Nowadays, two terms are getting popular pertaining to plastic surgery – mini and micro! They have various meanings. They may refer to simpler, less demanding and less complicated procedures.

More accurately, “mini” and “micro” in plastic surgery mean that a smaller defect is to be treated with a smaller incision. For example, a mini-facelift will be performed to rectify a smaller facial defect with smaller incisions than a traditional facelift.

A mini facelift can even be done as a “touchup” procedure following a traditional facelift.

Benefits of Mini and Micro Plastic Surgery

Here are the benefits of mini and micro procedures:

  • Reduced surgical time
  • Possibly less pain
  • Less recovery time

However, the approach towards mini and micro procedures may vary among doctors. Therefore it is important to know what mini and micro can mean for you.

Can Mini and Micro Plastic Surgeries Work for You?+

 

In essence, the success of mini and micro procedures lies in the treatment plan, which is an organized combination of procedures to get optimal results. For a patient with minor aging defects, a combination of less invasive surgeries may work well.

Although results of these procedures are temporary, they may be required to satisfy a patient for 5 or more years. Similarly, patients already undergone a plastic surgery may want touchups and for that, mini and micro procedures can be considered.

Touchups can offer periodic or ongoing improvements to maintain with aging as it reappears. For example, a full facelift can last 10 to 15 years. To maintain optimal results, a mini facelift touchup that lasts for around 5 years can be done after an initial procedure.

However, it should be remembered that these less invasive procedures are plastic surgery procedures and should be taken seriously, no matter how mini or micro they may be.

Thermage

Thermage treatment is also known as radiothermoplasty and may also be a part of mini or micro procedure plan. It is a nonsurgical skin-tightening treatment for the face. It heats deeper layers of skin using radio frequency energy to tighten the skin.

A thermage procedure may substitute what a brow-lift aspirant may think they require. The procedure is thought to be less invasive than a brow-lift and may be useful to patients who need 1-2 mm of tightening compared to 1 or more centimetres provided in a brow-lift.

Thermage lasts for around 2 years, i.e. longer than fillers and injectables, but not as long as a facelift. Even aging has a role in the long-term effects of thermage.

Consult the Right Doctor

Before taking decision of undergoing any cosmetic surgery Bondi from Dr. Naveen Somia, for example, whether mini, micro or traditional, consult with the cosmetic surgeon. Here are a few tips:

  • Check the surgeon’s credentials, type of certification, education, training and number of procedures performed by him.
  • Watch before-and-after pictures of his patients who have undergone various types of cosmetic surgeries; that will help you arrive at practical expectations. Ask if you can talk to those patients.
  • Bring a picture of results you are expecting to discuss with the doctor.
  • Ask about the equipment that will be used, the location, the approach and the extent of the procedure.
  • Ask about potential side effects and complications of the procedure.
  • During consultation, you will be medically evaluated by the doctor. Since each case is unique, your treatment plan may change after consultations.

It’s especially true about mini and micro procedures that every procedure has its own pros and cons. Since they are new and not very well defined, their possible complications and longevity are not yet established. In such a condition, only a qualified doctor like Dr Naveen Somia – a plastic surgeon Bella Vista can give you an accurate idea of the best approach to treatment and expected results.