Liquid Face Lift

AUTHOR: Dra. Mónica Alfaro

The face shows different signs of aging, from sunspots to loss of volume either from bone reabsorption or fat loss in the tissues.  This causes sagging and thinning of the face, hollowness around the eyes, deep lines on the sides of and around the mouth and eyes, also, a droopy or saggy jawline with the presence of jowls.  There are many options to rejuvenate the face.  A surgical approach with a traditional or mini facelift depending on individual needs.  

You can also consider a liquid facelift.  This combines a group of procedures, injectables like botulinum toxin to soften dynamic lines or wrinkles, and different fillers to address the loss of volume.  Also known as an eight-point lift, this can be tailored to your specific needs.  The use of lighter dermal fillers will help address more superficial lines. Using a thicker or more concentrated filler will help lift and restore volume to the face's strategic areas, giving it back its youthful appearance.

These are all non-surgical or minimally invasive procedures that can be performed in the office under local or even topical anesthesia.  Results vary from 6 months to 2 years. They are enhanced with a progressive treatment plan that prevents these signs of aging from reappearing with partial reapplication of treatment to some of the more problematic areas.  

Downtime is minimal to none since the visible inconvenient effects of the treatments mainly include bruising and mild swelling in injection points.  

The points that usually require treatment are the temples, eyebrows, crow's feet, frown lines, forehead lines, bunny lines, marionette lines, and nasolabial folds. 

Lips may require volume, as could the cheekbones and cheeks themselves, the contour of the jaw, and the chin. 

The tear trough is another area that could require treatment, especially if you do not have visible puffiness from fat pads under the eyes.  This can also be addressed with other non-surgical technologies like Plasmage or fractional plasma energy.

In some cases, some patients prefer a more natural approach, and instead of fillers, fat grafting can be used with harvesting fat from their own bodies.  This is a more invasive procedure but allows for a natural option.  Expect two, sometimes three visits to complete your treatment and fine-tune your results, paying close attention to details and meeting your expectations. 

You might need to stop taking some herbal supplements that can cause more bruising. 

The more bruising, the more swelling you have, the longer it will take you to recover.  Look for doctors with experience with injectables to assure yourself the best possible outcomes.  Discuss your expectations and ask as many questions as needed to make sure you both understand the possibilities these treatments can offer and plan on the best time to perform them.