Facelift or Injections – Which Will Better Rejuvenate Your Face?

November 25, 2014
By Robert T. Grant, M.D.
ThePlasticSurgeryChannel.com

Facial rejuvenation procedures, such as face lifts or injectables like Botox, are consistently rising in popularity among men and women who want keep their youthful glow. With advances in modern healthcare and nutrition, more people are maintaining their youthful edge and high energy levels well into their later years. But what happens when the outside doesn’t reflect what one is feeling on the inside? Facial rejuvenation has become a possible solution to this age-defying dilemma that can help match your outer glow to your inner youth.

The first step in figuring out which approach to facial rejuvenation is right for you is to learn the differences between the two techniques. While facelift surgery and injectables both offer age-defying benefits, each procedure addresses different aspects in regards to the signs of aging and both yield different results.

Facelift Surgery

A facelift procedure is a full facial surgery, performed to remove excess, sagging skin and reshape the facial structure to achieve a brighter, more youthful appearance. Nothing can be done to shrink or reduce loose, sagging skin short of a facelift. In order to correct this; the skin needs to be re-positioned, excess skin removed, and the remaining skin repaired.

Facelift surgery does not necessarily treat all areas of the face; further lift procedures done to specific areas can be done in conjunction. Eyelid surgery, a forehead lift, or neck lift surgery may be used to further enhance the results of the facelift, creating a nicely proportioned effect. Deep under-eye creases, forehead creases, drooping eyebrows, and deep folds and creases along the nose are some of the other areas that can be addressed with a facelift procedure.

Botox

Botox is a neurotoxin that is used to relax the tense muscles associated with fine lines and wrinkles. By injecting Botox, the muscles are able to relax, leaving the area smooth and more youthful looking. Botox is often used in the upper areas of the face to treat forehead creases, wrinkles around the eyes crow’s feet, and creases between the eyebrows. However, Botox does not change the existing tissue; it simply allows tense muscles to relax which, in turn, allows your skin to lie in a more natural position. Results can last anywhere from six to nine months.

Botox and other injectables are often referred to as non-surgical facelifts, but they are not a facelift at all. Botox injections do little to address the actual skin.

Two Tier Approach

Many people have a combination of age signs including sagging jowls and forehead wrinkles, or crow’s feet and loose skin in the neck. Fortunately, facelift procedures work well in addition to Botox treatments and vice versa. By combining the techniques, patients are able to get a more complete, well-balanced facial rejuvenation experience.