Surgery · Lifting Compared

Mini Facelift vs Full Facelift

Two operations on one layer, sized to the descent

Apgujeong, Gangnam, Seoul | Board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Jonghwan Choi
Selective segment or whole route · decided at examination

Mini vs Full Facelift Mini vs Full Facelift Mini vs Full Facelift Mini vs Full Facelift 
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Mini against full

What is the difference between a mini facelift and a full facelift?

The short answer

Both operations at Rewind work on the same layer: the skin is raised, the SMAS beneath it is drawn upward and fixed, and the surplus skin is trimmed. The difference is reach. The mini facelift opens only the needed stretch of the line from the temple hairline to the ear or from the ear into the hairline behind it, and it treats the middle and lower face. The full facelift opens the whole route, dissects the retaining ligaments beneath the SMAS and treats the face from the eye area down to the neck.

Drawn from Rewind's Korean-language surgical pages for its New Age mini lift and New Age full lift. Both operations are compared as this clinic performs them.

Choosing between them depends less on preference than on how far the sagging has travelled. A face that has started to drop in one place and a face that has dropped everywhere need different amounts of surgery. The published durability figures follow that difference: more than five years for the mini lift and more than ten for the full lift, each with a note on individual variation.

The sections below compare the two point by point, list the signs that make a mini lift enough, and set out where the full operation is the fairer answer for the face in front of the surgeon.

Surgical team in theatre at Rewind Plastic Surgery, where both lifts are performed
Fig. 01 · Both lifts are performed in the same theatre, by the same surgeon
Points

Side by side

The mini facelift and full facelift compared on four points

Four published facts separate the two operations. None of them is a matter of naming; each one changes what the surgery can reach.

point 01
Incision route
Mini: only the needed stretch of the temple-to-ear or ear-to-behind-ear line. Full: the whole line, from the temple hairline around the ear and into the hairline behind it.
point 02
Depth of release
Both open the SMAS. The full lift adds a step in which the retaining ligaments beneath it are dissected and a fascial flap is raised before tightening.
point 03
Field covered
Mini: the middle and lower face. Full: a wider field that the clinic describes as running from around the eyes down to the neck.
point 04
Recorded durability
Mini: more than five years. Full: more than ten years. Rewind attaches a note on individual variation to both figures, and ageing continues after either.
Steps

Sequence compared

The mini facelift and full facelift steps, read in parallel

Rewind publishes three surgical steps for each operation. The first and the last look alike. The middle step is where the two part company.

01Open

Both lifts begin by raising the skin and opening the fascia

The line is incised, the skin flap is lifted and the SMAS is opened. In the mini lift the incision covers the stretch the examination called for; in the full lift it runs the whole route.

02Release

The full facelift frees the ligaments; the mini facelift moves straight to fixation

In the full operation, the retaining ligaments beneath the SMAS are dissected and a fascial flap is raised, then pulled taut and fixed. The mini steps describe drawing the loosened tissue upward, fixing it and removing the excess skin.

03Close

Surplus skin is trimmed and the line is closed

Both end with excision of the loose skin and careful suturing along the hairline and the ear, where Rewind places the line so that it is hard to see once healed.

04Dress

The same compression week after either operation

Rewind asks for about a week of compression dressing after both. For the full lift it adds that swelling and stiffness can be more noticeable early on, because the dissection is wide.

Lifting surgery in progress at Rewind Plastic Surgery
Fig. 02 · The middle step is where the two operations differ
Choose

How the choice is made

Why the choice between a mini facelift and a full facelift is made at examination

Most people comparing the two want to know whether a mini lift will be enough for them. Rewind's answer depends on where the sagging sits and how much of the face it involves, and both are judged in person.

01Location

One region, or several at once

Rewind lists sagging that has begun in a particular area, beside the nose, in the cheek, along the jaw or at the neck, as the reason to choose the mini lift. Descent in several of those areas together is listed for the full operation.

02Elasticity

How much spring the skin has left

The full lift is described for people whose skin has lost so much elasticity that less invasive lifting achieves little. Where the skin still holds and the problem is local, the smaller operation stays on the table.

03Goal

Getting ahead of sagging, or one larger correction

Rewind names prevention, acting before lines and laxity advance, as one reason people choose the mini lift. For the full lift it names the wish for a large improvement achieved in a single operation.

Dr. Jonghwan Choi explaining jaw line descent to a patient at consultation
Fig. 03 · Where the sagging sits decides the scope
Theatre

One theatre, two scopes

Where the mini facelift and full facelift are performed at Rewind

Dr. Jonghwan Choi preparing a draped patient in the procedure room

Fig. 04 · Preparation before a lifting operation

Recovery room at Rewind Plastic Surgery

Fig. 05 · The recovery room used after either lift

Both operations are carried out on the clinic's own floors in the Richro Building, Apgujeong, Gangnam, in the same operating room and by the same surgeon. What changes between them is the length of the route that is opened and the amount of dissection beneath the SMAS. Rewind publishes neither the anaesthetic method nor the time in theatre for either scope, and both are explained at consultation once the scope is agreed.

Mini: a selected stretch of the line
Full: the whole hairline and ear route
Mini: middle and lower face
Full: eye area down to the neck
Both: SMAS drawn upward and fixed
Both: operated by Dr. Jonghwan Choi
Dr. Jonghwan Choi, board-certified plastic surgeon

Board-certified plastic surgeon

Dr. Jonghwan Choi, certified in Korea as a specialist in plastic surgery, examines each lifting patient and chooses between the mini and the full operation before performing it himself. Rewind holds KHIDI registration M-2025-01-08-09288 for treating international patients.

Cost

Fees compared

Mini facelift and full facelift fees side by side

Price follows scope. The two lifts are separate listings, and the neck, when it needs work, is priced on its own or in combination with the full lift.

Mini faceliftSelected stretch of the line; middle and lower face
₩3,000,000
Full faceliftWhole route, ligament release beneath the SMAS; eye area to neck
₩9,000,000
Full facelift with neck liftCombined listing when the descent continues below the jaw line
₩14,000,000
Neck lift aloneSkin and platysma below the jaw line as a separate operation
₩5,000,000

Listed fees before VAT, each including the anaesthetic fee. The quote you receive names the listing that matches the examination, and it is written down before any date is booked.

In the terms of this comparison, the step from ₩3,000,000 to ₩9,000,000 pays for the rest of the incision route, the ligament release and the wider field, along with a longer recorded durability.

Enough

Enough or not

Will a mini facelift be enough for your degree of sagging?

Signs a mini facelift is likely to be enough

  • Sagging that has begun in one area, such as the jaw line or beside the nose, while the rest of the face keeps its shape
  • Laser lifting that has given little, and a wish for a surgical correction in that one area
  • A wish to act early, before the descent spreads across the face
  • Plans that sit comfortably with a recorded durability of more than five years

Signs the full facelift is the fairer answer

  • Nasolabial folds, cheeks, jaw line and neck that have all dropped together
  • Skin elasticity low enough that less invasive lifting has done little
  • A wish for the larger correction to be done in a single operation
  • Descent that has passed the jaw line into the neck, where the neck lift is planned alone or together with the full facelift
After

Recovery compared

Recovery after a mini facelift set against a full facelift

The two recoveries share more than most people expect. Rewind publishes the same dressing week for both operations, and its general sheet for facial lifting applies to both.

Both lifts
About a week of compression
The dressing stays on for roughly a week after either operation, and the face is not pressed or rubbed underneath it.
Full lift
More early swelling expected
Rewind notes that the wide dissection of the full lift can bring swelling and stiffness early on. It makes no matching statement for the mini lift, so a similar early course is the safer plan.
Both lifts
Four weeks without strain
The facial lifting sheet asks for at least four weeks away from strenuous exercise, saunas and steam rooms. Daily life returns step by step within that window.
Both lifts
Scar care over months
Sun protection and scar management continue while the line matures. The full lift leaves a longer line, and so more of it to look after.

Either operation can bring bleeding, haematoma, infection, prolonged swelling, asymmetry, altered sensation, injury to branches of the facial nerve and an uneven scar. A shorter route does not remove these risks. Rewind does not publish the anaesthetic method or operating time for either lift; both are confirmed at consultation.

Doctor

Professional

The surgeon who weighs the two operations against your face at Rewind is the one who performs whichever is chosen. The recommendation and the result stay with one person, from the first examination to the last review.

Dr. Jonghwan Choi, board-certified plastic surgeonRewind,
Dr. Jonghwan Choi presenting at an academic session
Fig. 06 · Presenting at an academic lifting session

Rewind's Doctor

Dr. Jonghwan Choi Medical Director

The scope follows the face,
and one surgeon follows the case.

Dr. Jonghwan Choi, board-certified plastic surgeon and medical director of Rewind, author of ten peer-reviewed papers.

Board-certified plastic surgeon (Plastic Surgery)
10 peer-reviewed publications
Medical Director, Rewind Plastic Surgery
Korean Society of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeons
Former chief director, Apgujeong Y&T Plastic Surgery
Korean Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
J Craniofac Surg · JKMS · Arch Craniofac Surg
Korean Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association
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Ask

Questions

Mini facelift vs full facelift: patient questions

Do the mini and full facelift work on the same layer?
Yes. At Rewind both raise the skin, open the SMAS fascial layer and draw it upward before fixing it, then trim the surplus skin. The full operation adds dissection of the retaining ligaments beneath the SMAS, and it covers a wider field running down to the neck.
Is the full facelift scar longer than the mini facelift scar?
The route is longer. The full lift runs from the temple hairline around the ear into the hairline behind it, while the mini lift opens only the stretch the examination calls for. Rewind publishes no length in centimetres for either, and in both the line sits in the hairline and along the ear.
Can a mini facelift treat the neck?
Only its early changes. Neck sagging that has just begun is among the concerns Rewind lists for the mini lift, whose field is the middle and lower face. A clearly dropped neck is planned as a neck lift, alone or combined with the full facelift, after examination.
Why might the surgeon recommend a full facelift when I asked about a mini?
Because the examination found descent in more places than a mini lift reaches, such as the cheeks, jaw line and neck together, or skin elasticity too low for a partial correction. A mini lift in that situation could leave the untreated areas looking out of step with the lifted one.
Is the mini facelift the same as the partial lift Rewind lists?
Close, though not identical. Rewind presents the partial lift as a variation built on the mini approach and lists more than three years of durability for it, set against more than five for the mini lift. Which of the two suits you is part of the scope decision at examination.
How does LL lifting compare with a mini facelift?
LL lifting is Rewind's minimal-incision option: a small cut inside the scalp or at the hairline exposes the SMAS, and threads are anchored into it. Stitches come out one week after surgery, and the clinic records 12 to 24 months of durability, against more than five years for the mini lift.
Can I choose the mini lift even if the full lift is recommended?
The decision stays with you, and the surgeon explains what the smaller operation would and would not correct in your face. Rewind lists the mini lift for sagging limited to specific areas, so choosing it for widespread descent means accepting a partial result outside its field.
Is the full facelift a bigger undertaking than the mini?
In surgical terms, yes. It opens the whole hairline and ear route, releases the ligaments under the SMAS and covers a wider field, and Rewind notes more early swelling after it because of that dissection. The dressing week and the four-week limits on exercise and sauna are the same for both.
Booking

Reservation

REWIND,booking

Tell us where the sagging bothers you most, and we reply within one business day, in your language.

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Scientific evidence

Published research on limited-access lifting, the cheek ligaments and the neck

The first paper reports on a limited-access lifting technique of the kind the mini facelift belongs to. The second describes the retaining ligaments of the cheek, the structures Rewind's full lift dissects beneath the SMAS. The third concerns platysma work in the neck, the region where a face-only lift reaches its limit. None of them studies Rewind's operations or predicts an individual result.