Question: "How much facial rejuvenation can I really hope to achieve in an hour or two before going back to work? Are these so-called "lunchtime" [thread lift] procedures effective?"

Answer: "Better time spent enjoying your lunch. Any lift that can be performed in under an hour and with no noticeable swelling is probably just a slap in the face. Any real procedure that provides a significant and long lasting result will take more time and require some recovery.

Our mini-lift takes about 2.5 hours and is performed under local anesthesia in the office. A major portion of time is also dedicated to slowly providing effective anesthesia. We perform a deep plane lift that targets the jowls and upper neck. Patients go home wearing a chin strap with an expectation of a 1 week at-home recovery."

Dr. Anand Patel specializes in surgical and nonsurgical procedures of the face and neck, with a philosophy of natural and long-lasting rejuvenation. Visit our facelift page for more information on this procedure. Visit Dr. Patel's profile on RealSelf to read more of his Q&A.