“Liquid facelift” refers to the use of soft tissue fillers to lift and contour the face without surgery, he explains Kathleen C. Suozzi, MDdirector of cosmetic dermatology at Yale Medicine and assistant professor at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut. “It’s not so much a set process or technique as a concept,” he says.
When patients undergo a liquid facelift, they will receive several injections of various dermal fillers, injections, and lasers. “The type of product used and the location of the injections will vary depending on the needs of the patient and the preferences of the injector,” says Dr. Suozzi. “In general, the injections target the mid and upper face to pull the tissue up and back.”
How is a liquid facelift different from a surgical facelift?
The main difference between a liquid and surgical facelift is invasiveness. “A liquid facelift is not surgery,” she says Howard Sobel, MDclinical dermatologic surgeon at Lenox Hill Hospital and founder of a private practice, Sobel Skin, in New York.
As a result, the side effects and recovery are much milder, but so are the overall results.
“During a surgical facelift, the lining of the face is released and tightened. This cannot be achieved with fillers,” explains Suozzi. Experienced injectors can use a technique called an undercut to release the retaining ligaments during the facelift procedure.
How it exactly works: What to expect during a liquid facelift
A liquid facelift is a relatively quick outpatient procedure.
The treating physician will begin by mapping the specific areas for each patient for the best possible outcome, Sobel explains. “These areas include the brow, chin, eyes, nose, cheeks and lips to address facial contouring, expression line and wrinkles, loss of volume in the cheeks, hollowing under the eyes and skin relaxation,” he says.
Before the injections, the patient will have a topical numbing cream applied to the skin for anesthesia. Leave on for about 20 minutes or until the skin is numb. The cream is then cleaned off and the skin is prepared for the injections, says Suozzi.
“The injections are minimally uncomfortable and usually take about 30 minutes to administer,” says Suozzi.
What types of fillers and injections are used?
Liquid facelifts involve a combination of fillers and injections.
- Hyaluronic acid is the most commonly used type of filler, says Suozzi. It is used to treat fine lines and wrinkles, facial folds and to create structure, frame and volume in the face and lips. “His lifting capacity [hyaluronic acid] Gels can vary, making some fillers stiffer and better for lifting, while others are thinner and softer,” says Suozzi. Different hyaluronic acid fillers have different chemical compositions, which result in different effects, such as making the skin look more hydrated or smoother, Dr. Shafer explains. An added safety feature of these types of fillers is that there is an enzyme that can “soften” or dissolve them, in cases where the patient is not happy with the results and does not want to wait for them to dissolve naturally over time .
- Calcium hydroxylapatite is a filler that has a composition similar to bone. As part of the aging process, the skin, bones, fat and muscles of the face become thin and shift, resulting in wrinkles, folds, laxity and loss of volume. Injectable calcium hydroxylapatite filler, Radiesse, is a biocompatible dermal filler approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to improve the appearance of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds (the vertical folds that extending from the bottom of the nose to the corners of the mouth). “This makes it more structural and able to lift tissue,” explains Suozzi. “Care must be taken with Radiesse because of the calcium content of the filler, which makes it ideal for softer areas like the lips and under the eyes,” says Shafer.
- Poly-L lactic acid is FDA approved to improve the appearance of nasolabial folds, contour changes and other facial wrinkles. “It’s commonly used in conjunction with hyaluronic acid fillers to both lift the tissue and fill out the face more diffusely to create a youthful appearance,” says Shafer. He adds that poly-L lactic acid fillers are more suitable for global filling rather than targeted structure or refinement. “It also requires several treatments, but has the advantage of being long-lasting,” he says.
- Botulinum neurotoxin (Botox, Dysport) it can also be used to soften fine lines and wrinkles, says Sobel. “Botox is a great adjunctive treatment that helps reduce dynamic lines in the upper face and gives the skin a nice glow,” adds Shafer.
What to expect after the procedure
After a liquid facelift, the practitioner may suggest putting ice on the injection areas to minimize bruising and swelling, which can last up to two weeks. “Avoid blood thinners and NSAIDs, such as aspirin and ibuprofen, two weeks before the procedure to minimize the risk of bruising,” says Suozzi.
You may also want to avoid exercise and sun exposure for the first few days after a liquid facelift, says Sobel. “Avoid harsh exfoliators and peels for about a week and wash with a gentle cream cleanser or foaming cleanser,” she adds.
