Don't let the inevitable signs of aging hold you back when preparing for a big date, family wedding, or milestone portrait. Instead of dealing with the surgical risks of a full facelift, try turning to a trusted Chicago med spa for a liquid facelift. A clever name for a combination of injectable treatments, liquid facelifts are quick and require far less downtime than a surgical facelift. Here's what you need to know before choosing one of these combo treatments.
Why an Alternative to the Standard Facelift?
Since a full facelift is a surgery requiring general anesthesia, there's a number of risks associated with it. Blood clots can form, and infection is always a risk. This kind of plastic surgery requires multiple cuts, resulting in wounds that take a while to heal. In contrast, liquid facelifts have none of these particular risks. While those less invasive procedures do come with their own potential side effects, there is no need to pass an evaluation for anesthesia or surgery. Liquid facelifts are handled as outpatient treatments instead, requiring no anesthesia and only over-the-counter pain medication if any. Avoiding the issues that come with real surgery can make this kind of alternative much more attractive to people with chronic health concerns or a busy schedule that doesn't allow for a lot of downtime.
What is the Liquid Facelift?
As the liquid part of the name suggests, this type of treatment involves lifting the face with strategic injections. While Botox can help provide a more youthful appearance, it doesn't do it all when it comes to a facelift type effect. Lifting in a surgical sense involves tightening the skin, which will require more than just the wrinkle-smoothing effect of one treatment like Botox. Juvederm is often recommended in combination to better mimic the effects of a full facelift without any of the surgery. These two injectable procedures in particular work well together because they're generally applied to different parts of the face. They also don't interact with each other, reducing the chance of extra side effects. Depending on the desired effect, injections may be needed in the cheeks, jowls, between and around the eyes, in the lips, and in the chin.
Why Juvederm?
Designed to plump and restore the youthful look of full skin, Juvederm is a filler made with hyaluronic acid. It can restore sunken or thinned areas in the face, filling in the cheeks, chin, and even around the brow. It's perfect for filling deeper folds and wrinkles, such as the nasolabial folds around the mouth, that can't be treated with Botox alone. Yet it's not right for every part of the face either. When used in combination with a muscle relaxing injection treatment, the overall effect is maximized for nearly as much of an improvement as a surgical facelift.
Why Botox?
Botox offers muscle-relaxing effects to deal with dynamic wrinkles. These age-signaling facial features are caused by repetitive use of a certain group of facial muscles. The line between the eyes and crows' feet around the edges are two good examples of these wrinkles. While Botox can provide a smoothing effect in these cases, it can't plump sunken areas. That's where the Juvederm comes in. Together they make the ideal liquid facelift from a Chicago med spa rather than a plastic surgeon's office.
If you decide a liquid facelift is right for you or just want to know more, talk to us here at Reflections Med Spa. We are Chicago's preeminent Botox and Juvederm provider, making us the ideal partners for reshaping your face on a subtle level. We can also recommend other treatments that may help boost the effects of a liquid facelift.