The changing face of facial rejuvenation
If you want to look better, some people will tell you to
just smile. And there is some truth to that. A smile is
one way to speedily rejuvenate a face. But there are
many other simple, expedient ways that cosmetic
surgeons can help you look fresher and more youthful
while feeling better about your appearance.
From fillers and Botox to removing excess skin from
eyelids and mini facelifts that tighten skin without big
procedures, facial rejuvenation is increasingly
changing lives while turning back time. And there is
a long list of choices with either no or minimal down
time, providing you with great options no matter
what your budget and goals are. Here is a look at
why, what, when and whether a facial rejuvenation
procedure might be right for you.
A younger look
As you approach middle age or older, facial
rejuvenation can be a shortcut to a younger, better
look.
“People have different desires at different ages,” says
Dr. Hillard Warm of Cosmetic Surgery of New York.
“People in their middle ages want to slow down
aging. Older people want wrinkles resolved.”
Lasers
Two broad categories of lasers are used in facial
rejuvenation: ablative and non-ablative. Ablative
lasers, including CO2 lasers, are the gold standard
that take off the top layers of the skin, tighten the
skin and get rid of surface imperfections. But they
also lead to some down time.
“Non-ablative lasers don’t take off top layers, but still
tighten and refresh with no down time,” Dr. Jacobs
says.
Which is best for you depends on your desire. If you
can’t take off from work, you may want a nonablative
laser. If you can take some time off and want
more improvement, you can opt for an ablative laser.
Even then there are many surgical options, such as
upper and lower eyelid surgery or removing excess
fat and skin.
Mini facelifts
A facelift is the most obvious example of facial
rejuvenation, removing excess skin and some fat
from the cheek, jowl and neck. Mini facelifts, a less
aggressive type of facial tightening, have become
quite popular lately, because they provide big results
with minimal downtime or incisions.
“We find that many people don’t want to hear the
word ‘facelift,’” Dr. Jacobs says. “A mini facelift,
sometimes called a lunchtime facelift or facial
tightening, is becoming more common. Most people
these days choose a mini facelift.”
A mini facelift is often done under a local anesthesia,
Dr. Warm says. “You can also do it under anesthesia
with a board-certified anesthesiologist,” he adds.
There are many other options for facial rejuvenation,
such as brow lifts and other refinements. Eyelid lifts
can be done with very little downtime today, and
their results can last for years.
The changing face of surgery
Not all procedures involving the face fall under facial
rejuvenation, including some that are very common.
Rhinoplasty, for instance, is not as much
rejuvenation as a contouring of the nose, which can
improve your look. At the same time, chin implants
or fillers may be used to improve your profile as well.
Facial rejuvenation procedures can help you look like
a younger version of yourself, turning back or
stopping the hands of time. While there is no
fountain of youth, cosmetic surgery can help erase or
reduce some of the impacts of aging – and no one
needs to ever know that you had anything done.
“You are going to look younger and better,” says Dr.
Robert Jacobs at Cosmetic Surgery of New York.
“We know our clients don’t want it to be obvious that
they had work done, and we provide a very natural
look. Our clients want to look like themselves – but
like they did several years ago.”
Dr. Jacobs and Dr. Warm will work to refine the
features you have, so you look recognizable, but
refreshed. Their cosmetic procedures will help
remove a kind of veil of years.
“You won’t look tired and worn out,” Dr. Warm
says. “Facial rejuvenation is one way to beat back
the effects of time.”
Lip Enhancement
Looking younger is only one goal of facial
rejuvenation. While older people typically want to
alter the effects of aging, people in their 20s, 30s,
40s and 50s often want filler for lips. “They want
their lips to look more plump, shapely and full, “Dr.
Warm says. Lip enhancement is part of facial
rejuvenation. Some people have what’s known as a
“lip flip” using Botox and some use Juvederm to
make their lips fuller.
Injections
Botox and filler injections are two of the easiest, most
popular facial rejuvenation procedures that don’t
involve surgery. Botox relaxes the muscles that cause
lines and wrinkles. The Juvederm family of fillers
provide an array of filler options for various facial
rejuvenation needs from wrinkle and line reduction to
volumizing. A new product, Skinvive, is an injectable
that provides hydration.
When Details Make BIG DIFFERENCES
All at once vs. one step at a time
With facial rejuvenation, you may choose to address
everything at once, or have several different
procedures over time.
“Some people want to dip one toe in the water and
address one little thing and see how that goes”, Dr.
Warm says. “Then they do something else later on.
As they get older, clients do different procedures.”
Changing the face of your life
While facial rejuvenation will improve the way you
look, the impacts will likely go far beyond your
appearance. “Our clients look better, and that makes
them feel better about themselves,” Dr. Warm says.
Facial rejuvenation can also help people feel more
confident in the workplace. For instance, one client at
Cosmetic Surgery of New York was particularly
worried about potential age discrimination when she
was looking for a job. “If they knew how old I was,
they wouldn’t have hired me”, she said. She had
Botox, fillers, and surgery, which she believed helped
her.
While the choices of procedures vary, they all have
one thing in common: They help people meet their
goals. When you look better, you feel better about
yourself, and you can go forward in your life and
your job with more confidence.
