What Is a Liquid Facelift?
A liquid facelift represents a viable alternative to a traditional facelift. It serves as a “facelift without surgery” and involves injectable treatments. Patients may desire facial rejuvenation to treat jowls, under-eye bags, saggy cheeks, and more. At the CENTER, Dr. Azizzadeh offers a wide range of non-surgical facelift treatments to patients, including:
- Botox– Erases fine lines, wrinkles, and furrows in the face by temporarily deactivating the muscles that create these wrinkles.
- Facial Fillers– Replaces lost collagen and fills fine lines and creases in the face, resulting in a rejuvenated and more youthful facial appearance.
- Chemical Peels – Promotes skin cell turnover through exfoliation. After chemical peel treatments patients notice an improvement in skin texture, a reduction in brown spots, and a beautiful glow.
- Restylane– Includes a series of injectable fillers that consist of hyaluronic acid, a natural substance in the skin that holds moisture. Restylane is used to treat furrows, frown lines, and wrinkles in the face, as well as pitting, scarring, and damage to the skin’s surface.
- Voluma: A facial filler that corrects facial wrinkles and folds.
- Juvederm XC: Creates a smoother facial appearance by reducing the appearance of moderate to severe facial lines and wrinkles.
- Juvederm Ultra Plus: Adds plumpness and fullness to the lips
- Radiesse: Plumps the skin to smooth lines and wrinkles
- Sculptra: Reduces the appearance of fine lines and facial wrinkles for a fuller, more youthful appearance
- Belotero: Temporarily adds volume to the face to help smooth skin
- Volbella: Enhances the fullness of your lips while softening vertical lip lines
Ultimately, a liquid facelift can provide many benefits. It reduces the appearance of facial creases, lines, and wrinkles, making for a more youthful appearance. It tightens the neckline, enhances a sagging jawline, and minimizes the appearance of crow’s feet. Certain types of injectables can raise the forehead, brows, and eyelids to deliver a revitalized facial appearance. For those with a face marked by fatigue, it restores volume to sunken cheeks, gets rid of dark under-eye bags or circles, and creates a more symmetrical appearance.
Dr. Azizzadeh will work with patients to define the benefits of non-surgical facelift treatments with a focus on which method of liquid facelift can work best with their unique features.
How Does a Liquid Facelift Work?
Dr. Azizzadeh is highly sought-after for his skills and precision in liquid facelift treatments. He will go above and beyond to provide patients with the best results possible. A liquid facelift usually involves a combination of long-lasting injectables, like Voluma or Sculptra, with Botox and other hyaluronic acid fillers, such as Juvederm or Restylane. During the procedure, Dr. Azizzadeh will use the dermal fillers to fill creases or restore volume in the face, providing a patient with enhanced facial symmetry and a more youthful facial appearance.
How Long Does a Liquid Facelift Last?
An injectable facelift requires just 30 to 45 minutes to complete, but the results can last from six months to a year. Meanwhile, the procedure allows an individual to restore lost volume and fill lines in the face without the need for surgery and is maintained with touch-up treatments.
Dr. Azizzadeh is happy to explain the benefits of each treatment and how long a patient should expect the results to last. This can help individuals establish realistic treatment goals.
What Should You Expect During a Liquid Facelift Consultation?
Dr. Azizzadeh wants each liquid facelift patient to get the best results possible and will collaborate with the individual to develop the optimal treatment plan. Dr. Azizzadeh will examine the individual’s face to identify signs of aging and areas that can be enhanced. After this assessment, he will be able to offer custom recommendations.
It is important that the patient share a detailed medical history, including allergies or previous procedures in the face, so that Dr. Azizzadeh can craft the safest care plan possible. Patients should also bring a list of current medications and supplements with them to their consultation. In the vast majority of cases, injectable procedures are safe. However, visiting an unskilled provider can result in more serious consequences. Bacterial infections can penetrate the skin via the needle puncture, or fillers can spread to the blood vessels in the parts of the face that received injections, which can result in skin necrosis. Dr. Azizzadeh, a double board-certified facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon with decades of experience, takes every possible measure to prevent serious complications.
What Does a Liquid Facelift Procedure Involve?
Two days before your procedure, patients should stop taking aspirin or any NSAIDS such as ibuprofen and hold off on alcohol. These can increase the severity of bruising. In addition, patients should come to the appointment with a face free of makeup.
During a non-surgical facelift procedure, Dr. Azizzadeh will clean the targeted area and apply a small amount of local anesthetic. After the anesthetic is in effect, he will carefully inject the facial filler or Botox into the skin.
A non-surgical facelift may involve multiple injection sites, and bruising and swelling are common in the days following treatment. Dr. Azizzadeh recommends using a cold compress and taking Arnica supplements to control bruising and swelling and notes that patients should avoid strenuous activity in the hours after a liquid facelift.
Typically, the results of a liquid facelift are visible instantly. If a patient uses Sculptra, up to three sessions may be required to achieve optimal results. These sessions can often be completed in one-month increments, and patients will see gradual facial improvements month after month.
What to Expect During the Liquid Facelift Recovery Process
Liquid facelift recovery is minimal, especially compared with a surgical facelift. Most patients can resume their regular activities in the hours or days after treatment. Oftentimes, patients experience bruising and swelling within the first few days. These symptoms usually disappear on their own.
Dr. Azizzadeh outlines the liquid facelift recovery cycle that applies to each patient’s customized care plan prior to performing the procedure.
Liquid Facelift FAQs
Because a liquid facelift involves the use of injectable treatments, a patient does not need to have facial rejuvenation surgery. This non-surgical facelift can provide patients with a safe, effective alternative to traditional facelift surgery.
There is no “right” age for a non-surgical or surgical facelift. Patients between the ages of 40 and 60 often pursue various facial rejuvenation treatment options, and liquid facelift reduces jowls, a common complaint of aging patients. Dr. Azizzadeh can conduct an evaluation to determine if a patient qualifies for different facelift treatments, regardless of their age.
An injectable facial refreshment procedure is one of many non-surgical options available, but it is not recommended for every patient. To find out if a non-surgical facelift is safe and effective, meet with Dr. Azizzadeh. This allows Dr. Azizzadeh to review a patient’s medical history and determine their eligibility for a non-invasive facelift.
Dr. Azizzadeh recommends a liquid facelift if he believes the treatment can help a patient enhance their facial appearance without putting their health at risk. If Dr. Azizzadeh believes this procedure is unsafe for a patient, he offers other non-surgical facelift options.
The procedure usually takes about 30 minutes to complete.
Patients may experience bruising, swelling, pain, and redness after the procedure. In rare cases, patients may experience an allergic reaction, bacterial infection, and/or skin necrosis (destruction of the skin).
On average, the results last between six and 12 months. In some instances, patients may require refreshment treatments at three-month intervals.
Each patient is unique, and as such, the number of treatments an individual needs to achieve his or her desired results varies. Fortunately, Dr. Azizzadeh dedicates time and resources to craft a personalized liquid facelift treatment plan for each patient. This plan is designed to help a patient achieve the optimal results, as quickly as possible.
Generally, a patient may experience some swelling and bruising after an injectable facial rejuvenation, but these symptoms disappear on their own within a few days.
A liquid facelift will not help a patient look like their favorite celebrity. Instead, the procedure is tailored to each patient, and it can help the patient achieve a natural-looking and symmetrical facial appearance.
A liquid facelift should not be performed during pregnancy.
The cost varies based on a number of factors, including the types of fillers and injectables used, the expertise of the surgeon performing the procedure, and the location where the treatment is completed. Dr. Azizzadeh will explain all of the costs associated with an injectable facelift before treatment. A liquid facelift cost is lower than the price of traditional surgery, which is part of its appeal for many patients.
A liquid facelift is intended to help rejuvenate the facial appearance, but the procedure does not involve the removal of excess skin.
A non-surgical facelift is designed to help a patient bolster their facial appearance. Other treatments may be explored if the procedure does not deliver the desired results, including facelift surgery.
Facelift surgery provides a long-term solution to correct sagging skin and other visible signs of aging in the face. The procedure requires a patient to go under the knife, and it can provide results that last seven to 10 years.
Comparatively, a liquid facelift provides a great option for those who are exploring how to get a facelift without surgery. An injectable facial rejuvenation treats fine lines and wrinkles and restores facial volume in the same way as a facelift surgery. However, the results of a non-surgical facelift are temporary.
Deciding between a liquid or traditional facelift can be tricky. A liquid facelift is a great option for patients who are on the younger side with minimal sagging and volume loss, whereas a surgical facelift is better for our older patients with more significant signs of aging.
For those who are debating the pros and cons of a liquid facelift and traditional surgery, Dr. Azizzadeh can help. As a facial plastic and reconstructive surgery expert, Dr. Azizzadeh can offer comprehensive insights into both liquid and traditional facelift treatments. Dr. Azizzadeh strives to teach patients about a wide range of facial rejuvenation treatment options, and he ensures individuals can make informed treatment decisions.
A liquid facelift represents a great choice for some patients, but the procedure is not right for everyone. As such, it is paramount to work with an expert facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon like Dr. Azizzadeh to determine if a liquid facelift or another procedure can deliver the desired facial rejuvenation results.
Dr. Azizzadeh wants each of his patients to enjoy a natural-looking facial appearance. He devotes significant time and resources to learn about a patient and understand his or her treatment goals. Then, Dr. Azizzadeh crafts a personalized treatment plan to accommodate a patient’s requests.
When it comes to procedures, a consultation with Dr. Azizzadeh offers a terrific starting point. By meeting with Dr. Azizzadeh, a patient can learn how a liquid facelift is performed, see before and after photos, and find out if he or she is a good candidate for the procedure.