Cosmetic Surgery Blog

Interestingly, I was at the dropzone the other morning, eating my usual two eggs and ham steak breakfast and lo and behold a commercial for the Lifestyle Lift came on. Now I am not one to fall for gimmicks and this one is no exception. Does it work; is it just as effective as a full face lift? Are there any other alternatives that may be worth your while?

First, let’s understand what the aging process does to your face. As you age, you lose fat, which causes volume loss. On top of that your skin becomes lax because of the breakdown in your collagen structure. Muscle and fascia also becomes lacks and begins to sag below the skin. Now you have a triple-threat causing your whole face to sag. To regain a youthful appearance, you need to lift the skin, excise the extra that has stretched out past its capability to bounce back and restore the volume loss. This means surgery to nip and tuck the skin, remodel the muscle underneath and either fat grafting, or other injectable options, to fill you back up. If you need all this, less-invasive procedures aren’t going to cut it long term. That doesn’t mean you can’t improve your appearance without face-lifts, because you can. Volume restoration alone can give you a youthful appearance, just don’t go overboard or you’ll look bloated.

· LifeStyle Facelifts may take only an hour to give the appearance of ten years off your face, but they aren’t going to work for everyone. This lift still lifts the SMAS layer (Sub Muscular Aponeurotic System) and uses a smaller incision. But I have seen doctors slap in a chin implant to boot to further the rejuvenation even if the patient doesn’t require one. You’ll often see the best before and afters being of patients who needed chin implants. But if you don’t need a chin implant, don’t get one!

· Mini-Lifts (Mini Facelifts) are similar and may indeed be the same. Research what you’re getting into. A lot of mini facelifts don’t last and some may even be gimmicks (like the Laser Lifts).

· Thread Lifts won’t full rejuvenate a very lax face. I have actually had a thread lift so I know what it can do with even very slight laxity. It can give you some pretty good results, especially with the newer methods and threads, but it can’t take the place of a full-face lift.

· Laser procedures can rejuvenate the skin and making it appear tighter but it won’t reduce the slack in very lax skin.

· Thermage: I have had this. I wouldn’t risk it now. I know quite a few people who have had fat loss, and bad too! Now, I am told the tips have been redesigned to guard against fat loss, but regardless the lifting effect didn’t last but 7 months. Why would I do this again? I wouldn’t.

If you need a true face-lift, go to a great plastic surgeon. Don’t settle and don’t take the easy way out or you may wind up spending more money to go back and do it again. Be careful! The more scar tissue you create early on, the more difficult it may be to get a full-face lift later on. Do your research!