What is the Best Alternative to a Face Lift?

Easy things you can do:
1. Don't smoke. Smokers appear years older than their non-smoking piers.
2. Avoid sun. Sunscreen applied once to twice daily reduces sun exposure, but probably only 80%. Golfers, horse riders, swimmers, tennis players especially beware: cover up as much as possible with hats and long sleeves in addition to using sunscreen.
3. Use a good and regular skin care regimen daily to exfoliate
4. Exfoliate monthly with a facial or microdermabrasion
5. Ask your doctor if you are a candidate for Retin-A or a related topical compound, tailored for your skin type
6. Watch your weight and exercise regularly. Yo-yo diets and weight gain/loss stretches the skin
7. Eat foods high in antioxidants and fresh vegetables and fruits. Avoid procedded foods, fast foods, high sodium foods
8. Avoid excessive drinking and drugs. In addition to the obvious effects, these vices can cause great fluid shifts within the body-- every heard of the bloated drunk?
Now for some of the more involved treatments:
1. Botox and filler at a young age when wrinkles start to appear. Try to stick to hyaluronic acid products; much less tendency to lumpiness that can be permanent (in my humble opinion)
2. Small surgeries when problem start to arise that aren't correctable with filler and Botox, i.e. eyelids, lateral browlifts, LiveFill, subtle minimal incision cheeklifts
3. PhotoFacial treatments. Some patients like Thermage/ReFirme, fractional lasers as less invasive methods which give more subtle results.
4. Beware of gimickry such as lasers that do everything, no incision weekend techniques. Almost every treatment looks better for a few months, then the swelling goes away (and so does your money). Threadlifts also in this category, in my opinion. We routinely remove threadlift materials when patients come in for their minilifts or facelifts.

Many physician offices and medical spas will promise you that they can improve the jowls and neck line with different treatments including fillers, lasers, ultrasonic devices and radiofrequency treatment.  Many of these approaches require multiple visits and give very modest results.

My advice is if you are looking to avoid surgery, explore why that is and see if you can address your specific concerns.  Realistically, anything short of a true facelift will leave you disappointed.  If the issue is cost, there are financing options with many surgeons and yes, this is something worth saving for.  If the issue is concerns about anesthesia, bring this up with your surgeon and find someone who can adequately address those issues so that you can feel comfortable and confident. Same goes for concerns about appearance, scarring, risk of complications, etc.

Facelift is not right for everyone, so if you absolutely must not have one, you can consider many of the medical options described by my colleagues.  If, on the other hand, you are still open to the idea, you should explore it further.  It is not as "big" of an operation as you might believe and the results simply are unmatched.  Beware of those who over-promise on medical alternatives, however.  I see patients on a daily basis who have been disappointed at the money they have wasted on many of the "minimally invasive" treatments.  Sometimes they have spent enough to pay for a facelift twice over.

As a person ages, he/she loses facial volume. To restore this volume, one may consider injectable filler materials such as Restylane, Juvederm, Radiesse, or Sculptra. One may also consider transferring fat from the lower body to the face.
In addition, there are many different devices that use heat energy, light energy, and/or ultrasound to rejuvenate the face. However, the effects are often subtle and short-lived.
Addressing the quality of the skin can help improve one's facial appearance. If indicated, this may be done through skin resurfacing (e.g., chemical peel, laser, dermabrasion).
ThreadLifts, in which threads are inserted through the skin to lift the tissue, may be considered. However, the success rate is variable. The threads can extrude or become infected.
In summary, nothing can take the place of a facelift. However, options are available to help improve one's facial appearance without undergoing a facelift. It is important to have realistic expectations. Check your doctor's credentials and experience. Be sure to clearly communicate your expectations so your doctor can meet and hopefully exceed your expectations.

There are several options for people who want to improve the lower 1/3 to 1/2 of the face without full rhytidectomy (facelift).
Z-PLASTY: In a male with loose neck skin without much fat, a z-plasty is a possibility that has excellent results. The excess skin and muscle is removed with an incision shaped like a "Z", and this avoids the scars around the ears associated with facelifts.
FAT TRANSFER: In patients with a significant loss of facial fat and resultant sagging skin, facial fat transfer is an excellent option due to its longevity and ease of harvesting. These patients must have available fat to donate and must be willing to accept repeat treatments and swelling and bruising associated with the procedure. This can often simulate a facelift with very natural results. Other fillers are acceptable options, but require more maintenance.
TOTAL FX: The Lumenis UltraPulse Carbon Dioxide laser has the benefit of superficial tightening (ActiveFX/MaxFX) and deep tightening (DeepFX). This improves skin tone, texture, and fine lines with about 1 week of downtime. The Fraxel re:pair may be an equivalent technology.
Ultimately, there are going to be patients that require rhytidectomy (facelift) to acheive satisfactory rejuvenation of the lower face. These include patients with significant platysmal banding and severe jowls.

A Liquid Facelift is a nonsurgical alternative to rejuvenate and lift the sagging skin of the face. It combines fillers and neurotoxins. This combination helps in enhancing the effects of each other and the longevity of the fillers. It will plump, smooth, and recontour the face, giving it the appearance of a face lift procedure.

FaceTite can internally tighten the skin in the lower face and neck. After all the skin has been heated and contracted, we shape the neck with liposuction to give definition and remove stubborn pockets of fat. In one quick treatment, we can tighten skin, remove fat, and contour the lower face, jawline, and jowls with only a weekend of downtime. Keep in mind that combination approaches will give you a more significant improvement as opposed to a single procedure. I recommend getting a consultation with a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist and facial sculpting expert. Best, Dr. Emer

Hello,A very good question being that there are numerous options that are being marketed that absorbing and trusting the information is challenging.  You mentioned "sagging jowls and loose neck skin."  Significant sagging or laxity in the neck and face is always better served with a surgical approach.  Although there are claims that ultrasound, freezing, laser energy, radio frequency, etc. will assist with sagging skin, we do not believe there is enough value with these options for investment vs outcome.  If a surgical approach is not an option for a patient, using dermal filler is always an alternative.  Besides adding volume, dermal injections are also able to provide support, contouring, and shaping...when done correctly.  Sculptra is an excellent product in producing an overall volumizing/lifting of the face.  However, it's often beneficial to combine other filler products to compliment the Sculptra.  For example, tightening the jowling is best done with Radiesse, whereas restoring volume and lifting to the cheeks is where Sculptra is supreme.  Finally, approach the pretty canvas of the face as a whole.  Using dermal fillers and Botox or Dysport to lift eye lids/brows, is an excellent non-surgical treatment plan.  Make certain your practitioner offers realistic expectations and understands your goals in reviewing benefits vs limitations of injection procedures.

Depending on your physical exam, you may be a candidate for nonsurgical rejuvenation.  I think people that are in their thirties, forties, and fifties benefit tremendously from a combination of volumizing and tightening.  We can add volume with fillers and sculptra.  We can tighten/lift the skin with energy-based procedures such as ultherapy.  Depending on your goals, noninvasive treatments alone may not be able to get you to where you want to go.  It is very important to go to an office that offers expertise in surgical and nonsurgical treatments.  This way, the office will be able to provide you with a recommendation that is best for your goals.

This term liquid facelift can mean a lot of different things to a lot of people. There ARE patients who can well-attend to their desires by using fillers and Botox; but there are a number of factors that come into play.Volume loss levels - If your volume loss is significant, it may not be financially viable to try to "fill" the loss. Fillers by nature are not permanent so repeat filler injections will eventually be needed.Age - The older you are, the less collagen and support tissue you have, and that includes fat, muscle and bone.Skin function - The use of Sculptra changed the filler scene for many. Sculptra relies upon your own collagen production. Skin that has low collagen producing capability requires more product than skin that easily and quickly forms new collagen.Type of product used. Voluma is a great cheek builder. Sculptra can be used all over. Juvederm and Restylane fill small hollows, smooth wrinkles and can rebuild the lip area.There are radio frequency and ultrasound systems that can tighten and lift deeper structural tissue and are often a consideration. Again, with these treatment types, your individual response to the catalyst used will provide additional levels of improvement that will be unique to you.Your reference to lower face / neck concerns may be readily addressed with filler, Botox and tightening technology such as Ultherapy. Necks are not easily treated with filler, but if the issue is platysmal banding, then Botox is a useful option (though temporary).In the end, if there is substantial redundant skin, the main starting point required could be surgery. I would advise you to see both a facial plastic surgeon and a highly qualified dermatologist who has a lot of experience with the various fillers.

Surgery is no longer the only option left to give your face rejuvenated look.  There are a huge variety of laser and filler options to restore the youth. The answer really depends on your current age/skin quality and the result you are looking for.  If you have a lot of saggy skin, then surgery is the only option left.  If you have mild laxity and few wrinkles and deep circles, then Ultherapy to tighten the skin, PicoSure for skin rejuvenation, Photofacial to remove all the tiny veins and redness, and of course botox and fillers, to smooth out lines.  There are a lot of different options. You should come for consultations and ask questions and find a physician you are comfortable with so you both can design a treatment plan.  Hope this helps. Best. Dr.Avaliani

The best alternative to a facelift is different for every patient and depends on several factors. Some of these factors include the patient's areas of concern, the skin quality, degree of photo-aging, available recovery time, and budget.
A liquid facelift is a great option for many patients. Combining injectable fillers and neuromodulators such as Botox/Dysport/Xeomin can be very beneficial for many patients. Add skin resurfacing and even some other treatments like Kybella and a medical-grade skin care regimen, and many patients can get fantastic results without surgery.
Keep in mind that there are some things that only surgery can do, and most non-surgical treatments are temporary. A visit with a surgeon specializing in facial aesthetics is recommended in order to obtain a personalized treatment plan.