Liquid Facelift
What do you think ages our appearance the most? Is it lines and wrinkles? Discoloration? Sagging skin? It is a combination of all of these factors, but there is one major underlying cause that contributes to the sagging, lines, and wrinkles — a loss of fullness.
Four components of the facial structure change as one ages: the skin, muscle, bone, and fat. Loss of elasticity in the skin and soft tissues, a loss of volume, reabsorbing of the bone and gravity are all signs of aging.
It is an irony of aging that as we grow older, we seem to accumulate fat around our middles, but lose it from our faces. Think of a youthful face, and you’ll most likely picture a face with full, rounded cheeks. That’s because fat plays a large part in filling out the skin and keeps our faces looking smooth and supple.
There is also loss of collagen, which our bodies stop producing around age 25. To a lesser degree, our facial appearance is also affected by the loss of muscle that accompanies the aging process. All of this adds up to an overall decrease in facial fullness.
More and more doctors and patients are seeking to improve the appearance of the aging face not just through stretching the skin tighter, but filling it from the inside. Enter the age of the liquid face lift.
What Is Liquid Facelift?
Recent advancements in plastic surgery are making it possible to gently lift and contour an aging face that may currently look tired, gaunt, or haggard.
A liquid face lift is non-surgical treatment to restore definition and youth back into your face. The liquid face lift is currently all the rage among Hollywood’s elite, and its popularity is understandable. It promises a more youthful appearance with no downtime, no anesthesia, and no going under the knife. More and more youth-seekers are using Botox in conjunction with dermal fillers to plump up, fill in, and re-contour the face.
The Liquid Facelift is completely customized to your unique needs: it is a completely non-surgical, multi-step treatment that involves volumizing and refining areas of the face through the use of BOTOX and dermal fillers. A combination of these dermal products, which are composed of different materials and injected at varying depths, are chosen for specific facial applications and are often layered to provide optimal results and longer lasting improvement. The final result is a naturally youthful and rejuvenated appearance.
The type of dermal fillers used and the application are determined during an in-depth complimentary consultation with one of our physicians.
Plumping up facial volume, filling fine lines and wrinkles and hydrating skin can be addressed by using dermal fillers. The dermal fillers range has a specific product for the treatment of lips, lines, wrinkles and facial folds. Expression-related creases are caused my muscle contractions; however, with the use of Botox.
Are the Results of Liquid Facelift Immediate?
The use of Botox in addition to dermal fillers can make for better, longer-lasting results. Botox blocks the nerve impulses that cause muscle contractions. When injected into specific areas, it effectively relaxes the muscles that are responsible for making certain facial expressions; these repeated facial expressions contribute to the breakdown of collagen in certain areas, leading to deep creases and expression lines.
The added facial volume and wrinkle refinement is immediate with enhanced results after four or five days, once the Botox takes effect. Results can last from six months to a year or even longer in some cases.
Who Are Good Candidates for Liquid Facelift?
Basically all women and men who are showing signs of aging on the face are candidates for the Liquid and Light Face Lift, particularly those who:
- Are afraid of surgery and/or having to live with irreversible results
- Simply want to eliminate moderate signs of aging
- Want to re-contour cheeks and chin
- Have had a surgical face lift to remove excess and sagging skin but need to add volume and shape
- Are seeking an on-going, regular program of treatment to slow the appearance of aging in their facial features
- Have realistic expectations
How Is a Liquid Facelift Procedure Performed?
Often the main reason people consider skin rejuvenation treatments is to reduce visible wrinkles. With the Liquid Face Lift procedure, we have refined our techniques to focus on lifting and contouring the face, with wrinkle reduction as an added benefit. This new technique has spawned a revolutionary approach to treating sagging facial features and the visible signs of aging.
A Liquid Face Lift treatment at Skinologica involves the use of advanced dermal fillers, usually in combination with Botox.
Dermal fillers can replace lost volume in the face or assist the body in naturally regenerating its own collagen. Precisely placed within specific facial features, these dermal fillers can be used to lift or contour with lasting results. In addition, when used in conjunction with Botox, patients also experience a visible reduction in fine lines, wrinkles and folds for a smoother, younger look and feel.
For treatment of lines and wrinkles, an anesthetic cream is sometimes applied to the area 20 minutes or so prior to injection. This helps to numb the area to be treated and reduces pain when the needle is inserted into the skin.
Before injections in the lips, a dental or lip block may be used, where a small amount of lidocaine (an anesthetic like the ones used by dentists) is injected into the lip area to help to numb them prior to treatment.
What to Expect?
Injectable facelift results are usually visible instantly. Some of the initial plumping may be due to overfilling or swelling. It is common for multiple injection sites, but swelling and bruising may be experienced the first few days after treatment. To minimize swelling, patients leave with a pack of ice and are advised not to exercise for the first few hours to prevent an increase in heart rate or blood pressure. Patients should avoid vitamin E, anti-inflammatories, herbal supplements and other medications that promote bruising.
How Long Does a Liquid Facelift Last?
Duration depends on which fillers were used in the facelift procedure and longevity is measured in months. Lasting results are highly variable; the patient may notice subtle changes in their own skin as the months pass. Collagen-based fillers last three to four months, hyaluronic acid-based fillers can last from six to 12 months, and semi-permanent injectables can last one to two years or more. Botox lasts from three to six months and may help temporary fillers to last longer by decreasing muscle action.
What Are the Side Effects of Liquid Facelift?
In order to fine-tune results additional follow-up treatments may be necessary. Additional injections are required in the event of asymmetry. Grandulomas (little bumps that can be felt and sometimes seen, under the skin) may develop when longer-lasting particle-based fillers are used.