How to take years off of your face – without the surgery

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Amongst hundreds of fashion and beauty trends, maintaining a youthful appearance is one that will never die out. With this in mind, scientific and medical advances have been made over the course of the past few decades, allowing us to maintain our youthfulness and reverse obvious signs of aging. If you are familiar with cosmetic procedures, then you already know that cosmetic medicine goes far beyond the well known surgical procedures associated with plastic surgery and cosmetic medicine. At this day and age, while traditional face lifts are still commonly administered on those who want to take years off of their faces, alternative approaches have reached the surface of cosmetic dermatology and are becoming increasingly popular at cosmetic surgery clinics and medical spas.

One of these alternatives is a “liquid facelift” which is an injectable approach to facial rejuvenation and restoration of lost volume due to age. Made up of a combination of dermal fillers and neurotoxin injections, liquid face lifts are a minimally invasive option to rejuvenate and refresh the face.

Another approach is the PDO thread lift, a non surgical face lift that involves the insertion of barbed surgical PDO threads under the skin, to then be pulled upward along with the skin as the barbs keep the then lifted skin in place. Here are some details about non surgical methods to help rejuvenate your face and maintain that youthful glow.

Botox

Let’s start with the basics. Botox is a drug that was FDA approved in 1989 and is now one of the most commonly administered cosmetic treatments in the world. The neurotoxin is known for its effects on wrinkles and wrinkle formation as it reduces and eliminates fine lines and wrinkles while simultaneously preventing the formation of further wrinkling in the future. THe drug works as it is injected into the muscle causing wrinkles in the treatment area. Wrinkles are developed through constant muscle contractions in the face caused by facial expressions. When Botox is injected into the facial muscles, it paralyzes said muscle, restricting muscle contractions, and in turn reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and preventing the formation of further wrinkles and lines. There is no downtime involved in Botox other than icing the treatment area for the remainder of the day to prevent swelling, and avoid touching the area for 2 – 3 days.

Dermal fillers

There are several brands and types of dermal fillers that can be used to rejuvenate the face through careful injection. Some of the most popular dermal filler brands include Juvederm, Restylane, Radiesse, and Sculptra, all of which can be injected into the face to restore lost volume. As we age, our faces lose collagen, elastin, and the healthy fat that keeps us looking young and fresh faced. Dermal fillers were developed to restore this lost facial volume through the injection of products designed to safely and effectively add volume to the face. Some of these fillers are hyaluronic acid based, meaning that they can also be dissolved using hyaluronidase, a product that breaks down hyaluronic acid. Restylane is one of the most commonly used hyaluronic acid dermal fillers. Common treatment areas in the face include the under eyes, cheeks, nasolabial fold (or smile lines), jawline, chin, temples, and forehead. Depending on how much volume you want, you may need anywhere from one to several syringes of dermal filler. Just like Botox, there is no downtime other than having to ice the treatment area, avoiding touching the filler or engaging in exercise to avoid swelling or migration for 3 days, and applying a warm compress if there is any bruising.

PDO thread lift

Surgical face lifts are always an option, but if you are a candidate for a PDO thread lift, the surgery may not even be necessary. A PDO thread lift is a non surgical alternative to a surgical face lift and involves the insertion of barbed surgical threads underneath the skin. The barbs keep the threads in place as they attach to the tissue while the thread and skin are carefully pulled upward. By doing this, the loose and sagging skin in the treatment area is lifted leaving you with the results of a face lift without the surgery. The threads themselves dissolve over the course of about two months leaving traces of collagen and scar tissue, which adds even more of a tightening effect and allows the results to last for up to two years. PDO threads do come with one month of downtime which involves restricting facial expressions, pain, and soreness. The downtime does not require you to stay at home on bed rest, meaning that you can return to your daily routines and go back to work the day after your treatment.

While none of these methods will stop you from aging, they certainly will reduce and eliminate common signs of aging such as fine lines, wrinkles, facial fat loss, and loose skin. These treatments can be used on their own or in combination. Botox and dermal fillers fall under the category of a liquid face lift which is often preferred over a surgical procedure that may involve unwanted pain and surgical downtime.