As you get older, it’s normal for your skin to wrinkle and begin to sag as it loses elasticity. For many years, the options were straightforward—you could accept these signs of “wisdom” and accumulated skin damage, or you could undergo surgery.
While almost everybody loves to have options, the influx of aesthetic innovations has made it harder for some people to know which option to choose. Surgical or nonsurgical? Facelift or facelift alternative?
At Phases Skin Care and Laser Center, we offer a wide array of options for your nonsurgical facelift alternative in Indianapolis, including nonsurgical cheek lift treatments, that provide stunning results. But we’re always careful to keep our patients fully informed of what to expect from nonsurgical facelift alternatives, and we refer them to our plastic surgery center, Turkle & Associates, when surgery is more in line with their needs and goals.
Surgical vs. Nonsurgical
Many medical spas will go to great lengths to minimize the differences between getting a facelift and getting a nonsurgical facelift alternative. Some will even go so far as to promise equivalent results.
Yes, the field of aesthetics has made tremendous strides in recent years, developing noninvasive treatments to address sagging skin and wrinkles. But no, there are currently no nonsurgical equivalents to a facelift. Does that mean a facelift is always the better choice? The answer to that is also no.
It all comes down to your specific situation—your goals, needs, budget, schedule, etc. Like all alternatives, there’s give and take, with pros and cons to consider for each.
Which one is right for you?
Assessing your needs and setting the right expectations are good places to start when determining the best treatment for you. For that reason, we strongly recommend you book a consultation with an expert who can speak to all your options, both surgical and nonsurgical.
Results
One surgical facelift procedure can provide drastic, night-and-day results that can last for 10 to 15 years. Nonsurgical facelift alternatives in Indianapolis, on the other hand, tend to yield transformative, though more subtle, results that last for a shorter period of time. That being the case, facelift alternatives typically require touch-up appointments to maintain the results.
Here’s the thing: Just because you have wrinkles or drooping skin does not mean you need a facelift. For many patients, nonsurgical alternatives are a much better option. Surgical facelifts might be overkill, and they definitely come with a few drawbacks.
Downtime
One of the biggest downsides to facelift surgery is the downtime. Many patients that undergo a facelift need at least 3 to 10 days of physical downtime after their procedure, and they might not see the full extent of their results for months afterwards. The social downtime needed (the amount of time a patient may wish to avoid social interaction for cosmetic reasons) can sometimes be several weeks.
It varies somewhat from treatment to treatment, but as a whole, nonsurgical facelift alternatives require far less downtime, with many requiring little to none. For this reason alone, alternative treatments are often the best choice.
Cost
When it comes to upfront costs, nonsurgical alternatives are a clear winner. The cost of alternative treatments tends to be far lower per session. Furthermore, the grand total is distributed over time, as a full round of treatments often requires multiple sessions. Regular maintenance treatments are also necessary to keep your results for the long term. The total cost will largely depend on your personalized treatment plan.
Candidacy
The fact of the matter is that not everyone is a candidate for a facelift, and facelift alternatives aren’t an effective treatment for all patients. For younger patients with mild to moderate signs of aging, the cost and risks might outweigh the benefits, and a facelift alternative may be all they need to achieve their goals.
On the flip side, patients with moderate to severe wrinkles and skin laxity might not get the results they want and need from minimally invasive treatments.
But it’s not always a matter of symptom severity. Sometimes, health conditions can be a determining factor. Patients with bleeding disorders, a high risk of infection, or susceptibility to complications from anesthesia may need to seek out nonsurgical alternatives.
According to the Mayo Clinic, people who smoke, drink heavily, are obese, or have high blood pressure are at an increased risk of complications during surgery.
The same can apply to patients who are allergic to ingredients in nonsurgical alternatives. It’s important to be transparent with your provider about your medical history, prescribed medications, and any and all concerns you have about treatment.
Going the Alternative Route
If you think a nonsurgical treatment is best for you, you’re definitely not alone. Our noninvasive and minimally invasive solutions for wrinkles and sagging skin are some of the most popular services we offer. For anyone looking for the best facelift alternative in Indianapolis, Phases Skin Care and Laser Center is fully equipped to customize a treatment plan to meet your needs and enhance your natural beauty.
Let’s explore your options for facelift alternative in Indianapolis!
Liquid Facelift
For patients in need of a gentle lift, a liquid facelift is a great nonsurgical option. This hybrid treatment combines a neuromodulator like Botox (to relax facial muscles and smooth wrinkles) with a dermal filler like JUVÉDERM (to add volume and combat sagging skin).
- The procedure takes 30 to 60 minutes.
- Some results will be immediately noticeable, while full results may take a week to develop.
- A liquid facelift requires no downtime.
Dermal Fillers
Dermal fillers alone can resolve some of the mild or moderate issues prompting the need for a nonsurgical facelift alternative.
As their name suggests, fillers can fill in the hollow areas beneath the skin that contribute to the appearance of wrinkles and loose skin. They’re also great for restoring lost volume.
Our medically trained staff injects the gel-like substance under the skin to treat the lower face, on and around the lips and mouth, eyelids, nose, neck, and even hands.
Neuromodulators
Muscle relaxing injections, such as Jeuveau and Botox, are extremely effective at temporarily treating dynamic facial wrinkles (wrinkles caused by facial expressions), but they are not usually as effective as a facelift alternative in Indianapolis without the addition of dermal fillers.
Neuromodulator injections work by relaxing the muscles beneath the skin responsible for creating those lines and furrows.
Ellacor
Phases Skin Care and Laser Center offers the Ellacor Micro-Coring Procedure as a means to safely and effectively reduce signs of skin aging. It doesn’t provide results as dramatic as a surgical facelift, but it can be a fantastic option if you aren’t ready to go under the knife.
Ellacor Micro-Coring uses tiny, hollow needles to remove small amounts of excess skin without the need for surgery, extensive recovery time, or visible scarring.
- The procedure takes 30 minutes or less.
- Some results may be visible approximately 1 week after your final session, but full results may take several months to develop.
- Recovery time varies from patient to patient, but it can be as little as 3 days and as much as several months.
Ulthera
Ultherapy is a nonsurgical skin tightening solution that uses micro-focused ultrasound to lift sagging skin on the neck, brow, chin, and décolletage. It can also be used to smooth out fine lines and wrinkles.
It may not duplicate the results of a facelift, but it can still be a good option for anyone looking to tighten and lift sagging skin. Many of our patients also get Ultherapy treatments to extend the duration of their surgical facelift results.
- The procedure lasts 60 to 90 minutes.
- Results appear gradually after 4 to 6 months.
- Ultherapy requires no downtime.
Microneedling RF
By combining radiofrequency with controlled injury caused by tiny needles, microneedling RF can reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, stretch marks, and scars, in addition to tightening smaller areas of sagging skin.
Microneedling RF is great for providing natural-looking skin rejuvenation when surgery isn’t a suitable option. Depending on your needs and goals, microneedling RF might be just the treatment for you.
- The procedure takes 1 to 2 hours.
- Full results typically develop 3 to 6 months after your last treatment.
- Microneedling RF requires 1 to 3 days of downtime.
Combining Treatments
Nonsurgical facelift alternatives in Indianapolis can sometimes be combined to maximize results, but we typically recommend completing a full round of one treatment at a time. Dermal fillers, for instance, cannot be combined with any treatments involving heat, such as lasers.
Talk to your expert provider about how to best schedule your treatments for maximum benefits and minimal side effects and downtime.
Looking for the Best Facelift Alternative in Indianapolis? Get Started Today!
There are many benefits to visiting a skin clinic when you have skin-related concerns to be addressed. Expert care, custom treatments, and ongoing support can help you revitalize your skin and care for it in the long term. The experts at Phases Skin Care and Laser Center are ready and waiting to help you experience revitalized skin today.
Schedule your consultation to get started.
Not ready for an in-person visit, or just interested in exploring all our aesthetic treatment offerings? You can use our virtual consultation tool to get started online. Our tool lets you answer a few simple questions and provides customized treatment recommendations delivered to your inbox.
