin C serum, which is magic as far as I’m concerned. I’ve been using all three for about 10 years and my skin looks pretty good. I use retin-A now, but I’ve also used Avene retrinal (non-prescription, no irritation).
@CT1417 - my present dermatologist is of the belief that the maximum benefit of Cerac comes in the first 10 days. She prescribes doing a second round of 10 days a month later. I waited a bit longer due to the holidays. She sees her patients again 3 months after the first treatment. This 2nd round has not brought up much and my H hasn’t even noticed I am doing it a 2nd time.
Correction it is Picato. It is a treatment cream that also removes pre cancerous sun damage. You only use it for 3 days but it was extremely painful. I did my face in 2 phases. First forehead and 2nd stage I did the sides of my face. I was not willing to do the entire face due to the extreme discomfort. I also did a 3rd round on my chest. this was done with a previous Dr. I found Cerac much more tolerable. @nottelling - the Silkpeel leaves my skin super smooth but it does leave my skin red for about 5 days.
I had my BBL done by a dermatologist who is board certified in Mohs surgery. I totally trust her judgment. Like I think @teriwtt I did both the red and browns. I was pretty scary looking when I left the Dr office. Swollen red face covered in ointment with plastic wrap on my face. I was scary looking for probably 3 weeks. Afterwards my face looked great and it had the added benefit of stimulating collagen so my face looked great. I would do it again but it was expensive and you need a lot of down time.
I don’t know why but I have never had a dermatologist suggests Retin A to me. I don’t know if it is due to my type of skin.
My present Dr has me using a prescription shampoo twice a week as a face wash. I also use Elidel cream twice a week. It keeps redness down and also seems to keep my skin smoother.
I would be hesitant to go under the knife.
The first time I observed a full face lift, I was astounded. It’s extreme, but it has to be to be done correctly, muscles tightened as well as skin. I’m not gonna say NEVER, but most people probably would be too freaked out to have it done once they observed someone else having it done.
The first time I watched one, I kept having the repeating thought “OMG, if DH could see this, he would be ON THE FLOOR right now.” DH is very squeamish. This would put him completely over the line into unconsciousness.
@mom60 - holy smokes! When I left the office, my browns were definitely popping and within a day or so, they popped some more, but once she was done with the procedure, nothing really hurt and I wouldn’t say I was swollen at all… if I had to think about it, it maybe felt like a very slight sunburn, but that feeling was gone by the next morning. My aesthetician tells me not to have any sun exposure three weeks prior to a treatment (meaning, if I’m out, use lots of sunscreen and wear a hat), so I’m very careful. I remember trying to squeeze it in after we’d spent a week in Cape Cod in mid-September, but before we left for AZ for vacation (which included a wedding, so I wanted to have enough time for the browns to fade away). I made it by about 1-2 days! One thing about BBL is that you absolutely see the reds disappear before your eyes as she does it. It’s quite remarkable. And I’d say it’s fairly uncomfortable, but when I need to take a break for a minute or two, she will honor that.
My aesthetician first suggested it to me, but didn’t really give it a second thought for a year or so. Then when I saw my dermatologist, he mentioned it to me and said he thought I’d respond well to it. There was no pressure to have it done at his office, and since I had a working relationship with the aesthetician, I decided to have her do it. I didn’t even bother to see which place would have cost less… my bet is the aesthetician. It is probably helpful to tell people that if you want to maintain the results, you need to go back twice a year for a ‘tune-up’. I have an appt. in mid-February for that, so my skin tone will even out before D’s wedding in mid-March. The good thing is, I don’t have to worry about the UV index this time of year really, so no need to be so careful about sun exposure.
But wow, I did not have the kind of post-treatment pain and reaction (swelling) that you did. Maybe I’m too wimpy and didn’t let her dial it up as much as you do!
I have been using Retin-A for more than two years now but should probably have started a decade ago! When I first started, I could only use perhaps once a week, increasingly gradually until I could use daily. I use it on my neck and chest also. Who knows what it is doing, but it can’t hurt!
I don’t know what BBL is so should google that term now. I am kind of scary looking now. It does seem that there are a few different approaches with Carac. I will have to ask the doctor about the repeat application.
@Nrdsb4 – I fear I would have the same reaction. I wasn’t a very brave candy striper in high school.
I have done photofacial. It removes sun spots on face. It is a bit uncomfortable during the treatment (like pins and needles), and your face looks like sunburn afterwards.
Teriwtt- I think I also had a 3rd laser done but I can’t recall what it was called. It felt like someone snapping a rubber band on your face. The Dr I saw is know in our town for having the most up to date equipment. I had it done 2 yrs ago and I haven’t needed a tune up yet. The Physician Assistant did my treatment.She was less expensive. I recall the Dr having her dial it up. I know people who have had it done at their aesthetician office and they had multiple treatments. Honestly I should have paid more attention to what I was agreeing to have done. I trusted the Dr and went with her recommendations. I was happy with the results.They also suggested a VBeam laser for the red spider veins on my face. That is supposed to bruise a bit. I decided to not spend anymore money since makeup does a fairly decent job of covering it up.
I have a couple of friends who had their eyelids done and they look terrific. They look less tired but it doesn’t scream I had work done. @CT1417 - I also know several people who have done a Blue light laser instead of Cerac. You apply a cream and have the laser done. It treats the precancerous cells. A friend who has had melanoma and other skin cancers just had it done. He looked terrible for about 10 days but now looks great.
Thanks for the explanations. I’m still confused, though, as to whether the treatments you are discussing are for medical purposes (pre-cancer) or cosmetic purposes.
I have the world’s most sensitive skin and can’t use any of the anti-aging threatments, like Retin A.
@nottelling – the Carac is for medical purposes, at least for me. The doctor described Carac as a chemotherapy agent.Instead of having the doctor burn, freeze, or cut something questionable out, Carac is applied to the area in question. I have used it on single locations on my face and chest and on my entire face and chest.
I have very sensitive skin also. When I first tried Retin A, it left my skin incredibly dry, so I could only use it once a week. Doctor advised building up slowly, and that has worked for me so that I can now use daily w/o issue.
A month or so after the end of the Carac treatment, I return to the doctor so that she can evaluate the skin to see if further investigation is warranted. So far I have been fortunate and not needed any cutting, etc.
Cara can cause damaged skin to peel off, and some brown/sun spots will peel away at the same time, but I don’t think of it as cosmetic.
I do not know if your inability to tolerate Retin A means that you will not be able to tolerate Carac, but if your doctor has not suggested it, I would not go looking for it. It hurts!
At my Tuesday appt for Botox, I ended up trying Dysport instead, and 36 hours out I am very happy with the results. OP, while at that appointment, I saw a pamphlet about Kybella. It is a permanent, non surgical solution for chin and jowl problems. One of the office workers had the procedure and I saw the before and after pictures, and it was amazing. I cant link from my device, but if that area is a problem for you, you may want to look into it. They said it was a two time procedure, $1100 per time.
Thanks @CottonTales …but from what I read Kybelka is for fat in the Chin area? That’s not my problem. I don’t have that. Mine is just slight jowling at the sides of my chin and a little neck lessening. That’s not even noticeable so much, more when I swallow.
Just went to see a plastic surgery about a mini lift. Once a month they have free consultations, so I thought why not. I really am leaning towards this and I’d like to start researching facts and surgeons. The before and after pictures of prior patients are just amazing. A SMAS minilift would be done. The incision is well hidden.
I think facelifts where the corners of the mouth are lifted up are a dead giveaway, and he said that wouldn’t happen and is very sensitive to the desires of the patient. This doctors cost is $8,000 which includes everything. I didn’t like how the patient coordinator was pushing all the non invasive stuff though.
So, I’m going to make an appointment with another popular surgeon in my area and see what they say. It sounds like if you really want to hide that you are doing this, a month would be optimal, which isn’t hard in the winter months.