Non-surgical facelift options help people shed years, heal quicker

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The gift of turning back the clock is one no one will return or regift.

Facing the new year, and all of its same-old routines, will definitely feel much better with a new face that eschews the passage of time. While a traditional facelift could accomplish that feat, a nonsurgical option is gentler, easier and less expensive.

It could well be the gift that keeps on giving, whether you give it to someone you love or splurge on it for yourself.

Traditional facelifts, once considered the gold standard in anti-aging, face tough competition with the new non-surgical procedures.

“Surgical facelifts under general anesthesia take about four hours and require pain medication for several days,” explained Dr. Emran Imami of Imami Skin & Cosmetic Center in Melbourne.

“Sutures come out in two weeks and bruising usually resolves in three weeks. Most patients may resume normal activities in four to six weeks, through there may be ongoing discomfort with areas of numbness and tightness lasting three to four months. Non-surgical facelifts, on the other hand, are performed in the office with nitrous gas, usually take about three hours and hardly require pain medication. There are no sutures to remove, and should bruising occur, it would resolve in two to three weeks.”

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After researching a traditional facelift, Grant resident Jennifer Fernandez opted for the non-surgical variety.

Fernandez, who had started Botox treatments at age 25 and was well acquainted with dermal fillers, was ready to advance to the next level in anti-aging treatments, but wasn’t keen on a traditional facelift. Imami recommended she undergo the MyEllevate non-surgical facelift, often used in conjunction with two other treatment techniques, FaceTite and Morpheus 8.

MyEllevate is a minimally invasive facial rejuvenation procedure developed by Dr. Gregory Mueller, a board-certified plastic surgeon in that mecca of rejuvenation treatments, Beverly Hills.

With MyEllevate, the surgeon places a suture support system without incisions. Because there are no incisions, most patients experience rapid healing with minor bruising and swelling, since there is minimal trauma to tissue. Dubbed the “Zoom Lift,” MyEllevate sharpens the jawline and the neck through the use of silk suspension threads that lift and pull back sagging skin.

“It redefines the jawline and neck, and yet it requires no incisions,” said Imami.

In addition to MyEllevate, Fernandez treatment plan included FaceTite, which also targets sagging skin, plus wrinkles on the lower half of the face. This radiofrequency-assisted liposuction, or RFAL, contracts and contours tissue in the sub-dermal plane.

“As I understand, it breaks up the fat cells under the surface of the skin,” she said.

Morpheus 8 is additionally used in conjunction with MyEllevate and FaceTite. This treatment uses microneedling and radiofrequency-generated heat to stimulate the production of collagen, the body’s own scaffolding. The natural aging process cause a decline in collagen levels, which in turn cause the skin to sag. Morpheus 8 penetrates the skin deeper than traditional microneedling to better restore lost elasticity.

The .3mm diameter gold-tipped needles in Morpheus8 penetrate the skin to heat the tissue for collagen contraction and remodeling without skin injury. It can penetrate up to 8 m.m. to melt the fat layer. Unlike lasers, it can be used on any skin color.

Fernandez breezed through the procedure.

“It reminded me of having a wisdom tooth removed,” she said. “There really was not much to talk about.”

She rested the next day and went pretty much back to normal afterwards, including mucking about the barn that houses her horses. Post-procedure treatment included wearing for a couple of weeks a stretchy balaclava type of headgear to help provide support as the newly-reshaped skin settled.

“It reminded me of those old pictures of someone with a headache,” Fernandez said. “I would take it off during Zoom meetings and no one could notice I had had anything done.”

Results with these non-surgical procedures are not instant, but instead are gradual over two to three months and should last seven to 10 years, since the body unfortunately continues to age with each passing day.

“I jokingly tell my patients that if they stop aging, my cosmetic results will last forever,” said Imami.

To extend the life of the nonsurgical facelift, or for that matter, any cosmetic procedure, Imami recommends a maintenance program of Botox, fillers, laser treatments, Morpheus8 skin tightening, PRP treatments and medical-grad skin care,

“Cosmetic maintenance has little to no downtime and discomfort,” he said

“The time commitment is usually less than 90 minutes every other month and the cost per session is generally $300 to $700.”

Fortunately, with the lightning-fast advancements antiaging technologies and techniques have enjoyed in the last five years, patients can expect even easier and more effective options for the next facelift go-round.

Fernandez is delighted with the new look she has for 2023.

“It’s night and day, but subtle,” she said. “It gave me back my natural contours.”

She is ready to put on a new face to face future new years.

“I would not hesitate,” she said. “I’m not going to age gracefully. I will fight it every step of the way.”

For more information, contact Dr. Imami's office, 1140 Broadband Dr., Melbourne, at 321-312-4198 or drimami.com

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Non-surgical facelifts are less invasive more affordable option