Surgical Facelifts: Are They Becoming Obsolete?
New York, New York (PRWEB) July 22, 2013 -- Aging not only occurs at different rates in different individuals, but also on different areas of the body. While no one can prevent aging, there is a variety of non-invasive approaches that are becoming the preferred treatments of choice because they can ensure optimal aging by reducing the effects of volume loss, sagging skin and sinking appearance without the necessity of surgery. The face ages very specifically with a combination of bone, fat, collagen and elastin loss, which results in sagging and sinking of the skin and wrinkle formation.
Tight, firm facial skin is a distinct sign of youth, while the sagging of skin is a known sign of aging. Aging skin loses its elasticity and has difficulty bouncing back, characterized by definition loss along the jaw line, droopy eyes and cheeks, and the development of jowls. The only way to fix this problem is by tightening, with the most dramatic results being a surgical facelift. But for those that are surgery averse, there are several treatments that can provide realistically desired results. In addition, it’s possible to delay or replace an actual facelift by starting non-surgical facelift treatments early on.
Full cheeks with a round smooth face are signs of a youthful face, but unfortunately every year the face does what’s called sinking, which is the loss of facial volume at the forehead, temples, eye sockets, under the corners of the mouth, and most noticeably the cheeks. Dark circles underneath the eyes, flattening of the malar fad pads, which is the cheek area and an overall thinner face are a result of volume loss. Fat begins to disappear from underneath the eyes between the ages of 20 and 30, and the malar fad pads begin to descend down the face and lose volume between ages of 30 to 40. Increasingly the loss of volume becomes more obvious and the cheeks flatten and fat atrophies between the age 40 to 50 and eyes begin to appear sunken.
Dermatologists are rapidly recommending Ultherapy to patients who wish to tighten loose sagging skin in the face, neck, under the chin, along the jaw line and brow. Ultherapy emits focused ultrasound energy below the skin’s surface to lift the layers, essentially tightening and smoothing out wrinkles and sagging skin.
The ultrasound energy is administered through a smooth hand piece, which is placed on the skin. This hand piece directly delivers tiny deposits of ultrasound energy below the dermal layer and into the fibromuscular layer where collagen production is promoted.
Collagen is a naturally occurring protein that is responsible for keeping the skin tight and smooth. The natural loss of elasticity and volume creates unwanted wrinkles and facial lines. Ultherapy stimulates the repair process that strengthens existing collagen within the skin to produce fresh, new collagen, ultimately creating a stronger and tighter structure within the dermis layer.
The ability to treat the skin’s foundation without disrupting the outer layer, as well as creating underlying support from the inside out makes Ultherapy one of the most innovative skin-tightening treatments available today. This 60 to 90-minute treatment will progressively show results two to three months afterwards and continued improvements for up to six months. Ultrasound’s defining feature is its ability to deliver deep treatment through the skin and subcutaneous tissue, which is the deepest layer of the skin and where the connective and elastic tissue lies.
Thermage is another effective non-invasive treatment to smooth, tighten and contour the skin into a more natural and youthful appearing skin. A smooth hand piece delivers treatment with radio frequency technology, which safely heats the deep layers of skin and stimulates collagen while also promoting new collagen growth. The new and tightened collagen will strengthen and tighten the skin’s foundation into a younger face, and results will improve over a two to six month time period gradually following a single treatment session.
Another treatment option which will help smooth out wrinkles is fractional resurfacing with Fraxel laser, which will both tighten and smooth out wrinkles without surgery. It is also an effective treatment for discoloration, sun damage, age spots, and acne and surgical scars. Dr. Rokhsar was involved in the development of the Fraxel laser and worked with the prototype in 2003.
“Giving patients a wide variety of non-surgical options to treat sagging and sinking skin, can help them reach their cosmetic goals without discomfort,” says Dr. Rokhsar. “Whether it’s a Fraxel, Ulthera or Thermage treatment to tighten the skin, or a filler such as Sculptra,or Radiesse to replace volume and enhance face shape; patients will have plenty of options to meet their goals.”
For those that are surgery averse but wish they could slow down the aging process, there is a wide variety of treatments to treat sinking skin such as simple filler injections. Fillers are specifically designed injectable substances used to replace lost volume due to aging. Each filler is designed for each particular cosmetic goal, whether it’s to treat hollowed-out under eye bags, deep wrinkles, thin lips, sagging jowls or flattening cheeks.
Sculptra is made of natural, plant-derived acids that is used to restore volume and stimulate collage in deeper layers of the skin, which will allow a gradual and natural enhancement of your skin.
Radiesse is a different filler that has an additional advantage to stimulating the skin to produce collagen. It’s made of calcium spheres that float in a gel to keep skin firm and youthful looking, which make it a prime choice for enhancing face shape.
For filling in under-eye bags and lip enhancements, Juvederm and Restylane are both effective fillers that will provide natural looking, smooth looking results. Juvederm is a smooth gel made out of hyaluronic acid, a natural substance that the body makes to maintain skin water content, that lifts the skin and reduces age sinking skin. Restylane uses the same specially formulated clear gel to visibly enhance volume and reduce facial wrinkles and folds.
Another volume treatment is fat transfer from the legs, inner knees, and abdomen, into the face where sagging and sinking may occur. Fat transfer can fill in the creased and sunken areas of the face that have lost their childish plump and youthful appearance. Losing weight in the face doesn’t have to be one of the effects of aging when there are so many natural treatments such as fillers and fat transfers.
Fillers are ultimately designed for patients who are ambivalent about a surgical facelift, for those would rather improve their appearance with a non-invasive approach, or for the busy individual who doesn’t have time for long procedures or the recovery time that follows. Smooth cheeks and fresh faces are attainable and don’t have to be lost to older age and the natural effects of time. Technology has come a long way for cosmetic treatments, and non-surgical options are increasingly in demand because of their promising youth replenishing effects.
Dr. Cameron K. Rokhsar, M.D., is the leading authority in laser surgery and non-invasive techniques, Dr. Rokhsar, has extensive training and expertise in the field of skin tightening and wrinkle reduction. A graduate of Harvard and New York University, Dr. Rokhsar is a fellowship-trained dermatologist and laser surgeon and extensively published medical author and Professor of Dermatology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. His offices are located in New York City and Garden City, Long Island.
For more information, please contact Samantha Olson at (212) 285-1110.
Cameron Rokhsar, NY Cosmetic Skin & Laser Surgery Center, 516-512-7616, [email protected]
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