Less Invasive, Longer Lasting Rejuvenation
We’ve all seen ’that look’…. the super-pulled Saran Wrap appearance of excessive skin tightening in a facelift. Or that surprised and unnaturally elevated surprised eyebrow position that lacks natural expression and movement. And of course, let’s not forget ‘those lips’…. Overfilled, firm, and inconsistent with natural facial aging.
With the dramatic rise in demand for cosmetic surgery and procedures, these ‘done’ results have been much more frequently seen in patients of all ages. But is this truly what patients want? I think not.
The truth of the matter is that properly planned and performed aesthetic surgery and cosmetic treatments should appear natural looking and consistent with each patient’s unique features, age and ethnicity and therefore never easily noticed by the casual observer. Simply tightening skin does not make an old face look like a young face!
The reason for these all too commonly observed obvious and ‘done’ results can often be found in the lack of fully understanding the three-dimensional fundamentals of the aging process on the human face. Therefore, using a one-dimensional approach such as surgically pulling and tightening the skin or simply injecting dermal filler or Botox only in the face may often fail to provide the natural and balanced appearance of youthful facial features.
The appearance changes of human facial aging can be simplified into three basic fundamentals or dimensions:
- descent or sagging of the skin and underlying tissues of the face and neck
- loss of volume in the facial skin, underlying fat, muscles, and bone
- deterioration in the skin surface quality and function
Because the human face ages in these three dimensions, the most natural appearing and long-lasting aesthetic results require evaluation and attention to these parameters and therefore explains why attention to these three dimensions in an aesthetic plan provides the most natural appearing outcomes.
At EVOLV Plastic Surgery and Medical Aesthetics in Toledo, we have utilized the above principles to develop a unique and comprehensive approach for each patient’s facial aesthetic goals: the 3D Facelift Lite. Here a just a few of the features of the EVOLV Facelift Lite holistic approach:
Less invasive: starting a personalized skin care plan at an earlier age, preventing excessive sun damage, and emphasizing a healthier lifestyle provides an opportunity to use less aggressive surgical or cosmetic treatment options that provide more effective results.
Smaller incisions: many patients are considering aesthetic surgery in their 40’s or at an earlier age which allows the opportunity of smaller incisions and less aggressive techniques. For example, some facial procedures such as a forehead and brow lift can be done with an endoscope (Endo Browlift) through a very small incision hidden in the scalp. The neck and jawline can also be rejuvenated through smaller incisions with new, less invasive techniques. Excess fatty deposits under the chin or in the jowl areas can also be contoured through small incisions under local anesthesia using syringe liposuction.
Less downtime: Preparing the skin before treatment, using less invasive options, and using new medications (tranexamic acid) that are proven to minimize bleeding and bruising all contribute to significantly less downtime for many aesthetic surgical procedures. Pretreatment supplements (Metagenics, Vitamedica), IV Drips (Zen IV Infusion) hydration, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants can all be incorporated into an aesthetic plan and are proven to reduce downtime and speed healing.
Reducing Discomfort: Less aggressive techniques, long-acting nerve blocks (Exparel), improved pre and post operative hydration and supplementation, medications and topicals that reduce swelling and bruising have all contributed to less pain, shorter downtimes, and an improved patient overall aesthetic experience.
Biorejuvenative Volume Restoration: Non-surgically and naturally addresses the volume loss of aging by combining each patient’s natural rejuvenative potential utilizing their own platelets and growth factors (PRF and EZGEL Therapy) together with bioidentical dermal fillers to achieve a longer lasting and biologically active restoration of facial volume. Stem cell derived growth factors (Exosomes) and micro fat grafting can also naturally restore facial volume and provide longer lasting results.
Less Cost: Many of the above approaches can be done comfortably under local anesthesia in the office treatment room which can significantly lower the typical costs of general anesthesia in an outpatient surgery center. Utilizing the principles of ‘prejuvenation’ by initiating clinically proven skin care products, neuromodulators (Botox, Dysport, Daxxify, and Xeomin) and light-based therapies (Sciton BBL, Moxi, and Halo) are all extremely effective in preserving youthful features and preventing or reducing many of the usual signs of aging.
All of us at EVOLV are excited and encouraged about the improved and more naturally appearing outcomes when utilizing the above principles and techniques in designing three dimensional or 3D aesthetic programs for our patients because they allow a more balanced and subtle appearing result which truly and directly addresses the human aging process.
The 3D Facial Lite program is not ‘your mother’s facelift’ of pulled facial skin or over elevated eyebrows but rather a natural appearing correction and restoration that addresses the three fundamentals of aging through a holistic and comprehensive program benefiting patients of any age.
Please stop in at EVOLV to learn more about these exciting options!
Frank Barone MD FACS