Over the years, Dr. Paul Pin has noticed two types of patients that are interested in facial rejuvenation procedures. Some of these patients want to make a dramatic change to their features.

For these patients, Dr. Pin often recommend the facelift procedure, which will lift and tighten sagging skin.

On the other hand, some patients want less obvious, more subtle improvements made to their facial features. These patients are looking for an effect that improves their facial features, but is not as immediately apparent as a facelift.

Still, there are other patients that desire a total makeover to improve the facial features. These patients might benefit from combining surgical and minimally invasive procedures. Read further as Dr. Pin explains how to get the most out of your facial rejuvenation by getting the best out of both types of procedures.

How the Face Changes as It Ages

There are two main processes by which your facial skin ages. Although they are related, they are somewhat different.

Sagging Skin

Sagging skin can occur almost anywhere on the face, but it is often most obvious around the cheeks and jaw line, resulting in jowls and a sunken look to the cheeks.

The most common cause for sagging skin in these areas is loss of the protein collagen, which forms into fibers that help fill out the skin, making it look full and firm. As you age, these collagen fibers naturally break down, causing your facial skin to lose volume and firmness. This breakdown can be accelerated by smoking or excessive sun exposure.

Loss of Skin Elasticity

Skin elasticity can be thought of as your skin’s ability to conform back to its original shape after having been stretched. Collagen is actually responsible for this elasticity.

Your body loses collagen as you get older. When this happens, your skin loses its elastic quality, which can result in sagging, as well as create lines and wrinkles around your eyes and along your brow and forehead.

Combining Procedures for a Total Makeover

Clearly, both types of aging to the face are related to collagen loss. However, each type of aging requires a different type of cosmetic procedure to address the problem.

If you have noticeably sagging skin, particularly around the cheeks or jaw line, Dr. Pin recommends a surgical facelift procedure. This can either be done to the entire face, or just to certain areas that are sagging, depending on how much improvement you want.

Dr. Pin will start by making several small incisions just behind your hairline or behind your ears. This will allow him to gently lift up the skin, reposition it so that it no longer sags, remove any excess, and then suture everything back into place.

To address the loss of skin elasticity, Dr. Pin will use dermal fillers or Botox, depending on the areas that you want addressed. Dermal fillers are made of a soft gel material that mimics collagen. They are designed to address fine lines and wrinkles, such as crow’s feet.

Dermal fillers are injected just under the skin in the areas where you want more volume and fullness. Depending upon the dermal filler that is used, the effects can last anywhere from 12 to 18 months, after which you can undergo another procedure.

BOTOX® Cosmetic is used to minimize the appearance of deeper lines and wrinkles, usually between the brows or along the forehead. Unlike dermal fillers, it goes deeper into the facial muscles to relax them. It will also usually last about 12 to18 months.

The aging process of the face is actually the result of collagen loss in two significant ways. For patients who want a total face makeover, Dr. Pin recommends combining a surgical facelift procedure with a minimally invasive dermal filler or BOTOX® procedure.