Rejuvenating The Face Without Surgery
Cosmetic treatments have come on in leaps and bounds over the past decade. So much so that today you don’t have to undergo cosmetic surgery to truly rejuvenate your face. With advanced non-surgical procedures, you can improve your appearance without a single scalpel in sight.
Not only is it possible to soften lines and wrinkles and refine your skin surface, but also to recreate youthful apple cheeks, gently plump your lips, straighten your nose, slim your face and give your jaw line a more defined look. However, with infinite possibilities these days, it becomes more difficult for the consumer to know which procedures are most suitable for their concern, and most importantly which are safest.
When thinking about non-surgical procedures I always evaluate my patient’s face methodically using the ‘rule of 3’ approach, as all of the three main problem areas of the ageing face need addressing to achieve a harmonious facial rejuvenation.
Lines & Wrinkles
The traditional key areas to look at when trying to turn back the clock are lines and wrinkles. Not all lines and wrinkles are created equally though. In order to decide on an appropriate treatment we have to divide this group into ‘dynamic’ and ‘static’ lines. Dynamic lines are those generated by repeated movement of underlying mimic muscles – think frown lines between the eyebrows, worry lines on the forehead and crow’s feet around the eyes.
To soften dynamic lines it is important to address their underlying cause (i.e. over-movement of mimic muscles). So the first step should be a botulinum toxin, like BOTOX. The newest trend goes towards using this on wider areas of the face, but in lower doses, in order to avoid the undesirable ‘frozen face’ appearance.
For static lines on the other hand, which are independent of mimic movement (e.g. nose-to-mouth lines), a filler is a good choice to gently plump up the grove from underneath. Hyaluronic acid fillers have now become the gold standard in this area.
Facial contour & volume
While ironing out wrinkles seemed to be the main aim of cosmetic treatments up until about five years ago, we have since realised that it’s actually another change that makes us look older, namely loss of facial volume and contour. While a young face displays a heart shape with plump cheeks and a firm, slim jaw line, this cheek volume is one of the first fat pads to go when we get older.
Flat cheeks and heavy jowls will then flip around the ‘inverted triangle of youth’ and leave our face appearing older – more than lines and wrinkles ever could. The good news is that we can correct this without surgery, by injecting a more viscous filler (‘volumiser’) into the cheeks. Hyaluronic acid volumisers offer the best benefit-risk ratio in my opinion.
Skin surface & texture
The last key area to look at is the skin surface and texture (‘skin quality’). Loss of elasticity, crepeyness, and irregular pigmentation are all important factors of ageing skin. Studies have even shown that irregular pigmentation not only makes you look older and less attractive to others, but people will also judge you as less healthy. Remedies to improve skin surface factors are, for example, cosmeceuticals, laser treatments, and medical needling.
Getting the best out of non-surgical treatments
Why don’t you take an old photo of yourself and compare this to your face in a mirror, before seeing an aesthetic practitioner. Try accessing your face as objectively as possible using the ‘rule of 3’ approach. This will greatly help you in your subsequent consultation with the cosmetic doctor.
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For more information on non-surgical treatments with Dr Thevendra at the APSARAS Clinic visit www.apsaras.co.uk