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Short Scar Facelift

Dr. Weintraub is in his surgical prime with the quiet calm of success — mature in his aesthetic judgment and technically seasoned with more than two decades of experience performing cosmetic plastic surgery in NYC. He employs cutting-edge approaches to treatments, using the latest minimally invasive, non-surgical and short-incision techniques to provide the maximum benefit to his plastic-surgery patients.

Home/Facial Plastic Surgery/Short Scar Facelift

What is a Short Scar Facelift?

Traditionally, facelift incisions extend from the temple to the area in front of the ear, then continue behind the ear and into the scalp, often producing an easily visible scar when your hair is worn up. With the advent of the Short Scar Facelift, sometimes called a “mini facelift,” or “mini lift,” the incision is, as the name implies, shorter. It begins at the top of the ear and is then disguised inside the ear, with the remaining excess well concealed in the crease behind the ear. No unsightly scars show when the hair is worn up. The long-term added support is secured by plicating the deeper layers of the SMAS (submuscular aponeurotic system). Compared to traditional facelifts, the operation and the post-op recovery period take less time.

Our board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Barry M. Weintraub, prefers Short Scar Facelifts and has perfected the technique, closing all wounds in layers with tiny, precise micro-sutures that are woven under the skin, camouflaging any telltale signs of surgery.* Highly sought after for his expertise and innovation in facelift surgery, Dr. Weintraub was selected as one of America’s Best Plastic Surgeons 2023 by Newsweek for the category of Facelift. This elite status demonstrates his dedication to providing exceptional care and staying at the forefront of advancements in facelift surgery.

Am I a Candidate for the Short Scar Facelift?

The best candidates for a short scar facelift are those in generally good health who have realistic expectations about their surgical results. You are a good candidate if you are wanting to rejuvenate your facial appearance, are able to take the necessary time off during your recovery, and have done your best to educate yourself about the procedure.

There is no specific chronological age that determines when you should have a rejuvenative procedure; the best way to know when it’s right to call for a consultation is when you look in the mirror and see something that truly bothers you. Likewise, there is only one person to have plastic surgery for: you and you alone. It should never be undertaken due to pressure from others.

Early indications of the normally aging face can be characterized by crepey excess skin of the upper and lower eyelids, puffy bags under the eyes, deepening nasolabial folds (the folds that extend from the corners of the nose to the corners of the mouth), marionette lines (the folds that extend from the corners of the mouth to the jaw), neck laxity and jowl formation that create a saggy jaw line.

What Are the Goals of a Short Scar Facelift?

The result of a Short Scar Facelift should not show any signs of awkward tugging or tightness, and no distortion of the corners of the mouth should be present! Rather, the skin should be gently and naturally resuspended, with no artificial traction. The cheekbones will be highlighted and the nasolabial folds and marionette lines will fade.

In addition, the normal aging process can produce unwanted excess skin and fat of the neck, especially under the chin, creating the dreaded “double chin.” With pencil-thin micro cannulae, Dr. Weintraub can streamline the neck and jowls in conjunction with a Short Scar Facelift, producing an overall effect that is harmonious and cohesive. When finished, the face should look pretty from every angle, and the skin not too tight or saggy, but beautiful and refreshed.

How Should I Prepare for a Short Scar Facelift?

Once you have decided to make this exciting new change, you will need to provide medical clearance from your family physician. You will be given instructions as to how to prepare for the specific surgery you have chosen, and will be given prescriptions to be filled in advance. Garments (when appropriate) will be ordered for you by Dr. Weintraub’s office. For those patients who live beyond a 50-mile radius of New York City, Dr. Weintraub advises a two-night post-operative stay at The Mark or The Carlyle Hotel, where his patients are given a special reduced rate, and where he will visit you after your procedure. A private nurse can also be provided.

What Does the Short Scar Facelift Procedure Involve?

Safety comes first. Plastic surgery is surgery, and should therefore be taken seriously. Dr. Weintraub prefers his patients to be in a comfortable state of twilight sleep, where the patient is unarousable and is awakened only after the procedure is over. Due to advancements in anesthesia and new medications possessing a shorter half-life, no longer do patients have to contend with nausea, vomiting or grogginess; rather, the emergence from anesthesia is crisp and clear.

Dr. Weintraub insists on the most sterile conditions in the operating room, with board-certified anesthesiologists and state-of-the-art monitoring equipment commensurate with the highest hospital standards. The only person performing the surgery is Dr. Weintraub himself. Every intraoperative maneuver is executed with precision and care, and all wounds are sewn in multiple layers by his own hand.

Cosmetic plastic surgery should never be rushed, and Dr. Weintraub always strives for the best, as he understands that patients will live with the result for the rest of their lives. His aesthetic is sophisticated and reflective of understated elegance. In his own words, “Cosmetic surgery is nothing less than artwork on the human form.”

Where is the Short Scar Facelift Performed?

Though once limited to a hospital setting, the more modern approach to cosmetic plastic surgery is to perform such procedures in a safe, secure and completely private operating room. Although Dr. Weintraub has privileges at Lenox Hill Hospital, Manhattan Eye Ear and Throat Hospital, and The Center for Specialty Care (outpatient limb of Weill-Cornell Hospital), he prefers the privacy of his hospital-grade, state-of-the-art surgical center attached to his office at 800A Fifth Avenue. This facility is attended by Dr. Weintraub’s team of board-certified anesthesiologists, certified registered nurses, and fully licensed operating-room staff. With its private entrance, its standards are of the highest quality, and offer Dr. Weintraub’s patients the utmost in medical and plastic-surgical care.

What Can I Expect After My Short Scar Facelift?

There will always be a short period of minimal swelling and sometimes bruising. You must carefully follow all instructions provided by Dr. Weintraub in order to achieve the best results possible. He is a firm believer in early showering, because, in his own words, “Clean wounds make for narrower incisions.” He will advise you as to when you can return to your normal lifestyle and exercise routine.

How Much Does a Short Scar Facelift Cost?

Each patient is individual in his/her own makeup and anatomical configuration. Therefore, in order to give an accurate quote, it is best to schedule a consultation that will allow Dr. Weintraub to appropriately judge what is involved. For those patients who live overseas or outside the New York metropolitan area, photographs can be emailed or sent to the office, and a phone consultation can then take place.

How to Choose the Best Short Scar Facelift Surgeon

  • Check for board certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (there are many other boards, some legitimate, some not, but there is only one American Board of Plastic Surgery, established in 1931).
  • Ensure that the physician attends a major hospital in your community, and is in good standing with that hospital.
  • Confirm that he or she has a fine reputation amongst other medical professionals in your community.
  • Speak to the surgeon’s patients who have undergone similar procedures.

Remember, this is your surgery, and you are interviewing the doctor as much as he’s interviewing you. Do not hesitate to bring a list of questions with you on your consultation. And remember: a good surgeon is someone who not only has the skill to perform the surgery, but is someone who understands what your specific needs and desires are. A good surgeon should listen, listen, and listen!

Have no fear during your consultation. This is a time to speak, to be heard, to learn, and to develop a trusting relationship. Questions can be answered, and fears allayed. And while Dr. Weintraub is at the cutting edge of his field in terms of technique and medical developments, you will find his office environment to be comforting, personable, and inviting. He and his staff truly care about each and every patient, and take great pride in making themselves available to help with every step of the process.

Why Choose Dr. Weintraub for Your Short Scar Facelift

Dr. Weintraub has always been blessed with a strong aesthetic sense. He possesses a unique blend of medical science and artwork, as it truly is artwork that he performs on the human form. His attention to detail ensures that he gets the best results possible, and he is meticulous about everything he does, from pre-op to post-op care and beyond.* His dedication to being the best at his craft is apparent through his awards and recognitions. Dr. Weintraub has been named a Best Plastic Surgeon by several media outlets over the years, including in the specialty of Facelift by Newsweek in 2023.

He studied medicine at Cornell during a time when core values were emphasized, and it is on these values that he bases his practice. He believes that physicians should be humble and respectful, and should never lose sight that the person they are operating on is exactly that: a person possessing real-life issues and concerns. The chairmen of the department of general surgery at Cornell at the time, Dr. Tom Shires, along with another luminary, Dr. Leon Morgenstern of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, taught Dr. Weintraub that “The operating room is a sacred place. It’s a very serious place. Never be cavalier about surgery.”

During his surgical residency training, Dr. Weintraub regularly visited Mexico to donate his time operating on deformed children and adults who couldn’t afford proper healthcare. In less-than-optimal conditions, he learned how to perform surgery with the basics, and received great satisfaction in making profound differences in people’s lives by restoring their faces and bodies. Similarly, when he was Chief Resident at the New York Hospital – Cornell Medical Center, and later when he was Chief Resident at the Reconstructive Unit at Memorial Sloan-Kettering, he found that his compassion for patients, along with his skill and precision as a surgeon, could change lives and bring people joy they never thought possible.

Dr. Weintraub believes that surgery is never a race. The patient is always number one. He keeps in his wallet a piece of paper that is his motto in the operating room: “Always demand what is right, and never accept second best.” He likes to consider himself a “thinking surgeon,” and does not enter the operating room with a mechanical series of steps to execute robotically, but likes to remain alert and ready for whatever intraoperative challenges might spontaneously arise. Although many notable surgeons openly listen to music while performing surgery, Dr. Weintraub does not, preferring the mood of the operating room to remain serious and focused.

Over 60% of Dr. Weintraub’s practice is comprised of complex redos of surgeries performed by other offices. Such procedures always involve difficult issues, since there exist not only the limitations of a patient’s own anatomy, but also the limitations of another surgeon’s aesthetic, and the scar tissue that has developed as a result. Patients seek Dr. Weintraub from all over the world to correct their aesthetic problems. He takes great pride in getting the best results, and always enjoys the challenges of such procedures.

Last, Dr. Weintraub will not hesitate to turn patients away if he feels they are not good candidates for surgery. If a surgery is not in someone’s best interest, he will be the first to say so. However, when a patient is a good candidate, the results produced by Dr. Weintraub can be magical, and he feels that it is an honor to give patients a gift they can enjoy for the rest of their lives.

Schedule Your Short Scar Facelift Consultation

Dr. Weintraub and his staff will be happy to discuss a Short Scar Facelift with you. Please call our office for a private consultation. We hope you look forward to our warm welcome and the opportunity for us to help you make an educated and confident decision.

Contact our office today to set up your consultation for a Short Scar Facelift.