Question: I am considering trying a nonsurgical facelift procedure. I would like to know 1. Which method do you favor the most, and 2. Which method has the most long-lasting results?
Answer: I personally feel that there are very few techniques available that can provide a true nonsurgical facelift and, in fact, the only device that has ever been given a facial lifting indication by the FDA is a device called Ultherapy. Ultherapy is an ultrasound-based device that focuses ultrasound energy below the skin’s surface and causes the deposition of new collagen, which then tightens and lifts. It is FDA approved for lifting of the brows, but we also use it for the cheeks, jowls, and region under the chin. All other currently available devices have only been given a skin-tightening indication by the FDA.
There are other techniques that perform the appearance of a facelift, and these mostly involve the injection of filler materials in order to try to camouflage the effects of aging and enhance one’s appearance. These can certainly be quite effective, and certain filler materials can last for one to two years. Ultherapy, on the other hand, changes the tissue, and in my opinion, patients have to essentially age out of the improvement, and this should take many years. So in conclusion,
I feel that the Ultherapy procedure is the technique that I favor the most for a nonsurgical facelift, and I feel that more than likely it has the longest lasting results as well. I would like to mention, however, that for patients with more advanced signs of aging, a relatively simple in-office mini lift can do wonders for the appearance of the lower third of the face, and this is essentially a permanent result that the patient would then have to age out of.
