If you are looking for a tried and tested way to fight off aging and enhance your natural beauty, it would be best to consider cosmetic surgeries such as facelift or more technically known as rhytidectomy. Facelift treatments are designed to provide a more youthful glow to patients and make their skin look younger and tighter.
It is essential to note however that there are different types of facelift treatments that come along with certain advantages and disadvantages. Hence, this article discusses the difference between the two main types of facelift treatments – the surgical and the nonsurgical.
What is a surgical facelift?
Surgical facelift is actually the traditional form of facelift. It utilizes the traditional technique of removing excess facial skin, tightening the underlying tissues and redraping not only facial skin but also skin situated on the patient’s neck and back of the neck. Surgical facelift is the cosmetic surgery that roots from the procedure performed by Dr. Eugen Hollander in 1901. Obviously, the treatment has been existing and being performed for more than a hundred years.
Numerous celebrities and public figures have undergone successful traditional facelift treatments some of whom include actress Joan Rivers, fitness guru Jane Fonda, comedienne Kathy Griffin and Kim Kardashian’s stepfather Bruce Jenner. Pop superstars Michael and La Toya Jackson were also rumored to have undergone traditional facelift treatments.
What is a nonsurgical facelift?
Nonsurgical facelift, on the other hand, are facelift alternatives. While it aims for the same result, which is to provide a more youthful glow by reshaping the face of the patient, the procedure itself is different and bolder compared to surgical facelift. Nonsurgical facelift’s popularity is also increasing rapidly these days. Below are some of the more popular and frequently performed nonsurgical facelift treatments.
Botox
Botox is one of the most frequently performed facelift alternatives today. It’s basically a nonsurgical facelift treatment in which substances are injected in the facial tissues. These substances aim to relax the muscle thereby smoothing skin and reducing wrinkles and other imperfections in the patient’s face.
Collagen injections
Collagen injection is another type of nonsurgical facelift that aims the same result of enhancing youthful glow and improving facial skin. This type of nonsurgical facelift is actually quite similar to Botox especially in terms to how it’s done. Injections of substances particularly collagen is the main procedure in this type of nonsurgical facelift. Collagen is a type of protein and once injected in a patient’s face, raises tissues and decreases fine line and wrinkles. Collagen is also safe considering that it’s naturally found in facial skin.
Skin resurfacing
Skin resurfacing is another popular alternative to surgical facelift. This type of nonsurgical facelift makes use of chemical peels and other substances. Under this procedure, a chemical peel solution is applied to the patient’s face. The concept is to cause injury (also known as good scars) to the patient’s face in an effort to acquire new and younger-looking skin during the healing process.
Skin resurfacing can take the form of dermabrasion or microdermabrasion – both proven and effective ways of smoothing facial skin.
Thermage/Titan
Thermage and Titan are two similar nonsurgical facelift treatments in terms of procedure and purpose. Both types of nonsurgical facelift treatments call for heating the facial skin and tissue in order to tighten it up and form a new collagen. The very principle of these two closely resembles that of skin resurfacing.
The mere difference however is the mechanic by which the dermis is heated. Under Thermage, radiofrequency is used to stimulate facial skin while in Titan, infrared rays are utilized.
Microcurrent facelift
Microcurrent facelift also known as bio-ultimate facelift is another type of nonsurgical facelift that is becoming popular nowadays. The aim of this type of facelift procedure is to activate the skin’s natural chemicals – natural chemicals that are particularly responsible for a person’s health and vitality.
Microcurrent facelift ultimately results to younger and more youthful facial skin. Microcurrent facelift are preferred by some due to the fact that the entire procedure takes just an hour and is practically painless.
Laser beam skim rejuvenation
Laser beam skin rejuvenation is a unique nonsurgical facelift that utilizes micro-fractional laser technology. This type of nonsurgical facelift is deemed perfect for patients with wrinkles, acne, surgical scars and unwanted facial skin irregularities.
What makes surgical and nonsurgical different from each other?
Basically the main thing that makes surgical facelift different from nonsurgical facelift is that surgical facelift requires full invasive techniques. Nonsurgical facelift treatments do not require any type of surgery. Nonsurgical facelift treatments do not cut into the skin of the patient unlike surgical facelift.
Similarly, surgical facelift also takes longer than nonsurgical facelift treatments. Some patients also say that nonsurgical are less painful (while some are even painless). However the cost of nonsurgical facelift treatments is generally higher compared to the traditional form of facelift.
It is also important to note that surgical facelift treatments are performed for over a hundred years. In terms of reliability, surgical facelift likewise appear to be more reliable given its longevity.
