What happens post 18 months InstaLift?

Question

InstaLift results last up to 18mos. What does this mean? It stimulates collagen production? Do you go back to pre InstaLift or does that mean the collagen aging process starts again? What to expect?

Young R. Cho, MD, PhD · Answer

Thank you for your question.  InstaLift doesn't simply wear off.  The sutures do resorb and are replaced by collagen.  The longevity of the results are more a function of how quickly your aging process shows visible signs that mirror your pre-procedure state.  If you like the results, you should talk to your physician about other maintenance activities such as peels, microchannelling, injectables, skin care, etc... that work in tandem to enhance your results and works synergistically to reduce the signs of aging.

Jeffrey S. Rosenthal, MD · Answer

The Silhouette Instalift is a remarkable procedure for lifting lax skin and stimulating your collagen.  The threads and attached cones dissolve during a two year time frame.  The face continues to age with loss of the underlying supportive structures.  The threads and collagen support the face during this time which slows process.

Hooman Khorasani, MD · Answer

This is an excellent question.
  
The Instalift is an excellent procedure to re-contour the face, lifting deeper layers of the skin for a more youthful appearance.  You see immediate results and there is no downtime.
Over time the sutures are naturally absorbed by your body while stimulating production of collagen to aid healthy renewal of your skin to produce natural-looking long lasting results.

Rajat Gupta, MD, MS, DNB · Answer

After 18 months, the lift result starts depreciating. Your skin will sag, but it doesn’t mean that you will come back to where you initially begun with. Also understand that the sagging you would have had in this continuous process of 18 months with gravity acting and ageing taking place also have not had. So the state will be much better than before the lift.

Gregory A. Buford, MD, FACS · Answer

Great question.  I will start by saying that the SIL procedure doesn't "wear off"; your aging process simply catches up.  And so the answer to this question really depends on how aggressively you plan to maintain your results.  
With any rejuvenative procedure, we focus not only on reversing age-related changes but also on maintaining these changes and slowly down the aging process, overall.  To address this, we first make sure that all patients are on a comprehensive medical skincare regimen.  Next, we generally combine other modalities to the program such as collagen-stimulating injectables (Sculptra) and energy-based devices (ThermiSmooth).  This combination approach provides far more benefits than the SIL procedure by itself and allows us to create more long-lasting effects for your patients.  
I hope this information helps.

Kaete A. Archer, MD · Answer

The central Silhouette Instalift suture is made
of Poly L-Lactic Acid (PLLA) and its cones are composed of a
Polylactide/Glycolide resorbable copolymer (PLGA) (overall 82% PLLA and 18%
PLGA).  Similar to Sculptra®,
the sutures stimulate both Type I and Type III collagen as they degrade.  It is thought that the new collagen
growth surrounds the cones and adjacent knots to fixate
the tissues in their lifted position as the sutures slowly break down.  By doing so, the suture
adds to the volume loss of the cheek area creating a longer-lasting smooth,
contoured appearance.  It is believed that the results begin to peak between 3 and 6
months and may last anywhere from 18 to 36 months.  After this, the collagen that you have generated is yours "forever" and will hold the tissue up even after the sutures have broken down.  The aging process continues and this new collagen is subject to that.  Ultimately, over time, the facial tissues that have been lifted will begin to droop again and this will be different for different faces.  At that time, you can consider repeating the procedure for a new lift or think about longer-lasting surgical options.

Bruce E. Katz, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. Silhouette InstaLift has absorbable lift sutures that tighten the skin and stimulate collagen as they dissolve over time. Results will continue to improve for up to several months after surgery. However, keep in mind that nothing can stop the aging, process. For more information, please make sure you get a in person consultation from a board-certified dermatologist.

Robert F. Jackson, MD · Answer

You should still see an improvement in your appearance at 18 months after your InstaLift procedure compared to no treatment at all. Because the sutures promote natural collagen production, results should be long-lasting even after the sutures dissolve. However, nothing can stop the aging process, so you may want to repeat the treatment between 18 months to 2 years to maintain your new look for longer.

Kristie (Kris) Gast, MD · Answer

First, no it won't just go poof!  The Silhouette Instalift is placement of absorbable  strands.  The strands stimulate your own tissues to make collagen.  Depending on how much you make and how you take care of "it" it will last a different amount of time for each of us. When you have yours done please start taking extra collagen and take great care of your skin. At some point you will start aging again which means collagen reduces and gravity comes a callin. Nothing lasts forever but the great thing about Silhouette Instalift is the strands are absorbed so you could have them placed again or go one to more invasive procedures. Silhouette Instalift is my favorite procedure to do because you all look so good!

Camille Cash, MD · Answer

There is no specific time for how long Silhouette InstaLift results last.  You continue to age and as that process occurs, the benefits of the treatment fade.  You can enhance the benefits of the treatment by combining it with other skin care regimens such as fillers, Botox, peels, and quality skin care products.

What happens post 18 months InstaLift?

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