21 Sep 2023 | by Leonard Miller, MD, FACS, FRCS
I love doing facelift and neck lift surgery. But one of the core tenets of my practice philosophy has always been “less is more”. As the first person to bring micro-needling to the United States, I have built a career on pushing the boundaries in the non-surgical arena. This is why I am always looking for new and better ways to achieve fantastic facial rejuvenation results without ever picking up a scalpel.
The non-surgical facelift is a term that gets thrown around a lot by the media. We’ve all seen ads promising that if you just get X procedure, it will deliver a non-surgical facelift result. And though certain younger patients may be able to achieve this with just one modality, I have found that the key to attaining a truly astounding result non-surgically is to combine procedures — specifically micro fat injections, fractional lasers and micro-needling with radiofrequency (RF). I do all three at once, and, best of all, you will look fantastic with only 1-4 days of downtime.
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Facial Aging is Multi-Factorial
The reason that this combination is truly the ideal approach for a non-surgical facelift is due to the fact that facial aging is multi-factorial. It includes:
- Volume loss
- Breakdown in skin texture
- Loose, sagging skin
Starting in our mid-20’s, the skin begins to lose both collagen and elastin. Collagen is like the foundation of a house. It provides both structure and lift. Elastin is what enables your skin to stay flexible so that it can “bounce back” when you laugh or frown. Losing both is a perfect storm of facial aging. Furthermore, lifestyle choices such as:
- Excessive sun exposure
- Smoking
- Poor diet & exercise routine
- Dehydration
These can further hasten the breakdown of these anti-aging powerhouses. The only way to deliver a true facelift like result without surgery is to address all of the components of facial aging at one time.
Improve Volume Loss with Micro Fat Injections
Volume loss is one of the biggest culprits when it comes to facial aging. Responsible for fine lines and wrinkles, loss of volume in the mid-face is also a huge contributor to sagging or “jowling” in the lower face. Fillers are always an option for addressing volume loss, but fat grafting with micro fat injections has a couple of added benefits. Since the fat is taken from your own body, there is no chance of any kind of adverse or allergic reaction. Second, the results from fat grafting are much longer lasting than those with a synthetic filler. And last, the growth factors in the injected fat are proving to be akin to the fountain of youth, stimulating collagen production and promoting the growth of new blood vessels. This, in turn, vastly improves both your skin tone and texture.
Fractional Lasers for Improving Skin Texture
Fractional lasers are also a great way to improve skin texture. They can address:
- Fine lines & wrinkles
- Sun damage
- Redness
- Uneven, crepey texture
They can even result in a slight lift to the skin. But the con of fractional lasers has always been that they require a commitment in terms of downtime. The Excel V™, however, uses a unique cooling technology to deliver truly “wow” results with minimal downtime. You can expect some slight redness and swelling following your procedure, but this typically dissipates within 24 hours.
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Profound — Best in Micro-Needling RF
While both micro fat injections and fractional lasers will induce a slight lift to the skin as they promote collagen production, it’s not enough to rival anything like the result that I can achieve with a surgical facelift. However, the skin tightening lift delivered by the Profound, which combines micro-needling with radiofrequency (RF) energy, comes much closer. Clinically proven to produce 100% response rate in loose skin on both the face and the neck, I think Profound is the best micro-needling/RF device on the market.
Profound works in two ways. The micro-needles penetrate the surface layer of the skin and then, they allow the RF energy to penetrate into the deeper layers of your dermis. This 1-2 punch causes the skin to produce more hyaluronic acid, collagen and elastin. In clinical studies, patients’ skin after a Profound treatment had 5 times more elastin and 2 times more collagen. It also addresses adipose tissue or fat. The end result is smoother looking, plump, lifted skin with fewer brown spots, fine lines and wrinkles. And all this can be achieved without the need for:
- General anesthesia
- Incision lines
- 1-2 weeks of downtime for recovery
So, if your skin has lost that plump, youthful glow, come in and speak with us about this non-surgical facelift combination procedure.
To find out more about a non-surgical facelift with micro fat injections, fractional lasers, and Profound at the Boston Center for Plastic Surgery, contact us today or call (617) 735- 8735 to schedule a consultation.
