Non-surgical face lift

The first thing that comes to mind when it comes to facelifts is plastic surgery. However, not everyone wants and can expose themselves to radical influences. A compromise option in this case are numerous minimally and non-invasive rejuvenation techniques.

Non-surgical face lift- this is a whole layer of various procedures that can improve the condition of the skin, eliminate tissue sagging and give clarity to the oval without surgical intervention and associated difficulties.

The main advantages of these techniques in relation to surgery are the relatively low cost, low trauma and fewer contraindications. At the same time, with their help it is not always possible to obtain such an impressive result as after surgery, and it does not last as long, usually up to 2-3 years, which partially compensates for the cost-benefit ratio.

Basic Non-Surgical Lifting Methods

All non-surgical facelift procedures can be divided into several large groups:

• Injectable– subcutaneous administration of medications that help improve tone and general skin rejuvenation. This includes, in particular, some types of mesotherapy, contouring and plasma lifting
• Hardware– are carried out using equipment that uses different types of energy (laser, radio waves, microcurrents, etc. ) to influence the skin.
• Lifting with wires– installation of special biocompatible threads under the skin, with the help of which the tissues are moved to a new position. Most types of thread lifting are surgical techniques, but their invasiveness and the number of contraindications are significantly fewer than in the case of other anti-aging facial surgeries.
• Deep peels, during which the upper layers of the dermis are removed. Stimulate skin renewal and thus provide a lifting effect
• Manual practices– various massage techniques that aim to improve the tone of the muscular structures of the face and activate metabolism.

Injection lifting and facial rejuvenation

One of the safest and most common methods in this group ismesolifting- a variant of mesotherapy that uses a specially selected complex of moisturizing and strengthening active substances, which activates the cell renewal process, fills them with moisture and improves local blood circulation. The standard course consists of 3 to 5 procedures, the duration of the result is 6 to 18 months. After mesolifting, aging and sagging skin is visibly smoothed, appears fresh and young, deep static wrinkles are reduced and small expression wrinkles disappear, the skin is renewed at the cellular level, its color is evened out, turgor and elasticity improve.

PlasmoliftingorPRP Therapyit is an injection of the patient's own blood (or rather, plasma that has undergone special pre-treatment). The course is 4 to 5 sessions, the result lasts about 1 year. Plasmolifting acts both locally, at the cellular level of the skin, triggering the synthesis of collagen fibers, and has a rejuvenating effect on the entire body - it stimulates the immune system, triggers the processes of cell regeneration and renewal. Furthermore, plasma, like a biological glue, fixes the facial skin to the underlying structures, eliminating age-related tissue ptosis. After completing the course, the skin smoothes, becomes more elastic, toned, fine wrinkles disappear and deep wrinkles decrease.

If meso and plasmolifting have a complex effect on the entire face, strengthening and rejuvenating it, thencontour plastic surgery with fillersANDbotulinum therapydesigned to specifically address specific age-related issues.

• Filler injections aim to fill deep wrinkles, replace missing tissue volume and correct the shape of the face. Today, cosmetologists have at their disposal a wide range of products, mainly based on high-density hyaluronic acid, designed to correct certain age-related facial defects.
• Botulinum therapy uses medications based on botulinum toxin type A, which blocks nerve endings at the injection site and prevents contraction of facial muscles. As a result, the skin is smoothed and even deep expression wrinkles are reduced or disappear completely.

The effect of contouring and botulinum therapy lasts about 8-12 months, depending on the activity of metabolic processes and other individual characteristics of the body.

Hardware tightening methods

How most methods workhardware liftingthe same - the subcutaneous tissue is heated by targeted action, which stimulates the compaction of existing collagen fibers and the production of new collagen and elastin. As a result, wrinkles are smoothed, pores are narrowed, the skin is tightened and becomes elastic. The main differences between these procedures are the type of energy used (laser, radio waves, etc. ). Otherwise, they are very similar: they are carried out in courses of 3 to 5 sessions, and the result lasts about 2 years. Today the most popular methods are:

• Laser thermolifting– laser energy is used;
• ELOS Survey– based on the influence of two types of energy at the same time - laser and light;
• Radio Frequency (RF) Survey– low power, high frequency radio waves are used.

Another option -microcurrent therapy, – works a little differently. In this case, skin cells are stimulated by microcurrents and specially developed biological preparations containing strong antioxidants that activate the skin's natural regeneration mechanisms.

The standard course of this non-surgical lifting consists of 4-5 procedures performed once a week. The main advantages of this method include a minimum number of contraindications and complete harmlessness to the body. Microcurrents activate metabolism, normalize the chemical composition of cells and increase tissue elasticity - which is why they are often used as a restorative procedure after surgical interventions.

Lifting with wires

This is a minimally invasive technique in which thin threads are inserted under the skin. Then they are pulled up, moving behind them and fixing the soft tissues in the desired position. The procedure is quick and safe, but still quite serious, so it should not be carried out by a cosmetologist who works with the "outer part" of the face, but by a plastic surgeon who knows its internal structure well. Depending on the patient's general indications and personal preferences, the following may be used:

• Non-absorbable sutures, made from biocompatible materials such as polypropylene.
• Mesothreads- are considered slightly less effective, but are made from polylactic acid, which does not remain under the skin, but is completely absorbed after a few months. In addition to the firming itself, they have a beneficial effect on the general condition and health of the skin (similar to mesotherapy, hence the prefix "meso" in the name)

The result obtained lasts an average of 2 to 3 years, after which you can install additional threads or choose a different technique (the threads already installed do not interfere with aesthetic procedures or surgical lifting). Some of the non-absorbable threads can be "tightened" in the future, but there is no consensus among experts on the advisability of such manipulation.

Deep peels

These are quite traumatic and painful procedures, but at the same time very effective, with which it is possible to enhance the skin's regeneration processes, improve its color, smoothness and elasticity, and also eliminate many external defects (hyperkeratosis, hyperpigmentation, etc. ). .

• Duringdeep chemical peelingAcidic compositions based on phenol are applied to the face, which destroy the upper layers of the skin up to the middle of the reticular layer of the dermis. The procedure is performed only in a clinical setting, under general anesthesia - as a complete operation.
• Deep laser resurfacingcombines two processes: application of thermal microtraumas to the skin, which trigger internal recovery mechanisms and vaporization (evaporation) of old cells. Modern fractional ablative lasers perform both actions simultaneously, which allows a more pronounced lifting effect to be achieved in fewer sessions than with previous generations of lasers.

The recovery period after deep peels is quite long (rehabilitation takes up to 2 weeks). The effect lasts for about 1 year. If we compare the two procedures, laser resurfacing has one important advantage - the ability to adjust the power and depth of impact "on the fly". This allows you to select the ideal parameters for each area, even very sensitive ones (eyelids, lips, neck), which is impossible to achieve with chemical peeling. Furthermore, the cooling system makes it less painful, allowing the use of local anesthesia.

Massage as a non-surgical facelift method

With the help of manual influence it is also possible to obtain a certain lifting effect, although among experts there are very different opinions regarding its severity and duration. The most popular procedure from this group issculptural facial massage(plastifying massage, facial massage according to Joelle Siocco and other proprietary techniques).

The principle of its action is based on deep strength training of facial and non-facial muscles with simultaneous activation of lymphatic drainage. The massage therapist "sculpts" the contours of the face, correcting problem areas. As a result, the oval becomes lighter, the manifestations of age-related changes are reduced, muscle tension is relieved and skin color improves.

The standard course is 10-12 sessions, held every 2-3 days. Other maintenance procedures are required 2 to 3 times a month, which is a relative disadvantage of this non-surgical lifting method. The obvious advantages of sculptural massage are painlessness, complete safety, no rehabilitation period, no risk of complications, no skin irritation. The obvious disadvantage is that the results are significantly less pronounced compared to other procedures described above.

How to choose the best non-surgical facelift technique?

To smooth out and possibly completely eliminate the signs of aging, it is necessary to determine the causes of their appearance. This unique diagnosis is one of the main tasks of the cosmetologist or plastic surgeon. It is he who should be entrusted with the choice of a specific method of rejuvenation or their combination. In the case of a face, the question is usually:How "deeply" localized are age-related changes?

• If they mainly affect the skin – e. g. We are talking about small wrinkles, changes in relief, a decrease in turgor - preference is given to methods that affect the dermal layer (restoration, compaction, strengthening the elastin-collagen structure, polishing existing defects). For this purpose, peelings, thermolifting, plasma therapy and mesolifting are used.
• For problems with the subcutaneous structures of the face (deep wrinkles, pronounced nasolacrimal folds, double chin, bags under the eyes, loss of clarity of the oval of the face, double chin), choose methods that affect the muscular structure and hypodermis. This includes thread lifting, botulinum therapy, contouring, microcurrent, and sculptural massage.
• In many cases, the changes affect both the skin and internal structures; therefore, to obtain a pronounced effect, a careful combination of several rejuvenation techniques is required.

Expert opinion

Journalists asked leading cosmetologists to comment on the effectiveness of using certain non-surgical facelift options and also turned to plastic surgeons for a professional opinion:

1. "The issue is much simpler than it may seem. In order not to make a mistake when choosing the technique, not to undergo surgery before necessary, but also not to spend longer than expected in cosmetologists' offices, you need to find out just three things:

   • Condition of soft tissues, degree of ptosis.If the age-related changes have not gone too far, we can talk about non-surgical solutions. If we are talking about pronounced folds and rather large excess skin, do not waste time and money on cosmetology, do not be mistaken. Excess skin does not disappear on its own, it can only be removed with a scalpel, and only a plastic surgeon will help you with this.
   • Age.Until the age of 40 (most of the time), cosmetic procedures work very well. After 40, its effect becomes less and less noticeable, and after 50, if you need a real effect, and not just care, you should seriously think about surgery.
   • Patient wishes.Only you determine who to turn to and what you need. Not all women want to look 10 to 20 years younger; For many it is important to simply look well-groomed and fresh enough for their age. This problem can be resolved without surgery. Dull skin, sagging skin, fine wrinkles, age spots, etc. – cosmetologists deal well with all these problems. But if you are not satisfied with the sagging contours of the face, drooping eyelids, double chin, bags under the eyes, double chin or neck folds, only contact a surgeon.

   If you need a very small lift, pay attention to multi-thread vector lifting or contouring plastic surgery. By repeating these procedures 1-2 times a year, you can postpone the operation for several years. You yourself will be able to understand when the resulting effect no longer suits you and the time has come to think about more radical methods. "

2. "Non-surgical methods, of course, do not replace plastic surgery, but they are a good means of prevention and can delay a visit to the surgeon for a long time. It may be advisable for women to resort to soft lifts (hardware cosmetology) from the Age 25. Almost each of the methods listed in the article can help with certain subtle age-related changes. Our experts use some of these procedures individually, but most often as part of a comprehensive program.

   Therefore, after a surgical facelift, stagnation may occur, which can be easily treated with the help of microcurrents. Contour plastic surgery with fillers allows you to correct small age-related changes, but in this case, plasma fillers (analogues of hyaluronic acid fillers, produced from the patient's own blood) have proven to be better.

   Botulinum toxin A preparations, of course, give good results and it is impossible to replace them with analogues. RF lifting also provides a good effect both in preventing aging and during maintenance therapy after plastic surgery. But phenol peeling is not used in our clinic due to its traumatic nature.

   A significant advantage of non-surgical lifting procedures is that they can be recommended to patients at a fairly young age with subtle age-related changes. For example, a gentle alternative to blepharoplasty can be plasma, laser or RF lifting, as well as mesothreads - what exactly to choose will depend on the "severity" of the skin, the depth of the wrinkles, the age of the patient and the presence of certain contraindications. -indications. "

3. "I would like to note right away that, of course, none of the minimally invasive techniques can compete in terms of effectiveness with surgical operations. However, it often happens that the patient's health does not allow him to take such a step, or the specific situation does not yet require surgical intervention. . . In these cases, minimally invasive cosmetology comes to our aid.

   Thread lifting, laser face lifting, and RF lifting techniques can delay the need for surgery and serve as a sort of temporary replacement for surgical face lifting techniques. Botulinum therapy and fillers can eliminate wrinkles. Plasmolifting improves skin turgor and its general condition. Peelings are also responsible for the turgor, color and quality of the skin. These procedures are effective in their area of expertise, but are not a direct alternative to plastic surgery.

   The clinic performs almost all of the procedures described in the article, however, each of them has indications and contraindications. In particular, for patients who come to us for a full facelift, I recommend a plasma lift before and after surgery, which allows us to shorten the rehabilitation period. But it is not worth carrying out any rejuvenation procedures before surgery. "

4. "Currently, there are a large number of effective methods of non-surgical facial rejuvenation, but it is important to understand the difference in the capabilities of a plastic surgeon and a cosmetologist. The surgeon creates the facial contour, the cosmetologist improves the quality of the skin. And the Aging is manifested in sagging skin and muscles, a decrease in skin tone and a deterioration in its quality. In total, there are about 5 types of aging, depending on its manifestations, and a rejuvenation program is developed, including with use of non-surgical techniques.

   Today, I consider hardware procedures (fractional laser photothermolysis, laser thermolifting), RF lifting, as well as contouring plastic surgery and thread lifting to be the most effective. But it must be frankly emphasized that with severe ptosis and a large amount of subcutaneous fat, all types of hardware lifting are ineffective, as they affect the deep layers of the skin without affecting its surface. In addition, the so-called 3D facial modeling is very popular and effective, which uses a set of measures: contouring, thread lifting, botulinum therapy.

   In general, we have a fairly large selection of minimally invasive facelift methods in our arsenal, but to obtain the best results an integrated approach is always necessary. A single method, no matter how good it is, cannot solve all problems. "