If you Google “top aesthetic trends” you’ll see lists that include BOTOX®, laser skin treatments, lip fillers, and a few other nonsurgical facial rejuvenation treatments. But there’s another procedure tucked in those lists that might be a bit surprising—facelift surgery. That’s certainly true in the Nashville, TN, area, as people realize that the time-tested procedure can provide dramatic, long-lasting results that nonsurgical treatments can’t match.
As a facial plastic surgeon, I’ve dedicated my career to offering patients the least invasive solutions to their aesthetic concerns. Over the past 10 to 15 years, the number and effectiveness of nonsurgical facial rejuvenation procedures have continued to increase. At the same time, facelift techniques also have advanced, producing results that look natural while at the same time turning back the clock.
Changes in Facelift Techniques
Twenty years ago, a facelift mostly pulled the skin tighter, and that was considered a good outcome. The results, however, often appeared unnatural, and women and men didn’t like the “worked on” look. That concern about the “wind tunnel look” led to advancements in surgical techniques—the most important being the manipulation of the tissue and muscle below the skin during a facelift.
The use of fat transfer techniques as part of facial plastic surgery has also led to improved results. Fat transfer (also called fat grafting) takes a patient’s own fat from another area of the body and uses it as a natural filler to add volume to the face.
Facelift vs. Nonsurgical Procedures
Even as nonsurgical treatments remain popular, the facelift has made a comeback thanks to the following reasons:
Longer-lasting results: The outcomes produced by BOTOX and injectable fillers can last anywhere from 4 months to 18 months. That may be ideal for patients who don’t want surgery or can’t take time off work. The results of a facelift, though, can be expected to last for years.
Addresses skin laxity: At a certain point the skin’s laxity makes nonsurgical treatments ineffective. Surgery is needed to create smoother skin.
Cost-effective: This is associated with the duration of a facelift. Even though surgery is more costly initially, the cost of multiple nonsurgical treatment sessions can add up over time.
The Reflection Lift
Faces tend to age uniformly across many areas. That’s why I developed the Reflection Lift, a procedure customized to address each patient’s needs to produce results that look very natural. The Reflection Lift often combines a facelift with other procedures—both surgical and nonsurgical—because a facelift on its own only addresses the lower areas of the face. You can see for yourself the remarkable results produced using this approach in before-and-after photos featuring my actual patients.
As a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon whose practice focuses exclusively on facial rejuvenation, I’ve performed thousands of facelift procedures. And I know that today’s surgical techniques can produce results that far exceed those of 15 to 20 years ago. If you’re looking for a facial plastic surgeon in the Nashville area, you can contact us to request a consultation using the online form or call us at (615) 510-6148 to schedule an appointment.
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