Non-surgical facelift

The first thing that comes to mind when it comes to face lift is cosmetic surgery. However, not everyone wants and is able to be exposed to extreme influences. A compromise option in this case is to use more minimal and non-invasive rejuvenation techniques.

Non-surgical facelift– this is a series of different procedures that can improve the condition of the skin, eliminate sagging tissues and clarify the oval without surgical intervention and associated difficulties.

The main advantages of these techniques over surgery are their relatively low cost, less trauma, and fewer contraindications. At the same time, with their help it is not always possible to achieve such an impressive result as after surgery, and it also does not last long, often up to 2-3 years, which is somewhat compensated for. cost benefits.

Basic non-surgical body lifting methods

All non-surgical facelift procedures can be divided into several large groups:

• Injections– Subcutaneous injection of drugs helps improve skin tone and overall rejuvenation. In particular, this includes certain types of mesotherapy, contouring and plasma lifting.
• Hardware– is performed on equipment that uses various types of energy (lasers, radio waves, microcurrents, etc. ) to act on the skin.
• Lift with thread– installation of special biocompatible fibers under the skin, thanks to which tissues are moved to new positions. Most thread lifts are surgical techniques, but their level of invasiveness and number of contraindications are significantly lower than other facial anti-aging surgeries.
• Deep peeling, in which the upper layers of the dermis are removed. Stimulates skin regeneration and thereby brings about a lifting effect
• Hands-on practice– various massage techniques aimed at improving the firmness of facial muscle structures and activating metabolic processes.

Facial lifting and rejuvenation injections

One of the safest and most popular methods of this group isintermediate lift– a variation of mesotherapy using a complex of specially selected active moisturizing and enhancing substances, which activate the regeneration of cells, provide them with moisture and increase blood circulationset. The standard course includes 3-5 procedures, the time to achieve results is from 6 to 18 months. After a lift, aging and sagging skin is visibly smoothed, looking youthful, deep static wrinkles are reduced and small visible wrinkles disappear, the skin is regenerated at the cellular level, Color is more even, firmness and elasticity are improved.

Plasma liftingorPRP therapyis the injection of the patient's own blood (or more precisely, plasma that has undergone special pre-treatment). The course lasts 4-5 sessions, results last about 1 year. Plasmolifting acts locally, at the cellular level of the skin, activating the synthesis of collagen fibers and has a rejuvenating effect on the entire body - it stimulates the immune system, activates regenerative processes andcell renewal. In addition, plasma, like a biological glue, attaches the facial skin to the underlying structures, eliminating age-related drooping of the eyelids. After completing the treatment, the skin becomes smoother, more elastic, firmer, small wrinkles disappear and deep wrinkles gradually decrease.

If meso- and plasmolifting has a complex effect on the entire face, tightening and rejuvenating it, thenContouring surgery with fillersAndbotulinum therapydesigned to specifically address age-related issues.

• Filler injections are intended to fill deep wrinkles, add volume to missing tissues, and correct the shape of the face. Today, cosmetologists have at their disposal a wide range of products, mainly based on high-density hyaluronic acid, designed to correct a number of age-related facial imperfections.
• Botulinum therapy uses drugs based on botulinum toxin type A, which block nerve endings in the injection area and prevent them from contracting facial muscles. Thanks to that, the skin is smooth and even deep wrinkles are reduced or disappear completely.

The effect of contouring and botulinum therapy lasts about 8-12 months, depending on the activity of metabolism and other individual characteristics of the body.

Hardware tightening method

How do most of the methods work?upgrade hardwareSimilarly - the subcutaneous tissue is heated by targeted impact, stimulating the compaction of existing collagen fibers and the production of new collagen and elasticity. As a result, wrinkles are blurred, pores are narrowed, skin is firm and becomes elastic. The main difference between such processes is the type of energy used (laser, radio waves, etc. ). Otherwise, they are very similar: they are carried out in courses of 3-5 sessions, and the time to achieve results is about 2 years. Currently the most popular methods are:

• Laser heating– laser energy used;
• Raise ELOS– based on the influence of two types of energy at once – laser and light;
• Lift radio frequency (RF)- Use low power and high frequency radio waves.

Another option -microcurrent therapy, – works a little differently. In this case, skin cells are stimulated by microscopic electric currents and specially developed biological preparations containing powerful antioxidants that activate natural skin regeneration mechanisms.

The standard course of such a non-surgical face lift includes 4-5 procedures performed once a week. The main advantages of this method include a minimal number of contraindications and complete harmlessness to the body. Microcurrents activate metabolic processes, normalize the chemical composition of cells and increase tissue elasticity - for this reason, they are often used as a rehabilitation procedure after interventionsurgery.

Lift with thread

This is a minimally invasive technique in which thin fibers are inserted under the skin. They are then pulled up, moved back, and secure the soft tissues into the desired position. This procedure is quick and safe, but still quite serious, so it should not be performed by an esthetician who works on the "external part" of the face but by a doctor. plastic surgeon who has a clear understanding of its internal structure. Depending on the general indications and individual patient preferences, the following may be used:

• The subject cannot absorb, made from biocompatible materials such as polypropylene.
• Mesothreads- are considered a little less effective, but they are made from polylactic acid, which does not remain under the skin but is completely absorbed after a few months. In addition to their skin-tightening effect, they also have a beneficial effect on the general condition and health of the skin (similar to mesotherapy, hence the prefix "meso" in the name).

The results last an average of 2-3 years, after which you can install additional threads or choose another technique (installed threads will not affect cosmetic procedures or lift surgery). Some nonabsorbable fibers can be "tightened" in the future, but there is no consensus among experts on the feasibility of such manipulation.

Deep peeling

These are quite traumatic and painful procedures, but at the same time very effective, thanks to which you can enhance the regeneration processes on the skin, improve its color, smoothness and elasticity, and at the same timeeliminates many external defects (hyperkeratosis, hyperpigmentation, etc. ).

• DuringDeep chemical peelPhenol-based acid preparations are applied to the face, destroying the upper layers of the skin up to the middle of the reticular layer of the dermis. This procedure is performed only in a clinical setting, under general anesthesia - as a formal surgery.
• Deep laser resurfacingcombines two processes: the application of thermal microtraumas to the skin, activation of recovery mechanisms inside the skin, and the evaporation (evaporation) of old cells. Modern fractional ablative lasers perform both of these actions simultaneously, allowing you to achieve more visible lifting effects in fewer treatments than with previous generations of lasers.

Recovery time after deep peeling is quite long (recovery process takes up to 2 weeks). The effect lasts about 1 year. If we compare both procedures, then laser resurfacing has an important advantage - the ability to adjust the power and depth of impact "on the fly". This allows you to choose the optimal parameters for each area, even very sensitive areas (eyelid, lips, neck), which cannot be achieved with chemical peels. In addition, the cooling system reduces pain, allowing the use of local anesthesia.

Massage is a non-surgical facelift method

With the help of manual manipulation, you can also achieve a certain lifting effect, although among experts there are very different opinions about its severity and duration. The most common procedure of this group issculpted facial massage(Supplemental massage, facial massage according to Joelle Siocco and other exclusive techniques).

Its principle of action is based on deep strength training of facial and non-facial muscles with simultaneous activation of lymphatic drainage. The massage therapist "sculpts" facial contours, correcting problem areas. As a result, the oval becomes clearer, age-related changes are reduced, muscle tension is reduced and skin tone improves.

The standard course is 10-12 sessions, carried out every 2-3 days. Subsequent maintenance procedures are required 2-3 times a month, which is a relative disadvantage of this non-surgical lift. The obvious advantages of sculptural massage are that it is painless, absolutely safe, does not require rehabilitation time, has no risk of complications, and does not cause skin irritation. The obvious disadvantage is that the results are less pronounced than with the other procedures described above.

How to choose the best non-surgical facelift method?

To fade and possibly completely eliminate the signs of aging, it is necessary to determine the cause of their appearance. This unique diagnosis is one of the main tasks of a cosmetologist or plastic surgeon. It is he who should be entrusted with the choice of a specific method of rejuvenation or their combination. In the case of faces, the question is usually: How "deeply" localized are age-related changes?

• If they mainly affect the skin – for example: We are talking about small wrinkles, changes in relieving, loss of firmness – give preference to methods that affect the dermis (restorative, firming, strengthening the collagen-elastin framework, polishing existing defects). For this purpose, peeling, thermal lifting, plasma therapy and intermediate lifting are used.
• For problems with the subcutaneous structure of the face (deep wrinkles, pronounced nasolabial folds, jowls, bags under the eyes, obvious loss of the oval of the face, double chin), choose photo methodsaffects the musculature and subcutaneous layer. These include lifting, botulinum therapy, contouring, microcurrent and sculpting massage.
• In many cases, the changes affect both the skin and the internal structure, therefore, to achieve a noticeable effect, a thoughtful combination of several rejuvenation techniques is required.

Expert opinion

Journalists asked leading cosmetic experts to comment on the effectiveness of using certain non-surgical facelift methods, and also turned to the expert opinions of plastic surgeons. America:

1. "The question is much simpler than it seems. In order not to make a mistake in choosing the technique, do not operate earlier than required but also do not stay in the cosmetologist's office longer than expected, you just need to find out three things:

   • Soft tissue condition, degree of ptosis.If age-related changes do not go too far, we can talk about non-surgical solutions. If we are talking about pronounced folds and a rather large amount of excess skin, do not waste time and money on cosmetic work, do not deceive yourself. Excess skin will not go away on its own, it can only be removed with a scalpel, and only a plastic surgeon will help you here.
   • Year old.Until the age of 40 (most often), cosmetic procedures have quite good results. After 40, their effects are less and less noticeable, and after 50, if you need real effects and not just interest, you should seriously think about surgery.
   • Patient's wishes.Only you can determine who comes and what you need. Not all women want to look 10-20 years younger; For many people, it is important that they just look presentable and fresh enough for their age. This problem can be resolved without surgery. Dull skin color, sagging, fine wrinkles, age spots, etc. v. – cosmetologists cope well with all these problems. But if you are unhappy with sagging facial contours, drooping eyelids, jowls, bags under the eyes, double chin or folds on the neck then just contact a surgeon.

   If you need a very small lift, pay attention to the vector lift method with various threads or contour surgery. By repeating these procedures 1-2 times a year, you can postpone the operation for several years. You yourself will be able to understand when the achieved effect is no longer suitable for you and it's time to think about more radical methods.

2. "Of course, non-surgical methods will not replace cosmetic surgery, but they are a good preventative method and can delay a visit to the surgeon for a long time. It may depend onWomen should use gentle facelifts (hardware cosmetics) from the age of 25. Almost each of the methods listed in the article can help address certain subtle age-related changes. Our experts use some of these procedures individually but most often as part of a comprehensive program.

   Therefore, after facelift surgery, stagnation may occur and can be easily treated with microcurrent. Contouring surgery with fillers allows you to correct minor age-related changes, but in this case, plasma fillers (similar to hyaluronic acid fillers, are produced from blood). of the patient himself) have proven themselves better.

   Of course, Botulinum toxin A preparations give good results and it is impossible to replace them with analogues. RF lift also brings good results for both preventing aging and during maintenance treatment after cosmetic surgery. But phenol peeling is not used in our clinic due to its traumatic nature.

   A significant advantage of non-surgical lifting procedures is that they can be recommended to patients at a fairly young age, with subtle age-related changes. For example, a gentle alternative to blepharoplasty could be plasma, laser or RF lift, as well as mesothreads – exactly what is chosen will depend on the "extent ofseverity" of the skin, depth of wrinkles, age of the patient and presence. There are certain contraindications. "

3. "Of course, I would like to immediately note that no minimally invasive technique can compete in effectiveness with surgical operations. However, it often happens that the patient's health does not allowperforming this step or specific situations that do not require surgical intervention. In these cases, minimally invasive aesthetics will assist us.

   Thread lift, laser face lift, and RF lift can delay the need for surgery and serve as a temporary alternative to surgical face lift techniques. Botulinum therapy and fillers can eliminate wrinkles. Plasmolifting improves skin firmness and its general condition. The peel is also responsible for the firmness, color and quality of the skin. These procedures are effective in their field of action, but are not a direct alternative to cosmetic surgery.

   The clinic performs almost all the procedures described in the article, however, each procedure has both indications and contraindications. Especially for patients who come to us for a comprehensive facelift, I recommend a plasma facelift before and after surgery, which helps us shorten recovery time. But performing any hardware rejuvenation procedures before surgery is not worth it. "

4. "Currently, there are many effective non-surgical facial rejuvenation methods, but it is important to understand the difference in the capabilities of plastic surgeons and estheticians. Surgeonsfacial contouring, estheticians improve the quality of the skin. And aging manifests itself in sagging skin and muscles, reduced skin tone and deterioration of skin quality. In total, there are about 5type of aging, depending on their manifestations and a rejuvenation program is developed, including the use of non-surgical techniques.

   Today, I consider hardware procedures (fractional laser photothermolysis, laser lift), RF lift, as well as contouroplasty and thread lift to be the most effective. But it must be honestly noted that with severe ptosis and a large amount of subcutaneous fat, all hardware lifting methods are ineffective, because they affect the deep layers of the skin without affecting the skin. to its surface. In addition, the so-called 3D facial modeling is very popular and effective, using a variety of measures: contouring, lifting, botulinum therapy.

   In general, we have quite a few options for minimally invasive facelifts, but for the best results an integrated approach is always needed. A single method, no matter how good, cannot solve all problems. "