Everyone considering facelift surgery wants to know what he or she will look like after the facelift surgery is performed.  It is only human nature that if we are going to pay for something, we want some idea what we will be getting!

Of course as a plastic surgeon in Sacramento, I’ve performed thousands of face-lifts over the last 25 years but as hard as I may try to describe what I will be doing, words can only go so far.  You will look more rested, this or that will be lifted, skin will be smoother and more relaxed. The mental picture a patient will get will likely be somewhat accurate but they may still have a hard time picturing.

Over the years a lot of software has been developed to duplicate what the result of facelift surgery will be.  However the facelift preview software still relies on the surgeon’s ability to manipulate the software and may exaggerate or understate what the final result may be. It also only shows a two-dimensional image.

What if there was a way to preview the result of a facelift in a simple, cost-efficient way?  In fact, what if it were free and you didn’t even have to visit a plastic surgeon for a consultation? Well there is.  In plastic surgery, this method has been known for years.  In fact, I learned about it in my residency years ago.  Another plastic surgeon recently published and article about it although the idea has been around for decades.

And the fancy, high tech method to previewing what your facelift surgery will end up looking like? –Lie down.  That’s it.  Lie down on your back with a mirror and look at your face.   Most of the sagging effects are due to gravity and lying down takes some of that out of play.  Pictures taken of this position nicely preview a future facelift.    Now if you’re a real stickler for accuracy you could say lying down only accounts for some of the effects of gravity and ideally you would actually do well to stand on your head.  This is true and some doctors have actually written about this as well.  Dr. PatrickTonnard, when talking about the MACS facelift, one of the best facelift innovations of the last 10 years, has a picture showing this in his book.  However, from a practical standpoint not many people can stand on their heads for very long, or want to.

Thermage is a noninvasive radiofrequency (using radio waves) technology to tighten the skin in the face and body.  It has been cleared by the FDA since 2002 and has been used in 80 countries by more than 2500 physicians in over 500,000 procedures.  When facial aging occurs, skin sags.  One of the reasons this happens is because the skin is attached by fibrous bands to the muscle underneath. When these bands are stretched out, the skin starts to hang. Thermage delivers radiofrequency energy through the skin heating these bands. The heating causes the collagen to shrink as it heals and it and goes back to its original and normal length over several months. The final result is smoother skin with less sagging.   Thermage can be used in many areas of the body including the face, neck, arms, abdomen, hips, and thighs.  With some patients, it can also be used for cellulite control. When used in the body, with a special new larger tip, it can actually cause a reduction of several inches in diameter of the waist or legs.  It is not the same as abdominoplasty or tummy tuck, but for those who are not a candidate for abdominoplasty but have some problems with loose skin in the tummy area, it Thermage may reduce the problem significantly.

The current version of Thermage is the third and best generation of radiofrequency technology.  Previous generations delivered large burst of energy and had a reputation for being uncomfortable. The new generation has solved the discomfort problem by decreasing the energy pulse and combining it with a vibration tip and cooling, which distracts nerve fibers, preventing them from feeling discomfort.  The patient feels a warm feeling at the touch of the machine but not discomfort.

Thermage is an excellent tool and can be used for facial tightening in younger women who do not yet need a surgical procedure such a a full or mini face life, or women who have had a facelift that has begun to loosen over time but are not yet candidates for another procedure.  It is the only solution in women with moderately loose skin in the arms legs and abdomen. In the past, these patients were not candidates for either liposuction or skin removal procedures but now they can be treated with Thermage.  It also works very well for women who have a slight excess in skin and fat but do not want liposuction.

Call our office to learn more about how Thermage skin tightening may be the non-surgical, non-invasive solution for your needs.