Choosing Between Facelifts and Fillers

As you age, your skin loses its ability to regenerate collagen. This substance is the cushion beneath the skin that rounds out your features and helps keep your skin taught. As it diminishes, it can create hollows, slacken skin and turn fine lines into wrinkles. Gravity also plays its part and pulls the looser skin down. Your marionette lines may seem more pronounced, your upper eyes may droop over your lid and your jawline may accumulate extra skin. When you decide it is time to take action, choosing a method to combat the signs of aging will depend on your skin, goals and available recovery time.

What Are Fillers?

Fillers are considered a minimally invasive procedure used to smooth out lines, plump out deep creases, increase lip volume and restore volume to the cheeks. They can also be used to restore the temple area, where a loss of volume can distort the face shape. This distortion can make other facial features, such as undereye bags or drooping lids, appear worse. In this way, using filler to restore volume is a liquid facelift.

Fillers are a particularly good choice if you are unsure if surgery is the right option, or simply do not wish to undergo a full procedure. The results last for many months and are fully reversible.

Is a Facelift the Better Choice?

A facelift may be a better option if you have extremely lax skin, very deep creases or have lost a great deal of definition. Although age is one of the determinants in choosing between fillers and facelifts, it is not the only consideration. Lifestyle factors, genetics and skin care play a role in when a facelift is the best option.

Facelifts are the gold standard for restoring a youthful, rested look. Since they adjust the structural signs of aging, they provide the longest-lasting results and have the most impact on the overall face shape. They also require the longest recovery time.

A mini facelift is another alternative. By targeting only specific areas, there are fewer incision sites and less downtime. The results last many years and are an excellent choice for the earliest signs of sagging skin.

Merging Goals with Procedures

Both facelifts and fillers can address the signs of aging. However, sometimes the choice is not facelift or filler, but a combination of the two procedures. Since both work in different ways, using one to lift and the other to restore volume can produce the most dramatic results. Choosing a highly qualified plastic surgeon will ensure the two procedures complement each other and look natural.

For expert techniques and natural results, contact Los Angeles Plastic Surgery today for a consultation.