Non Surgical Face Lifts : Is There an Effective Alternative?

Non Surgical Face Lifts : Is There an Effective Alternative?
Face lifts are one of the most serious surgeries you can have when it comes
to cosmetic surgery. Not only are they costly, but they involve a long
healing process, and the results can be very unnatural looking and
"plastic".

It is certainly not anyone's wish to come out looking like they've had their
face pulled back, but rather that they have turned the clock back ten years,
gracefully.
Unfortunately, the "good" facelifts are few and far between. Are there
really any effective alernatives, a "non surgical facelift", if you will?

Well, thanks to the ever-growing market for this type of beauty and youth
restoration, there are actually some less drastic measures you can take that
will literally take years off you face, without surgery, or with minimally
invasive surgery performed by a professional. Let's take a look at the non
surgical alternatives to facelifts. The first, and increasingly popular and
less invasive option is what you call a "mini facelift".

The mini facelift involves small incisions made in key areas around the
lower part of the jawline, rather than a complete sweep of the skin
surrounding the face, and pinpointed areas where the face can be gently
pulled to look more taught and erase wrinkles.

The mini facelift gives you a younger looking face and neck, with less cost,
less recovery time, and a more natural outcome that leaves the lower part of
your face refreshed and rejuvenated looking. It also pulls any jowl-like
appearance and loose skin around the neck back up to where it should be.

Another non surgical alternative to a full-on facelift is a subdermally
injected filling of the problem areas which usually goes away after a few
months, and needs to be re-done after it is absorbed into the body. This
method of facial rejuvenation can actually tighten the skin, pull it back
up, and make it looked toned and youthful again, while erasing fine lines
and wrinkles by physically filling them in.

Facial rejuvenation can be a combination of fillers used to fill in wrinkles
and lines. The different fillers that may be used are injected locally to
the areas that need it, and include colllagen, restylane, hyaluronic acid
and even fat injections that are either human derived or come right from
you.

There are also 100% non invasive options that can be used by a professional
to help smooth away the lines that have come with age. One of those, which
requires quite a bit of healing time and also some pain is laser
resurfacing.

A laser is used over the surface area of the facial skin, and it actually
helps to take away layers of skin as well as to help rejuvenate collagen
production. It is pretty expensive and your skin will be extremely red and
raw for
weeks if not months after this is performed. The results,
however are fairly extraordinary.

A less painful alternative to full-on laser resurfacing is the Fraxel Laser,
which actually does the same thing as a normal laser does, but it doesn't
penetrate all of the skin's layers, rather it allows the user to penetrate
and treat only the specific areas that need it.

This makes for less raw skin and quicker recovery. This is not cheap either
though, it will run you anywhere from $1,000.00 to $1,500.00 per treatment,
and at least five treatments are needed to see a dramatic improvement. I've
seen the before and afters though, and they are nothing short of impressive.

Chemical peels are another option for facial rejuvenation, and they can vary
in strength and severity as well. A chemical peel is performed by a
professional, and they can make the chemicals either strong or weak,
depending on the depth of skin damage they would like to remove.

This is primarily used for clients with a lot of photodamage, or
discoloration, and it is especially known for restoring a healthful glow to
the skin as well as an even color and texture, which often comes with
youthful skin. The recovery time depends on how deep the peel goes.

Of course another non surgical alternative to a face lift is Botox, but I
look at Botox as more of a local and preventive measure against further
wrinkles, not really a "lift" since what it does is freeze the area it's
injected to, it doesn't actually lift or pull the skin back to its rightful
place.

Botox is probably a good option for some, but I tend to dislike the
appearance it gives to some people, as it doesn't allow them to fully
express themselves, and that is what makes our faces beautiful, the fact
that we can use expressions to show our emotions.

As far as "do it yourself" alternatives to facelifts, there are some pretty
decent products out there on the market that you can use on a daily basis to
help keep the skin fresh and also to help keep it lifted, toned and youthful
looking. There are now hand held soft light lasers available for purchase
online.

They emulate the soft light lasers that are often used in dermatologists
offices to help stimulate collagen and rejuvenate the skin, helping to
soften wrinkles and even acne scarring. I bought one of these myself and
had some very good results, but I just couldn't keep up with the nightly
use, and so I must admit I let the results go away.

There are also some excellent home microdermabrasion kits that can be
purchased for home use. They allow you to gently take dead skin cells and
damaged layers of skin off, and often leave you with a glow and a softer,
more youthful look. Another home kit that can be purchased are light acid
peels for the face.

These are probably not nearly the strength of a chemical peel you would
receive under professional care, but they can certainly offer a benefit that
you can use any time you feel your face needs a nice little extra "lift".

And there you have it, what I think are the most effective alternatives to
the drastic face lift. They range in cost considerably, as well as the
recovery time and healing process, but they all can have some astounding
results in your campaign against aging skin.

----------------------------------------------------
Danna Schneider is the founder of two skin care and beauty online magazines
with the latest cosmetic and beauty news, tips, "Skin Science", and products
in skin care http://www.cosmeticsgalore.com and http://www.mybeautyspace.com
.