Have you been feeling a little older lately? Maybe you’ve noticed that your face looks a little tired, or just doesn’t have the vitality it did in the past. It might be wrinkles and lines that you struggle with. As we age, we experience the loss of skin elasticity, as well as sagging muscles and fat. These problems are universal, and people are increasingly turning to cosmetic procedures to resolve them and reclaim their youthfulness.
The most powerful correction for these aging processes is a facelift. However, many patients are discouraged from undergoing a procedure this involved, whether due to the recovery time involved, the cost, or fear of the involved risks. For these patients, there are alternatives that can be considered which will offer some of the benefits of a full facelift without the downsides.
Injectables such as Botox, fillers such as Juvederm and Restylane, and collagen or fat injections can counteract some of the wrinkling that happens as we age. Especially for patients who are younger, injectables may be the best solution as these patients often are not experiencing symptoms great enough to warrant a full facelift. Injectables may even help to decrease overall wrinkling over time. Additionally, they can be used to fill in lost facial volume, due to the gradual loss of fat in the face. This is helpful in locations such as the cheeks and lips.
Sometimes, patients may be experiencing symptoms primarily in one particular area of the face. Patients might consider eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) if droopy, tired eyelids are the main concern, or a brow lift to resolve sagging eyebrows and forehead wrinkles. Cheek implants may be a consideration to help give the appearance of younger, lifted cheeks. While stull surgical procedures, these are often not as involved as a full facelift.
Another currently popular procedure is the mini facelift, or mini-lift. There are a number of different types and methods of mini-lift available. They all work by lifting the multiple layers of tissue over the face. However, because they use less invasive and involved methods than a traditional facelift, they are able to recreate some of the benefits without all the risks and recovery time. Of course, if you’re looking for the most dramatic and long-lasting results or have more extensive aging signs, the traditional, tried-and-true facelift is often the best approach.
If you are interested in finding the best options to rejuvenate your face, contact Bay Area facial plastic surgeon Dr. Sheldon Kabaker at 800-914-4247 to set up a consultation