InHealth: Reclaiming a Younger Appearance

By Mark E. Mathieson, MD

What do you think ages our appearance the most?
Is it the lines and unwanted wrinkles that just seemed to appear? Discoloration and texture changes from too many years of sun exposure? Loose or sagging skin, especially after a recent weight loss? Truthfully, besides aging, it is a combination of all these factors, but there is no one major, underlying cause.

It’s commonplace that as we grow older we seem to accumulate fat around our middles, but lose it from our faces. Of course, loss of fat is not the only factor in the equation of the aging face. There is also loss of collagen, which our bodies slow down producing around our mid-to-late twenties. Think of a youthful face, and you’ll most likely picture a face taut with full, rounded cheeks. That’s because fat and collagen are the key factors which keep our faces looking smooth and supple.

So, if loss of fullness and firmness is primarily responsible for aging our faces, then why is a facelift the go-to for some looking to reclaim a younger appearance? The truth is, for many patients, it’s not. Stretching the skin tighter, creating that frozen look, is not really addressing the problem. Fortunately, over the last decade, new laser technology, creation of new injectable fillers, fat and wrinkle reducers, has changed the way plastic surgeons and patients are seeking to improve their facial appearance.

Sounds too good to be true?
Enter the age of the liquid facelift.

A liquid facelift refers to a tailored and comprehensive use of non-invasive surgical procedures performed by your plastic surgeon to revitalize and temporarily restore your youthful appearance safely and with limited downtime. Dermal fillers, nerve impulse blockers, fat dissolvers as well as lasers are the new exciting tools presently being used.

New injectable gel products and volume enhancers (Voluma, Juvederm) have the ability to lift, fill, smooth unwanted contours exactly where needed. Wrinkle reducers (Botox, Xeomin) are injected into specific areas, effectively relaxing muscles that are responsible for making certain deep creases and expression lines. A new liquid fat dissolver indicated for under the chin fat, Kybella has diminished the need for some patients to undergo a formal surgical procedure in this region. Lastly, the use of lasers provides shortened patient recovery for both resurfacing and improving texture, as well as correction of those stubborn facial sun spots.

Ultimately, with a new set of tools, the doctor can artfully fill the face from the inside and stimulate collagen regrowth, as well as targeting those unwanted wrinkles and chin fat while improving the skin texture.

Mark E. Mathieson, MD
Sterling Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, P.A.
1950 Arlington St., Ste 112
Sarasota 34239 
941.213.BODY
drmarkmathieson.com

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