“There’s this party this weekend and I need to look cute, let me lift my face for the weekend”. Ummm! No! That’s not what a “weekend facelift” means. As far as face-lifting goes, there are about two kinds which require different procedures; a full facelift aka rhytidectomy or ‘traditional’ facelift, and then, a mini facelift which most commonly goes by the expression “weekend facelift” because it can literally heal over a single weekend and you’re back to work!
Why a ‘weekend’ facelift?
Well, let’s examine both the full facelift and the weekend facelift and perhaps you can figure that out on your own.
A traditional facelift essentially requires more time, deeper and longer incisions, as well as a lot of stitching. Ideally, after a patient has been put under a general anesthesia, a surgeon will make incisions above the hairline – at the temples, extending through the front of the ear, curving around the bottom of the ear, down to the hairline at the back of the neck. Next, the facial skin will be pulled out and separated from the deep tissue with tools like a scalpel or scissors. After which the surgeon will proceed to tighten those underlying deep tissues with sutures. Having done this, the excess skin will be removed and what’s left of it will be re-draped on the patient’s face as well as the neck and then, sutures and staples are used to close the incision and voila! You have a tight new face.
Whereas, in a mini or weekend facelift, procedure requires less time, smaller incisions, and less stitching. While the patient is under a local anesthesia, the surgeon will make small incisions – about 3 or 4, usually around the ears and then insert some surgical instruments through them. These instruments will allow a surgeon to remove excess fat while reshaping the facial muscles. Since small incisions are what a surgeon will rely on, to help with the procedure, the surgeon usually has a camera inserted into the patient’s face, allowing the surgeon to see the work as he performs it. Surgeons may also apply skin rejuvenation injections to support results. More so, in some cases, Botox is applied on some parts of the face, as well as dermal fillers and hyaluronic acid to give the skin a full, firm and plump look.
From the procedures examined above, you can see that a weekend facelift is less invasive than a traditional facelift. However, with small procedures come less dramatic results but that does not mean it won’t be worth your while. As a matter of fact, the weekend facelift is more popular and the most common type of the facelift procedure because, it leaves you with more natural-looking results.
What are you getting?
Of course we all know that a weekend facelift addresses wrinkles and saggy skin, particularly on the lower third of the face, while restoring definition to the chin, giving you a youthful look that accentuates your natural beauty. But what else am I getting?
First, minimal scarring. Of course, since the procedure is less invasive and incisions are about 3 or 4, you don’t get dramatic scars like you do with the traditional facelift.
Second, less pain. The post-procedure pain and discomfort of a traditional facelift is absent from a weekend facelift because of the minimal nature of the procedure.
Third, healing time. If you get this procedure done on a Thursday, you should be back to work the following Tuesday or sooner, thus, the ‘weekend’ narrative.
Fourth, minimal side effects. With a weekend facelift, you get less swelling, less bruising, and the bandages are taken off within 48 hours. More so, since a local anesthesia is used, you can completely skip all the side effects and risks that come with a general anesthesia.
Lastly, it gives a more natural-looking result. Because results are less dramatic and surgery is minor, it essentially complements your natural features and scars are easily hidden with your hairline and the natural contours of your face.
Who’s an ideal candidate?
Not everyone qualifies for a weekend facelift. Some people’s aging signs may require a more dramatic procedure. It may be advisable to see a surgeon for a consultation to ensure that a mini facelift is applicable in your case. However, an ideal candidate are people between their 30’s and 50’s who have started experiencing signs of aging. In spite of this, you may still not qualify or you may qualify even though you don’t fall within this category. So you see? A consultation is in order because you never know!
So is it worth it?
I’ll like to think that in certain cases, it might be. The only drawback is that unlike a traditional facelift which can last for up to a decade or more, a weekend facelift lasts for a period between 2 to 5 years or it could be more depending. It’s also a lot cheaper than a traditional facelift so you don’t need to be a millionaire celebrity to afford this, and for what you’re getting, it’s worth every penny.
I hope you found this article helpful. If you’re thinking of getting a weekend facelift or you have already, I’ll like to read all your experiences in the comment section below.
