Facelift, the mini non surgical way. Our Singapore context.

FACELIFT, THE MINI, non surgical way.

With our current stressful lifestyle, coupled with sun damage and enviromental exposures, we Singaporeans are a stressed out lot. Year end deadlines, meetings and hitting targets are the order of the day. As the year draws to a close, why not take some time out to pamper and care for ourselves?

Now ageing leads to the 3Ds, deflation, damage, descent. The photo on the left has good skin, good bony support but a loss of volume (deflation). The one in the centre has good volume, lack of bony support and some descent, while the one on the right has skin damage, deflation and descent.

1. Descent. The skin loses collagen and elastin, hence it loses elasticity and supports, and sags downwards with gravity.
2. Deflation is when the soft tissue layer loses volume, hence flattening the cheeks, liken to a deflated beachball, hence forming the laugh lines, the jowls. We can imagine this in a person after weight loss or pregnancy, and finds her once tight fitting tee, now hanging at the sides.
3. Damage from sun exposure leads to fine lines and wrinkles.

In my opinion, I find that the use of Skin lifting technology, followed by fillers and rounding it off with fractional laser resurfacing will help a person address these 3 key problems of ageing. Allow me to explain.

(Image courtesy of Lifting de la peau – Clinique Thermage Solta Medical ® Bruxelles)

So let me start by sharing with you my 3 step approach to Skin lifting for a glowing, more radiant you.

1) Mini skin lifting technology, using either Thermage or Ulthera focuses on the descent issue of ageing.

– Thermage uses unipolar radiofrequency energy (RF), while Ulthera uses US energy on the SMAS. These in concert work on ‘lifting’ the skin in a needle less fashion, softening the laugh lines, jowls, and saggy neck, and can improve the appearance of your skin texture and pores.

2) Fillers address the deflation issue of ageing, and provide the much needed volume and support to the skin, hence filling flattened cheeks, laugh lines, thus making the jowls and lines appear less obvious.

3) To top it off, the use of fractional laser resurfacing would address the damage portion of ageing, and soften the finer lines and wrinkles giving you a younger, healthier, more radiant you.

On the topic of skin lifting, currently, the 2 big players in this field are Thermage and Ulthera.

Many a patients have asked me which is better?
I personally feel that both are effective. They each work on a different level in the skin, and hence, in my opinion, to achieve optimum results, it is best to schedule both. So I would suggest a Thermage procedure first, followed by Ulthera 6 months to a year’s time.

Recently, given the year end holidays, I have had several patients asking about Thermage. So to help you the reader understand this treatment better, I have summarized the commonly asked questions pertaining to this non invasive, skin lifting treatment in an easy to follow format.

(Images courtesy of Solta medical)

What is Thermage?
Thermage is an innovative, non-invasive radiofrequency procedure for lifting and contouring skin. Thermage CPT system is the latest version of Thermage machines in the market. Thermage CPT offers better results and more patient comfort during the procedure than its predecessors.

Who can do Thermage?
For the young, under 30s, as a peventative measure to slowdown ageing. Thermage works best when there is less sagging.
For the more matured patients – to combat saggy skin.

So what can Thermage do for you?
1. Skin lifting
2. Smoothen and contour skin-> giving you better texture
3. Pore refinement-> giving you radiancy

How is it done?
A comfort tip delivers RF energy which you will feel in the form of heat. The procedure takes roughly an hour.

(Image courtesy of Solta medical)

How long do the effects last?

With 1 time treatment, results last for at least a year.

What are the side effects?
Minimal or no downtime.
May have a little redness that last for a while, depending on skin sensitivity.
Rare to have swelling or blisters.

Who are the patients unsuitable for this?
Patients with pacemaker or electronic implanted device, or stents.

When can you expect to see changes that you would really like?
Maximum results at 3 to 6 months. Some get immediate results.

How long after botox, fillers can you do Thermage?
Generally, they be done in the same sitting.

So I hope this mini series on facelift has been helpful. Speak to your Aesthetic Physician for more information.

Happy Holidays!

Dr Daniel Chang

Making Raffles Place more beautiful, one face at a time.