Question:
I am investigating non-surgical alternatives to a facelift. Does this usually mean injectable fillers or would a fat transfer work? Are these considered permanent solutions?
Answer:
Many people are interested in non-surgical facelifts for a number of reasons. In my practice non-surgical facelifts usually indicates the placement of a dermal filler or fat in order to fill the deflated facial tissue giving the face the appearance of being lifted, but, definitely being rejuvenated. Dermal fillers are great because they are safe and extremely effective. Unfortunately, most of the hyaluronic acids will last about a year, and they are quite expensive. Fat is another alternative. Fat will last for quite some time when injected into the face but, may require a touch up procedure. A separate surgical procedure which can be performed under local anesthesia would be needed to harvest the fat prior to facial fat injection. As you continue to age you will likely need to have small amounts of fat injected to replace the facial fat that you will lose as a result of normal aging.
Posted by Dr. Philip Schoenfeld