21 Sep 2023 | by Leonard Miller, MD, FACS, FRCS
As a facial plastic surgeon, I love performing a facelift or a neck lift. These are procedures that can truly address all of your facial aging issues which is why they are still the gold standard for facial rejuvenation. However, surgery is not right for every patient or for every time of year. With the holidays rapidly approaching, I thought I would take a moment to discuss three non-surgical procedures to get you holiday ready.
Non-Surgical Procedures Deliver Results with Fast Recovery
With COVID still keeping us more isolated than normal, there is a good chance that your holidays this year may be a stay-at-home event. But even if you are only seeing your extended family and friends on a computer screen for Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s Eve, this does not mean that you don’t want to look your best. Oftentimes, the holidays entail seeing people that we maybe have not seen in awhile. Furthermore, as we have all discovered, looking at our face on Zoom or FaceTime can make us overly aware of our facial aging issues.
At the Boston Center for Plastic Surgery, I am proud of the fact that we offer our patients the full spectrum of surgical and non-surgical procedures for turning-back-the-clock. The advantage of the latter is that the right non-surgical procedure for your anatomy and needs can deliver serious results without requiring significant downtime. Three of my favorite non-surgical procedures to get my patients holiday ready are:
Micro-Needling Can Smooth, Plump & Lift the Skin
I have been a huge advocate of micro-needling for my entire career. This is one of those procedures that can really make a difference in your skin texture and tone. However, it is important to understand that there is a wide range of options when it comes to micro-needling procedures. Ones that are performed by aestheticians, such as our very popular SkinPen®, use short (0.5mm) needles to penetrate the surface of the skin and induce your body to produce more collagen and elastin. The disadvantage of this type of procedure is that it may take multiple treatments over time to achieve your ideal result. The advantage is that they require no downtime.
View more Micro-Needling before and after pictures
On the other end of the spectrum is my proprietary Micro-Renewal procedure, where I combine micro-needling with micro fat grafting and/or Profound, which combines micro-needling with radiofrequency (RF) energy. These procedures can only be performed by myself or Dr. Doherty as they use longer needles (up to 3mm) which penetrate deeper into the dermis. The results, therefore, are more powerful, but they do require an investment for recovery. However, even the most intense micro-needling procedure will have your skin looking refreshed, vital and youthful in about 3 weeks.
Laser Skin Rejuvenation
After staring at yourself on a computer screen for 5 months, you have perhaps realized something that plastic surgeons have always known: poor skin texture can be very aging. Issues such as:
- Brown spots
- Hyperpigmentation
- Redness
- Rosacea
- Broken blood vessels
- Fine lines & wrinkles
View more Laser Skin Rejuvenation before and after pictures
These all can make your skin look “crepey”. The nice thing about laser skin rejuvenation is that there is a laser to address all of your skin texture issues. After a session with her, your skin will look smooth, plump and infinitely more youthful, making you feel more energized and vital.
Injectables Are Popular For a Reason
Last, but not least, is the most popular non-surgical procedure out there — injectables. This includes both neurotoxins, like Botox, and fillers. Though they work in completely different ways, I typically use a combination of the two to deliver a “liquid facelift”. A neurotoxin such as:
- Botox
- Dysport
- Xeomin
These injections work by temporarily paralyzing the underlying dynamic muscles between, for example, the eyebrows. This delivers a smoothing effect to the surface of the skin in the treatment area.
View more Injectables before and after pictures
Fillers, on the other hand, fill in lost volume. The exciting thing about fillers today is that there are so many options, many of which have been specifically formulated to address certain parts of the face. Juvéderm Voluma, for example, is a heavier weight filler that is ideal for plumping up the mid-face/cheek area while Restylane KYSSE is a new cutting-edge filler that delivers structure to your lips without over plumping them. While all injectable procedures are performed in the office and require basically no downtime, it can two weeks for your final results so prepare accordingly.
To find out more about micro-needling, laser skin rejuvenation and injectables at the Boston Center for Plastic Surgery, contact us today or call (617) 735- 8735 to schedule a consultation.
