Ran Y. Rubinstein, MD

What is a liquid face lift? 

In order to answer this question, one needs to understand the why the face sags.  Its helpful to understand facial anatomy and aging as analogous to a table (the underlying bone, muscles, fat  that support the skin) and a table cloth (the skin).  Aging begins with a loss of the table. As the table shrinks, there is a relative excess of table cloth (skin).  This skin has nowhere to go but sag downward contributing to formation of jaw laxity, parenthesis lines and jowl.  Its only later on in our fifties that the true tone in the table cloth (skin) is decreased.  This adds to the excess of the table cloth.

In our 30's and 40's, simply re supporting the table helps to smooth out the table cloth.  A liquid lift, re introduces lost facial volume to the cheeks, temples, jawline, and around the lower eye lids.  The loose skin is smoothed out by replacing the lost facial volume and often times no surgery is needed.

Once we reach 50 and up, replacing lost volume alone is not sufficient.  There is a true excess in the table cloth and some of it has to be trimmed off i.e. a face lift.  Replacing lost volume has an equally important role in creating a balanced lift and avoiding excess pull on the table cloth.