For many years, people seeking medical beautification procedures designed to rejuvenate the facial areas have underwent an invasive surgery called a facelift. Such a surgery is not without a fair share of risks, either. There are dozens of risks associated with these surgeries, ranging from infection to failed procedures, skin numbing, loss of facial expression and countless others.

A relatively newer procedure called the liquid facelift provides nearly identical results without requiring that patients go under the knife. When considering your options with a traditional facelift or a liquid facelift, there are a few points to review before determining which one is the safest, most affordable, and most effective method.

Surgical Facelift

In a surgical facelift procedure, something that typically spans a few hours, the skin on the face is tightened while the fat and muscle underneath the tissues are modified to create more resiliency and to eliminate wrinkles and sunken features. The healing time and the pain and discomfort involved are drastic, with a prominent risk of infection as well as a cadre of other associated side effects. These factors aside, facelifts are nearly never covered by standard health insurance because they are, by their very continence, a cosmetic procedure. A report by Plasticsurgery.org pegs the average cost of a standard surgical facelift at about $6,600, far outside of the budget of the average individual.

Nonsurgical Facelift

A new procedure called the liquid facelift does not require that patients go under the knife and be subjected to anesthesia. The procedure instead is an outpatient procedure that requires deep dermal injections into the facial areas.

• Using an FDA approved (2009) injected dermal filler called Sculptra, careful injections are made into the facial areas to help the body produce more collagen, which is the agent that keeps skin smooth, supple, young and resilient.
• Sculptra is designed to increase collagen production as a biocompatible filler that can be easily absorbed and later discarded by the body.
• In recent studies, patients showed nearly an 80 percent improved rate in the skin folds. Another benefit is that it gradually alters the face to slowly remove wrinkle lines, as opposed to plastic surgery, which is immediate.
• As far as the cost goes, it’s far below the average cost of surgery, and can be obtained at most dermatologists offices (that offer a liquid facelift) for a fair price.
• By contrast, it’s considered far safer with notable mild side effects that are not lasting and minimized risk of infection post procedure.
• Lastly, patients don’t typically require an allergy test before the procedure due to the compatible nature of the constituent.

Gather Information Before You Decide

Choosing to have a procedure like the liquid facelift is an important decision, much like any other medical decision you can make, cosmetic or not. It is always wise to research your options and to learn more about liquid facelift before you undergo this popular cosmetic treatment. In addition to conducting your due diligence beforehand, one should also consult with their primary care physician to assure that they are medically healthy enough to undergo this simple outpatient procedure. While this procedure may be right for most people, it may not be right for all people. Only your medical doctor can offer you medical advice on what’s best for your specific situation.

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Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only. Consult with a Doctor before any treatment.