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It’s a fact that life brings changes and that for most of us, the skin on our faces is the proof of change. Some of us show the proof more than others and it’s all attributed to the lifestyle we have lived. Things like what you eat, your personal habits, and whether or not you are or have been a smoker can all make the skin on our faces show the signs of age quicker than others.
What should you do to reduce sagging skin on your face? Many of us have stood in our bathrooms and looked in the mirror while pulling our facial skin back to see what we used to look like. You have options to make this happen by seeing a facial plastic surgeon expert and exploring whether you want a laser resurfacing, a facelift, or injections
Laser Resurfacing vs. Facelift
When you compare the benefits of laser resurfacing to those of a facelift, it isn’t possible to determine if one procedure is more beneficial than the other because they are not in the same category. They are both fruits, but one is an apple and the other is orange.
Both of these procedures are used to rejuvenate the facial flesh, but the reason for getting them is not the same. A facelift’s purpose is to lift saggy flesh and muscle off the face and the process is to remove fat in the face and neckline as well. Laser resurfacing smooths out fine line wrinkles on the face, but it does not work for tightening of the skin and it won’t solve the problem of saggy neck flesh.
There are cases where patients require both procedures and will often get them both done at the same time.
What is a Facelift?
A facelift is a surgical procedure, laser resurfacing is not.
When a facelift is performed, the cheeks, jawline, and neck are lifted to establish renewed support to the face and neck. The muscles in the face are rejuvenated while the skin gets repositioned and any excess fat or skin that needs removal is taken off surgically.
For a plastic surgeon to provide a patient with a natural look post-surgery, the procedure requires detailed dissection of the face performed layer by layer. This requires a great deal of skill and a physician with a meticulous hand.
According to Dr. Anthony Bared, a Miami-based facial plastic surgeon, there are several signs of age and lifestyle on our faces that a facelift can address, such as:
* jowls (sometimes called turkey neck) caused by the loss of muscle tone
* deposits of fat and sagging skin that causes the notorious double chin
* loosened and saggy skin across the face as a result of collagen loss due to aging
* saggy and loose skin from substantial weight loss
What is Laser Resurfacing?
Laser resurfacing does not involve surgery. There is not just one type of laser treatment, there are many. Multiple types of lasers differ in strength. The more power used in the laser for the resurfacing, the more healing time will be needed.
Higher power laser resurfacing has results that offer much more longevity as well, though. resurfacing can be done by itself or in conjunction with other procedures, most commonly a facelift.
Facelift vs. Injections
Facial injections have flourished in popularity. What needs to be realized, though, is that there are limits to what injectables can accomplish.
The furrows that begin to wear into our foreheads can be smoothed out with Botox injections by the relaxation of the muscles in the forehead that cause these trails of stress to run from temple to temple.
Some patients are in search of plump cheeks and voluminous lips and erasure of wrinkles and fine lines around their mouth and their nostrils. Juvaderm and Restylane are what are usually used for this.
But for the patients that are wanting loose skin to be tightened and for their neckline and face to be thinned out, injectables are not the answer. They cannot accomplish what a facelift can.
Fillers can help younger people ward off the need for plastic surgery but they won’t give the results that a facelift can give. The reason for getting a facelift is not to restructure your face.
You should still look like you, but a younger you. This is what fillers are supposed to do as well, but there are limitations of how many are advisable and if those limitations are ignored the patient no longer looks like themselves and their facial features begin to look unnatural.
The Pros and Cons of a Facelift
If you are considering going the route of a facelift, this is a major decision in your life. You want to be as educated as possible. You should formulate a list of questions to ask your doctor when you go for your initial consultation. Some of the pros and cons of a facelift include:
Pros
After just one facelift surgery, you will see an immediate improvement in your skin’s condition. A facelift can last up to a decade and can also rejuvenate and recontour the jaw and neckline. While undergoing your facelift procedure, if you do not like the size of your nose or the shape of your chin you can have features like this worked on during the same procedure. If you and your doctor have agreed that laser resurfacing is a good option for you in addition to a facelift, that work can be done during the facelift procedure as well.
Cons
To not be disappointed post-surgery, it is important to realize you are not doing this to have a different face. You are still going to be you. Your face will still be your face. When you look in the mirror once you have healed you will see a younger version of you with all the same beauty you already had before surgery. This is not a reconstruction of your face, it is rejuvenation.
Keep in mind that you will need up to two weeks of recovery. This is invasive surgery, indeed, and your body has to have the time for you to rest and heal.
Facelifts are not permanent fixes. The same way your skin showed signs of aging before you had your lift done, that skin will continue to age. The hands of time are not stopped. Some patients find themselves feeling down when some of the fine lines and wrinkles return. To maintain a youthful look your doctor achieved for you, maintenance will be needed.
The Pros and Cons of Laser Resurfacing
Pros
The results you receive from laser resurfacing are going to vary according to the power of the laser used but some of the great results that can be achieved include: smoother skin tone, tightening of the skin, wrinkles and fine lines erased, acne scar treatment, age spot elimination, removal of large pores, and collagen production stimulation.
Cons
The biggest risk you can take is if you do not get your work done by a qualified clinician. The greater the power of laser holds the greater risk that there could be irreversible lightening or darkening of the skin, scarring, and horrible cold sores. Even though the downtime for laser procedures is not as long as the healing time for a facelift, there is some recovery time that is required. Patients should know that they will have patchy redness on their skin as a normal side effect and it will get worse before it gets better.
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Sinus infection, headaches, sinusitis- if you are someone that suffers from one of these conditions on a chronic level then you know what a real pain they can be to deal with. Chronic sinusitis is defined by enthealth.org as experiencing sinus symptoms for more than 12 weeks. No one wants to deal with a constant symptoms explained by Mayo Clinic as including: nasal discharge, postnasal drip, trouble breathing, loss of your sense of smell, pain and tenderness in your sinuses and eyes, coughing, bad breath, throat pain, fatigue, earaches and of course irritability (who wouldn’t be irritable being bombarded by all those symptoms?).
Typically a traditional method to help remedy chronic sinusitis was to undergo rhinoplasty, also commonly called a “nose job.” However, having to go through this type of surgery often means lots of downtimes, possible complications, and recovery time. Many individuals do not want to have to deal with those aspects and choose to just deal with the pain by using antibiotics that only take the edge off.
Luckily, you have other options. This article will shed some light on rhinoplasty, sinuplasty, and which is more beneficial.
Rhinoplasty
The Procedure
When you think of rhinoplasty you likely think about it being a purely cosmetic procedure. While it is a way to reshape or reduce your nose for aesthetic purposes, it can also be used to remedy structural defects like a deviated septum.
During a rhinoplasty procedure, general or local anesthesia will be used depending on your specific needs. There are two types of rhinoplasty: open and closed. The only difference between the two is how the doctor accesses the inside nose structures. During open surgery, your doctor will make an incision to lift the skin of your nose upwards. In a closed surgery, the incisions are all made internally so there is no external scarring.
Once the doctor has gained access, he will then restructure the nose which may include the breaking and removal of cartilage, and sometimes rebuilding of cartilage in certain areas. Once complete, you will be stitched up and splinted for healing.
Risks
According to The American Society of Plastic Surgeons, some of the potential risks associated with rhinoplasty are:
• Risks from the use of anesthesia
• Infection
• Healing or scarring issues
• Loss of feeling or pain in the area
• Perforation in the septum that may or may not be treatable with further surgery.
• Breathing difficulty
• Discoloration
• Swelling
• Need for revisional surgeries
• Dissatisfied with appearance
Recovery
Besides the risk involved, recovery may be rough. For the first week, you will need to wear a splint and possibly packing inside of your nose. You can expect bruising and swelling that can last for a few weeks. It can also take up to one year for your nose to completely change into its permanent shape.
Cost
Finally, this procedure can put a pretty good dent in some budgets. According to plasticsurgery.org, the average cost of a rhinoplasty procedure in 2018 was $5,350. However, the procedure cost can vary widely. The average cost for the statistic was only a base cost. It does not include other aspects you must pay for including anesthesia and hospital and operating room costs.
Sinuplasty
Sinuplasty, or balloon sinuplasty, is a fairly new procedure that was approved by the FDA as an effective procedure in 2005. It improves upon the traditional surgery options for people experiencing sinus issues that cannot be controlled through medication. It is safer and less invasive than a rhinoplasty procedure.
The Procedure
During your sinuplasty, your doctor will use a tiny camera called an endoscope to properly place a catheter into your blocked sinus cavity. The catheter is equipped with a very small balloon which is slowly inflated to open up the nasal passage and restructure the bones around your sinuses. Any excess fluid will also be drained. Once complete, the balloon is removed. Since the procedure is less invasive, many doctors choose to do the procedure at their office using local anesthesia.
Some benefits include:
• Minimal bleeding
• No incisions or scarring
• The procedure typically only takes about an hour
• Lower overall cost
• Shorter recovery time
• Less invasive
• Fewer risks
• Can be done in an office, in some cases
• Covered by many insurance companies
• No need for a hospital stay
Risks
Hudson Valley-based sinuplasty expert, Ran Y. Rubinstein has performed many sinus procedures helping people get their lives back. However, as with any procedure, there are potential risks. The list of possible risks associated with a sinuplasty procedure is much shorter than with traditional surgeries and include:
• Infection
• Trauma to tissues and mucous membranes
• In rare cases optic injury or intracranial complications
• Slight change to nose appearance
Recovery
After your sinuplasty is complete, you will likely be able to resume normal activities within a day or two. Many people are even able to drive themselves home after the procedure. For about a week, you may experience drainage, swelling, congestion, and fatigue. Once that week is over you should be symptom-free and well-recovered.
Since the recovery time is so much faster, the worst thing will be that you won’t be able to blow your nose for a day or two. You will also need to limit demanding activities to keep your heart rate and blood pressure low. Sometimes sinus drainage from any procedure involving them makes sleeping difficult. You can sleep with your head elevated to relieve any discomfort you are experiencing.
Cost
Most insurance companies recognize that a sinuplasty is strictly for symptom relief as opposed to something that is just being done for cosmetic purposes. Thus, most insurance companies will cover procedural costs. Also, since this type of procedure can be done in an office setting, the cost can be kept low. Expensive hospital and operating room costs, as well as other associated costs from going to the hospital, are eliminated.
Similar to rhinoplasty surgeries, sinuplasty costs will vary depending on your specific case. The type of anesthesia, location, and the doctor performing the procedure will all affect the total cost. However, regardless of your situation, sinuplasty will almost always be less expensive than rhinoplasty.
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