What makes liquid facelifts more appealing — especially when comparing it to other surgical procedures — is that the procedure is custom designed to treat individual areas, the downtime is minimal and no incisions or general anesthesia are required, making it an outpatient procedure with speedy recovery. Furthermore, the cost is considerably lower and results are immediately visible and even reversible.Arab News spoke to Dr. Sami Sawan, a Derma-cosmetic consultant at Jeddah’s IMC hospital, to answer some frequently asked questions on the non-surgical facelift.
Nearly any area of the face can be rejuvenated with a liquid facelift. So, if you are in good general health and are noticing the initial signs of facial aging, including wrinkles, lines, hollows and sagging or loosening of the skin, you may be a good candidate.
After your consultation visit, your doctor will determine a procedure plan uniquely suited to your needs and the results you hope to achieve. Three main types of injections go into a liquid facelift: Botox, dermal fillers and Mesotherapy.
These injections can all be done at once or on separate settings, depending on your needs and expected results. The procedure will be performed on an outpatient basis under topical or local anesthesia. A nurse or assistant will prepare you by disinfecting your face and will then apply an anesthetizing cream. Then, your doctor will start marking the injection points and injecting specific amounts of products into specific areas. Your doctor will also give you a follow up appointment in 10 days to perform any touchups that may be needed. The whole procedure usually takes less than 30 minutes to perform.
Recovery time is minimal, with most individuals returning to their regular activities on the same day. Your doctor may recommend that you keep cool packs on your face immediately after the procedure if he/she thinks you might bruise, or might prescribe some mild analgesic to relieve your post-procedure discomfort.
You will see initial results even before leaving the clinic and results will continue to improve in the following days. Botox takes full effect and any post-procedure swelling and redness will disappear.
Results will vary based on the type of filler you choose. Fillers last from several months to as long as two years. Botox lasts from three to six months in most individuals, and touch-up procedures can help prolong results. You and your doctor can determine a schedule to maintain your results as long as possible.
In recent years, Botox injections have undisputedly become the most popular of all cosmetic procedures, with well over five million patients being treated annually. When injected into a muscle, the botulinum toxin blocks the nerve impulses that normally lead to muscle contraction. This results in the absence or reduction of muscle contraction, leaving the skin smoother and gives the face a more relaxed appearance.
Botox is used most commonly for the reduction of the appearance of frown lines between the brows, the forehead lines and lines at the outer edge of the eye, known as “crow’s feet.” Less commonly, Botox can also be used by more experienced doctors for the lower half of the face to elevate the mouth angles, remove upper lip lines, decrease the chin cobblestone appearance or decrease the roundness of the face. Furthermore, more experienced doctors can inject Botox to treat areas that were previously thought to be treated by surgery such as gummy smile treatments and neckbands.
Pioneered by the French physician, Dr. Michel Pistor in 1952, Mesotherapy is a minimally invasive procedure that is widely used in Europe. It targets problem areas with microinjections of vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Tiny drops are delivered directly into the skin, which specifically treat the problem area. Among its many applications, Mesotherapy can be used for the following: to reduce fat, unify facial colors, whiten dark areas and for general rejuvenation.
After disinfecting the face, your doctor will most probably use a meso gun, or a meso roller, to introduce the material into the skin. You will see initial results even before leaving the clinic, but results will improve and be clear in three to four days after the procedure and will last for three to four months.
Soft tissue fillers are one of the top three minimally invasive cosmetic procedures performed worldwide. Last year, more than two million people had soft tissue filler augmentation. There are many fillers on the market these days. The preferred and safest products consist of hyaluronic acid, which is a natural chemical in the skin. Dermal fillers are used to fill out lines and wrinkles around the mouth and nose. Lips can also be defined or given a fuller appearance. In addition, facial contouring, such as cheek and chin, can be achieved using dermal fillers to smooth out the hollows and alter the facial contour.
The procedure consists of disinfecting the face and injecting the agreed upon product under the skin. Results will appear immediately and you can discuss with your doctor during the procedure if you want him/her to inject more product according to what you see happening. The latest options in fillers include new blunt needles that are used to inject fillers into your soft tissue. These blunt needles are non-traumatic, leading to virtually no bruising and no pain during the procedure.
It all depends on how much liquid you need. If you want to inject Botox and fill some lines around your mouth, then you will probably pay around SR3,000 to SR4,000. If you want to inject Botox and fill your lips, cheeks and lines, then you will probably end up paying between SR5,000 to SR7,000.
