Facelift: Info, Prices, Photos, Reviews, Q&A

Full liquid facelift is another definition of injections of fillers such as Juvederm, Restylane or botox. Of course, this is the number one in popularity in clinics of plastic surgery. This method has one major drawback is the fragility. For example, the effectiveness of Botox injections remains only about six months, so the procedure will have to be repeated on a regular basis to preserve the result. Traditional facelift does not create such problems.

There are two important symptoms accompany the aging of the facial skin. Under the influence of external and internal factors over time, the formation of collagen in our connective tissue decreases and there is a weakening of muscles and ligaments. As a result, the skin becomes thinner and less elastic, areas of its sagging appear. The contours of the face become fuzzy, wrinkles appear.

The duration of the result of most injectable anti-aging techniques is no more than six months or a year. However, if desired, this period can easily be increased several times by using full liquid facelift with the Sculptra preparation.

What is a full liquid facelift?

Liquid facelift is used as an alternative to surgical facelift. Unlike simple filling of wrinkles, liquid faelift is introduced evenly on a relatively large area of certain areas of the face, thereby affecting the cause of wrinkles, the formation of a new collagen. Injections are made in the middle part of the face to achieve a lifting effect: in the region of the cheeks and nasolabial folds. Studies have shown that in just 2 injections, the synthesis of collagen in the treated area is increased by 30-40%.

Thanks to the uniform distribution of the preparation of lactic acid (Sculptra), the face looks tighter and younger after the procedure. At the same time, the result does not appear immediately. Synthesis of collagen is a process that is stretched in time, and the first positive changes can be seen not earlier than in a few weeks. The effect will increase gradually and reach its peak in about six months, and its total duration is at least 2 years. Full liquid facelift is applied at loss of elasticity of a skin, loss of volume of the face and as consequence of formation of wrinkles.

How is a full liquid facelift performed?

Liquid facelift is carried out with injections of Sculptra, consisting of polylactic acid, which has been used in medicine as a self-absorbing suture for more than 20 years.

A few days after the injection, watery components Sculptra are absorbed and edema decreases. But the main ingredients, polylactic acid, begins to actively act in the deep layers of the skin, which will help restore lost collagen. The so-called collagenous frame is formed, which gives the face volume. As a consequence of this, the contour of the face improves, wrinkles are smoothed out.

Thanks to Criss-Cross technology, injection effect lasts for about 2 years. This procedure stimulates the production of own collagen. Therefore, liquid facelift can be safely attributed to the procedures of a non-surgical facelift.

What are the advantages of liquid facelift?

Liquid facelift is indicated to fill the lost volume and reduce wrinkles in the cheeks and nasolabial folds. This procedure is also recommended to improve the contour of the face, to smooth out the wrinkles – puppets (lowered corners of the mouth), which give the appearance of a sad face. Liquid facelift is designed to eliminate the effects of loss of the body’s collagen and fat tissue and to return the skin to the face of elasticity. If you have a sagging of deep SMAS skin structures, we recommend a liquid facelift combined with a non-operative facelift using the Doublo device.

SMAS (Superficial Musculo-Aponeurotic System) is a two-layer structure consisting of a superficial fascia, which is a layer of collagen and elastin fibers, and a layer of facial muscles. Together, these layers constitute a framework that supports the skin of the face.

Is this procedure painful?

The procedure is practically painless, since in the solution with polylactic acid contains an anesthetic.

Only at the beginning of the procedure felt the injection site. The procedure lasts 20 minutes without side effects.

How many a full liquid facelift procedures are needed?

After the first procedure, you will see that the contour of the face has become more clear, and wrinkles are smoothed out. You will need 2-3 sessions of injections to achieve a pronounced effect, carried out at an interval of 1-1.5 months. The result of liquid facelift is about 2 years due to the natural processes for the recovery of collagen. Follow-up procedures are recommended after 18-24 months.

How soon after the procedure can I return to work?

As a rule, the next day you can start your usual routine of the day. In case of redness, a small swelling or bruising, you can use masking agents.

What are the side effects after liquid facelift?

Liquid facelift can lead to common for all injections side effects of redness, swelling and small bruises, which take place within 1-1,5 weeks.

Whether there are contraindications for the liquid facelift with the help of the drug Sculptra?

Specific contraindications to injections of polylactic acid do not exist, except for allergies to lactose. It is also recommended to refrain from the injections of Sculptra if the presence of infectious diseases, inflammatory processes in the proposed injection zone and diseases that violate blood coagulability.

The liquid facelift using Sculptra is also contraindicated in:

• Antimune diseases;
• Tendencies of scar formation;
• Pregnancy, lactation.
• Please be sure to notify the doctor of your existing medical conditions.

What should pay attention to the liquid facelift procedure?

For two weeks before the procedure, refrain from taking aspirin-containing and vitamin E-containing drugs. If you took this kind of medication. We recommend patients paracetamol as an alternative painkiller. Just give up alcohol 3-4 days before the procedure.

What should pay attention to after the treatment liquid facelift?

In the first days after the procedure, it is necessary to massage the correction area, for the uniform distribution of the lactic acid substance. The only restrictions for the first few days will be protection of the skin from direct contact with the sun, as well as refusal to exercise and visits to the sauna and solarium.

What procedures can be combined in a liquid facelift?

Liquid facelift can be combined with other procedures aimed at prolonging the youthfulness of the skin. It can be: fractionated laser, chemical and laser peeling, plasmolifting PRP. A particularly good result is a combination of liquid facelift with focused ultrasound using the apparatus of Doblo or Ulthera. Thanks to focused ultrasound occurs tightening muscles without damaging the skin. Strengthening of the collagen layer occurs due to the thermal effect, as a result of which the face looks fresh. The Doblo procedure is performed before the liquid facelift.

New 3D technology helps to avoid complications after facelift. Every year, millions of people go to clinics to remove wrinkles, soften skin folds and give lip volume by injecting gel-like materials into the facial tissues. Sometimes such cosmetic procedures are known as liquid facelift; They are considered to have the lowest degree of invasiveness.

Complications after a facelift are rare, though they do exist. In just a few minutes, the patient’s face may turn red or become covered with white spots, and the area of administration of the gel preparation may become painful. In this case, the blood circulation in the area of the procedure becomes sharply limited, moreover, in the absence of adequate treatment, these affected tissues will die. Unfortunately, such necrosis of tissues is irreversible, and it leaves quite deep and noticeable scars.

Until now, doctors could not pinpoint the cause of such complications, which was due to difficulties in studying the behavior of injectable drugs in the facial tissues.

Innovative imaging technology, developed by scientists from the University of Washington, allows to analyze the process occurring in the smallest blood vessels during the injectable preparations during full facelift. This technique can be used to prevent complications during the procedure and assist physicians, aimed at turning the tide of negative processes, if the injection of the gel does not become as successful as planned. According to the professor of ophthalmology with specialization in the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery Shu-Khong (Holly) Chang, the death of tissues caused by the introduction of so-called fillers can become a very serious complication for patients.

The new technique provides a more detailed understanding of what is happening in the tissues of the face after injection of the drug. Scientists have found, that the complication can be caused by the introduction of the drug not in the soft tissues of the face, but in the blood vessels. In this case, the gel blocks the blood supply and tissue saturation with oxygen.

The innovative technique of optical microangiography allows to visualize how the circulatory system reacts to the injection of cosmetic gel, which helps to predict possible complications.

Liquid Facelift Reviews:

A liquid facelift is not surgery

As we age, several things happen in combination. On the surface, our skin ages, and becomes marked with age spots, and lines. Deeper, the normal youthful fat starts to shrink. The muscles and even the bones of our face lose volume over the years.

In addition the elasticity diminishes. Each person is different, and an individualized treatment plan would be best. On the surface, fractional lasers such as C02 and others are helpfu. A little deeper, fillers such as Juvederm, Sculptra, Restylane, Radiesse and others can help re-establish the lost volume.

Botox can help relax the muscles causing some lines and wrinkles. Deeper yet, a surgical facelift can help lift what has been pulled down by gravity. All are good tools in the right hands, and can be used to complement each other.

It depends on each person’s specific situation – goals, available downtime, budget and other factors. (Christopher J. Peers, MD, South Bend Facial Plastic Surgeon)

Liquid Facelift a Misnomer

A “liquid facelift” is a misleading term to describe facial rejuvenation using injectable fillers. While fillers can address some aging changes, such as wrinkles and volume loss, they can only address a very minimal amount of laxity, mostly by adding volume to the face.

Fillers like Radiesse, Restylane, Juvederm, Sculptra, and others can be a tool in facial rejuvenation, but none can approximate or provide any correction close to that of a surgical lift.

Surgical lifting addresses laxity in the underlying tissues and musculature of the face, and the results of a skillfully performed facelift lasts years, while fillers last anywhere from six to eighteen months, depending on the filler as well as the metabolism of the material by the individual patient.

While fillers are an amazing and useful tool in facial rejuvenation, they cannot replace surgical results, not do they truly address the same issues. Fillers can be useful in younger patients to put off a surgical intervention, as adding volume to specific areas of the face can camouflage some aging changes.

However, if you have enough laxity to truly be a candidate for a surgical lift, fillers will not be a satisfactory alternative treatment. (Lawrence Bass, MD, New York Plastic Surgeon)

Liquid facelifts

the term of a liquid Facelift is where a filler called Sculptra is injected into your face and over a number of months, it will refill areas of fat loss in your face. It can lift the skin to some degree if the loose skin is from facial fat loss.

It will enhance the results of a Facelift, it can do things a Facelift cannot do, but it will never replace what is done in a Facelift, which is repositioning tissues into a more youthful location and removing excess skin. (Julio Garcia, MD, Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon)

Liquid face lift is it safer? Does it give the same results as face lifting?

Liquid facelift is a cute marketing name which is invented to sound less invasive. It is injection of fillers and Botox which can improve the appearance in people who don’t really need a face lift yet.

It is not a face lift and it can be very unsafe when done by the wrong person. There is a place for adding volume to the face and there is a place for Botox.

I like these additions to our armamentarium and use them all the time, but let’s not be decieving and call it a face lift. (Farhad Rafizadeh, MD, Morristown Plastic Surgeon)

Liquid Facelift

A liquid facelift is a fancy marketing name for the use of fillers and/or neurotoxins for facial rejuvenation. It is not a facelift. It is not a substitute for a facelift. It is one tool in cosmetic medicine that has allowed the use of fillers and neurotoxins like Botox to shape the upper face while fillers and/or fat are used to enhance the lower face.

This is certainly a component of aging in where you lose facial fat, but it does not allow for correction of facial skin sagging or lifting per say. It is a true marketing misnomer which can be also deceptive to patients.

Once again, it is not a non-surgical substitute for a facelift in the horizon. (Rod J. Rohrich, MD, Dallas Plastic Surgeon)

Face Lift, Mini Face Lift, The Palmer Celebrity Face Lift, Beverly Hills Face Lift

Safer, of course. Fillers used in the Liquid Face Lift are very safe. But can the Liquid Face Lift give similar results to a surgical Face Lift of any type… No…not even close. The term Liquid Face Lift refers to placing various types of fillers like Sculptra, Perlane, Radiesse or others into the face in order to acheive a more youthful face….

which it does as long as the proper amounts are used in the proper places. That’s the issue…it seems that fillers are over used today and the results are often plump up faces that look like puffer fish.

Logically, if the face has sagging muscles (SMAS) and loose, excess skin…filler can and will only do so much. What if the sagging skin occurs in an area that aesthetically should not be more plump? Placing fillers will add, not reduce volume in the face.

What about faces that have excess fatty tissue in the NLF, Jowls and neck? Placing fillers which add volume will make the face appear larger, not smaller and more shapely. Clearly, fillers have a place but they should not and can not compare to the level of rejuvenation that can be acheived using any one of the various Face Lift techniques. (Francis R. Palmer, III, MD, Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon)

Liquid facelift

A liquid facelift is so called because reversal of some of the signs of facial aging can be achieved with a combination of injection of fillers such as Juvederm or Radiesse are combined with Botox injections to obtain an overall more youthful appearance.

A newer injectable, Sculptra, has been introduced recently and shows great promise for a longer term result with filling in multiple layers and stimulating collagen formation. Ultimately, these injectable procedures are not long term and do not replace a face lift.

A facelift is invasive and requires anesthesia. Typically it will give an overall more dramatic result and last much longer. To compare the two is not an either/or. It is definitely comparing very different procedures with different expectations and results.

A liquid facelift is an acceptable substitute for the individual that is not ready or prepared for surgery. (Talmage J. Raine, MD, FACS, Chicago Plastic Surgeon)

Liquid facelift vs regular facelift

Liquid facelift is not a surgical procedure or and facelift procedure at all. However, it is the technique for nonsurgical facial rejuvenation. Usually it involves a combination of Botox, fillers, like Juvederm, Restylane, Perlane, Radiance, Radiesse, Sculptra and many others.

Liquid facelift, or being more technically correct, a combination of multiple injections for reduction of wrinkles, can be very helpful as an adjunct to facelift procedure or as a temporizing technique for patients desiring to postpone their facial rejuvenation procedure. (Boris Volshteyn, MD, MS, East Brunswick Plastic Surgeon)

The best alternatives are combinations of non-surgical treatments-botox, fillers, Titan, resurfacing

In my practice, I call this “the holding pattern,” where all efforts are made to keep the skin up and tight against the bony contours of the face and neck, using non-surgical technologies to encourage the skin to stay in a position in which the face, jawline and neck contours are “held” up and preserved.

This can be done by stimulating collagen or filling in areas of volume loss of the face, as well as polishing the surface of the skin to make it look reflective and radiant. The best alternatives to a facelift, in general, are combinations of nonsurgical treatments.

These include, but are not limited to:

Religious use of high quality and effective medical skin care products Botox (given in a way to maintain a natural, non-frozen appearance to the face)

Dermal fillers to augment regions of volume loss in the cheeks, sub-brow, folds around the mouth and plumping of the lips to a natural and pleasing volume-rich contour

Use of collagen-boosting techniques, such as Titan procedure, skin resurfacing with lasers and other techniques Smartlipo of the neck and face and in instancees where skin laxity is significant enough to warrant some skin removal-minimal surgical techniques that are modified to minimize the incision and subsequent scar and maximize the use of ancillary supportive non-surgical technologies to tighten the skin.

Maintenance treatments with light peels using a combination of AHA and anti-oxidants to promote the long term health of the skin are also imperative to restore radiant skin.

Of course, lifestyle and genetics are important factors, and by following the kiss principle of keeping things simple and basic, one can have youthful skin with the proper diet, exercise, water/vitamin intake/and avoidance of the elements and vices that harm the skin (sun, smoke, lack of sleep).

Many patients do not like the fact that it takes so much work to look good without surgery, but it is possible and quite rewarding, if the correct plan is made at the correct time — and earlier rather than later.

The costs are known — so a true budget can be make for this annual maintenance, which can definitely be the right path for many patients who want to avoid surgery or do not need surgery at this time.

In the right hands, these procedures can be safely administered and the patients are ecstatic with the quick results. It only takes one finding a picture of themselves– a picture 5 years earlier before waging the “battle” — to demonstrate to the patient how much improvement there is over time with these powerful nonsurgical techniques of facial/neck rejuvenation.

Proper patient selection is key and that is what I take pride in, that I can do all-both surgical and non-surgical procedure for the preservation of youthful and natural facial contours.
(Christine A. Petti, MD, Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon)