Noninvasive facial rejuvenation with neurotoxins and fillers can minimize wrinkles, lines and volume loss to create a more youthful facial appearance. However, there comes a tipping point in everyone’s life at which non-surgical treatment no longer has the desired effects, and surgical correction becomes necessary.
In this post, Dr. George Sanders explains when it is appropriate to transition from injectables to facial rejuvenation surgery.
Signs of Aging Become More Prominent
It’s usually time to stop injectable treatment and explore surgical options when the signs of aging become more prominent and complex.
For example, Botox can smooth mild to moderate dynamic wrinkles around the forehead and eyes, including crows’ feet. When used correctly, Botox can also give the eyebrows a slight lift. However, the characteristics of the eyes change more noticeably over time; the skin becomes loose and thin, fat displaces and the brows droop.
When this happens, the best solution is surgery. Upper and lower eyelid surgery reduces excess fat and skin on and around the lids, including puffy “bags” under the eyes. Brow lift repositions the brows slightly higher in a more youthful arrangement. Both eyelid surgery and brow lift open up the eyes and give them a more refreshed expression.
Here’s another example: dermal fillers are a quick and easy way to add volume to areas of the face like the temples, cheeks and lips. Products like Juvederm and Restylane can fill in mild to moderate nasolabial folds or marionette lines around the mouth. However, with age, the skin and tissues in the middle to lower face become loose and saggy. The folds and lines can deepen. The lower face loses definition and jowls develop.
Dermal fillers cannot give those areas the lift and tightening that they need to look youthful. What can? A Facelift. Excess skin is trimmed and the underlying tissues and muscles are tightened. This elevates the middle and lower face and corrects related problems such as jowls and sagging along the jawline. Nothing can come close to replicating the results of a facelift.
Repeat Treatments Become Difficult to Schedule or Too Costly
Another tipping point at which it may become appropriate to switch from injectables to surgery is when repeat injectable treatments, which are important to maintain the results long-term, become difficult to schedule or too costly. At this point it may make sense to transition to surgical correction, which has a longer recovery and higher upfront cost but longer-lasting results and does not require follow-up treatment.
Trust a Qualified Surgeon
For surgery to successfully turn back the clock on facial aging, it must be performed by a qualified plastic surgeon. Dr. Sanders has the experience and talent to deliver incredible anti-aging results to his patents. To speak with Dr. Sanders about your own facial rejuvenation goals, please call (818) 981-3333 or email our practice today.
