Aging can be a double-edged sword. You gain experience and wisdom, and you rack up the accomplishments. But your body pays the price with aches, pains, sagging skin, and wrinkles. And your face is no exception.
If your face is showing signs of aging, it can be disheartening. Maybe you feel the same on the inside and are surprised each time you look in the mirror. If so, you’re not alone. Facial aging is unavoidable, primarily because you lose volume as you age.
What is Volume Loss?
Imagine your holding a fully inflated balloon. When a balloon is fully inflated, the balloon feels plump, tight, and firm. Now, what happens when you slowly release some of the air? The balloon becomes less firm, and the rubber begins to wrinkle and sag. That’s precisely what happens to the skin on your face as you age. As your face loses volume, your skin begins to wrinkle and sag. But what is it that you’re losing, exactly?
Over time, the fat, bone, muscle, and connective tissue in your face diminishes. Here’s the breakdown:
In Your 30’s – The deep and superficial fat pockets start to deflate, and loss of muscle tone begins.
In Your 40’s – Your ligaments, tendons, and fascia stretch and lose elasticity.
In Your 50’s – The bones in your face begin to deteriorate.
50’s and Beyond – You continue to lose fat, bone, and connective tissue.
When you take fat, bone, and connective tissue loss into consideration, it makes sense that your facial skin would wrinkle and sag doesn’t it? Furthermore, you get wrinkles from years of repetitive facial expressions and exposure to the elements. So, it’s a double whammy! So, now that you know the culprit behind your aging face, what can you do to fix it if it bothers you?
Volume Loss Treatments
Thanks to advancements in aesthetics, there are state-of-the-art, non-surgical treatments that reverse aging signs and restore volume to your face. Dermal fillers are one way to add volume, then there are break-through treatments that use your body’s natural regenerative abilities to repair and restore the volume loss. So, let’s explore your options.
Regenerative Treatments
The following treatments work with your body’s ability to heal and regenerate new tissue. So, they actually restore the youth and vitality of your facial skin.
Scarlet RF Micro-needling: Scarlet RF micro-needling is a minimally invasive procedure. It uses gold-tipped microneedles to send radiofrequency energy to the lower layers of your skin. The microneedles and thermal energy create micro-injuries in your skin without damaging your epidermis. It stimulates collagen and elastin production beneath your skin’s outer layers. Collagen and elastin are your skin’s primary building blocks and are crucial for firm, youthful skin. Since micro-needling is a regenerative treatment, you’ll need multiple sessions to get optimal results and you’ll see cumlative results over time.
Micro-needling Pros:
- Repairs and restores your skin’s vitality.
- Non-surgical
- Minimally invasive
- Minimal downtime
- Final results last up to a year.
Micro-needling Cons:
- Doesn’t give you instant gratification. It takes time to see results.
- Can be somewhat painful if you’re sensitive.
PRP/PRF Treatment: PRP is a facial treatment that isolates your plasma and uses its’ healing platelets to stimulate new cell growth. Essentially, the plasma injection tricks your body into thinking it’s been injured, which stimulates the release of stem cells. These stem cells get to work creating new, fresh tissue that is full of collagen, new blood vessels, and new cells. This all leads to a fresher, younger looking skin.
PRP Pros:
- PRP/PRF treatments are non-invasive.
- There are no adverse side effects.
- Has zero risk of complications.
- It quickly and naturally resotres yiour skin’s vitality.
- Results last up to nine months.
PRP/PRF Cons: The only con to PRP/PRF injections is if you have a fear of needles. So, we’ve discussed regenerative treatments. Next, we’ll discuss treatments that give you instant gratification.
Instant Gratification Treatments
Now that you’ve learned about treatments that restore and rejuvenate your skin, let’s discuss treatments that give you instant results. Keep in mind, some of these treatments give you instant gratification by artificially adding volume without any regenerative effect. Then there are others that give you instant gratification and cumulitave skin renewal.
Dermal Fillers: Dermal fillers, or injectable implants, are FDA approed injectable substances typically made from hyaluronic acid, poly lactic acid, or calcium hydroxyl apatite. They add instant volume and help create a smooth, full appearance to your cheeks, chin, lips, and back of your hands. Here are the pros and cons:
Dermal fillers Pros:
- Results are immediate.
- Your doctor can adjust the amount of filler to give you the desired results.
- There’s no downtime
- It’s a non-surgical treatment
Dermal Filler Cons:
- You’ll need to repeat the treatment to maintain your results since your body will absorb the material.
- You’ll have some swelling and bruising.
- You may expereince mild pain during the procedure.
- There’s a low risk of complications.
Fat Transfer: During a fat transfer, your doctor removes fat from areas on your body where you have extra, purifies it, then uses it as a filler to add volume. It works exactly like dermal fillers except the treatment uses your fat instead of an artificial filler.
Fat Transfer Pros:
- As long as you have enough extra fat, your doctor can create numerous syringes of fat filler to use to add volume to your face. So, you’re not limited by the cost of dermal fillers. That way, you can add as much volume as you like.
- Results are semi-permanent. Once the fat is injected into the areas where you need volume, it becomes living tissue that remains. But your body will absorb some of the fat.
- The results look and feel more natural.
- You get two for one benefit because you lose fat in the area where your doctor harvests the fat like your thighs or belly.
- There’s very little recovery time.
Fat Transfer Cons:
- A fat transfer uses liposuction to harvest your fat and liposuction requires a local anesthesia.
- It’s a more invasive procedure than dermal fillers.
- If you stay on the lean side, you may not have enough extra fat to be a good candidate for a fat transfer.
- Any bruising or swelling will last longer than it will with dermal fillers.
- Fine lines around your mouth are more challenging to fill with fat vs. dermal fillers.
Thread Lift: A thread lift treatment is a minimally invasive facelift that uses dissolvable threads to tighten the skin on your face and reduce aging and sagging. During your treatment, your doctor will strategically place tiny, dissolvable threads beneath your facial skin. The threads will help fight gravity, correct your skin’s laxity, and contour your face and neck. The threads also stimulate collagen production, which helps strengthen your skin’s structure and improve its firmness.You’ll see instant, long-lasting results that enhance over time.
Thread Lift Pros:
- A thread lift is a minimally invasive surgical procedure.
- It’s fast. The entire procedure takes about an hour.
- Recovery time is minimal.
- It can give you the same results as a surgical facelift without surgery.
- You’ll see instant result.
- A thread lift also rejuventates your skin over time by stimulating collagen production.
- More natual looking than a traditional facelift.
- You can treat most of the areas on your face.
Thread Lift Cons:
- Results aren’t permanent – but they can last up to two years.
- You’ll have bruising and swelling for a few days.
- Only effective for the initial aging signs. If you have very aged skin, you may not be a candidate.
- SInce it is surgery, there’s always a risk of infection.
Your Takeways
Aging is inevitable. If the signs of aging on your face and body don’t bother you, there’s nothing wrong with gracefully accepting the raveges of time. But, if you feel dismayed when you look in the mirror or see photos of yourself, you have terrific options! And keep in mind, you can have a combination of treatments so you get instant gratification and results that renew and regenerate fresh new skin over time.
To learn which treatments are right for you, schedule a complimentary consultation with Alllurant Medical Spa. We’ll discuss your options, answer your questions, and create a customized treatment plan just for you.