Long recovery period from a facelift not necessary

Sanjay Grover, MD answers: Is there a non surgical face lift that works?

in my early 50s with drooping facial features.  pray that someone tells me that a non surgery face lift is available -- alternative that doesnt require going through lots of recovering.  May be I can get away with treating using filling wiht things like resatylne?

Sanjay Grover, MD
12 months ago

A non surgical facelift generally refers to fillers, Botox, and certain laser procedures. These treatments are ideal alone for patients who do not require a facelift. Facelifts will help address excess lax skin and underlying tissues. Some patients who undergo facelifts will also benefit from these treatments such as Juvederm, Restylane, and Botox.

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A: Non surgical facelift

Brent Moelleken, MD
13 months ago

A facelift is a procedure that tightens skin and readjusts the deep tissues of the face. The results from a skillfully performed facelift are dramatic and very long lasting. There is no treatment that even comes close to achieving what a facelift with ancillary procedures can. The down time before returning to public life is about two weeks, faster in some patients who are not having a lot of ancillary procedures (cheeklifts, blepharoplasties, minimally invasive browlifts, LiveFill etc.). The vast majority of patients who have undergone skillfully performed facelifts (not mini lifts or Lifestyle lifts) are very happy with their procedures, as the reviews on RealSelf.com can attest.

There are many minimally invasive treatments available, which indeed help, but they are not facelifts. Patients receiving these treatments should not expect facelift results, or they will be disappointed. Somehow many practitioners have taken the term facelift and applied it to anything they please, even face creams... facelift in a bottle, etc.

Restylane and Juvederm are fine fillers and give a nice temporary benefit in strategic areas of the face.

Lasers such as the fractional lasers offer slight tightening. CO2 lasers offer more tightening, but have a longer down time (usually 1 week, more if the resurfacing was done deeply).

Patients who set their standards high will be happiest with a skillfully performed facelift and ancillary procedures than with temporary fillers.

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A: Few procedures could help

Hisham Seify, MD, PhD
13 months ago

Hello,

A picture will help a lot to give you a more accurate answer. However, the non-surgical face lift concept, in my mind, is a marketing term. This does not mean that the special procedures included in these offered face lift alternatives do not work.

A combination of laser, fillers, etc., might help with specific facial aging elements, but not with a comprehensive rejuvenation. Good luck!

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A: Facelift vs. Mini facelift vs. nonsurgical facelift

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD
12 months ago

Facial aging is due to a loss of skin quality; loss of fascial support; and atrophy of soft tissue. Skin quality and soft tissue can be improved nonsurgically, however, fascial support must be addressed with surgery. Thus, nothing is superior to a facelift in restoring facial harmony.

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A: Non-surgical facelift

William Bruno, MD
6 months ago

Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a non-surgical facelift. A facelift is performed to removed excess skin and readjust the tissues deep of the facial skin to restore a more youthful appearance. If you have loose facial skin with jowls and sagging tissue, then you need a facelift. Often times a facelift is combined with a volume restoration procedure such as a fat transfer or injectable filler at the same time.

There are many non-invasive techniques to improve the skin and resurface the skin such as laser and chemical peels, but these only address the texture of the skin, they don't removed or reshape the underlying tissues. The fillers (juvederm, restylane) can temporarily restore some lost volume, but these will not help loose skin.

Bottom line is, if you have loose or sagging skin/tissues, then you need a traditional facelift.

Please consult with a board certified plastic surgeon prior to scheduling a facelift.

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