Nonsurgical Face Lift
Nip/Tuck the Painless Way

Vanity has driven the cosmetic surgery industry to new heights, it's influence even extending to local TV fare. Who could ever forget Dr. Christian Troy's line in the hit TV series Nip/Tuck ("When you stop aiming for perfection you might as well be dead)."

Yes, perfection is something all of us aim for, whether we openly admit to it or not. For some, it could mean the difference between success in a chosen career, social acceptance or just plain keeping up with your amiga who never looked a day over 30. Thanks of course, the nimble hands and expert carving of your trusted cosmetic surgeon. When before people who have gone under the knife have kept it a closely guarded secret, now surgical procedures have become commonplace.

Cosmetic surgeons of source have since gone into prominence, with full-blown advertisements in every newspaper, magazine and on TV. It seems looking every inch a celebrity is a mere scalpel incision away.

But then, who would want to go through months of painful recovery and (God forbid) scars if the surgical turns out to be a blotched one? So, our cosmetic surgeons have come up non-surgical face lifts that are easy, relatively painless and require only a week or two of recovery.

A breakthrough procedure called the Aptos Thread (invented by Dr. Sulamanidze from Russia), gives the result of a subtle-facelift without any scarring, sutures or cutting of the skin. This procedure can be done to lift the cheeks, jowls, eyebrows and neck. Otherwise known as the Feather Lift, this innovative facial procedure is the hottest method in the field of dermatology since the birth of the traditional face-lift. The procedure takes less than an hour and real results can be seen in after two weeks.

The basic idea is simple. A "feather weight" high resistance threads anchors itself to the facial tissue as the doctor lifts the sagging anatomical structures following the vectors (direction) appropriate to obtain the desired younger look. The facial features will remain perfectly "anchored" in their new position for years to come. The wonderful fact that the threads can be "touched up" in later years to maintain your natural and youthful appearance makes this procedure invaluable.

Most local celebrities swear by the Obagi method because it does not involve the use of injectibles or a specialized thread to bring about a youthful look. It works under the premise that the skin is a living organ with the amazing ability to renew itself. Every six weeks, it can regenerate itself literally from the inside out.

The Obagi system works deep down to bring skin cells back to health. It uses prescription-strength ingredients that work at the cellular level…beyond and deeper than the skin's surface.

Want to literally erase years from your face in a matter of minutes? Try Botox, an injected solution that weakens the muscle that creases the skin surrounding the eyes, forehead and mouth. The procedure, otherwise known as cosmetic denervation improves the appearance of worry lines, frown lines, laugh lines, crow's feet and other dynamic wrinkles. A ten-minute treatment with a few tiny injections relaxes the muscles that causes those lines to form and keeps them relaxed for up to four months.

Another injectible procedure to plump up sunken areas of the face and give one a softer, fresher look involves Perlane and Restylane injections into wrinkled or flat areas of the face. Hyaluronic acid is a natural substance present in all living organisms. In your skin, it creates volume, resulting in a healthy and vital appearance.

Restylane and Perlane contain hyaluronic acid in the form of a crystal-clear gel injected into the skin to lift the lip, wrinkle or fold. Once in the skin, Restylane or Perlane work together with the body's own hyaluronic acid and joins forces to create volume.

Restylane is generally used for wrinkle correction around the eye and lip areas and for lip enhancements. Perlane, on the other hand, is used for shaping facial contours, such as cheeks and chin, for correcting deep folds and for volume augmentation of the lips.

In the case of wrinkles and facial contouring, most patients choose to have follow-up treatments 6 to 12 months after their initial treatment. In lip treatments, a follow-up is normally required after about 6 months.

Hydrogel Injection, on the other hand, permanent to elevate or plump up sunken areas such as the cheeks, temples, lips and buttocks. Hydrogel consists of 97.5% water and 2.5% polycrylamide gel that are non-irritating. This simple procedure is permanent and produces great results in the cheeks, temples, lips and butt.

Other non-surgical face lifts are Autofat Injection (where the fat is removed from the abdomen or the outer thigh. It is then cleaned and centrifuged to produce fat that is easy to inject. It's good way of rebuilding the foundation of your face) and Stem Cell Auto Grafting (a new, permanent and effective technique that uses the patient's own fat and stem cells to fill and correct the atrophied facial muscles, therefore correcting the lost volume and rejuvenating the aging face).

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