Facelift surgery, also called ‘Rhytidectomy’ is performed to reverse the signs of ageing in people of any gender. Surgical facelift is an invasive procedure whereas there are few non surgical facelift procedures such as vampire facelift, liquid facelift and thread lifts. As people age, the fat between the tissues and under the skin becomes thinner. Regeneration of tissues, muscles goes down due to lowered production of collagen by the body. As a result, the skin on the body becomes loose, sags, forms wrinkles reflecting the signs of ageing.
What is liquid facelift procedure?
Liquid facelift procedure involves filling up the tissues under the skin, on the face to plump them up. As a result, the skin on the face plumps up and stretches getting rid of the wrinkles and sagging of the skin. Liquid facelift is done for the following reasons:
- Remove wrinkles on the sides of the eyes.
- Plump up the area under the eyes.
- Remove wrinkles in the moustache region and on the sides of the lips.
- Reduce wrinkles on forehead etc.
Types of dermal fillers used in liquid facelift
The duration of effects of liquid facelift depends on the type of the filler used to fill the tissues under the skin. Different types of dermal fillers used in liquid facelift include:
- Hyaluronic acid – The most common type of filler used to reverse the signs of ageing. The benefit of using hyaluronic acid is that the effects of the filling can be reversed with an antidote that can break down the filler. Reversing the filling or adjusting the outcome is possible when hyaluronic acid filler is used.
- Calcium Hydroxyapatite – These are non reversible (unlike hyaluronic acid) but they last up to 1.5 years after filling.
- Poly-L-lactic acid – This has distinctive properties among all liquid fillers. The effect of these fillers doesn’t show up until 3 months after filling but they last for the longest period of 2 years. One may need to attend multiple sessions to get these fillers.
- PRP injections – If any liquid filler is becoming a fast favourite of people undergoing cosmetic procedures, it is the PRP based treatment. PRP stands for Platelet Rich Plasma. Platelets are collected from a person’s blood and they are injected in the face where the filling needs to be done. Platelets repair the damaged or aged tissues, help in growing new tissues, and regeneration of new skin. Since there are no foreign substances injected into the body, PRP is readily accepted by the body with nearly no negative reaction such as allergy or excessive bruising etc.
Cost of liquid fillers treatment for facelift in Chennai
We cannot give a ballpark estimate on the cost for facelift using liquid fillers because of the following factors that vary from person to person:
- The type of filler that is used. This decision is taken by the plastic surgeon.
- The expertise of the plastic surgeon and the place where the procedure is done.
- The number of sessions that are required.
It is best to take an appointment with your favourite plastic surgeon or the best plastic surgeon in your city and then discuss the cost aspects of the procedure. Insurance companies may not cover the cost because this is most often a cosmetic procedure.
What areas can be targeted with liquid fillers?
- Under the eyes
- Crows Feet – the wrinkles at the end of eyes
- The area between the nose and upper lip – the moustache area
- Wrinkles on the sides of the lips
- Wrinkles on forehead
- Dented cheeks – if the cheeks have caved in, they can be plumped up.
Recovery after using liquid fillers for face lifting
In most of the cases, there won’t be any serious complications since this is not even a minimally invasive procedure. A little bit of bruising, swelling, redness is very common after the procedure but that should subside in a day. In some cases, doctors may recommend applying an ice pack depending on the filler used. Otherwise, the area shouldn’t be touched or exposed to the sun for a few days during recovery.
This is a day care procedure and mostly won’t need anyone to take time off from their work except on the day of the procedure.
Possible complications after the procedure
- If you are allergic to the filler, your body may react while filling the liquid.
- If the needles are not sterilised, there is a possibility of infection.
- If you are having Herpes infection, there may be a flare-up
- If the filler is injected into the blood vessel by any chance, that can result in blockage of blood flow and result in death of skin around it.