As the aging process continues to affect your skin and your face, you may feel as though surgery is your only option. At Chetco Medical & Aesthetics in Brookings, OR, we want you to know that a surgical facelift isn’t the only option anymore. There is an effective alternative to surgery called FaceTite Portland that can help lift the skin, revitalize your appearance, and help you look and feel years younger.
FaceTite vs. Facelift: Which Is Right for You?
Both of these treatments address the signs of aging on the face, but they use different methods to do so. One is non-surgical, the other involves an extensive surgical procedure.
Determining Your Goals and Your Skin Condition
FaceTite Portland provides individuals with the opportunity to rejuvenate their faces without undergoing surgery. It is typically recommended for those who have minimal to moderate signs of aging or those who cannot undergo an invasive procedure due to certain medical conditions or other disqualifications. A facelift is designed for those who have severe facial sagging and drooping on their face that cannot be effectively resolved with a non-invasive treatment.
At the end of the day, the best way to determine which one of these two is right for you is to schedule an initial consultation here at our office. We will review your skin condition as well as the severity of your signs of aging and help determine if you would benefit from a non-invasive treatment or if a surgical lift would be better for you.
The Differences
When deciding between these two treatments, it’s important to know the differences between them so that you can make an informed decision. FaceTite Portland is known as the non-surgical alternative to a facelift because it helps patients achieve similar results without the need for surgery. A facelift involves the surgical restructuring and lifting of the skin. Different patients will qualify for one of these treatments based on the current condition of their skin and their goals.
Addressing Aging With FaceTite: A Minimally-Invasive Treatment
FaceTite Portland works best for those who have minor to moderate signs of aging, including skin laxity along the jawline, as well as the neck. Those who have pre-jowl folds or loose neck skin can benefit from this treatment. If aging has begun to affect your appearance and you want to get ahead of the aging process by resolving your preexisting conditions before they progress, this treatment can help you get an edge on aging.
You can schedule this minimally invasive treatment and then resume most of your normal daily activities within a few days to one week at the most. While you will see some immediate skin-tightening effects, results do take time. This treatment stimulates collagen production to help deliver the most anti-aging results, but collagen production takes several months. Full results will not be visible until three to six months post-treatment.
Addressing Aging With a Facelift: A Surgical Procedure
A facelift addresses the signs of aging surgically. Those who have experienced significant skin laxity due to aging usually qualify as candidates for this procedure. Sometimes aging advances to such a degree that not even the strongest non-invasive treatment can deliver the kind of results that a surgical procedure will. A facelift can address both skin tone and structure: two important elements that determine whether your skin looks aged or youthful.
During your procedure, you will be put under general anesthesia as your surgeon completes the work. Then, you will begin a recovery period. Results are immediate but will improve over time as your body experiences full healing. Once your body begins to heal, you will be able to see the results of your procedure and can enjoy them for many years.
Making the Right Choice
There are some factors that must be considered before choosing between these two options. When you come in for a consultation, we will evaluate your skin condition, as well as your ultimate goals. Our goal is to help you accomplish your goals, so we will take every step possible to make all of your anti-aging dreams come true. Aging affects people in different ways, thanks to genetics, lifestyle, and environmental conditions. When we evaluate your skin, we will:
- Examine your facial structure
- Locate the signs of aging on your face
- Determine what is causing the aging process
- Evaluate your skin tone
- Analyze facial contours as well as the condition of your neck, jawline, and cheeks
- Evaluate your facial fat percentage
- Determine the thickness of your skin
Both of these treatments can help transform your appearance. One will do it non-surgically with as little as one minimally-invasive treatment with minimal downtime; the other will do it surgically and requires downtime and recovery. You will get anti-aging results from both, but you may be better suited for one over the other based on the condition of your skin, your ultimate goals, and the different ways aging has affected your face.
What Is FaceTite?
FaceTite Portland is a non-surgical way to lift and contour the face and the neck without the need for a surgical procedure. It tightens the skin and lifts it with a minimally invasive treatment that requires no stitches, local anesthesia, and minimal downtime. It uses the power of radiofrequency energy to stimulate the production of two essential proteins for beautiful skin: elastin and collagen. It helps encourage the body to regenerate itself and the skin to deliver anti-aging results.
What Does It Treat?
This treatment specializes in addressing aging on the face and neck, particularly skin laxity. The benefit is that as a patient, you get a say in what areas you want to treat and can help customize your treatment plan. Whether you want to treat your face, your neck, your body, or all three areas, we can help you achieve all of your aesthetic goals. The most common areas and conditions that this treatment addresses are:
- Drooping brows
- Loose skin on the eyelids
- Facial folds
- Hollow cheeks
- Fine lines and wrinkles
- Jowls
- Loose skin on the neck
- Excess fat in different areas of the face
- Mild excess fat in the mid and lower face
- Small areas of the body that require tightening and lifting
Sagging Skin
Sagging skin is a result of the aging process, but what actually causes sagging is a loss of collagen and elastin below the skin’s surface. When you are young, your body produces ample amounts of collagen and elastin, which help keep the skin firm, tight, and supple. As you age, your body produces less collagen and elastin, and as a result, the skin begins to loosen, droop, and sag.
However, there are different treatments that can help push the body to produce more elastin and collagen, and this treatment is one of the most effective. Once the radiofrequency affects the layers of the skin, it helps force the body to make more of these proteins, and you get natural-looking, lifted skin as a result.
Excess Fat
Not only can this treatment lift sagging, drooping skin, but it can address small pockets of excess fat. It helps melt excess fat by using radiofrequency thermal energy, which is heat energy, to destroy the fat cells in the treatment area. Once these fat cells are destroyed, the body views them as bodily waste and uses the lymphatic system to eliminate the cells from the body.
How Does It Work?
This treatment uses thermal energy to stimulate collagen production below the skin’s surface. It involves the use of a dual handheld device that is applied to the skin. A very thin needle can be used to reach deeper layers of the skin to further promote collagen production.
Radiofrequency energy is an effective way to target aging, tighten the skin, and restore youth to the face. It works by emitting thermal heat, which encourages the body to utilize its regenerative healing properties.
What Happens During Treatment?
Typical treatments take approximately one hour. Before we begin, your technician will apply local anesthesia or sedatives as needed to maintain your comfort during the treatment. Once these medications set in, your technician will take the handheld device and use it in your treatment areas to tighten and lift the skin.
If necessary, and if you so choose, we can also use it to address pockets of excess fat on your face. During the fat removal process, your technician will insert the device needle into the necessary skin depth to effectively target and destroy fat cells.
What Kind of Recovery Can I Expect?
Most patients only need up to one week to recover from this treatment before beginning normal daily activities. We will provide you with a facial compression garment and will instruct you on how and when to wear it to help promote ultimate healing. Once your appointment is complete, your technician will give you a detailed list of instructions on how to care for your treatment areas.
How Long Will My Results Last?
When you compare this treatment to a traditional facelift, the results are not as long-lasting, but you will still get to enjoy them for many years. A typical facelift lasts approximately ten years before the signs of aging begin to affect the results. Once you undergo this treatment, you can expect your results to last for at least five years or more based on your lifestyle and the way you care for your skin post-treatment.
Am I a Candidate?
The best candidates for FaceTite Portland want to address loose skin, improve the appearance of areas of the body that have experienced sagging, and eliminate stubborn fat. If you are not ready to commit to a facelift, or if your skin condition doesn’t necessitate a surgical procedure, you will benefit from all that this minimally invasive treatment has to offer.
When you come in for your initial consultation, we’ll review your health history, diagnose your skin condition, and then confirm that you are a candidate. Then, together with our skincare experts, you will help create your customized treatment plan. We’ll listen to your concerns and help develop the best plan of action to target and treat your loose skin, wherever that may be. We’ll help you get tight, lifted skin in just one treatment, and the results will last for years.
Schedule Your Consultation
If you’re confused about whether a facelift or a FaceTite Portland treatment is right for you, we can help. We’ll review your skin and help create a treatment plan that meets all of your goals. The first step in this process is an initial consultation here at our office with our experts. Contact us today at Chetco Medical & Aesthetics in Brookings, OR, and schedule your consultation so we can help you determine the best way to help address aging and restore your youth.