The traditional facelift was first pioneered over a century ago, requiring people to undergo surgery to achieve that stereotypical ‘windswept’ look. As the 20th century came to an end more invasive surgical techniques were developed, the recovery time increased. However, the extended downtime, combined with more painful surgical procedures resulted in people opting for a less drastic alternative.
In contrast, a non-surgical facelift is the perfect solution for those seeking to rejuvenate their skin but who are concerned about the downsides of surgical options. So, what exactly is a non-surgical facelift and what can it do for you?
Common Reasons for Getting a Facelift
As people reach their mid to late thirties, their skin cells stop reproducing as efficiently as they once did, which leads to several visible signs of ageing.
As we age, we produce less collagen, which is a protein that helps your skin to look plump and free of wrinkles. As the collagen levels drop, your skin may begin to look visibly thinner, with more lines becoming visible. Ageing can also decrease the amount of healthy fat under the skin. That loss of fat can lead to sagging across the face and other skin areas.
With a reduction of both collagen and fat under the skin, this can lead to the development of jowls, sagging skin around the eyes appearing and flatter cheeks. You may also experience sagging around the neck and across the jawline.
Fortunately, there are many powerful alternatives to a surgical facelift that help to reduce unwanted signs of ageing.
Dermal Fillers
As your skin starts to lose collagen and fat, it acts like a deflating balloon. As the air escapes, wrinkles appear. Dermal fillers treat this problem directly, helping to sculpt the face and define the cheeks, chin and jawline whilst adding volume. The end result is that your skin reinflates again. As this is a delicate procedure, it’s important that it’s done by an expert.
Our cosmetic injectors have decades of experience using dermal fillers to achieve a natural looking non-surgical facelift. With a thorough understanding of the facial anatomy, we know exactly where filler should be applied to achieve the look you’re after.
Anti-wrinkle injections such as Botox
Botox is another treatment that is widely known for its ability to reduce the prominence of wrinkles. Wrinkles develop because your skin folds over many times in the same place. This constant folding over is the result of the muscles in your face pressing your skin in certain ways.
Our experienced cosmetic injectors provide technique-sensitive treatments, meaning you won’t lose the ability to show expressions, a well-known ‘tell-tale’ sign of having had ‘work done’. During your consultation with us, we can discuss your desired look, so we can provide a non-surgical facelift that looks natural and works for your facial structure.
RF Skin Tightening
RF skin tightening uses radio waves to promote greater production of collagen in your skin and helps your skin cells to reproduce more quickly. With minimal downtime, Our Infini-RF treatments lead to tone and structural changes, reducing wrinkles and sagging, and promoting overall skin rejuvenation.
Plasmage Skin Tightening
Plasmage is a non-invasive procedure that is used for a wide range of skin rejuvenation treatments, such as:
• Reducing the appearance of baggy lower or upper eyelids
• Tightening skin to reduce the prominence of winkles
• Treating skin imperfections such as sunspots, skin tags and verruca’s
• Reducing acne and scarring
• Providing a face, brow or neck lift
Results are often noticed immediately, but we find our patients continue to see improvements for months after their treatment.
The Advantages of a Non-Surgical Facelift
There are many advantages to a non-surgical facelift when compared to surgical alternatives.
Cost
Non-surgical facelifts cost significantly less than surgical alternatives, as they require fewer medical experts to perform the procedure. Surgical options often require you to pay for the services of both an anaesthetist and a plastic surgeon, plus theatre time and hospital fees.
Risks of Anaesthetic
Of course, anaesthetic comes with more downsides than simply an increase in cost. Although the risks are small, there is always the possibility that an anaesthetic will have serious negative effects.
Many people have allergies to one or several types of anaesthetic. Unfortunately, people often only discover this by having an allergic reaction to an anaesthetic.
Scarring
On top of everything else, surgery comes with a risk of scarring. There are several techniques that experts use to try to minimise scarring or even eliminate it. However, every surgical procedure you have comes with the chance of developing an unsightly scar which when it comes to cosmetic surgery on the face, is a huge downside.
Downtime
It can take anything from several days or up to a couple of weeks to fully recover from surgery. A non-surgical facelift however, is often completed within an hour, two at most. This helps you avoid all that unnecessary downtime, whilst getting the visible benefits of a lift.
Whilst the affects of a non-surgical facelift are not permanent, often lasting a couple of years, even surgical facelifts cannot halt the passage of time. With age, the skin will continue to sag, meaning that a surgical face-lift will typically last around ten years.
If you are looking for all the benefits of a face lift, without the surgery, contact Terry and Nikia, to book a free consultation.