Facelift Surgery vs. Minimally Invasive Injectables: Which is Better for an Aging Face?

When it comes to reducing wrinkles and other signs of aging, there are many options available. Two of the most popular options are injectables and surgery. That said, a traditional facelift is a much more complex and involved procedure than an injectable treatment, as explained by double board-certified facial plastic surgeon Dr. Timothy Greco and his staff, operating in the Philadelphia area. In a facelift, the skin on each side of the face is lifted upward and backward, excess skin and fat is removed, and the remaining skin, fat and other tissues are repositioned for a much younger look. Injectables involve the introduction of neurotoxins and fillers designed to relax wrinkle-causing muscles, add temporary volume, and more. The best option for a given patient will depend on the severity and cause of the age-related facial changes, as well as the patient’s individual goals and preferences.

When we’re young, the upper area of the face tends to be wider, narrowing down to the jaw and chin. Due to aging, however, our entire facial shape changes and may take on a “deflated” appearance. Fat tends to migrate downward, contours become less defined, and the face may become more square-jawed.

Generally, facelifts are longer-lasting solutions for advanced signs of aging like jowls, “turkey wattle,” sagging skin in the lower part of the face, and deep nasolabial creases. While facelift surgery is commonly thought of as a treatment for older patients, a rising number of younger patients in their 30s and 40s are expressing interest in the procedure, which requires some down time for recuperation and healing after.

Minimally invasive injectables are a convenient alternative for people who may not be ready for more dramatic surgery. They are less costly and require virtually no down time.

If your main priority is minimizing wrinkles and lines visible due to facial expressions (dynamic wrinkles), it’s better to try an injectable neuromodulator like BOTOX®, Dysport®, XEOMIN®, or Jeuveau™. Dynamic wrinkles form in the face from years of repeated facial movements or expressions. Over time, the skin grows thinner and weaker and becomes stretched or bunched together easily as it can no longer snap back to its original position.

Neuromodulators interfere with the nerve activity that controls how the muscles contract and pull the facial skin in various ways. This has the effect of softening wrinkles and relaxing the face. BOTOX® is approved for three of the most common problem wrinkles: crow’s feet, frown lines, and horizontal forehead wrinkles. It also has a number of other off-label applications for bunny lines, a gummy smile, marionette lines (creases between the corners of the mouth and the chin), neck bands, and facial lifts to enhance the shape of the brows. BOTOX® can even create leaner, more feminine facial contours, depending on your natural bone structure, when injected into the jawline.

However, many wrinkles and lines are not caused by muscle contractions, but are linked to other damaging factors, like time, gravity, sun damage, weather extremes, and pollution, in addition to genetics and detrimental lifestyle habits like smoking or having a poor diet. Sometimes even pressure from the way our face is positioned when we sleep and the materials of our sheets or pillowcases can leave behind wrinkles.

These lines and creases can become permanently engraved into the skin as static wrinkles, including compression wrinkles, elastic wrinkles, and gravitational folds. Static wrinkles can be addressed with dermal fillers such as the hyaluronic acid-based JUVEDERM® collection of fillers. These temporarily replenish volume and fullness to address wrinkles and hollowed areas, or to augment features like the lips and cheeks. While the outcome isn’t as dramatic as a facelift, JUVEDERM Voluma® augments, lifts, and plumps the apples of the cheeks to create a more defined and youthful profile.

The Philadelphia area’s Timothy M. Greco, MD, PC, can further explain the details of a facelift and other surgical or non-surgical techniques. Call (610) 664-8830 or submit a contact form to request a consultation.