What's Involved with a Liquid Facelift?

Achieving a more youthful appearance is a goal shared by many individuals in Ponchatoula, Louisiana and throughout the country. Wrinkles, fine lines and other signs of aging may lead us to feel aged or older, something that a lot of people are not eager to deal with. Many cosmetic treatments and procedures exist to help individuals fight the signs of aging. One such treatment is a liquid facelift, which involves dermal fillers as well as other injectables to help individuals achieve a fuller and more youthful appearance.

As we age, the breakdown of collagen—which causes the skin to appear plump and firm—leads to a loss of fullness in the face. The skin may begin to sag, leading many to appear older than they would like. A liquid facelift composed of dermal fillers and various injectables like BOTOX ® allows specialists to help patients achieve a more youthful appearance. Candidates for liquid facelifts include men and women experiencing the signs of aging. Patients should consult a specialist in the Ponchatoula area to help determine their candidacy for this procedure.

A liquid facelift may help to treat various areas of the face including crow's feet, nasolabial lines (mouth to the nose), frown lines, bags under the eyes, lips, cheeks and chin. Individuals who are not considered candidates for a liquid facelift include those suffering from diabetes, cardiovascular disease, neuromuscular disorders, certain bleeding disorders, autoimmune disorders and allergies to products that may be used in the procedure. For this reason, it is important to reveal any medical conditions, medications or allergies to the medical professional. What's more, the specialist should test for tolerance of the products used.

Patients will first discuss their goals with the specialist to help devise a plan of treatment that includes which fillers and injectables may be used throughout the liquid facelift procedure. The treatment area may be numbed during the treatment using a topical anesthetic or a local anesthetic. A nerve block may be used in deeper dermal fillers. The specialist then proceeds to inject the treatment areas using the product chosen. The entire liquid facelift procedure may take less than an hour to perform.

There may be some slight discomfort during the injection, but an anesthetic is often used to help minimize the discomfort patients feel. Patients may apply ice packs after treatment to help reduce swelling. There may be some temporary swelling, redness and discomfort following the procedure, but ice packs and over-the-counter medications may be used to help treat this. Before taking any medicine, patients should discuss it with the physician. Patients are usually able to return to normal activities immediately after the treatment.

The results of a liquid facelift may begin to appear immediately after the procedure. The results should continue to improve as the swelling resolves. Over time, the long term results may begin to diminish. The duration of the results typically depends on the type of filler or injectable used and may be anywhere from six months to over a year. Maintenance procedures may be required to maintain results over time.

As with any procedure, there are certain risks associated with liquid facelifts that patients should be aware of. The risks or side effects are minimal and may involve temporary redness, swelling or bruising. Rarely patients may experience drooping eyebrows or eyelids when treated with BOTOX ®. There may also be temporary, small lumps that may appear around the injection site. These should resolve over time. Those suffering from herpes may be prescribed a medication when treating the area around the lips to help prevent flare-ups.

Learn more about liquid facelift in Ponchatoula, Louisiana.