How do you achieve a more youthful face if you are not ready for or interested in a facelift? Can you get great results without a facelift? We say, “Absolutely.” Short of a facelift, we recommend three effective procedures for a more youthful, refreshed look.
BLEPHAROPLASTY
Blepharoplasty is a surgical procedure that improves the appearance of your eyelids. It helps reduce the look of tired eyes from your lower lids and removes drooping skin from your upper lids. You can focus on just the upper or lower lids, or address both at the same time.
CO2 LASER RESURFACING
CO2 laser treatment aims to improve the appearance of the skin by removing the top layer and stimulating the formation of new skin cells. CO2 Laser Resurfacing is used to tighten the skin and to treat fine lines. It also treats wrinkles, sun-damaged skin, and scarring.
FAT TRANSFER
Facial fat transfer uses a person’s own existing body fat to restore volume to and plump sunken or sagging areas of the face. This procedure is used to treat deep creases on the forehead or between the eyebrows as well as hollow areas under the cheeks and eyes. It can also aid with contouring around the nose, temples, upper lip and the jaw.
Each of these procedures requires confirmation that you are a candidate, as well as some downtime.
This patient had all three of these procedures: lower eyelid surgery with fat grafting and CO2 laser resurfacing of the skin around the eyelids.
When Should You Choose a Facelift?
While we have described some effective procedures for facial rejuvenation, sometimes these methods don’t do the trick.
Maybe you have tried injectables and chemical peels for a while, and they do not provide the long-term results you want. Or perhaps laser or radio frequency treatments just are not achieving what you want.
Whatever the reason, facelift surgery can achieve results that non-surgical results cannot match. Facelift surgery can reposition and lift facial tissues, which is something non-surgical options cannot replicate. It can also remove excess skin, which can roll back the clock on the face by years.
Are you noticing excess or loose skin around your eyes? When it comes to lifting and tightening the skin in this area, we have two approaches, one surgical and one done with a laser. Often our recommendation for optimal results is to combine the two.
SURGICAL APPROACH: BLEPHAROPLASTY
Blepharoplasty is intended to enhance the upper and/or lower lids, to create a more refreshed, youthful look. For the upper lid, the procedure involves making an incision in the natural crease of the eyelid, and then removing and reshaping the skin, muscle, and fat that deflate and droop with age and sun exposure.
Blepharoplasty can also be performed on the lower eyelid. As people age, the tissue that holds the fat in place can loosen and the fat can protrude, giving the appearance of bags under the eyes. These bags can be repositioned and reshaped.
THE MAGIC OF CO2 LASER RESURFACING
CO2 laser resurfacing is an excellent way to tighten skin and reduce discoloration of the skin around the eyes.
This laser tightens minor excess skin on the eyelids, reduces of signs of aging in the eye area, and the completely renews the skin. And with the CO2 laser we can tailor treatment according to the nature and extent of photodamage, wrinkling, skin type and individual requirements for recovery time.
When considering a fractional CO2 laser for the eyes, remember that the effects can take up to 8-12 weeks to see, so plan accordingly!
This procedure can be done on its own or in conjunction with eyelid surgery.
Whether you’re looking to reduce wrinkles, minimize scars, or improve overall skin texture, CO2 laser treatment could be the answer.
What Does Fractional CO2 Laser Do?
Fractional CO2 laser is a cosmetic procedure that improves skin texture, tone, and overall appearance. The laser ablates the top layer of skin removing sun damage as well as creates microscopic channels in the skin, known as microthermal zones. These processes stimulate the body’s natural healing response, which promotes collagen production and triggers the replacement of damaged skin with new, healthier tissue.
Key Benefits of Fractional CO2 Laser Treatment
- Wrinkle Reduction: especially of lower face
- Scar Improvement: acne scars and surgical scars
- Pigmentation Correction: uneven pigmentation, sunspots, and age spots
- Treats superficial sun damage
Who Is a Good Candidate?
Fractional CO2 laser is a versatile treatment suitable for patients of various ages and skin concerns. Ideal candidates include those looking to improve fine lines/wrinkles, scarring, and/or dark spots. It is safest for patients with lighter skin tones (Fitzpatrick I-III).
The Procedure
A fractional CO2 laser procedure can be performed in the clinic or operating room. Here’s what you can expect during the treatment:
- Consultation: Before the procedure, you will have a consultation with a qualified practitioner to discuss your concerns, assess your skin, and determine if fractional CO2 laser is the right option for you.
- Day of Treatment: Topical Anesthesia: a topical anesthetic is applied to the treatment area to minimize discomfort
- Pre-Medication: Your clinician may prescribe some medications to make the process more relaxing and comfortable.
- Nerve Blocks: You may receive lidocaine injections to further numb the sensitive areas of treatment
The laser treatment is customized based on skin, treatment areas, and goals. The laser can also be performed in the OR setting and combined with additional facial rejuvenation procedures such as eyelid surgery or facelift surgery.
Recovery Process
- Immediate Recovery: The treated area will likely be red and swollen after the procedure. It may feel similar to a bad sunburn.
- Peeling and Flaking: Over the next few days, the skin will begin to peel and flake as the damaged outer layers are replaced with fresh, new skin. It’s important to avoid picking at the skin to prevent scarring.
- Sun Protection: Protecting your skin from sun exposure is crucial during the recovery period. Sun exposure may lead to increased hyperpigmentation.
- Total recovery time depends on intensity of treatment
Please contact the Appearance Center to consult with a qualified practitioner.
Not only are we wrapping up the summer, but September is Skin Care Awareness Month. We of course remind you to remain vigilant about sunscreen, but we also want to help you to start taking even better care of your skin with some of our in-office procedures.
Here are our three favorite ways to improve skin texture and appearance, from least to most invasive:
PEEL
Indications: Pigmentation, active acne, sun-damaged skin, fine lines and wrinkles.
How it works: Chemicals penetrate layers of the skin and promote rapid cell turnover and collagen synthesis. It also clears dead skin cells and oils. This helps create brighter, more even, and smoother skin. Select ingredients also work to reduce dark spots or treat active acne lesions. Best results are achieved with a series of peels.
Recovery: You will likely have significant peeling, especially 3-4 days after the peel. Most peeling resolves by about a week.
Cost: Varies by area, $
MICRONEEDLING
Indications: Acne scarring, surgical scars, loss of collagen from aging.
How it works: Small needles puncture the superficial layers of the skin, inducing collagen and elastin production. This results in brighter, tighter, and younger looking skin. A growth factor serum is simultaneously infused into the skin punctures, enhancing collagen production.
Recovery: For the first week you will experience redness. Avoid sun exposure for one week after treatment.
Cost: Varies by area, $
FRACTIONAL CO2 LASER
Indications: Sun-damaged skin, fine lines and wrinkles, acne scars, lighter skin tones.
How it works: Fractional CO2 laser creates micro punctures in the skin while also delivering thermal energy. This removes damaged tissue and stimulates tissue shrinkage while inducing collagen production. Collagen remodeling continues for 3-6 months. Best for lighter skin types not prone to dark spots.
Recovery: This will depend on how aggressive your treatment is. You could have redness for up to a month during healing. Depending on your healing, you may be able to wear makeup after 1 week.
Cost: Varies by area, $$ – $$$
The fractional CO2 laser creates tiny “columns of thermal destruction” in the skin that stimulate the growth of new, healthy skin cells to replace old, damaged cells. This procedure treats wrinkles, discoloration, sun damage, age spots, and acne scars. Instead of removing skin layers with chemicals, the CO2 laser removes skin layers by vaporization.
During your treatment, one of our physicians will apply the Fractional CO2 laser to the area chosen for resurfacing. The laser will eliminate surface damage, while concurrently heating the underlying tissue, causing it to increase collagen production. Depending on the scope of the treatment area, your laser session may take anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours.
WHAT DOES THE CO2 LASER TREAT?
The Fractional CO2 laser is used to address a wide range of skin conditions, including:
- Fine lines (including around the eyes)
- Deeper wrinkles around the forehead, mouth, or nose
- Sun damaged skin
- Acne scars
- Hyperpigmentation
In addition, the Fractional CO2 laser can be used to treat other visible areas of the body, such as the neck, chest, or hands.
BEFORE & AFTER IMAGES
Spring has sprung, and you realize it is only weeks until that highly-anticipated wedding, reunion, or vacation. Is it too late, you wonder, for some type of cosmetic procedure to look your best?
Fortunately, there are many things you can do to boost your appearance—and self-confidence—that don’t require a huge downtime. If you plan far enough ahead, you can time your procedures to maximize your results by a specific date. Consulting with a specialist can help you determine what you want, need, and have time for.
Some “Quick Fixes” to Consider
Fortunately there are many effective nonsurgical options that require minimal downtime. These procedures include:
- Botox or Dysport to smooth wrinkles on the face, including forehead lines and crow’s feet. (There is little to no downtime, bruising is unlikely but possible. Results can be seen in as little as a week.) DO THIS AT LEAST 2 WEEKS BEFORE AN EVENT.
- Dermal Fillers to plump lips, enhance shallow contours, enhance facial volume, or smooth wrinkles. (Generally, recovery is 2-7 days. Results are immediate but final results are seen in 10-14 days, after possible swelling resolves.) DO THIS AT LEAST 2 WEEKS BEFORE AN EVENT.
- Chemical Peels to smooth and brighten skin, minimize pigmentation and address acne scars or fine lines and wrinkles. We offer the TCA and VI Peels. (Healing varies depending on the type and strength of the peel. VI Peel: peeling lasts around a week. TCA peel: takes 1-2 weeks to heal.) DO THIS AT LEAST 3-4 WEEKS BEFORE AN EVENT.
- Microneedling to improve appearance and texture of the skin, minimize acne scars. (Healing takes about 3-5 days; skin texture improves over weeks to months.) DO THIS AT LEAST 2 WEEKS BEFORE AN EVENT.
- CO2 Laser Resurfacing to rejuvenate wrinkles, sun-damaged skin, and remove age spots and other blemishes. (Healing time for laser resurfacing varies, depending on the depth/intensity of the laser. Approximately 1-2 weeks of recovery time. Full results seen at 3-6 months.) DO THIS AT LEAST 6 WEEKS BEFORE AN EVENT.
Call us to schedule a consultation!! 949.200.1615