In years past, facial plastic surgery procedures comprised a menu of lifts – eyelid lift, brow lift, midface lift, facelift, and necklift – as well as rhinoplasty, chin implants and liposuction, which might be coupled with a skin resurfacing treatment. These days, almost each surgical procedure has one or more noninvasive alternatives to address the same problem. Technological advances have allowed for the development of a plethora of noninvasive procedures that claim to smooth out wrinkles, lift, chisel, plump and remodel. Offering seemingly lower cost and less downtime, the main questions pertaining to noninvasive procedures are:
- what results do they produce, and how do they compare to cosmetic surgical options?
- what is the expected longevity from noninvasive treatments?
It’s advisable to do your research before you consult with your plastic surgeon. The best procedure for you will be based on your facial features, skin quality, goals and expectations, ability to tolerate downtime, economic resources and aesthetic sensibility. With the guidance of your plastic surgeon, based on his or her experience and judgement, you will be able to make the right selection for yourself. The following is a sampling of some of the aesthetic surgical facial procedures and their noninvasive counterparts currently available: Brow Lift or Botox Surgical: A brow lift or forehead lift, corrects skin wrinkling and drooping that causes your eyebrows to sag and hooding of your upper eyelids. Nonsurgical: Botox, Dysport and Xeomin are neurotoxins that relax the muscles underneath the skin to prevent wrinkle formation. They have also been successfully used to treat horizontal forehead lines, crow’s feet, tiny bunny lines on the side of the nose and can give your eyebrows a gentle lift. Eyelid lift, Fillers or Fat Surgical: An eyelid lift, called blepharoplasty, removes excess fat and sagging skin of the upper eyelids that can make you look tired or sad and corrects a puffy upper eyelid appearance. For the lower lids, a lower eyelid blepharoplasty eliminates under eye bags, excess skin and fine wrinkles, and lower eyelid droopiness. Nonsurgical: Injections of Botox can minimize crow’s feet and provide a slight lift to the eyebrows. To eliminate the hollow under the eyes, the ” tear trough”, your own fat or a hyaluronic acid, such as Juvederm, can be injected into the area. Rhinoplasty or Injectables Surgical: Rhinoplasty can reshape your nose to remove a nasal hump, reduce an enlarged tip, and straighten a deviated septum. It can also improve the angle between your nose and upper lip. Nonsurgical: Botox injections in the upper lip below the nostrils can lift the tip of your nose. Injections of soft tissue fillers can camouflage bumps on the nose or increase nasal volume where desired. Facelift or Injectables Surgical: A facelift can restore a more youthful appearance to the face, tightening deeper tissues, removing excess loose skin and reversing the volume changes that occur with aging. Liposuction can diminish jowls, improve jawline contour and remove excess fat under the neck. Nonsurgical: Injectable soft tissue fillers can be used to lift and diminish jowls, lift corners of the mouth, and minimize wrinkles, folds and lines. Injections of Botox produce a smoother neck contour by softening cords and bands. Autologous fat injections or fillers can also be used to increase volume in the cheeks, improve facial contour and restore a more youthful appearance. It is important to be aware of both surgical and non-surgical options available, so you can get more out of your plastic surgery consultation. Evaluation by and discussion with your aesthetic surgeon will help you identify which procedures will produce optimal results for you. Dr. Olivia Hutchinson is a board certified aesthetic plastic surgeon in NYC. Her office on Manhattan’s Upper East Side is equipped with a fully certified Operating Room for the safety, comfort and privacy of her patients. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Hutchinson, please contact us or call us at (212) 452-1400.
