Facelift vs. Fillers: Which Is Right for You?

Youthful-looking middle aged couple

Your face is one of the first areas to show signs of aging. Sun exposure and environmental irritants easily damage the thin, delicate skin of your face. If you want to refresh your look and get a healthy, wrinkle-free glow, there are many aesthetic treatments to consider. The facelift and facial fillers are two popular options at our Naples practice.

Both facelifts and facial fillers rejuvenate the face and take years off your appearance, but how can you decide which option is best for your lifestyle? This blog post will outline the benefits of each procedure and describe the problem areas each method treats.

Facelift Benefits

The facelift is a transformative surgery that treats multiple signs of aging. It addresses both your skin and the underlying tissue and muscle (known as the superficial musculoaponeurotic system or SMAS). Through small incisions around the hairline, ears, and chin, your surgeon can remove excess facial fat, tighten muscles, and smooth wrinkled and sagging skin.

A facelift is best for treating:

  • Loose skin along the jawline and neck
  • Wrinkles or folds around the nose and mouth
  • Diminished volume in the cheeks

Facelift surgery is performed under general anesthesia and is completed within 3 to 5 hours. We recommend that our patients stay in our post-operative recovery area for the first few hours after the procedure. Most facelift patients return to work within 7 to 10 days of the surgery and fully recover in 2 to 3 weeks.

Facial Filler Benefits

Unlike BOTOX®—which relaxes facial muscles to prevent wrinkle formation—there are several different types of fillers, each with its own purpose, for adding volume to facial contours. For example, JUVÉDERM® fills in wrinkles well while Restylane® is an excellent medium for restoring hollowed or flattened cheeks.

Issues that fillers are best for treating include:

  • Thin lips
  • Deflated cheeks
  • Eye hollows
  • Wrinkles around the mouth and chin

Facial filler injection sessions typically take around an hour, and you can return to daily life immediately after your procedure.

Which Is Right for Me?

Each patient is unique, and your individual needs determine your rejuvenation options. A few topics to keep in mind are:

  • Surgical vs. nonsurgical: Do you prefer a nonsurgical option, or do you desire more dramatic results? Filler appointments are simple to book, and the session requires no downtime. Facelifts, on the other hand, are full surgeries requiring 2 to 3 weeks of recovery.
  • Longevity: Facelift results are long-lasting and will remain for years to come. Fillers fade after a few months to a few years, so repeated appointments are required to maintain results.
  • Price point: Fillers are cheaper in the short term since you pay by the number of syringes you use. Facelifts, while initially more expensive, are a single investment and don’t require later upkeep.

Thanks to modern science, there are many ways to achieve a refreshed, youthful face. During a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon, you can best decide which option is best suited for your lifestyle.

Browse our before-and-after gallery to see results from both facelift and facial filler patients in our Naples office. If you have any other questions, request a consultation online or call us at (239) 262-5662.

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