By Dr. Ritu Malhotra, Enhanced Image Center
Why Look Younger? …Because You Can!
Do you look in the mirror and see a tired face or a sagging jawline?
What if … you could get firming of the jawline that looks completely natural?
What if … it was actually affordable?
What if … it only took a couple of hours?
You don’t have to look your age. You should look as fresh and youthful as you feel, as young as you want others to see you.
Understanding facial aging can help you head off time’s effects. An awareness of rejuvenation treatments will help you to appreciate what will work best for the specific desired changes you want to make to your appearance.
The Elements of Facial Aging
Changes that transform your face into a tired and aged appearance:
- Skin changes
- Volume loss
- Muscle/ligament changes
- Gravity
- Fat accumulation
However, you can diminish or reverse these effects.
Skin Changes
As we age, our skin loses elasticity and begins to retain lines where expressions cause it to fold, and wrinkles form.
The skin gains a translucent, crepe-like appearance. You can reduce the impact of sun damage and a loss of nutrition by utilizing a recommended Skin Care regimen—with a cleanser, toner, prescription strength skin lightener and exfoliator.
In addition, as you age, the skin’s normal process of rejuvenation slows so that more and more skin cells on the surface are older, and more damaged.
You can counteract these changes using laser skin peels for resurfacing ($250 and up) or laser collagen rejuvenation ($250) to stimulate the skin’s natural rejuvenation process. (Call us for an article on lasers, Lasers A to Z.)
Loss of Facial Volume
With age, the body changes its patterns of fat deposition. The face loses priority, so it begins to lose fat. This is worsened by the displacement of tissues by gravity (see below), creating a haggard, worn, or tired appearance.
This can be countered using dermal fillers such as Restylane® ($550), Juvederm® ($600) or Radiesse® ($750 and up) or fat grafting. (Call us for an article on fillers, Fillers A to Z.)
Changes in Facial Tissues
It’s not just skin and fat, even some of the facial ligaments can lose elasticity. This contributes to the displacement of facial tissues. Where the ligaments retain their tautness, it can create facial grooves.
These grooves can be concealed using dermal fillers such as Restylane® ($550), Juvederm® ($600), or Radiesse® ($750 and up) or fat grafting.
Over time the muscles become conditioned to repeated responses and will anticipate routine contractions. In the face, this leads to the formation of permanent, inscribed folds where there should only be temporary ones.
The best treatment for relaxing these over-enthusiastic muscles is Botox Cosmetic ($55 per injection).
Displacement of Tissues by Gravity
Gravity works constantly to pull everything on the body downward. In the upper face, the brow and eyelids can begin to sag, creating a tired or angry appearance. Hanging skin and fat in the lower face produce jowls. Deep facial folds are formed around the mouth and nasolabial area.
The solution to tissues displaced by gravity depends on the degree—mild, moderate or severe.
Mild usually occurs in the 30-50 age range. Thermage® is a wonderful option for both drooping of the eyelids ($1200) and jowling in the lower part of the face ($1800).
Moderate can appear in your 50s and 60s. Options include Thermage® full face with or without eyes ($2500 and up) or a Lift ($6550) that is individualized to your specific needs.
Severe tends to develop in the 60s, 70s, or 80s. Solutions include a lift that addresses both face and neck ($6550) often along with eyelid surgery ($2900 and up) and brow Lift ($2900)—to correct gravity changes all over.
Excessive Fat Accumulation
One of the first signs of facial aging is that your eyes get puffy. This is caused by an increase of fat in the upper and lower lids. The only solution to this particular problem is Eyelid Surgery ($2900 and up) as it removes these fat pockets or “bags.” Fat also accumulates in the jowl area and in the neck area. This causes loss of the definition of the neck and makes the chin appear weaker.
Smartlipo™ ($2500) is minimally invasive laser lipolysis, and traditional chin and neck liposuction ($1500 and up) are both options to be discussed.
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