Posted November 01, 2022 in Facial Fillers, Facial Plastic Surgery
5 Minute Read:
Our faces tend to show the effects of age more than any other area of the body. This fact is made even more frustrating when you realize that your face is what others often notice first.
While age-related cosmetic issues, like loose and sagging facial skin along with the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines can be upsetting to many men and women, the good news is that there are surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures available that can help restore and revitalize your facial aesthetic.
Many men and women turn to dermal fillers instead of facial plastic surgery because they believe that fillers are a cheaper alternative to surgery.
However, is that actually true? The simple answer is not necessarily.
Below, we’ll explore this answer to ultimately show that cost is relative, and while fillers are great for certain patients, they are not interchangeable with surgical procedures.
Non-Surgical or Surgical Facial Procedures: Which Is Better?
The reality is that dermal fillers and facial surgery do not achieve the same results. In fact, dermal fillers are the preferred method of helping correct volume loss in the face (usually in the cheeks and under the eyes).
Facial surgery procedures, however, do not directly help to restore volume in the face. Instead, surgical procedures work to correct wrinkles, fine lines, and sagging skin. In this sense, these different procedures (non-surgical and surgical) should not be considered alternatives to each other.
It’s true that some younger patients can postpone the need for a facelift by undergoing non-surgical injectables (both dermal fillers and neuromodulators like BOTOX® Cosmetic). However, patients who do this will need repeated treatments and may see a day when even injectable treatments are not enough to achieve their desired results.
What About the Cost?
While it’s true that individual dermal filler treatments are less expensive than facial surgery, something that needs to be considered is the fact that the results achieved from dermal fillers are not long lasting.
Instead, many of these results only last six to 12 months, with some lasting a few years.
Surgical procedures, however, can last several years (or decades). So, while you will need to have maintenance injections of fillers (each with its own cost), your surgical procedures are a one-time procedure (and cost). This means that the cost of dermal fillers over the long-run will likely exceed the cost of facial surgery.
What Surgical Procedures for the Face Does Dr. Messa Offer?
Dr. Messa is proud to offer several different facial plastic surgery procedures, including:
Facelift
In 2020, facelift surgery was the third most performed cosmetic surgical procedure. That is because it is one of the most transformative cosmetic procedures available today.
With facelift surgery, age-related cosmetic issues on the lower two-thirds of the face (from the cheeks to the neck) are treated. After a facelift, you can look and feel younger than you have in years!
Eyebrow Lift
A brow lift (also known as a forehead lift) helps to correct the other one-third of the face that facelift surgery does not address. Whether you are frustrated with sagging skin in your eyebrows (which can cause you to look older and angrier than you actually are) or wrinkles and lines on your forehead, this procedure can help give you smoother skin on your upper-face while allowing you a more contoured aesthetic.
What Non-Surgical Treatments for the Face Does Dr. Messa Offer?
Dermal fillers (soft tissue fillers) were the second most performed cosmetic minimally invasive procedure performed in 2020.
These injectable fillers help to restore volume in your face while smoothing the skin to help give patients a more rejuvenated appearance. While the results they offer are not permanent, fillers do offer temporary correction that can help transform your face. What is important to know about dermal fillers is that there are several different brands and lines of fillers, with each helping to correct specific issues in different areas of the face.
Dr. Messa is proud to offer the following injectable fillers:
JUVÉDERM®
The JUVÉDERM® line of fillers is one of the most trusted injectable treatments available. If you are looking for skin rejuvenation around your mouth and nose, then JUVÉDERM® XC may be the filler for you. However, if you are frustrated with age-related wrinkles on your chin and around your mouth, then JUVÉDERM VOLLURE™ XC can help. Lastly, if you suffer from volume loss in your face, then JUVÉDERM VOLUMA® XC is effective for restoring volume to give you a healthier, fuller aesthetic.
Restylane®
Restylane® injectables are effective for helping men and women achieve smoother, more youthful skin on the face. While Restylane® can help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines on the lower areas of the face (including the mouth and chin), Restylane® Silk can help patients who have experienced volume loss in the lips.
Is There a Longer Lasting Alternative to Dermal Fillers?
Patients who want to increase volume provided by fillers but also longevity might be better off considering facial fat transfer. This procedure uses your natural fat to augment your features and tends to last for many years before needing an additional procedure since the fat naturally grafts to the treatment area.
In the End…
There really are no alternatives when it comes to the long-lasting results offered by facial plastic surgery.
Dermal fillers are effective for restoring lost volume, but they wear off in a relatively short amount of time. This causes patients to need maintenance treatments to continue looking the way they desire. These maintenance treatments add up over time, costing more than surgical procedures do. The only difference is that you are not paying for it at one time.
Interested in Learning More?
If you are frustrated with age-related issues on your skin and want to know more about the differences between surgical and non-surgical facial procedures, please call us at (954) 659-7760 or fill our online form. At Weston Cosmetic Surgery, we look forward to helping you achieve your aesthetic goals!
