“Nonsurgical vs Traditional Facelift” by Dr. M. Schusterman
by Dr. Mark Schusterman
Nonsurgical face lift is an umbrella term, including several alternatives to traditional facelift which are comparatively safe and non-invasive. These procedures are useful for those patients whose face show early sign of aging. On the other hand, surgical facelift is considered as the only possible way that addresses multiple sign of aging simultaneously and provides long-term results. People, who are between 50 to 60 years of age, tend to age more slowly if they have a traditional facelift plastic surgery. It is beneficial for you if you have saggy skin, redistributed fat pockets on your face, facial creases or if you have a strict and angry look even when your face is well rested.
Traditional or surgical face lift is performed by making an incision on a temple which goes all the way to the natural curve of the ear, behind it and then down into the nape of the neck. The cosmetic surgeons usually peel the skin and pull the deeper layer of tissues and muscles below. After that, excess skin is removed and it reduces the wrinkles and provides you a younger looking face. It is an invasive procedure and therefore, you should only consider having a surgery from experienced and well-trained certified cosmetic surgeons. More information about Surgical Facelift can be found in this article. In contrast with traditional facelift, non surgical facelift is not invasive at all. It involves laser treatments (laser resurfacing), radio frequency use (like Thermage does) or is also performed by injecting fillers such as Juvederm (detailed article here) and Restylane (more information) or toxins like Botox. Nonsurgical facelift is also called non-surgical facial rejuvenation treatment because it enhances the facial features of a patient and provides a youthful appearance. But every procedure has its advantages and disadvantages which are discussed below:
Advantages
- Traditional facelift
It is suitable for people who are over 50. Traditional facelift provides a long term results and you tend to age slowly from the day you have it. It makes you look 10 years younger than you already are. It also helps you get rid of the deep creases on your face and provide you a smooth skin. The degree of sagging and wrinkles after the age of 40 cannot be removed by laser treatments or Botox and hence, traditional facelift helps a lot by making people have the desirable results that they expect to have. - Non Surgical Facelift
Fillers address the moderate signs of aging, such as loss of volume in the face and sun damage by adding volume to the skin. Laser treatment helps removing the spot from the face and is beneficial for issues related to complexion. Toxins paralyze the muscles so that they do not form any wrinkles while fillers fill the creases and face lines. The results of the treatment depend on the type of treatment undertaken by a patient. If a patient gets tired of Botox or fillers, he can get rid of them because they are absorbed by the body as they are made up of the natural substances that are naturally found in the body.
Disadvantages
- Traditional facelift
It takes at least 6 months for the scars to completely disappear after the surgery. It is an invasive procedure and one wrong move by the surgeon can cause a greater damage to your face. There is a high chance of getting infections after the surgery and in some cases; a patient can also suffer from paralysis of the face or disfigurement. But it can be taken care of if you take your treatment from an experienced surgeon. Besides traditional facelift is an expensive procedure as compared to nonsurgical face lift. Therefore, it is very important for you to follow your physician’s advice before and after the surgery if you are willing to go for a traditional facelift. - Nonsurgical facelift
Non surgical facelift, on the other hand, involves injecting fillers to plump up the skin. If these fillers cause blockage in the blood vessels, a person can suffer from paralysis of any part of his face due to non circulation of blood. There have been cases where people suffered from blindness because a vein was blocked by the liquid injected to eliminate the crow’s feet around the eyes. Besides the non surgical options provide short term results and require continuous maintenance in order to have a rejuvenating experience. In many cases, they cause permanent scars and swelling because of re-doing the procedure. In addition, radiation from laser treatments is not beneficial for a skin as it can cause damage to the tissues and muscles. Therefore, it is necessary to have these cosmetic treatments after thorough discussion with the surgeons because it is important that a patient should be aware of the risks and benefits associated with every treatment.
All the previously mentioned clearly show that there is not a clear winner in this comparison! It’s all about the patient’s needs and expectations and this is what everyone should have in mind when facing this dilemma! And a consultation with a trustful, respeful cosmetic surgeon will help the patient make the right choice!
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