The "Two Stitch" Mini-Facelift

The 'two-stitch' mini-facelift is a minimally invasive cosmetic procedure appropriate for individuals with sagging cheeks and/or pronounced nasolabial folds (deep creases running from the corners of the nose down to the edges of the mouth).

The procedure is performed under local anesthesia and takes about half-an-hour. One, or sometimes two, stitches are placed in the fat pad in each cheek, elevated, and permanently secured above the ear through a one-inch incision hidden in the hair. There are no bandages, and patients experience only minimal swelling and bruising. Often, patients have the procedure on a Friday afternoon and return to work on Monday.

This procedure was first used at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in the treatment of patients with facial paralysis, and more recently as a cosmetic procedure. Patients are extremely pleased with immediate results. As one patient said, "My son says I look 15 years younger!"

And the procedure is affordable, with a set hospital fee of $450, and a surgeon's fee that begins at $2,500.

February 9, 2007