Our faces start to age once we get into our 20s, which is known as intrinsic aging. Intrinsic aging is primarily controlled by genetic factors and can lead to lines and wrinkles, reduced face fullness, and thinner skin.
Extrinsic aging adds to the problem caused by the sun and lifestyle choices, making us look older than we are.
Fortunately, you can reduce the effects of aging and enhance your face’s texture, tightness, and tone without surgery. In addition, several non-invasive procedures can turn back the clock and make you look years younger.
Below are six non-surgical procedures to consider to reduce signs of aging in the face.
Injectables
Injectables are popular to reduce the signs of face lines and wrinkles without surgery. Botox freezes the tiny muscles around the corners of the eyes and mouth and makes a face look younger. There is no downtime with Botox injections, and the effects last three months.
According to Dr. Smita R. Ramanadham of New Jersey, “Botox treatments make a significant difference in the appearance of facial lines and wrinkles, especially around the eyes and mouth. As a result, Botox is one of the most in-demand services in my practice, and more patients are choosing it at a younger age to prevent wrinkles.”
Juvederm and Restylane are popular dermal fillers that are injected into the face to smooth lines and wrinkles, as well.
Another popular option is hyaluronic acid fillers that draw and retain moisture, helping them to increase volume in the cheeks and lower face.
Many patients turn to injectables for quick results that can be done at lunchtime. No one will know you had anything done!
Microneedling
Microneedling is a practical, non-surgical anti-aging treatment that boosts collagen production in the face, which will make it look younger and fuller. This procedure also can enhance skin texture, eliminate acne scars and sun damage.
Microneedling works by making tiny channels in the face with tiny needles penetrating various layers in the top skin layer. This increases the effectiveness of skincare products, such as moisturizers and serums.
Next, radiofrequency energy is sent through the tiny needles to heat the deeper skin layers. This is a standard procedure on the face, but it is also effective on the neck and chest to stimulate new, healthy skin development.
It can take a month or two for the best results to appear because collagen increases as the skin heal after the treatment. But the results can last for several months.
Fractional Laser Skin Resurfacing
This non-surgical procedure can effectively soften lines and wrinkles, and it also works well for eliminating sunspots and facial pigmentation issues.
With this treatment, your surgeon uses a fractional laser to put precise beams of light deep into the skin. This creates tissue coagulation that leads to healing, and that makes new, younger-looking skin.
The Fraxel laser is considered the best option for most patients because the surgeon can treat superficial and deeper skin issues in one session. It also can be used to treat acne scarring and surgical scarring.
CoolSculpting
CoolSculpting uses cryolipolysis, which is very cold temperatures, to break down and destroy fat cells. This procedure is an alternative to liposuction, which requires anesthesia and downtime.
CoolSculpting is often used on the lower body, such as the abdomen, but it also can reduce fat in the chin and neck.
Your healthcare provider places the paddle-like device on the treatment area to freeze fat just under the skin during the procedure. The cold temperature makes the fat cells break down, and they are eventually flushed out of the body.
Most patients can get the results they want in the face with one or two treatments.
Kybella
CoolSculpting breaks down fat with cold temperatures, but other patients prefer to melt fat away with an injectable.
Kybella can be injected into the face to reduce the appearance of a double chin, and it also helps with the dreaded ‘turkey neck’ that can affect people in their 50s, 60s, and beyond.
Kybella contains deoxycholic acid that destroys unwanted fat cells permanently. It’s a great choice for eliminating a few ounces of fat in a small area.
Chemical Peels
A chemical peel can enhance the face’s appearance by using special chemicals to exfoliate the old skin layers. Chemical peels work well to reduce lines and wrinkles under the eyes and around the mouth.
This non-surgical procedure also effectively eliminates sunspots, sun damage and improves overall skin texture and tone. As the skin heals, you will see a smoother, less wrinkled appearance that can last up to six months.
There are three types of chemical peels:
- Superficial: This is also referred to as a ‘lunchtime peel’ that uses a mild acid to penetrate the outer skin layer. It exfoliates the skin and improves facial discoloration or roughness. This is a good choice if you want a minor enhancement.
- Medium peel: A strong acid penetrates the outer and mid-skin layers to eliminate damaged skin to remove fine lines, wrinkles, and age spots. It also can treat actinic keratosis, which is a pre-cancerous skin condition.
- Deep peel: A strong acid penetrates the middle skin layer to reduce deeper lines, wrinkles, and sunspots.
Note that medium and deep peels cause more redness, inflammation, and sensitivity to the sun, so you will need more time to recover.
If you select one or more of the above non-surgical treatments, your face will look younger and fresher than it has in years. For more information, talk to your board-certified plastic surgeon today.
