Facial Rejuvenation: Fillers, Facelift, or Both?

Portrait of a women who has had multiple facial rejuvenation treatments and is happy in Eugene, OR

If you’ve spent much time online researching ways to look more youthful, you’ve probably noticed the trend toward nonsurgical treatments. The use of injectables and Ultherapy procedures to reduce wrinkles and create smoother skin is more popular than ever. Despite this trend, facelift surgery at my Eugene, Oregon, practice is still the best option for women and men concerned about appearing older than they feel.

In many cases, in fact, combining a facelift with fillers can produce the best possible outcome by addressing concerns in different areas of the face. In this blog post, I’ll explain the benefits if a facelift versus using fillers and how to know if you’re a good candidate for facial plastic surgery.

The Limits of Injectables

Dermal fillers such as JUVÉDERM® and Restylane® can address a range of issues, including lost volume in the lips and around the mouth, in addition to correcting dark circles under the eyes. BOTOX® Cosmetic can smooth forehead wrinkles, worry lines, and crow’s feet. But for people whose concerns include loose skin that causes jowls and sagging in the midface area, injectables won’t help. If the sagging is minor, I might recommend Ultherapy®, a nonsurgical skin tightening treatment.

The Benefits of a Facelift

When a patient comes in for a consultation to discuss facial rejuvenation, I explain why it’s important to choose the correct procedure for the right reasons. I can create a customized treatment plan that uses fillers if the skin retains most of its elasticity. But if I don’t believe a patient can benefit from injectables, after a physical examination of the skin’s quality, I’ll recommend a facelift because using fillers in those situations will create results that don’t look natural.

A facelift:

  • Tightens skin on the lower two-thirds of the face
  • Reduces the appearance of jowls and sagging cheeks
  • Minimizes lines around the nose
  • Creates a more defined jawline

One of the techniques I use for facelift surgery is an innovative approach that uses loops of sutures to re-suspend facial structures that have sagged downward with aging. It differs from the more invasive technique used by many other plastic surgeons and produces excellent long-term outcomes.

Women and men who get facelifts want to look more youthful, but still like themselves. That’s the primary goal whenever I perform facial plastic surgery at my Eugene practice.

What About Cost?

It helps to think of a business concept called “return on investment,” or ROI, when comparing the costs of injectables versus a facelift. What do you get for the amount of money spent? In the short term, fillers are less costly, but over the long-term may not be as cost effective. Why? Because the results are temporary and returning to maintain your results over the years will push the total cost up.

A facelift represents an initial investment, but will produce results that can last for a decade or more. It’s not that the aging process stops, but surgery can turn back the clock and you won’t need to have multiple appointments. You can see the dramatic results that are possible from facelift surgery by viewing our gallery of before-and-after photos.

If you’d like to refresh your appearance, but aren’t sure if a facelift is necessary, contact us to request a consultation using the online form or call us at (541) 683-3234 to schedule an appointment.

Leave a Reply

Fields marked with * are required.

Back to Top