Facelift: Info, Prices, Photos, Reviews, Q&A

The weekend facelift is a really just a mini facelift. When the results and recovery time quoted to you are too good to be true, it usually is.

There is no surgical facelift procedure that will elevate your jowls and give you a long lasting result that has a weekend of recovery.

Having said that, not all facelifts are the same. You can certainly have a short incision facelift with traditional techniques that reposition the deep tissue in your face and not just the skin.

This procedure will give you nice results to the areas that you are most concerned with and will last several years. (Philip S. Schoenfeld, MD, FACS, Chevy Chase Facial Plastic Surgeon)

Weekend Facelift?

Weekend Facelift was a marketing tool by a company called Lifestyle Lift. They claimed that you could get a facelift on Friday and be back to work by Monday. It was cheaper because they did minimal surgery under local anesthesia.

The problem was minimal surgery meant less than minimal results and the company went out of business several years ago. When appropriate, a Mini-Facelift is an excellent choice for patients requiring modest lift of the mid-face and neck with shorter incisions, shorter operative time and slightly shorter recovery than full facelift.

Still plan on missing one week of work. Be sure to consult with a board certified plastic surgeon. (Robert M. Tornambe, MD, New York Plastic Surgeon)

There are many catchy terms used to attract patients to one’s office. I don’t think there is a specific facelift that pertains to a “weekend lift”. Rather, physicians may perform some neck liposuction, possibly tightening the neck muscles slightly, and some use of lasers.

In reality, I suppose you could even include some threads to help lift the cheeks, or fillers to assist in adding fullness with neck liposuction. So, as you can see, these are vague terms used to provide some stimulus to get patient’s into one’s office.

Dermatologists, family physicians, facial plastic surgeons, and plastic surgeons may be using the terms, amongst others. You probably get some improvement, yet nothing like you would with a more sophisticated approach. I would advise you to really ask the doctor exactly what you are getting with the “weekend facelift” and get multiple opinions for your interests. (Joel B. Beck, MD, FACS, Bay Area Plastic Surgeon)

What is a “Weekend Facelift”?

The term was meant to simply that you could recover from the procedure over a weekend, but as the entries from my colleagues indicate, most responsible plastic surgeons think very little of these techniques, and even less of the promises made by providers of these procedures… You should be very wary of procedures and their providers when promises of amazing improvement with incredibly short and easy recovery are made… Generally speaking, when more time is spent selling you on the machine or technique than on who will be doing it on you, you should be very worried.

In the end, whether you are safe and happy will depend on who you selected to help you with your aesthetic procedure, and a lot less (if at all) on the technique they are using or the machine they prefer (for example with liposuction).

So look for a good surgeon first, a good anesthesia provider second, a quality facility third. (Armando Soto, MD, FACS, Orlando Plastic Surgeon)

The weekend facelift is not a true facelift

Weekend facelifts are usually some combination of procedures designed to create a fairly nice, but short-lived change in the face. It is a marketing tool designed to capitalize on the allure of a facelift but with little downtime.

Buyer beware – you definitely get what you pay for when it comes to a facelift. (Jay Calvert, MD, FACS, Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon)

Weekend Facelift is a short cut to a real Facelift

The term “weekend facelift” was first created as a gimmicky catch phrase to bring plastic surgeons and wanna-be plastic surgeons more business. Now it has become used to refer to any minimally invasive technique or combincation technqiue that has a two or three day recovery.

I think that the term facelift should be reserved for a true facial tissue lift that is long lasting but it makes it sound cooler, I suppose to attach the words “weekend” and “facelift” together.

Nevertheless, if you are young and have elastic tissue. skin and relatively tight connections between your muscles, ligaments, fat compartmets, and skin, then a less extenisve facial rejuvenation with mimimal short scar incisions, and a combination of filling and maybe laser or chemical peel tightening may be used.

However, everyone heals differently and no one can gaurantee weekend FULL RECOVERY. If they do then perhaps there is not enough being done in the first place to truly solve your facial aging issues. (Ashkan Ghavami, MD, Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon)

Weekend Facelift is a Marketing Term

Weekend Facelift is a marketing term designed to be seductive, implying Facelift results without downtime, sort of a Facelift-lite: a true hassle free Facelift. In other words, as opposed to “older” techniques, this newer magic wand offers literally no downtime in minutes.

But wait, there’s more……….. The truth is that this term refers to a mini-lift, which as others have posted offers mini-results, generally indicated for mini-indications. Until genetic engineering is perfected and approved, patients who have indications for a Facelift and want to address these changes, need a Facelift. (Stephen Prendiville, MD, Fort Myers Facial Plastic Surgeon)

Minilift

The weekend facelift is just yet another attempt to reduce the downtime and recovery from a surgery. Unfortunately everything I have seen up to this point also reduces the results. I truly wish there was an effective procedure I could offer with no downtime, that was cheap for patients and that has great results.

The key is the last point. I want my patients to have long lasting good results. I want a happy patient who looks good! In my hands the weekend lift is really not possible. To get enough pull to treat the jowls just takes too much work on the tissues and therefore leads to recovery time that reflects this. (Benjamin Caughlin, MD, Chicago Facial Plastic Surgeon)

​ The Easier, Faster and Cheaper Facelift

The “LifeStyle Lift” was a marketing term for a variation of a facelift. The commercial drew the ire of the Plastic Surgery community and some state legislatures as being a misrepresentation of the variety of procedures performed including non-invasive, minimally invasive and surgical facelift procedures under a local anesthetic in 2 hours and without proper pre-operative evaluation.

While the Surgeons performing the procedures may have provided honorable surgery, the marketing was removed for being inaccurate. The concept of the “lunch-time” or “week-end” facelift generally uses: non-invasive options including – mild laser and chemical peels, fillers and Botox, ie. the “Liquid Facelift”

Generally performed under topical or local anesthetic

These will provide some immediate improvements with fillers and longer onset enhancements with the lasers, peels, Botox, etc. minimally invasive enhancements including – the new Silhouette InstaLift: a lifting, repositioning and collagen firming suture for the face, neck and brow the new ThermiTIGHT: a skin tightening option of the lower cheek, jowl, jawline and neck lipocontouring and fat grafting of the face and neckdeeper chemical peels and lasers

Generally performed under local anesthetic or IV sedation

You can expect swelling and bruising or peeling and 3 to 5 day down-time with these procedures Surgical Procedures: A surgical procedure where an incision by the ear is created and the skin pulled tight might provide a “weekend recovery” but last about as long.

A proper Face and / or Neck Lift will unfurl the skin laxity, suspend the underlying facial soft-tissues vertically and redrape the skin in a smooth and up-lifting fashion. This will provide the best longevity but also take the most amount of time surgically (average 4 to 6 hours).

Swelling and bruising may take 1 to 3 weeks in most patients before they feel social once again. To determine what is best for you, consult with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon with great experience; with non-invasive, minimally invasive and surgical qualifications to evaluate YOU and make the best recommendations for your needs including: cost/budget, recovery period, responsible support system and medical history. (Dean P. Kane, MD, FACS, Baltimore Plastic Surgeon)

Weekend facelift / Lunchtime facelift / Keyhole facelift

A Weekend facelift / Lunchtime facelift / Keyhole facelift are marketing terms / medical advertising meant to lure the gullible into parting with their hard earned money, to actually fulfil short term goals while promising long term / everlasting results, which never happen.

Structural change requires surgery & surgery means downtime. BEWARE of such MARKETING PLOYS by any clinic irrespective of reputation. (Sameer Karkhanis, MS, DNB, India Plastic Surgeon)

Cost of facelift procedures

I always tell my patients you get what you pay for. Don’t believe that you will see results after a weekend. Surgery means healing time and generally it takes 4-6 weeks before the majority of the bruising and swelling are gone.

And then over months, swelling will gradually diminish. Save your money and go to a reputable board certified surgeon who can show you results. (Susan Kaweski, MD, San Diego Plastic Surgeon)

Many marketing campaigns make promises of cheap surgery with no recovery and amazing results. Suspicion should be aroused in the discriminating consumer. I recommend obtaining a formal consultation with several board certified plastic surgeons and then make an informed decision; do not be lured by false promises. (Bryan Correa, MD, Houston Plastic Surgeon)

A weekend facelift sounds like a bad idea and simply a way of marketing and taking advantage of people’s fears about a facelift procedure. A carefully done formal facelift should properly address gravitational aging of the face and neck: both the skin and SMAS (deeper) layer.

This is not a weekend procedure. Addressing the skin with limited undermining can be done quickly and with little recovery but also will deliver a poor result which will not last beyond a few months. (John L. Burns Jr., MD, Dallas Plastic Surgeon)

A Weekend Facelift is a marketing term

This is not a medical term, it sounds like this is very much a marketing phrase. Without knowing the procedure I would caution you not to make decisions on attractive promises as a facelift should take at least an average of twn days to recover. (Yannis Alexandrides, MD, London Plastic Surgeon)

I’ve afraid this kind of marketing campaign is designed to achieve only one thing. That is to get people who are nervous about undergoing facelift surgery to part with their money under the illusion that they can get quick long-lasting results with minimal down time.

Simple fact is that if you want to have long-lasting results, you need to invest in your surgery and your recovery. (James Murphy, FRCS(Plast), Manchester Plastic Surgeon)

Look for a good surgeon, not a gimmick

This sounds like another marketing ploy that overpromises. It may help for mild sagging, but so would any other properly performed facelift. Best to find a surgeon who has experience in facelifts and a good professional reputation, rather than a gimmick. (Jerome Edelstein, MD, Toronto Plastic Surgeon)

“if it sounds too good to be true it usually is”

Mini lift, lunch hour lift, life style type of lift ….all promise a maximum with minimal incisions downtime and efforts. My analogy to new patients is simple : Try to make your bed by pulling on one corner of the sheet ! You get the point ! My approach is first to improve the expression, restore youthful volumes and contours maintain a natural hairline. (Christian G. Drehsen, MD, Tampa Plastic Surgeon)

You should meet with a board certified surgeon to create a customized plan

While a weekend lift can refer to many different facelift procedures (usually marketing tools that refer to mini-lifts or lifts performed under local anesthesia), I cannot recommend enough that you visit with a board certified plastic surgeon to discuss a customized treatment plan that will give you the best results.

These types of mini-lifts or weekend lifts often leave patients disappointed, and they end up spending more money getting a secondary procedure than if they had had the correct procedure the first time. I recommend you see a surgeon with great experience in facelifts so that he/she can suggest the most appropriate procedure for your concerns. (David P. Rapaport, MD, FACS, Manhattan Plastic Surgeon)

I have heard of doctors touting the so called weekend facelift. If it sounds too good to be true, you can be sure it is. I would avoid such a come on like the plague! (Ronald J. Edelson, MD, San Diego Plastic Surgeon)

The mini facelift, also known as a weekend facelift, is ideal for patients with skin laxity but only mild deep tissue sagging. The mini facelift only tightens the exterior skin layer. (Henry Mentz, MD, FACS, Houston Plastic Surgeon)

Weekend facelift on a weekend

A weekend facelift is a facelift that takes place on a weekend 😉 aside from that a technique of a ‘weekend’ facelift promising no downtime, no pain, no need for recovery is just a marketing scheme.

While we all would love to find a technique that delivers the results of a facelift without going through the hassles of a facelift and recovering from a facelift…. there is no such thing. If you are seriously considering a facelift, find a board certified plastic surgeon who is well respected for his/her facelift procedures, and go for a consultation. (Martin Jugenburg, MD, Toronto Plastic Surgeon)

This is essentially a marketing term. However, there are some lesser procedures that can be done that will give “modest improvement” that will resolve much quicker than a standard facelift. In my opinion they are usually not worth the time, money, or recovery involved even if shorter unless you are a patient with minimal early aging issues.

Most patients I see ask about a “lifestyle lift” or a “minilift” and actually each lift is personally tailored to what each patient may or may not need. Obviously Lifestyle Lift is a brand and a marketing system and has a 58% rating on this site compared to an 88% rating for a full facelift so you can make up your own mind about that.

While all surgeons seek to provide better results with less invasive techniques, and I have devoted my career to that with endoscopic surgery, the reality is that while we have good minimally invasive techniques for the brow and lower lids, we do not have it yet for the lower face and neck for patients with significant aging issues.

For those with early aging and minimal issues then a minilift may be appropriate. For most , however, the procedure is tailored to their individual needs and I always try to give each patient a long lasting and natural result regardless of where they fall in aging spectrum. (Grady B. Core, MD, Birmingham Plastic Surgeon)