What is a Non‐invasive Face Lift?
A non-invasive face lift is an alternative to traditional cosmetic surgery. Depending on the patient’s physical situation, there are some excellent choices for non-surgical procedures – all delivering a similar effect to the traditional face-lift. These procedures include laser face lifts, micro-current face lifts, and a minimally invasive procedure known as threading.
Laser face lift
One non-invasive face lift option, a laser face lift, requires cosmetic surgeons to use specially designed laser technology to help resurface and tighten the outer layers of the patient’s facial skin, without the use of incisions, anesthesia, or the risk of tissue scarring, resulting in fewer wrinkles and lines in the face. There is a chance that the laser face lift may cause slight discoloration or sensitivity upon completion of the treatment, though these side effects generally go away within one to two weeks. The cost of this type of non-invasive face lift depends on the size and location of the area being tightened, but in nearly all cases, a laser face lift is a less expensive alternative to more invasive, surgical face lift procedures.
Micro-current face lift
Another non-invasive face lift alternative is the micro-current face lift, or Bio-Ultimate face lift, an aesthetically- and cost-effective operation. Like the laser face lift, it is non-invasive and carries only a slight chance of minor side effects such as temporary sensitivity or discoloration. A micro-current face lift works by generating very small electric currents and applying them to the face at the location to be tightened, thereby stimulating a natural reaction from the skin cells in that area. This stimulation exfoliates and rejuvenates the skin, tightens the muscles, and reduces sun damage as well as improving the overall skin tone. This operation is frequently less expensive than an invasive surgical procedure, and has a lesser chance of undesirable side effects.
Threading as a face lift alternative
While minimally invasive, threading addresses mid-face sag, elevates the brow, lifts the neck and jaw line, and naturally banishes laugh lines naturally. The procedure is performed using local anesthesia, requires no visible incisions, takes about thirty minutes, and has a recovery time of three days.
Threading requires the surgeon to weave six to eighteen barbed, permanent sutures through a hollow tube into the skin and its deeper soft tissue; the number needed is depends on the extent of the treatment. Once in place, the tissue is raised and compressed, and then the guide is removed. Once completed, the barbs have imbedded into the soft tissue, thereby lifting and supporting it. The end of the exposed suture is snipped, and the suture is buried entirely beneath the skin. The principal advantage to this procedure is that the skin is not pulled too tight, avoiding the overdrawn, windblown look.
This ideal candidates for this minimally non-invasive face lift procedure are younger to middle-aged patients who are in the early stages of facial aging, or previous surgical facelift patients who desire a touch-up.
This article is not intended as medical advice, but simply to provide general information. Consultation with a licensed medical profession is recommended for those interested in these procedures.