5.0(14)
Op. Dr. Murat Yaman
Plastic & Aesthetic SurgeryVerified
- 11+years exp.
- 5,000+surgeries
- 6Treatments
Turkish · English
From€2,890
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Facial Surgery
Mini facelift Turkey
A focused guide to the mini facelift in Turkey: who it suits and who needs a full facelift instead, how it is done under local anaesthesia with sedation, how it compares with a full facelift, threads and non-surgical treatments, approximate prices against the UK, the US and Germany, the shorter trip, recovery, risks and how long it lasts.
A written plan with the surgeon's name and the full price — usually within 24 hours.
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Verified surgeons for Mini Facelift
4 doctors Compare doctors, ratings and prices — ask any of them for a free quote.
Prof. Dr. Ayhan Numanoğlu
Plastic & Aesthetic SurgeryVerified
- 56+years exp.
English · Turkish
FromPrice on request
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Dr. Erdem Tezel
Plastic & Aesthetic SurgeryVerified
- 37+years exp.
English · Turkish
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Prof. Dr. Özhan Çelebiler
Plastic & Aesthetic SurgeryVerified
- 44+years exp.
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Mini facelift in Turkey: a smaller operation for earlier changes
A mini facelift lifts the lower face through shorter incisions and with less dissection than a full facelift. It is meant for the first signs of facial ageing: early jowls, a jaw line that is starting to soften, and mild laxity of the lower cheeks — in a face where the neck is still firm. Because it is shorter and can often be done under local anaesthesia with sedation, it costs less, the trip is shorter and most people are back at work sooner.
This page is only about the mini facelift. For the full guide to a facelift in Turkey — all techniques, the trip, the package and how to choose a hospital — see facelift in Turkey. Here you will find who is a good candidate for a mini lift, where its limits are, what it costs, what the recovery is like and how long it lasts.
The most common disappointment after a mini facelift is not a complication but the wrong choice of operation: a mini lift on a face that needed a full lift and a neck lift. A surgeon who looks at your photos — including your profile — can tell you which group you belong to. The quote is free.
Who is a good candidate for a mini facelift in Turkey?
Age is a rough guide only — most patients are between about 40 and 55 — but the face matters more than the date of birth. You are likely to be a good candidate if:
- you have early jowls and a softening jaw line, but the skin still has good elasticity;
- your neck is firm: little loose skin, no marked vertical bands and no heavy fat under the chin;
- you want a refreshed rather than a transformed look;
- you prefer local anaesthesia with sedation, a shorter recovery and a lower price, and accept that the result may not last as long as a full lift;
- you are a non-smoker (or can stop nicotine for several weeks), with controlled blood pressure and a stable weight.
A mini facelift is usually the wrong choice if your neck is loose or banded, if the cheek has fallen markedly and the folds beside the mouth are deep, or if you have already lost a lot of facial volume. A full SMAS facelift or deep plane facelift with a neck lift then gives a better and longer-lasting result. Patients in their thirties with very early changes are often better served by non-surgical treatments.
Mini facelift vs full facelift and non-surgical options
The table compares the mini facelift with a full facelift and with the treatments people often consider instead — fillers, threads and energy-based tightening, described on the non-surgical facelift and thread lift pages.
| Question | Non-surgical treatments and threads | Mini facelift | Full facelift with neck lift |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suits | Very early changes, skin quality, volume | Early jowls with a firm neck, roughly 40–55 | Clear jowls, deep folds, loose neck, usually 50+ |
| Anaesthesia | Local or none | Often local with sedation | Usually general |
| Operating time | Under an hour | About 1.5–2.5 hours | About 3–6 hours |
| Incisions | Needle points or tiny openings | Short: in front of the ear, sometimes into the temple hairline | Longer: around and behind the ear, plus under the chin |
| Neck | Little effect | Only the upper neck, a little | Treated |
| Socially presentable | Hours to days | About 10–14 days | About 2–3 weeks |
| Time in Turkey | 1–3 days | About 7 days | About 10–12 days |
| How long it lasts | Fillers about 9–18 months, threads about 1–2 years | Several years, usually less than a full lift | Many years |
Names you may see in quotes — "short-scar facelift", "S-lift", "MACS lift" — are variations of the mini facelift that differ in incision shape and in how the deeper layer is suspended. The name matters less than whether the SMAS layer is lifted: a skin-only lift relaxes quickly. A "one-stitch facelift" is a suture suspension, closer to a thread lift than to a mini facelift; the facelift page explains the difference.
How a mini facelift is performed
- Anaesthesia: many surgeons use local anaesthesia with intravenous sedation; some prefer general anaesthesia, especially when another procedure is added.
- Incision: a short incision in the crease in front of the ear or just inside its edge, sometimes extending a little into the temple hairline and around the earlobe; it usually stops short of the long scar behind the ear that a full lift needs.
- Deeper layer: the SMAS over the lower cheek and jowl is lifted and fixed with stitches, folded or trimmed, through a limited dissection.
- Skin: the skin is redraped, a small amount is removed and the incision is closed with fine stitches.
The operation takes about 1.5–2.5 hours. Many patients go back to the hotel the same day or after one night in hospital. A mini lift is often combined with eyelid surgery, fat transfer or a brow lift, which adds time and swelling.
Mini facelift Turkey price compared with the UK and US
A mini facelift usually costs noticeably less than a full facelift, because the operation is shorter, often done without general anaesthesia and with less time in hospital. On our site a full facelift starts at €5,410; mini facelift packages are quoted individually after the surgeon has seen your photos. The figures below are approximate and are confirmed in a written quote.
| Country | Approximate mini facelift price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Turkey | about €2,500–€4,500 | Hospital package: surgeon, anaesthesia, tests, dressings, medication, check-ups and stitch removal, transfers; hotel nights often included |
| United Kingdom | about £5,000–£9,000 | Surgeon, anaesthesia and facility; consultations sometimes extra |
| United States | about $8,000–$14,000 | Surgeon's fee plus anaesthesia and facility fees, often billed separately |
| Germany | about €4,000–€8,000 | Surgeon, anaesthesia and clinic |
The mini face lift price in Turkey rises with general anaesthesia, a night in hospital and additional procedures. Because the gap between a mini and a full facelift in Turkey is smaller in absolute terms than in the UK, it is worth asking the surgeon to price both if you are on the border between them. The package contents and payment are explained on the main facelift page.
Your mini facelift trip and recovery
About seven days in Turkey are usually enough: arrival and consultation on day 1, surgery on day 2, a check the next morning, rest at the hotel, stitch removal and a final check around days 6–7, then the flight home once the surgeon agrees.
- Days 1–3: swelling, mild bruising and tightness in front of the ears; discomfort is usually controlled with tablets. Sleep with your head raised and wear the garment if one is given.
- Week 1: the stitches come out; you can walk around the city but should avoid bending, lifting and heat.
- Week 2: bruising fades and can be covered with make-up; most people feel presentable at a normal distance after about 10–14 days.
- Weeks 3–6: light exercise after about three to four weeks; the scars are pink and should be protected from the sun.
- Months 3–6: remaining swelling and numbness settle and the final result is visible.
Flying is usually allowed once the stitches are out. Compression stockings, walking in the aisle and water lower the risk of blood clots; see our guide to flying after surgery.
Risks of a mini facelift
A mini facelift carries the same kinds of risk as a full facelift, generally at lower rates because the operation is shorter and less extensive; large comparisons are limited, so the figures from facelift studies in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the Aesthetic Surgery Journal are the most useful guide. The main ones are a haematoma (bleeding under the skin, reported in roughly 1–4 in 100 facelifts in women, more in men), temporary numbness of the cheek and ear, rarely temporary weakness of a facial nerve branch, slow healing of small areas of skin — much more likely in smokers — visible or widened scars, a pulled-down earlobe and asymmetry. Choosing a hospital with an anaesthesiologist present, stopping nicotine and controlling blood pressure reduce them. See also is plastic surgery in Turkey safe? and our guide on choosing a safe surgeon in Turkey.
Mini facelift results: before and after, and how long it lasts
A good mini facelift gives a cleaner jaw line, softer early jowls and a fresher lower face without a change in expression. It does not tighten a loose neck, fill hollow cheeks or remove fine wrinkles. When you look at mini facelift Turkey before-and-after photos, compare patients of your age whose neck looked like yours, photographed from the side as well as the front, at least three to six months after surgery — and look at the scar in front of the ear.
How long does a mini facelift last? Ageing continues after any lift. Surgeons commonly expect a mini lift that includes the SMAS to hold for several years — less than a full SMAS or deep plane facelift, and much less if only the skin was lifted. Many patients have a full facelift later; a previous mini lift does not prevent it. Sun protection, a stable weight and not smoking help the result last.
Hospitals with Plastic & Aesthetic Surgery in Turkey
Frequently asked questions
A mini facelift in Turkey mostly costs about €2,500–€4,500, compared with about £5,000–£9,000 in the UK. These are approximate figures; your exact price is confirmed in a written quote after the surgeon has seen your photos.
A mini facelift uses shorter incisions and a limited lift of the deeper layer to treat early jowls, often under local anaesthesia with sedation. A full facelift uses longer incisions, lifts the lower face more and is usually combined with a neck lift. The mini lift is quicker to recover from but usually does not last as long.
Most patients are between about 40 and 55, but the face matters more than age. A mini lift suits early jowls with a firm neck; a loose or banded neck at any age needs a full facelift with a neck lift.
Often, yes — local anaesthesia with intravenous sedation. Some surgeons prefer general anaesthesia, especially when eyelid surgery or fat transfer is added.
About seven days, so the stitches can be removed and the surgeon can check your face before you fly home.
Most people feel presentable at a normal distance after about 10–14 days. Light exercise is usually allowed after three to four weeks, and the final result shows after three to six months.
Several years when the deeper SMAS layer is lifted, usually less than a full facelift; a skin-only lift relaxes much sooner. Many patients have a full facelift later, which a previous mini lift does not prevent.
Only a little at the upper neck. Loose neck skin, bands or fat under the chin need a neck lift, usually combined with a full facelift.
They answer different questions. A thread lift is a short procedure with little downtime and an effect of about one to two years; a mini facelift removes loose skin, lifts the deeper layer and lasts longer, but needs an operation and about two weeks of recovery.
Yes, but short ones: in the crease in front of the ear or just inside its edge, sometimes into the temple hairline and around the earlobe. After six to twelve months they are usually fine pale lines.
Patient stories