Today it is possible to restore freshness and softness to the skin and smooth facial contour lines without expensive operations.There are many modern lifting procedures that do not require major surgery.How to choose the ideal facelift and how do the procedures differ from each other?
Every woman sooner or later faces such problems: the skin on her face loses its elasticity, becomes dull and wrinkles appear.Modern cosmetology knows many ways to get rid of these unpleasant processes, and surgical intervention is not required.
Stages of age-related skin changes
Biologists have not yet reached a consensus on what is considered aging and what its causes are.However, we can say that aging is the result of the accumulation of defects in cells and intercellular structures, which gradually disable the body's vital systems.
Infancy
Perhaps the only time when the skin practically does not require care is in the period of life that goes from six months of age to the beginning of puberty.Children's skin is elastic, soft, vibrant and fresh, and it is a pleasure to watch.
Adolescence
Unfortunately, all good things come to an end sooner or later and, from the age of 12-14, the appearance of the skin begins to deteriorate.Firstly, it becomes more oily and some people produce so much fat that it literally runs off their skin.Then the structure of the skin changes, it becomes rougher and more porous.
In people with dry, thin skin, these changes are less noticeable than in those with oily skin.However, in any case, the skin does not remain the same as it was in childhood.
And, of course, the most distressing skin change that poisons the lives of a significant part of teenagers is acne, which appears during puberty and occupies the skin for many years (sometimes for decades), despite all attempts to get rid of it.For many teenagers, combating acne becomes the main goal of cosmetic procedures, and sometimes the meaning of life.Unfortunately, in the process of this fight, many people cause serious damage to their skin, which can be very difficult to compensate for in the future.
A very small percentage of teenagers understand the need to protect their skin.The majority, as a rule, at this time mercilessly irradiate the skin with sunlight (and sometimes with artificially generated ultraviolet radiation in solariums), cover it with layers of cosmetics (which are often left overnight), tattoos, exhaust it with night vigils and all kinds of toxic substances.Despite all this, the skin remains fresh and elastic for some time.
Youth
By the age of 20, the skin condition of many people improves - it becomes less oily, less prone to acne, more even and attractive.
The period from 20 to 30 years is a period of stability for the skin, when most people cannot think about the intricacies of cosmetic care, choosing cosmetics based on packaging, perfume or company name and, despite this, have beautiful skin.
But all this is only true if the skin is healthy.Unfortunately, stress in adolescence, attempts to self-medicate acne by randomly smearing anything labeled “for acne” on the skin, excessive use of antibiotics or retinoids, and sometimes unthinkable diets can provoke the occurrence of various skin problems, from advanced forms of acne to allergic dermatitis, etc.
The beginning of skin aging
From the age of 25 onwards, the skin gradually loses the fresh charm of youth.The renewal of stratum corneum cells slows down and the skin becomes more opaque.The rate of collagen and elastin formation slows down and the skin no longer appears as elastic.Fine wrinkles appear under the eyes, skin defects accumulate, such as age spots, stretch marks, scars from past acne, etc.
The closer we get to the 30-year mark, the more women start to think about skin care, trying to delay aging or disguise its signs.And although doctors never fail to repeat that it is necessary to protect and care for the skin from early youth, in reality, it is only after the age of 30 that the skin can expect its needs to be finally met.
Middle age
Between the ages of 35 and 50, skin aging becomes increasingly noticeable.At this time, its ability to retain moisture decreases, cell renewal slows down, defective collagen and elastin accumulate, the amount of hyaluronic acid decreases, the fat layer on the face becomes thinner and fat is redistributed (there is less and less fat on the cheekbones, and fat pockets often form under the chin and on the bottom of the cheeks),age spots, dilated blood vessels and, of course, wrinkles appear.
It must be said that the wrinkles that bother women so much not only look different, but have different causes.They are often divided into static and dynamic wrinkles.
Static wrinkles occur due to changes occurring in the skin itself (damage to skin fibers by various damaging factors, age-related wear and tear and destruction of skin structures, etc.).
Dynamic wrinkles form in places of constant muscular activity due to the fact that, when contracting, the muscle shortens and wrinkles the skin, and when relaxing, it returns to its original position and “pulls” it back with it.
In young women, the skin is elastic, responds quickly to these muscle movements and returns to its original state.With age, these exercises become more difficult for her, and around the eyes, on the bridge of the nose, on the forehead and around the mouth - where the facial muscles work most actively.
Age-related skin changes after 50 years
After the age of 50, the skin is affected by the onset of menopause, when the amount of female sex hormones estrogen in the body decreases.At this time, more wrinkles appear, the thickness of the dermis and epidermis rapidly decreases and the skin visibly fades.The rapid aging process continues until approximately the age of 60, after which the skin enters a period of relative stability.At this stage, little depends on cosmetics, and any change is only possible with the help of plastic surgery.Those who have spent a lifetime protecting their skin from harmful influences (especially the sun) will have fewer wrinkles, fewer blemishes and will look fresher and younger.
If the skin has been exposed to intense sun exposure (this is more important in hot countries), then it will probably have deep, rough wrinkles and be covered in age spots.
In old age (70 years and older), the skin is characterized by a thickened stratum corneum (parchment), a thin dermis (through which subcutaneous adipose tissue is visible, giving the skin a yellowish color), low elasticity and numerous deep wrinkles and folds.
The path we are now tracing is followed by each person's skin, and there are no products in cosmetology that prevent the skin changes that occur at each stage.
A teenager's skin will never return to the fresh smoothness of a child's skin, and the skin of a lady of Balzac's age will never resemble the skin of a 20-year-old girl.
Senile changes in the skin occur because this is the program built into the cells, because the skin, like the entire body, accumulates damage and diseases throughout life, that is, it wears out.It is practically impossible to influence genetically determined aging, but it is possible to delay skin wear and prevent premature aging.To do this, you need to know which skin changes are inevitable, which are caused by our careless attitude or arise due to harmful environmental factors.
What happens to the skin as it ages?
As we can see, almost all structures of the skin (and the body as a whole) deteriorate over the years and no longer perform their biological functions.For convenience, we can identify certain targets of aging, which are also the main targets of anti-aging procedures.
Professional cosmetic, aesthetic and medical cosmetology procedures - we find out which facial skin rejuvenation procedures are offered by salons in our city.
Facial massage + botulinum toxin injections
Facial massage ─ manual or with hardware ─ is one of those procedures that are appropriate for preventing age-related changes, even at a fairly young age.It also gives a good effect in correcting already emerging age-related changes (pronounced nasolabial folds, “pride wrinkles” and longitudinal wrinkles on the forehead, “crow's feet” in the eye area, loss of facial contours, double chin).Massage allows you to work and tone relaxed muscles or, on the contrary, relax tense ones.With this, we obtain the effect of reducing the severity of wrinkles and improving the oval of the face.The massage is done in one course (on average 10 procedures, two per week), after which it is possible to correct facial wrinkles with botulinum toxin injections.In this case, it will be possible to live with a smaller amount of the medicine and obtain a more pronounced result.
Facial Skin Lift + Filler or Auto Fat Injections
With the help of plastic surgery, you can achieve a lifting effect, but, unfortunately, you cannot completely eliminate wrinkles.After plastic surgery, for example, wrinkles remain around the mouth, as well as “marionette lines” (the so-called “sad lines”).To make them less noticeable, filler injections are used in the area of the nasolabial folds, lips and cheekbones.An alternative to filler injections is the lipofilling procedure, when your own fat cells are used to fill the volume.They are withdrawn with a syringe from certain areas of the body (abdomen, inner thighs, knees) and injected in small quantities into the desired area.This must be done very carefully, as the main task is to ensure that the fat cells adapt to the right place and take root.The advantage of lipofilling over filler injections is obvious: fillers need to be renewed every year, while fat cells remain in the injected area for years.Furthermore, in the case of lipofilling, a possible allergic reaction that could occur to injected fillers is excluded.
Blepharoplasty + laser procedures
To a greater extent, this combination will be suitable for plastic surgery on the lower eyelids, where the muscles are “welded” to the skin and it is impossible to remove all of their excess.This is why laser treatment of this area is recommended three weeks after surgery.The laser has a stimulating effect on the skin, reducing it and activating the synthesis of new collagen and elastin - after which the skin thickens and becomes more elastic.One session may be enough for a pronounced effect.
This technique is often used in cases where it is necessary to get rid of hernial sacs (this problem, by the way, can also bother quite young people).The operation to remove these hernias is carried out transconjunctivally (through a small incision on the side of the lower eyelid mucosa), and after removing the fat pads, excess skin remains that needs to be stretched - for this you need a laser.
What is lifting and which procedure is best to choose?
Perhaps almost every woman sooner or later starts thinking about lifting weights.Over time, the skin loses its previous elasticity and the first wrinkles appear.This is an inevitable process - after the age of 30, the amount of collagen and elastin begins to gradually decrease and, without this condition, the skin becomes saggy and inelastic.
All procedures are divided into surgical and non-surgical.Operating rooms require the intervention of a surgeon.Non-surgical methods include various types of hardware lifting, as well as injections of cosmetic preparations that improve skin tone and saturate it with moisture.
Circular elevator
A circumferential facelift typically refers to an operation that corrects the front and sides of the neck, the midface and frontotemporal areas, the outside of the eyebrows, cheeks, and areas around the corners of the mouth.The operation is performed under general anesthesia and can last several hours.After the operation, you will have to spend several days in the hospital, after a week the stitches are removed and the swelling disappears completely in about 2 months.You can speed up rehabilitation with the help of massage and physiotherapy.You can fully evaluate the result after a facelift after 6–8 months.A circular lift is the most serious and traumatic lifting operation.However, the effect is very long-lasting – surgeons recommend resorting to such operations no more than once every 7–10 years.A circumferential lift should not be performed before 40–50 years of age.Based on the depth of the impact, there are two types of circular lifting: the SMAS lifting, which affects not only the skin, but adipose and muscle tissue, and the more superficial subcutaneous lifting.The first can cope with even the most significant age-related changes, while the second is suitable for less noticeable problems.
This is important
The procedure has a number of contraindications, which include blood diseases, oncology, serious disorders of internal organs, heart disease, hypertension, diseases of the nervous system, epilepsy, pregnancy, lactation and a number of others.Therefore, it is very important to consult a doctor before surgery.
Endoscopic elevation
This procedure is also sometimes called sutureless lifting.All manipulations are carried out through small incisions, after which there are practically no scars left.Endoscopic lifting is indicated for minor age-related changes - the appearance of facial wrinkles on the forehead and in the region of the nasolabial folds and drooping eyebrows.But if there is significant deterioration of the skin, it is better to choose a traditional circular facelift.In terms of effectiveness and recovery time, endoscopic lifting is very similar to a conventional circular lifting.Contraindications are similar: heart and vascular diseases, oncology, diabetes, hypertension, blood clotting disorders, diseases of internal organs, thyroid gland, wounds and burns on the surface of the face, pregnancy, lactation, etc.
Speaking of which
Facelift surgery reduces the blood supply to the skin, which affects its elasticity.Therefore, after surgery, additional procedures are always necessary for rapid rehabilitation.
Line lifting
This is a relatively simple, minimally invasive and very effective procedure.This is why it has gained so much popularity.The essence of the method is to implant thin threads under the skin that reinforce the skin.These threads are made of gold, caprolactone, polypropylene, polylactic acid, are biologically compatible with the human body and do not cause allergies or other undesirable effects.The thread is inserted with an elastic needle.Over time, connective tissue forms around the thread, which supports the skin and prevents it from sagging.
Today, non-absorbable and absorbable sutures are used.The latter disintegrate after 8–9 months and are eliminated from the body naturally.The threads are used not only for face lifting, but also for body contouring.
The operation is performed under local anesthesia and lasts about an hour.After 2–4 days the swelling disappears and after 2 weeks you can return to your normal lifestyle.
This type of lifting has significantly fewer contraindications than the previous two types.These include pregnancy and lactation, acute infections, skin diseases, allergies, oncology and autoimmune diseases.
Hardware lifting
The tightening of hardware is carried out using equipment that uses different types of energy (laser, radio waves, ultrasound) to influence the skin.Hardware lifting is available not only in plastic surgery clinics, but also in medical cosmetology clinics.These methods do not require general anesthesia or a long period of rehabilitation and are incomparably cheaper than surgical methods for restoring youth.However, one should not forget about contraindications, which include epilepsy, oncology, heart disease, pregnancy and a number of other serious diseases.
Laser lifting
When the laser is applied to the skin, thermal energy is generated, which promotes the natural rejuvenation process.After laser lifting, the skin becomes denser and more elastic, the production of collagen and other elements that contribute to the natural rejuvenation process increases.Wrinkles are smoothed, blood circulation is accelerated and the face acquires not only smoothness, but also a healthy color.
Laser lifting is performed quickly and without anesthesia, although very sensitive people may feel a little discomfort during the procedure.Significant and long rehabilitation is not required - the slight redness disappears on its own very quickly and the effect of laser lifting is visible immediately.
Ultrasonic lifting
Ultrasonic lifting is the only hardware technology that allows it to act at deep levels of the skin.This type of lift is often called a non-surgical SMAS lift.The procedure is moderately painful and lasts 30 to 60 minutes.After the procedure, slight redness or swelling may persist for another 2–3 hours.
When performing this type of lifting, an ultrasonic wave acts specifically on the deep layers of the skin and the aponeurotic muscle layer, activating the process of formation of new elastin and collagen fibers.The synthesis of new collagen fibers continues for 3-4 months, so the skin becomes fresher and younger every day.The effect can last up to 3 years.
The safety of the procedure is guaranteed by ultrasound visualization of the skin and muscles;in real time, the doctor sees the tissue changes produced by the ultrasonic wave.
Radio wave survey (RF survey)
RF lifting affects the superficial layers of the skin and subcutaneous fat through high-frequency electrical current.Some devices combine RF with exposure to a magnetic field.The pulses heat skin cells, activating them and stimulating collagenogenesis.As with ultrasonic lifting, RF lifting has a prolonged effect, which builds up over several months and lasts up to 1.5–2 years.The session only lasts about 20 to 30 minutes and does not require pain relief.The procedure is carried out without age restrictions.
The method is contraindicated for people with a heart sensor and metal structures in the body (pins, plates, etc.).
Photolifting
The procedure promotes skin rejuvenation through the use of thermal pulses of light that affect its deep layers.It is performed using IPL therapy devices.Light energy is absorbed by various chromophores in the skin (hemoglobin, melanin pigment), converted into heat, stimulating the skin cell renewal process, pigment spots lighten and the vascular network disappears.This type of facelift is often used not only to smooth wrinkles, but also to eliminate spider veins and even out the complexion.The duration of a session is around 30 minutes.The course consists of 1 to 3 procedures.
Plasmolifting
Our blood contains platelets – cells responsible for its clotting.But in addition, platelets secrete special substances that accelerate cell division.The introduction of platelet-rich plasma stimulates the synthesis of new cells and initiates regeneration processes.For this procedure, blood is collected from patients in a volume of 8 to 40 ml.Using a special centrifugation mode, platelet-rich plasma is isolated from the blood.The concentration of platelets in plasma for cosmetic injections is 4–5 times higher than in human blood.Thanks to such a high content, a noticeable and very quick effect is achieved.The course consists of 3-5 weekly procedures.The first results can be seen on the day of the procedure.
Like other types of lifting, plasmolifting has a number of contraindications: pregnancy and lactation, skin diseases, tumors, infectious and autoimmune diseases, etc.
Lifting with hyaluronic acid injections (fillers)
Contouring plastic surgery can also achieve a significant lifting effect.For example, with volumetric correction, when creating volume, for example, in the cheekbones, a general lifting of the lower half of the face occurs.Bioreinforcement of the cheeks and neck, when the filler is injected intradermally and subcutaneously in the form of a mesh, the skin becomes more elastic and toned.Vector lifting - the filler is injected subcutaneously in the direction of sagging skin, strengthening and tightening it.
Contraindications to the procedure are blood diseases, infectious diseases, pregnancy and lactation, damage or inflammation in the treatment area, drug intolerance.