Cosmetic Procedures to Fight the Aging Process – Discover the Most Popular Choices

The days of a facelift that cause a patient to have a “frozen face appearance” are over. More patients are turning to minimally invasive options including fillers, Botox and fat reduction. However, there are some options that are growing in popularity that patients might not be aware of at the moment.

Let’s Look at the Numbers

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, out of the 17.5-million cosmetic procedures performed in 2017, a rather large 15.-7-million were minimally invasive. That is an increase of 2\\% over 2016. 

Be Careful when Picking a Doctor

While the chance to have a procedure performed at lunchtime is an enticing option, patients need to be sure the doctor performing the treatment is a board-certified physician. It is true that complications such as infections, bruising and bleeding can also happen with the most experienced doctor. However, having a procedure performed at a reduced price by a less than experienced person can increases the risks. Even at a medical spa, patients should make sure the injectors are trained and supervised by a board-certified physician in aesthetic core specialties.

The American Board of Medical Specialties is made up of 24 boards. Patients interested in a certain doctor should ask to see the credentials of the doctor to make sure the person is experienced in performing the treatment. In addition, patients should ask to see “before and after photos” as well as confirm the doctor has hospital privileges in case of an emergency. Once the patient feels confident in the abilities of the doctor, a consultation appointment should be scheduled.

However, even if a doctor is board-certified, it doesn’t mean that person is the best choice for the job. It’s vital that the doctor knows and understands the underlying anatomy of a patient so there isn’t an issue with nerve damage or other medical complications.

What are the Popular Treatments for the Face?

• A Hydrafacial has been described by some as “wet” microdermabrasion. It is a multistep treatment that uses a vacuum-like device to cleanse, extract and hydrate skin. The result is a healthy glow before an event.
• LED (red, white, blue or amber) light therapy penetrates the skin through the use of various wavelengths to provide anti-acne, anti-inflammatory and wrinkle free results.
• A microcurrent facial, AKA non-surgical facelift, tightens the face by using wands to treat the face with electric currents.
• Microneedling is when very fine needles are used to puncture the skin to stimulate collagen. The results are minimized fine lines and acne scars.
• Radiofrequency facials use electromagnetic waves to heat the skin in order to firm the skin and stimulate the production of collagen.

Fat Reduction is Still Popular

• BodyTite is a procedure that uses radio frequency energy along with lipolysis to achieve the desired results. Prongs are placed both under and over the skin to stimulate collagen and tighten the skin

Making Changes to the Hands and Nose

• Restylane Lyft was approved for a new use in May of this year by the FDA. The treatment was approved for restoring fullness in the hands.
• Radiesse has been in use by doctors to fill-in facial wrinkles and restore a youthful appearance to a patient. It can also be used on patients that want to make a bump on their nose look smaller. Radiesse can camouflage small bumps as well as build up/define the tip of the nose.

Understanding the Goals of the Patient

We asked Dr. Lavinia K. Chong, a Newport Beach plastic surgeon, how vital it is to know the goals of the patient. Dr. Chong shared “It is important to get to know the patient and understand their priorities. We discuss the patient's goals and review pictures of what they looked like before their aging process began because it is not really up to me to recreate the facial blueprint. It is my job to refine the structure of the face and to make it a facsimile of what it used to be."

A Better Understanding of the Human Body

As technology and medical options improve, doctors gain an even better understanding of the aging process and how patients change as they age. In the past, many people simply believed that the aging process involved gravity making changes to the appearance of a person. Gravity was believed to pull on the tissue of a person and make it loose as a person got older. Patients did not understand that there is more to the process such as the loss of volume as a person ages. As a person gets older, the bones of the face, including around the cheekbones and the eyes, start to lose some of their volume. In addition, the face has areas that are filled with fat that lose mass as a person ages. All of these factors combine to make a person look older. Thankfully, cosmetic surgery continues to evolve and the number of techniques available for patients to retain their youthful appearance continues to grow in number each year.

MA