Mini Facelift or Skin Tightening - which would be best for me? (photos)

Skin tightening devices, either RF or ultrasound-based (much like fraxel lasers), remain in the category of relatively expensive 'bells and whistles" devices whose hard science to back up their use lags woefully behind the heavy device manufacturer supporting marketing to hawk them. So, buyer beware. On the other hand, in the hands of an experienced, board certified cosmetic dermatologist, robust HA fillers could be used, typically with immediate "Wow!" results to lift the cheeks in or,der to diminish sagging of the mid and lower face and to improve the smile lines as well as to raise and straighten the corners of the mouth--and all, if so desired, in one treatment session of about twenty minutes and with little to no significant downtime. Just make sure to vet your physician injector well and ask to see his/her personal before and after photos before agreeing to proceed. Best of luck.

Hello, and thank you for your question. There are a few options that can help with your areas of concern. For you nasolabial folds, filler can be a great option that can be placed in the lateral cheek and in the nasolabial fold itself. Filler will help to provide volume/structure that we lose as well age, to help restore and soften the appearance of folds. For downturned mouth, neurotoxin can be a great option here as we have several muscles that “pull down” which downturns the corners of the mouth and worsens jowling. By placing neurotoxin in specific muscles, this can help to alleviate some heaviness in the lower face. Another procedure that could help is Morpheus8. This is radio-frequency microneedling that can help to rebuild collagen and tighten up the skin in areas of concern. It is best to schedule a consult with a provider who specializes in different types of procedures to better direct you treatment plan.

Morpheus 8 is a non-invasive skin and soft tissue tightening treatment that is consistently amazing in our patients. We use the Morpheus to exact fractional induced RF into the skin or tissue in order to tighten collagen and stimulate contraction of the tissue. For acne scars, it is quite useful to build collagen in patients who have atrophic scars but is not very productive for ice-pick scars which require TCA Cross. For tissue tightening, Morpheus is ideal for the face and neck and we often combine it with CO2 laser or Ultherapy to further enhance results. Chemical peels and skin resurfacing should be done at least 5 to 7 days after, but can be performed earlier, depending on treatment severity. Avoid exfoliating skin treatments before Morpheus and expect a period of 2-4 weeks for skin contraction to set in.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon