By Marina Anderson
Signal Contributing Writer
Whether it’s about looking and feeling rejuvenated in the new year, or you’d just like to get your look a little bit closer to the seemingly ageless stars we seen on the silver screen, there’s a new technique that’s giving folks that feel without having to go under the knife.
The good news is, you don’t have to be a celebrity to afford some of the techniques that keep them “red carpet” beautiful.
If you don’t want to undergo a surgical face-lift, but want the results of one, a liquid facelift (LFL) might be the answer.
This “instant,” non-invasive face refresher with no “down time” is becoming a more and more popular choice for men and women.
“You can drastically see an improvement to people’s faces,” said Ana Tevez-Ortiz, aesthetic RN at Valencia Medical Center. “In aesthetic medicine, we are seeing a lot more men coming to see us.”
The idea is to re-contour, fill in sags and under eye hollows, get your cheekbones back and make those jowl and frown lines disappear.
LFL is achieved by using plumping dermal fillers, such as Juvederm, Voluma, Radiesse, Perlane, Restylane and Sculptura; and sometimes, they’re applied in tandem with neuromodulators, such as Botox, Dysport and Xeomin that temporarily “freeze” or paralyze muscles in the face. Since each region of the face is different, more than one product might be required.
As we age, we tend to lose youthful fat and collagen. Injectable dermal fillers are used to help replace what’s lost. Because each brand varies as to content, consistency, how they’re produced and used, it’s a good idea to research them before you meet with a practitioner.
If you’ve seen a person with lips that look like they’re about to explode or their face is like a chipmunk, they’ve most likely had too much filler. There is an art to knowing the right product and placement to achieve the best results, according to the experts.
Keep in mind, with fillers, you can see the results right away, but with the neuromodulators, clients don’t. It can take from one to two weeks to lift, soften and for everything to work together to get the final outcome.
If there are other issues to address like skin resurfacing or age spots, these require a different modality like laser treatment or a chemical peel. Ideally, these should be done first if someone’s considering a liquid facelift.
Dermal fillers can last from two to six years, but vary per product, and each individual — just like a metabolism. The more active someone is, the faster they’ll metabolize the product (fillers). Neuromodulators usually last three to six months. Clients find that when it comes to a “tuneup,” less is needed because the body builds up product with sequential visits. Pricing varies depending on how much product is used, type of product and where you go.
“It’s important to come in for a consultation because every individual is unique,” Tevez-Ortiz advises. “As an injector, as a medical practitioner, it’s important for us to understand anatomy in everyone’s body and what works best for everyone.” For the most part, it’s better to work from the top of the face down. As the face fills, less is usually needed for each lower area because the face is lifting with the volume that’s being added.
Something like Voluma, which is a thicker formula, is best used in areas that need extra support such as the cheeks, one of the most common areas for injectable fillers. Tevez-Ortiz explains that Restylane and Juvederm are softer fillers, which tend to be used in more dynamic areas such as smile lines and lip augmentation. Juvederm Ultra is a favorite for lips because of its ability to hold better and last longer in the lip than other products. Juvederm Ultra Plus, a thicker consistency than Juvederm Ultra, is excellent for deep nasolabial folds (“puppet” or smile lines). For under eye troughs, hyaluronic acid preferred fillers are Restylane, Restylane Silk and Belotero. The extra benefit to using a hyaluronic acid product is, if you don’t like the results, it can be reversed!
To make the procedure more comfortable, a numbing block or cream is applied to the area. Some dermal fillers contain lidocaine, which also helps.
The idea, according to Tevez-Ortiz, is to “look young, not done.”
