Look Great in Your Golden Years: Non-Invasive Alternatives to Facelifts
More than 100,000 men and women aged 51 or older had a facelift in 2012. The facelift is the second most popular surgery for people nearing or in their retirement years. Many candidates for surgery want to embrace a more youthful appearance, but the risk of complications and recovery times worry them. There are suitable
non-invasive techniques that can help to reduce the appearance of creases and wrinkles without the need for surgery.
Injectables
Botox and injectable fillers help to reduce creases, fine lines, and wrinkles. The injections take a few minutes, and you get right back to your daily routines. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery’s 2012 report, more than 1.2 million men and women over the age of 50 had Botox injections. Botox works by paralyzing the facial muscles and that helps reduce wrinkles.
Artefill is best at reducing the appearance of the nasolabial folds. It does require an allergy test. Artefill is injected in three sessions to prevent overuse of this filler. It does last for a long time, however, so you don’t have to pay for new injections every few months.
Captique is an FDA-approved filler made from hyaluronic acid. Once injected into the skin, the acid combines with water found within the tissue and plumps the skin. This eliminates creases and wrinkles. Restylane is similar to Captique, but it’s especially useful in treating the nasolabial
folds, the lines around the lips, and the creases between the eyebrows. Improvements last for several months. Juvederm and Hylaform also use hyaluronic acid to help reduce the appearance of creases, fine lines, and wrinkles.
Collagen is a protein found naturally in your body. When it’s injected under the skin, it helps fill in sunken areas on the face. This helps alleviate fine lines and wrinkles. It’s only a temporary measure with results lasting about three months.
Radiesse is a synthetic filler made from minerals found within the bones, so there is no need for an allergy test. It’s optimal for reducing the nasolabial folds. Once injected, expect the results to last for months, if not over a year.
Skin Rejuvenation
Skin resurfacing is another popular alternative to the traditional facelift. With resurfacing, the top layers of skin are removed one of several ways. This reduces the appearance of not only fine lines and wrinkles, but also helps get rid of age spots. Chemical peels and laser treatments are two common ways to rejuvenate the skin’s appearance.
With a chemical peel, the doctor spreads a one of three chemical mixtures on the face. This might mean alphahydroxy acid, phenol, or trichloroacetic acid. Alphahydroxy acid peels are the most gentle and phenol peels are the most intense. The chemicals go into the layers of skin, the depth depends on the mixture used, and cause them to peel away. Newer, smoother skin replaces the dead skin, and this leads to a younger appearance and less imperfections and wrinkles
Laser treatments rely on a carbon dioxide laser to burn away the top skin layer. As the old skin disappears, the newer skin is smoother and looks younger. Fine lines and wrinkles are not as prominent after the old skin falls off, and sun spots and scars fade too.
Dr. Kulak performs a range of non-invasive procedures that provide excellent alternatives to a facelift. To discuss the different procedures with the Virginia facial plastic surgeon, schedule a consultation in her Reston office. That number is (703) 481-0002.
