Other Facial Procedures

As the face ages, volume is lost in certain areas (atrophy), and inappropriately redistributed to other areas by way of gravity. Dermal fillers can be effective in younger patients who want to temporarily improve wrinkles or restore hollowed areas. In patients desiring additional emphasis of their cheek and chin, fat grafting can also provide volume like fillers but is permanent.

Fat is also a great way to rejuvenate the face in patients because unlike dermal fillers, your fat has live cells in it that can act to reverse the signs of aging and provide a refreshing glow. Keep in mind that fat anywhere in the body grows as you gain weight, so it is always best to wait until you are at a stable weight before undergoing fat grafting to the face.

Cheek and chin implants can be used to enhance the cheeks and chin in a controlled way because unlike fat, the implants do not change as you lose or gain weight. However, implants do not rejuvenate the skin and, after a long period of time may present with problems that require removal of the implant. Fat grafting is a good option to enhance the cheeks or chin in patients who plan to maintain a stable weight. A buccal fat pad excision may also be performed to further accentuate the fullness of the malar area (cheek bone) superiorly in contrast with the jaw line inferiorly.

The chin can also be enhanced permanently by moving the bone of your chin, fixed with a plate and screws in a technique called genioplasty. Having a small chin can give the appearance of having a large nose, and balancing your chin and nose can dramatically improve your appearance in the profile view.

Lips can be enhanced using a variety of techniques depending on what improvements are being made. As you age your lip tends to sag. A long upper lip can cover your teeth and make it more difficult to see your smile. A long upper lip can be corrected using a variety of lip lift techniques. Thin lips are also a sign of aging as you lose volume with age. The pink portions of your lip (vermillion) can be easily enhanced using dermal fillers or permanently with surgery by using your own fat (fat grafting). A lip lift can also improve your vermillion show and may be performed in combination with fat grafting to provide an even more dramatic result.

Unlike fractional CO2 (i.e. Fraxel) or lighter chemical peels  which can be done in the office, deeper procedures require general anesthesia. Full-strength CO2 laser technology is used to resurface the top layer of skin, removing fine wrinkles, and inducing new rejuvenated skin to grow in its place, while stimulating new collagen elastin to form and further tighten the skin. A deep chemical peel can be used to accomplish similar goals.

With either technique, a healing period of 1 to 2 weeks followed by a period of fading facial redness can be expected. Laser or chemical peels can either be performed segmentally, such as the eyelid area, forehead, or across the entire face. These are effective tools that can combine synergistically with other facial rejuvenation procedures to give you an even more youthful appearance.