COSMETIC TOWN JOURNAL



Facelift vs. Fillers – Which Treatment is Right for You?

Posted August 28, 2020
Facelift vs. Fillers – See which treatment is right for you

The aging process has an impact on the appearance of the face as a person gets older. Fine lines and wrinkles can start to appear as well as skin that sags and a loss of volume in the face. If any of these aging signs describe your appearance, there are options available to you to help turn back the clock and gain a youthful and refreshed look. A facelift and dermal fillers both work to eliminate the signs of aging but they are performed in different ways and the lasting results are quite different as well. If you are not sure about the difference between a facelift and fillers, there is no reason to worry! Take a look below to learn more about the changes in your appearance created by a facelift and fillers so you can determine which treatment is the right one for you.

Facelift Facts for You

A facelift, AKA a rhytidectomy, is an invasive surgical procedure that is performed to reduce and/or eliminate the appearance of wrinkles, sagging skin, lines and creases that are located on areas of the face, jawline and neck. The loose skin on the face is tightened to create a more youthful look. Excess skin can also be removed to help provide a better contour to the appearance of a person.

At the start of the procedure, the surgeon makes a series of small incisions on the targeted area of the face. Once the incisions are created, the surgeon lifts the skin and pulls it back in order to easily remove any excess skin and fat. During the facelift process, the surgeon also tightens the underlying muscles to provide a greater contour to the targeted facial area. After the doctor finishes the task of removing excess skin and fat, and also makes sure that the underlying muscles are tightened, the surgeon puts the skin that was lifted back into place on the face and then proceeds to close the incisions. You should be aware of the fact that, even with the youthful changes made a by a facelift, the face will still see changes made by the aging process (including gravity pulling on the skin). In general, the results of a facelift can last anywhere from 10-20 years. 

A traditional facelift will involve a recovery period of 10-14 days before you can start to resume some of your regular activities. There will also be some swelling and bruising that will be visible while you are recovering but the bruising and swelling will start to disappear after the first few weeks. Amy scars from the surgery can take around six months to settle.

The ideal candidate for a facelift is someone with visible aging signs on the face or neck along with skin that is loose or sagging. A person that also wants to achieve a better definition to the jawline or chin is also a good candidate. The ideal patient should have some natural flexibility to the skin along with a strong bone structure with well-defined features.

Fillers Facts for You

Whether you refer to fillers as injectables, dermal fillers, soft tissue fillers or injectable cosmetic fillers, they are all injected into the skin to smooth out the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, provide a better contour to the face, restore volume that has been lost in the face due to the aging process or even provide lip enhancement to lips that are thin due to aging. Fillers are injected into the targeted portion on the face to fill-in areas with wrinkles, lines or lost volume.

Unlike a facelift which is an invasive surgical procedure, fillers do not involve surgery and also have a much shorter recovery time. Fillers are made of natural or synthetic materials and the type of filler that is used depends on the goals of the individual patient. One of the most popular fillers is hyaluronic acid fillers because hyaluronic acid is naturally found in the human body so there is little chance of the patient having an allergic reaction to the filler.

Since fillers are not a surgical procedure, the results do not last as long as a facelift. However, some of the results will start to be seen immediately after the treatment. It will take a few weeks before the final results are visible to the patient as well as to those viewing the face of the patient. Depending on the amount and type of fillers used by the doctor, the results can last anywhere from 6-18 months. If you chose to have fillers placed in the face to rejuvenate your appearance, you will need to have repeat injections in order to maintain the results.

The ideal candidate for dermal fillers includes anyone that is not ready to undergo a surgical facelift, someone that is looking for quicker results than a facelift and anyone with wrinkles, folds and lines that can be classified as moderate to severe in appearance.

Facelift or Fillers – Making Your Decision

The decision to treat the aging issues with a facelift or fillers is not always an easy one. You can schedule a consultation appointment with a board-certified doctor that is experienced in providing facial rejuvenation through a facelift as well as placing fillers in the face.

The doctor can examine your skin to give you a better idea about the type of results you can expect from either facial rejuvenation choice. In addition, the doctor can walk you through the process of both options while answering your questions along the way about the procedure, the recovery process and the cost of a facelift or fillers.

Once you have all of the information you need abut facelift and fillers, you will be ready to make an informed decision about which treatment is the right choice for you.

MA

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