Fillers or Facelift
Fillers or Facelift
This is a very common question brought up during consultation. Whether you are considering nonsurgical or surgical options, fillers or facelift is a topic you and Dr. Majmundar will most likely discuss.The question usually is: Should I get fillers or should I get a facelift? The answer is: it depends.
- Are you losing mostly volume with some sagging? In that case, fillers should make you happy. Usually, individuals in their 40s – 50s can get a good result with fillers alone. Individuals who are deciding between a filler or facelift, usually are interested in improving their jowls or neck skin, and will need to look at fillers that are lifting agents more than just volumizers. Lifting agents on the market as of April, 2016, include Radiesse, Sculptra, Restylane Lyft, Restylane, and Voluma. For a true nonsurgical facelift, most patients need one syringe of filler per decade of life. So if you’re 40, you most likely will need 4 syringes of a lifting agent to simulate a lift (this improves the nasolabial folds, marionette lines, jowls, cheeks, and tear trough hollowing; additional syringes may be needed for improving the neck, temples, lips, nose, chin, or brow). This is an increasingly popular option since it can be done in less than 30 minutes, and downtime is less than 2 days with the use of a blunt cannula (instead of needle) and can give an improvement for 12-24 months without the cost of anesthesia, facility fees, loss of work income from days off of work, or asking someone to look after you after surgery.
- If you are losing mostly elasticity (sagging), a facelift should make you happy. A facelift improves the neck skin excess, jowling, and some of the marionette folds and some of the nasolabial folds. If the neck is the biggest concern, then a facelift will make you the happiest as fillers provide a mild improvement in this area. Most individuals in the mid 50’s and onward, would benefit more from a facelift. In reality, most individuals needing a facelift, almost always are also losing volume, especially in their cheeks (both processes tend to coincide later in life). This is important for an individual to recognize because if a facelift alone is performed without recognizing that you have volume loss, the appearance of the marionette lines and nasolabial folds will return within 6 months making you unhappy. In general, volume can be added using fillers 3-4 months after a facelift or it can be added at the time of facelift with fat injections or facial implants. In this case, the amount of filler needed after a facelift is much less than the amount needed prior to a facelift since the skin envelope is tighter.
The fillers or facelift question is much more complex than explained here since each person is different and ages differently. For a true evaluation of your best options, visit with Dr. Majmundar or visit one of our websites at www.northsideplasticsurgery.com or www.atlantaminifacelift.com or www.mmliftatlanta.com.
