If you are considering cosmetic surgery, you may be overwhelmed by all the types of facial plastic surgery. In addition to surgical procedures, there are many effective nonsurgical cosmetic procedures to consider.
Although the best way to learn your cosmetic options is to schedule a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon, we hope this article provides a helpful starting point. The list isn’t comprehensive, but it covers many of the most popular and sought-after cosmetic procedures.
Surgical Cosmetic Procedures
When people think of facial plastic surgery, they usually think of the following procedures. While this list is a great starting point, your surgeon may inform you of other specialized procedures depending on your needs and goals.
Facelift (Full & Mini)
A facelift corrects many of the visual signs of aging, including wrinkles and saggy skin. Your surgeon removes excess skin and re-drapes the skin on your face. The result is smoother and firmer-looking skin. Depending on your needs, you can opt for a full facelift or a “mini facelift.”
Some of the signs of aging addressed through a facelift include:
- Facial sagging that was caused by the skin relaxing over time
- Jowls around the jaws and cheeks
- Loose skin along with excess fat around the neck resulting in a double chin or “turkey neck”
- Facial fat that has shifted position or disappeared with age
- Deepened fold lines between the corner of the mouth and the nose
Eyelid Surgery
Eyelid surgery is designed to improve the appearance of the eyelids, usually with the goal of more youthful-looking eyelids. Some may also opt for eyelid surgery to correct non-aging aesthetic concerns. Your surgeon may perform it on both the upper lids and lower lids or just one area of both eyes.
The issues addressed may include:
- Bothersome bags under the eyes
- Puffiness in the eyelids
- Excess fatty deposits in the eyelids
- Sagging or loose-looking skin that forms deep folds which sometimes even hinder vision
- Fine wrinkles around the eyes
- Excess skin in the lower eyelid
- Drooping lower eyelids revealing white below the iris
Forehead Lift
A forehead lift is also sometimes referred to as a brow lift. The goal is to smooth the forehead’s appearance and lift the eyebrows. As people age, their eyebrows start to sag, and a slightly lifted brow signifies youth to many people.
A forehead or brow lift can cosmetically correct the following issues:
- Wrinkles and horizontal lines across the forehead, on the bridge of the nose, and between the eyes
- Frown lines, including the vertical creases between the eyebrows
- Sagging eyebrows cause hooding of the upper eyelids
- Sunken or lowered eyebrows through aging
Some combine a forehead lift with eyelid surgery for more comprehensive rejuvenation in that area of the face.
Rhinoplasty
During Rhinoplasty, your plastic surgeon reshapes or restructures the nose to create a more aesthetically pleasing or better functioning nose. Some refer to this procedure as a nose job. While often the goals are aesthetic, sometimes there are medical reasons to restructure or reshape the nose.
Some of the issues Rhinoplasty may address include:
- A shape that you consider unattractive
- Asymmetry in the nostrils or nose itself
- A nose that looks too large or small in proportion to the face
- Aesthetic issues with the bridge of the nose, including the proportion, shape, bumps, etc.
- A nose that looks wider than preferred either in the bridge or nostrils
- A nasal tip with an unattractive appearance, whether it is enlarged, upturned, hooked, or bulbous
- Simply a desire for a nose that looks different
Non-Surgical Cosmetic Treatments
In addition to the range of surgical options, great strides are being made in the field of non-surgical cosmetic treatments. In some cases, some of these can be an alternative to plastic surgery, especially if you are just starting to show signs of aging. Sometimes these procedures may be an effective complement to cosmetic surgery.
Thread lift
A thread lift is a minimally invasive procedure that stimulates the skin’s healing process resulting in improved skin texture emerging over the weeks following the procedure. Your provider uses a special cosmetic thread to treat the target area by inserting a pre-threaded needle underneath the visible layers of skin to grasp and lift it. The thread eventually dissolves, but it leaves tighter, smoother, and more youthful-looking skin.
Profound ® RF
Profound®RF treatment uses a specialized device leveraging long pulse, radio-frequency, and microneedling. It helps improve skin texture and appearance by stimulating the production of collagen, hyaluronic acid, and elastin. As we age, these building blocks to healthy skin decline and the body needs extra help to stimulate their production. The device causes mild injury, which triggers the body’s healing process.
Injectables
One of the most exciting developments for people who are wary of elective surgery is the emergence of cosmetic injectables. The best known is possibly BOTOX® which temporarily relaxes facial muscles responsible for expression lines and other fine wrinkles. Many people find that they look younger and better rested a few days after a BOTOX® injection with few or often no noticeable side effects.
In addition to BOTOX®, other injectables, including dermal fillers, can help improve the face’s appearance. Fillers may be used to enhance the bone structure, restore volume lost with age, smooth fine lines, and add volume to lips or other areas.
Finally, some injectables assist the body with rejuvenation by stimulating the body’s healing process. Other injectables like Kybella® destroy unwanted fat cells at the injection site.
While many health cares and cosmetic industry professionals may administer injections, you always want to seek out someone with expertise. The art and science of injectables include:
- Identifying the right injectable for your needs
- Ensuring that you are a good candidate as some may contraindicate medications or medical treatments
- Precisely targeting the correct facial anatomy
- Precisely administering just enough, but not too much to the right spot
Your Transformation Starts With a Consultation
Strong candidates for most surgical procedures are non-smokers in generally good health. Each procedure may have its own risk factors, so keep your plastic surgeon informed of your health issues, ongoing treatments, medications, including over-the-counter supplements, and more.
In some cases, your plastic surgeon may suggest nonsurgical options or another type of cosmetic surgery that may better fit you.
Charlotte Plastic Surgery proudly serves Charlotte, NC area residents with a wide range of surgical and nonsurgical cosmetic procedures. Local residents and visitors have turned to us since the 1950s for cosmetic enhancements or improvements. Contact us today to schedule your consultation appointment.
