The main disadvantage of a traditional face lift is that it's so obvious to everyone who knows you that you had one.

With a mini face lift, however, it's not that apparent. Your friends will know that you look younger but will not be able to say exactly why that is.

People who have had mini face lifts done don't normally have the tight and pulled appearance that people used to have when they would have a traditional face lift. With the mini face life, except for the small scars, which are usually covered by a small bandaid or by hair, the face lift does not stand out at all and, in fact, looks very natural.

A mini face lift or "band aid" face lift as it is sometimes called is more convenient for the patient as well. Unlike a full face lift, a mini face lift can be performed while you are under local anesthetic only. This means that you'll be wide awake for the whole procedure and you'll be able to avoid the expense of an anesthesiologist.

However, if you feel more comfortable with general anesthesia, that can be provided for as well. Although, it will of course cost you more money.

How much will a mini face lift cost? The cost of a mini face lift obviously varies based on how much the physician is in demand and his geographic location. But for a mini face lift, without any major health difficulties, you should be prepared to pay anywhere between $2,500 and $9,000. Before making a commitment, however, be aware that most cosmetic surgery offices offer free consultations. Make an appointment with your doctor(s) of choice and you'll get a more up to date estimate on how much you can expect to pay.

The post op recovery time for a mini face lift should be anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks. At the completion of the surgery, you will have scars on your face where the the skin incisions were made and then stitched back together. The scars will only be covered with small bandaids so you should be able to walk around and do normal things that same day.

If the operation was done correctly, the scars should start to fade away in about the 4 to 8 weeks as well If the scars haven't begun to fade at that point, it may mean that either the skin was not stitched tight enough after the surgery or that for some reason the scar has stretched and pulled apart. In either case, you will probably want to see about having your surgeon perform a face lift revision to correct the problem. If you need to have a revision, you shouldn't be charged for it.

The effects of a mini face lift will usually last about 8-10 years assuming that nothing drastic happens to the face  such as gaining or losing a lot of weight in the facial area, or choosing to spend a lot more time in the sun than normal, or suffering dramatic bone loss in the face.

Why does the skin become less elastic? The more time you spend in the sun, the more the skin is exposed to ultraviolet light. Ultraviolet light has a direct effect on the lost of elasticity in the skin as it destroys elastin. Elastin is a protein in connective tissue of the skin that is elastic and allows the skin to resume their shape after stretching. As the sun breaks down the elastin in the skin, the skin increasingly becomes unable to snap back after being stretched.

This is why sun is so damaging to the face. And this is why it's so important to take care of your skin when you're young by using lotions to protect your skin from the damaging ultraviolet sun-light.

If you need a reason to stop smoking, other than the obvious health risks, it's been found that smokers tend to age in the face faster than non-smokers. Although there are various theories as to why this is so, researchers haven't yet conclusively identified the cause.