Fraxel an Option Instead of Facelift?

A person "can" benefit from a fraxel type of skin ablation or even a standard skin resurfacing. This technology can tighten the skin. A facelift usually provides more skin tightening--you actually remove skin.
Here are the real questions: How much extra skin do you have? What are your expectations? What is your budget? How much of a recovery time can you deal with? What is the status of your health?
As you can see, the only way to have a doctor respond with accurate recommendations is if you can provide the above information. ALL questions I put forth could impact your final decision.

 Fraxel not only resurfaces skin, but also stimulates the production of new collagen and elastin – the building blocks of healthy skin. If you are relatively young and have minimal sagging, this may create enough of a lift to satisfy you. Consult a board-certified dermatologist to find out which procedure will give you the level of rejuvenation that you need.

It Depends On How Much extra skin you have.Here is why: You age in 3 ways redundant skin and underlying supporting structure laxity,volume shifts (loss of volume in the cheeks, gain in the jowls and submental), and skin surface aging - wrinkles, large pores, age spots). It is important to understand that facelifts are meant to remove major folds and wrinkles, not fine wrinkles. A facelift which removed every line and fold would be too aggressive and would result in an unnatural result. The goal of our surgeons is to make your facelift look as natural as possible. Face lifts do not change the quality of the skin and volume issues are best managed by fillers or fat transfer. Skin aging is accelerated by smoking .Fine lines and wrinkles are better addressed by skin treatments such as chemical peels or microdermabrasion, which we also offer at our office. Many of our facelift patients enhance their surgical result with these nonsurgical procedures.

These two procedures are not a replacement for each other; they are complementary. Fraxel will not tighten enough, whether it be the Re:pair or Re:store, but they can smoothen the skin and improve the texture remarkably. You will need to be evaluated for the best answer appropriate for your face.

Hi Carol, You have asked a great question and obviously one that strikes controversy in the facial plastic surgery world with close to 20 responses here on RS. To answer your question precisely as you asked it, yes Fraxel re:pair or Deep FX are excellent options for patients who do not wish to undergo surgical facelift, but desire to look younger, healthier, and natural. Fractionated CO2 lasers will not replace surgical face-lifting, but are one of the best options for those who don't want to have surgery. In many patients who have minimal laxity of their face and neck, there is enough tightening so that face lift is not necessary. Again, depending upon the individual patient's anatomy, there is a subset of patients who will likely not need surgical face-lifting with the combination of fractionated CO2 laser, radiofrequency skin tightening such as Accent XL, and fillersr. Great question, please join us at our next plastic surgical meeting on the Controversies Panel. Be well, Dr. P

Dear Carol
The fraxel is designed to improve skin quality without the down time and discomfort of standard CO2 laser. However, there is no question, that the results of fraxel are put simply, modest. You will see on the internet claims of dramatic facial tightening with Fraxel but this type of result seems to be extremely rare and it is misleading to imply that one can expect this type of result.
The lower facelift continues to be one of the most powerful and reliable methods for rejuvenating the face. Surgery can be performed under local in the office for the right patient but more typically under deep IV sedation or general anesthesia in an acredited operating room setting. Recovery is surprisingly fast with many ready to put on sun glasses and go the the mall in 5 to 6 days and engage in more involved social activities in 10 to 12 days. Generally, I restrict physical activity for about three week but light walking is encouraged as early as the second post-operative day.

As long as you are willing to accept a less agressive result.
A fractionated laser treatment may deliver a result of 1-3 on a scale of 10.
However, if you are willing seeking a result of 6-9 on a scale of 10, you may be disappointed as this is more likely to be achieved with a face lift.
As long as you are wiling to accept this outcome, then you may be very pleased.
The two procedures may be complimentary rather than exclusionary.

Laser is not a substitute for a facelift. Laser is good for fine lines and minimal skin tightening. There is no way that this can be equated with a facelift. If you post a picture, then we may be able to give you more specific advice. It all really depends on what would benefit you most. Good luck with your surgery/procedure.

 If you have sagging skin that needs to be removed--Facelift. If you have severe wrinkles then you need the CO2 laser. If pigmentation and age spots, texture, etc. is the problem--Fraxzel laser.

Fraxel is a great treatment modality, but it cannot do what a facelift does. Fraxel is great for providing uniform pigmentation of the skin, correcting sun damage, and providing smoother skin. A face and neck lift, on the other hand, corrects structural problems. The operation provides dramatic correction of jowls, sagging neck, neck cords, and descended midface, as well as tightening and rejuvenating the skin. The results from a facelift are far more dramatic, but the downtime is also much longer.
The best thing to do is to consult with a board-certified plastic surgeon to determine the relative benefits of both treatments for you. Best of luck!