Cosmetic surgery is big business in America, and getting bigger all the time, if the number of advertisements in magazines and on the Internet is any indication.
However, one thing has changed – people who want to have more youthful skin are shying away from surgical solutions.
They are reluctant to have a facelift, which is expensive, has some down time, and can often look unnatural.
And let’s face it, who wants their face cut into? Myself, I worry about scarring and weird results. We’ve all seen those plastic surgery shows where things have gone wrong.
With that in mind, several non-surgical options for wrinkle reduction have been developed in recent years. What do they promise? No surgery. No scars. No downtime. You can do these procedures on your lunch hour and will probably be able to go back to work afterward.
Here is a look at three that guarantee great results without surgery. (I cannot recommend any of these personally: What I know about them is what my doctor has told me.)
¥. The procedure is done in the doctorÕs office and may take anywhere from 20 minutes to two hours.
The Thermage handpiece safely heats the deeper layers of the skin. This stimulates existing collagen and is said to produce new collagen growth over time. The patient may feel a sensation of heat during the procedure, and a cooling spray is applied to alleviate any discomfort. Results are said to come with a single treatment.
Results promised are tighter and smoother skin, contouring along the jaw line, softening of wrinkles and tightening of loose skin under the chin. These changes may last for years.
No special care is needed following the procedure. Possible side effects include mild redness, blistering, bumps and swelling. Patients can get back to their normal routine almost immediately.
¥ ArteFill: Billed as the first FDA-approved non-resorbable wrinkle filler, ArteFill is considered an improvement over such products as Restylane, which must be injected every six months. All other fillers are eventually absorbed by the body. ArteFill is permanent Ð once it’s injected, it’s there forever.
ArteFill contains ÒmicrospheresÓ and purified bovine collagen gel. The microspheres aren’t absorbed by the body, but remain in place to support the skin.
ArteFill is particularly effective for deep lines, such as the Òsmile wrinklesÓ that run from nose to chin. This can take from one to two treatments.
However, people who are allergic to bovine (cattle) collagen cannot use Artefill. Patients must first have a skin test to see if they react to this kind of collagen. In addition, people who have severe multiple allergies or who are prone to scar formation are advised not to use Artefill. People with skin outbreaks (like cysts or pimples) near the injection site should postpone using Artefill until their outbreak is healed.
Artefill is injected in the doctorÕs office. The injection includes an anesthetic to help ease the discomfort caused by the injection. Some possible side effects are mild reddening or swelling at the injection site. Increased bleeding or bruising may occur in patients taking aspirin or anti-inflammatory drugs. Side effects usually resolve within 24 hours.
¥ Portrait Skin Regeneration: This procedure promises wrinkle smoothing and improvements in skin texture. In addition, Portrait is said to improve coloration and tone of facial skin. There are no injections and no surgery.
Portrait uses nitrogen plasma energy, which is transferred to the layers of the skin with a non-contact method. One to four treatments are recommended.
The procedure is done in the doctorÕs office using a topical anesthetic applied to the skin. Patients may experience a sensation of heat during the procedure, which lasts less than 15 minutes for the full face treatment.
Mild redness and flaking of the skin will occur after treatment. At higher levels of treatment, the outer layer of skin browns and is shed three to five days later. There may be redness of skin after this for several days.
Rhytec, the company that developed the Portrait technology, claims that Portrait is clinically proven to regenerate skin, and that the results progressively improve over time, up to a year after treatment.
Studies have shown that Portrait is very safe, and does not cause scarring, excessive pigmentation or lack of pigmentation, as some light or laser methods do.
