Face wrinkles are lines that come with aging and sun exposure. Aging also causes skin laxity of the face and neck. There are multiple ways to address the signs of facial aging.
THREAD LIFT
Outpatient clinic procedure
Duration of procedure: 30 to 60 minutes
Longevity of procedure: Upto 18 months
Areas Addressed: lower jaw, cheeks, eyebrows, neck.
Tiny biodegradable sutures are used to lift loose skin and lessen wrinkles. The sutures or threads as we call them are absorbed in 12 to 18 months however they contain Polylactic acid which encourages the body’s production of collagen making the lift last longer. Thus making it an excellent choice for a minimally invasive procedure. Side effects include mild bruising and swelling at the entry points. There may also be slight dimpling and bunching of skin that evens out in a week.
FAT GRAFT TO FACE
Day care procedure
Duration of procedure: Around 90 minutes depending on the area
longevity: several years.
Areas: most areas of the face.
In fat transfer, fat is harvested from the abdomen or thigh through liposuction and then fat is refined and injected into the face to fill hollow areas of the face replacing facial volume. One of the most natural forms of face lift however it can only be done in people with adequate fat deposits. There is often minimal pain and bruising at harvesting and injecting sites. Fat grafting can cause calcifications, oil cysts, and resorption of fat can give undesired results. May require more than one session.
FACE LIFE
Day care procedure
Duration: 3 hours
Anesthesia: General, Local and sedation
Downtime: 2 weeks
Longevity: several years
A facelift also known as rhytidectomy (removal of wrinkles). It is a surgical procedure that removes excess skin and also repairs the tissues underneath the skin to improve the appearance of wrinkles, sagging folds and will provide a more defined structure. Other surgical and non-surgical procedures can be combined with facelift for optimal results: blepharoplasty, browlift, fat grafting, hyaluronic acid fillers, Botox® and laser resurfacing. Side effects include bruising and pain. Surgical site infection, swelling nerve injuries, scaring are rare but can happen.
BOTOX
Outpatient Clinic
Duration : 30 minutes
Longecity: 4-6 months
Areas addressed: forehead, frown lines, crows feet.
Botox when injected paralyzes the muscle thus preventing its contraction. When muscles cant contract the skin appears smooth and less wrinkly. 3-7 days are required for the treatment to show results. There may be mild redness and swelling at injection sites.
FILLERS
Outpatient clinic procedure
Duration: 15 minutes to 1 hour
Longevity: 1-2 year
Downtime: none
Dermal fillers help to diminish facial lines and restore volume and fullness in the face. Fillers can plump lips, fill hollow contours, soften facial lines, improve depressed scars and lighten dark circles. There may be mild bruising post procedure however it goes away in a week.
LASERS
Outpatient clinic procedure
Duration: 30 minutes to 1 hour
Anesthesia; Local
Longevity: improves skin quality, needs multiple sessions.
Downtime: ablative ; 5-7 days
In ablative (wounding) laser resurfacing, a laser beam destroys the outer layer of skin (epidermis) and heats the underlying skin (dermis). This stimulates the growth of new collagen fibers. As the wound heals, smoother, tighter skin forms. Laser resurfacing can’t eliminate excessive or sagging skin. It can take several months to fully heal from ablative laser resurfacing. A newer method using fractional lasers has a shorter recovery time. Risks include scarring and lightening or darkening of skin color.
A technique called non ablative laser fractional resurfacing has a shorter healing time and fewer risks than does the ablative technique. Nonablative lasers are better suited to people with moderate wrinkles because results are subtle. This treatment needs to be repeated more often than does ablative treatment. This method also can be done with a fractional laser.
Written by : Dr. Faisal Akhlaq
Copyrights: Pakistan association of Plastic Surgeons