What Is A Liquid Facelift?
A liquid facelift involves the use of dermal fillers and neuromodulators to provide many of the similar results that can be achieved with a surgical facelift. A liquid facelift can:
- Reduce appearance of wrinkles, creases, lines, and folds
- Gently lift facial features such as the cheeks and marionette areas
- Restore natural, fuller facial contour
- Provide a more rested and healthier appearance
What Areas Can A Liquid Facelift Improve?
Overall facial fullness and lift will occur. The cheeks will be fuller and plumper. The jawline will be more defined. Volume to the chin along with the marionette or corners of the mouth is also addressed.
Who Is A Good Candidate For A Liquid Facelift?
As we age, we desire to appear youthful and more vibrant but many are not ready to undergo invasive surgical facelift procedure which often require long recovery and have associated risks. So people come to us for alternative solutions to the standard facelift approach. It’s a gradual and natural progression which people appreciate. You make the decision whether you want more product or less. That’s what makes our liquid facelifts so popular with our patients. We all age in different ways, and we completely personalize our liquid facelifts to meet your unique facial aging needs.
How Do Our Providers Perform Their Liquid Facelifts?
The first step of a liquid facelift is a discussion between you and provider about the areas that bother you. Then our providers will examine your facial anatomy to get an idea of what can be achieved. A treatment plan is discussed including pricing and number of syringes required for the areas you are having treated. Topical numbing anesthetic is applied before starting the injections.
The time needed to perform the treatment can be 30- 60 minutes based on number of syringes needed to be injected. Typically, our providers will start with 3-4 syringes and most likely you will return for additional syringes within 1-2 months to address other areas. Please know there is only 1/5th of a teaspoon full of product in one syringe of filler so multiple syringes are required to create optimal result. Pricing is per syringe and is based on provider. Dr. Lee performs all his filler injections using an advanced micro cannula technique which is more time consuming. Our filler pricing ranges from $700-$1100 based on product used and provider. add’l syringe. Additional syringes during the same visit. Our other providers’ pricing is $600-$800 based on the product being used.
What Is The Recovery And Aftercare Like For A Liquid Facelift?
There is very minimal downtime. Botox does take 7-14 days to relax the muscles that cause the dynamic expression, however the results visible after Juvéderm® and Restylane® fillers are indicative of the final results minus some swelling and some rare bruising.
One thing that’s important after your liquid facelift is to not rub any of the injection sites for 24 hours. This can make the filler or neuromodulator migrate to an unintended area.
Is A Liquid Facelift Painful?
Patients typically complain of pain due to topical numbing cream or ice being used for Botox injections. All our fillers have lidocaine in their formulation and our providers also take extra precautions to minimize any pain associated with the treatment. A “soft touch and eye for detail” (Dr. Lee’s trademark) and ability to inject with precision is the key to having the best result and experience.
Why Choose Dr. John Lee For Your Liquid Facelift?
Dr. Lee is one of the busiest and most experienced filler injectors in the country. He has been performing filler treatments for over 15 year and he is an oculo-facial plastic surgeon. He knows the facial anatomy better than any nurses, dermatologist, general plastic surgeons who perform everything including breast/body procedures. Dr. Lee’s area of work is very limited and focused and the area that the liquid facelift focuses on is the lower lids/cheek areas. Building the cheeks can significantly provide a lift and structural change to the overall shape of the face. Typically, as we age, the sagging pulls the skin to the jowls area. Creating volume to the cheeks and lower lids area lifts that skin back to its place.
Why Is Cheek Flattening And Deflation Usually The First Sign Of Aging?
Cheek volume loss is the first sign of aging. This volume loss causes the cheeks to fall and flatten and create a sagging or droopy appearance and create visible shadows around the nose and mouth areas. Every year after our 20th birthday our bodies create one additional percentage point less collagen. Since collagen provides the structural framework that supports our skin, by the time we turn 50 we have 30 percent less collagen to work with. That’s why our skin starts to sag and develop lines and creases — it has lost one third of its supporting volume and structure. It doesn’t help that collagen also helps to keep our skin thick and plump, the tenets of young skin.
This can be especially obvious on the cheeks. As we age and the collagen declines, the cheeks descend downward and flatten. This is one of the first signs of aging that really shows itself. Don’t think so? Look at pictures of yourself or your parents at the age of 20 and again at 50. See any difference in the cheeks?
Fortunately, Juvéderm® Voluma and Restylane® Lyft both are excellent fillers for returning volume to sunken, flattened cheeks. They are the popular products used by our provider to perform the liquid facelift treatment.
What Is The Cost Of A Liquid Facelift?
The cost is based on Botox used which can vary from 40-60 units and provider. Dr. Lee is $13 per unit w/ $600 min. Filler treatment cost is based on number of syringes injected. Our filler pricing ranges from $700-$1100 based on product used and provider. add’l syringe during the same visit- the price is lower for the add’l syringes to provide patients incentive to receive the optimal amount of filler needed to provide the best results.
Most patients start with 3-4 syringes at their 1st visit and return for add’l 2-3 syringes 4-6 weeks after. Once the desired result is achieved, we recommend returning every 3 months for your Botox treatment and “topping off” with 1-2 syringes of filler to maintain your result instead of having all the fillers depleted and start the process of full correction again.
How Long Does A Liquid Facelift Last?
The duration of your liquid facelift depends on the product and amount being used- the more product, the longer the results typically lasts. Placement also plays a role in duration. For instance, fillers placed around the mouth area, where there is constant muscle movement, often don’t last quite as long as those placed in less active areas such as the cheeks. Because different products have different durations, touch-up procedures can be necessary to maintain your liquid facelift before the longest-lasting products are absorbed by the body.
Here are a couple timelines:
- Botox – 3 to 4 months
- Juvéderm® and Voluma fillers — 9 to 12 months
- Our providers will provide a time frame to return to maintain the result of your liquid facelift result.
Are There Side Effects With A Liquid Facelift?
The injectables used by providers are all approved by the FDA. As mentioned above, we only use hyaluronic acid fillers. These are categorized as “natural fillers” because hyaluronic acid occurs naturally in the human body. Each of these fillers has been used across the globe for over a decade (almost two decades for Botox), and they have proven to be safe and very effective for returning volume to areas and for relaxing wrinkles.
The typical side effects with all injectables are slight swelling and redness at the injection sites. This usually resolves in a few hours. Botox can sometimes cause a slight headache for up to 24 hours after injection, but this runs its course. The main potential side effect is that Botox can relax an unintended muscle, creating issues such as a droopy eyelid. That’s why you need to only trust a liquid facelift to experienced injectors and all our providers have been trained by one of the most experienced provider in the country- Dr. Lee!. Our providers knowledge of the facial anatomy, and experience with all of these injectables ensures you are being treated by highly trained and experienced providers.
Schedule A Facelift Consultation In Bryn Mawr, PA!
Interested in learning more about the liquid facelift or whether you are a candidate? Call (610) 789-6701 today to book a one-on-one appointment with Dr. John Lee and Dr. Joseph Castelli or fill out the form in our contact page! Our practice serves Bryn Mawr and the surrounding areas of Pennsylvania.
