If your complexion is looking old and tired, we’d advise you to visit us in Manhattan for a facelift, right? If you’re seeing wrinkles starting to form, we’d suggest you schedule treatment with BOTOX® Cosmetic, right?
Well maybe, and maybe not. The fact is, the sooner you understand a bit more about facial aging, the better equipped you will be to avoid it as long as possible and seek the right treatment down the road.
The unfortunate truth is that the aging process happens at both the skin’s surface and underneath. You’ve probably heard that as the years pass, surface cell turnover slows down. This means dead flakes of skin hang around longer and cause a dull appearance. In addition, sweat and oil producing glands slow production. The result can be a dry looking complexion laden with fine wrinkles.
The best thing you can do for your facial skin is to take great care of it. This means wearing sunscreen daily, eating a healthy diet, drinking lots of water, avoiding pollutants including smoke and getting plenty of rest. When those measures don’t do the trick any longer, you can consider steps like prescription strength creams, chemical peels and laser treatment.
Underneath the surface, different processes are at work. The muscles that help us express human emotion—laughter, anger, puzzlement and more—eventually cause what are known as dynamic wrinkles. These creases are the right places to use Botox or an alternative like Dysport. Quick, comfortable injections can smooth these grooves for as long as a year.
Collagen and elastin fibers, which form the natural foundation of support for our skin, break down over time. Combined with the unavoidable force of gravity, this weakening of tissue under the skin causes sagging. Some areas of the face—such as the nasolabial lines that run from nose to mouth and the fine lines above the upper lip—are great targets for an injectable skin filler like Restylane® or Juvederm®. We offer several different injectables for plumping the skin from underneath, and we can work with you to find the best choice.
For many women and men in Manhattan, a facelift is eventually the right call. Especially when it comes to tightening up a saggy neck or restoring a youthful jawline, there’s no better option. Even patients who have delayed surgery with skin fillers find that elevating the cheek skin back to a more youthful position with a facelift creates the dramatic difference they’re after as they get older.
When you understand facial aging processes, you’ll see that you need different approaches for different reasons. You’ll know why Botox won’t help lift saggy cheeks, and it will make sense that even when you elect to have a facelift, you’ll still need to take care of your surface skin.
Once you feel confident in having some basic knowledge, other questions will probably arise. What about a mid-facelift or mini-facelift—would I be a good candidate? When should I elect Dysport over Botox? Which filler would be best for my needs?
We enjoy developing relationships with patients for the long term. We look forward to helping you combat the first signs of aging with minimally invasive treatment, and if you decide a facelift is in your future, we’ll be here for you then too. It all starts with a no-obligation consultation and evaluation. Give us a call at 212-570-6080 or contact us online.
