Aging and gravity take a toll on the face and neck over time, leaving skin slack to accommodate the natural loss of elasticity that comes with time. To reverse this process, some of our patients turn to facial rejuvenation surgery – a series of procedures designed to tighten skin on the face and neck through injectables, such as Botox, or surgical procedures like facelift surgery or neck lift surgery.
Skin tightening is the process of reversing the visible effects of aging. Though we typically think of wrinkles as the main target of anti-aging treatments, skin can lose elasticity and become loose. Signs of loose skin include sagging, unevenness, and excess tissue in the face or neck.
Skin tightening options vary in both price and invasiveness. These choices are crucial to every patient that plans on having facelift surgery or going under the knife for a neck lift, so it’s essential to understand these options. What’s more, there are more than a dozen different procedures used for tightening facial skin, including Botox and other injectable products, microdermabrasion, and dermal filler injections like Restylane and Voluma.
Skin Tightening Procedures
1. Facelift Surgery
The Facelift is a major surgical procedure that moves skin sections forward, removing the excess tissue from the face and neck. As a result, the skin will appear fresher and tighter. With this surgery, doctors can remove excess tissue from either side of the face or just one side. The incisions used are usually large and involve removing skin from both cheeks simultaneously or in multiple sites on just one side of the face – including removing excess tissue on the ear. However, some patients have an incision line in the middle of their face, resulting in an asymmetrical appearance.
Pros:
-Cost-effective (lowest per procedure cost).
-Overall great result due to the removal of excess skin.
Cons:
-Requires a lengthy recovery period.
-Major, invasive surgery (can leave ugly scars).
-In a few rare cases, patients experience asymmetrical results.
-No accurate natural-looking results.
-May result in an asymmetric appearance.
-May have more visible plastic surgery scars than other procedures.
2. Neck Lift Surgery
The Neck Lift is a procedure that involves tightening skin and tightening tone in certain neck areas. It is a minor surgical procedure that restores the overall neck tone. However, some patients may notice a difference of 1-2 centimeters (0.4-0.8 inches) at the most noticeable sites: the midline of the neck and where the chin meets the neck. It entails removing excess skin, fat, and tissue from areas around the jowls, which tend to hang as we age due to the loss of fat beneath the skin. The procedure is performed in the office, and patients can return home the same day.
Pros:
-Good results with limited scarring.
-Can easily be reversed with laser resurfacing.
Cons:
-Does not significantly change neck structure or tone.
-Requires a more extended recovery period similar to other procedures.
-May not restore neck appearance to a youthful appearance.
3. Facial Rejuvenation Surgery
Facial Rejuvenation is a unique procedure that tightens the skin in the facial areas, so you don’t have to go under the knife for facelift surgery. However, this procedure usually leaves visible scars at the incision site. It involves tightening skin by tightening muscles and removing excess tissue through injectable or microdermabrasion products like Sculptra or Restylane.
Pros:
-Good results with limited scarring.
-Can easily be reversed with laser resurfacing.
-Injectable Fillers: allows for visible results without traditional surgery.
Cons:
-Injectable Fillers: requires multiple procedures for optimal results.
-May not restore a youthful appearance to the skin.
4. Cosmetic Microdermabrasion
Even though this is not a surgical procedure, it is the process of removing dead skin cells to reveal new skin cells beneath them. It can be used on the body or on the face to tighten and tone facial skin and produce some anti-aging effects on the face. This procedure involves rubbing the skin to allow new skin cells to grow under the dead ones. Though it is performed in the office, not everyone will notice an immediate difference at home.
This procedure is limited by what can be accomplished in one sitting. In some cases, it’s recommended for people who would have typical results from one method with facelift surgery and would like to prevent surgical scars.
Pros:
-Good results with minimal scarring and visible effects immediately after treatment (possible return-to-work quicker than other procedures).
-Effectively tightens skin.
Cons:
-Costly procedure (similar cost to other facelift procedures).
-Requires multiple sessions for optimal results.
-Cannot completely erase the signs of aging in some patients (only treatable skin concerns).
-It is not a complete solution.
5. Neck Liposuction
This procedure is used on the neck to tighten areas that show signs of aging, including loose skin and fat. It involves removing fat through liposuction and then removing excess skin. In some cases, it also consists in tightening underlying muscles. This can be done through small incisions at the hairline or larger incisions over both ears. The procedure can be performed under local anesthesia or general anesthesia.
Pros:
-Lighter scarring than facelift surgery.
-Easier recovery than facelift surgery (can return to work in one day).
-It is less invasive than facelift surgery.
Cons:
-May leave visible scars at the incision sites; best results with no visible scars.
-Requires multiple procedures to achieve optimal results (more expensive).
6. Facial Fillers
Facial fillers are usually injected into the skin to provide volume and shape for the face and improve facial appearance. Unlike Botox and other injectables, fillers are non-surgical procedures that can be performed in an office setting. They help hollow out areas, smooth wrinkles throughout the face, and contour features by filling small facial lines and gaps. It entails injecting or depositing substances into the facial area to optimize an individual’s skin’s appearance. They are a type of cosmetic medicine.
Pros:
-Low cost for the number of results achieved (lowest cost per procedure).
There is a wide variety of products to choose from (many more than facial botox).
-It’s Less invasive than facelift surgery.
Cons:
-May not produce noticeable results overnight.
-Injections: less natural-looking than traditional facelifts.
Conclusion
Although facelifts are less invasive and require fewer recovery days than other surgical procedures, they are still significant surgeries that require at least a month of recovery. However, before getting into any procedure, you should consult a professional on which procedure will work best. More information on skin tightening procedures can be found here healthline.com
