Tag Archives: non-surgical facelift

Dr. Trang Vo-Nguyen (Dr. V) is a board certified facial plastic surgeon, who heads the Virginia Institute for Surgical Arts in Northern Virginia. She provides a range of advanced cosmetic surgery procedures for patients in Chantilly, Fairfax and surrounding communities in VA. Dr. V specializes in facial plastic surgery and performs cosmetic and reconstructive procedures such as facelift, neck lift, eyelid surgery, brow lift, and rhinoplasty.

Dr. V is board certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery. She received her medical degree from the University of Minnesota, and completed her residency training in Head and Neck Surgery. She followed it up with a Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA.

What is a Facelift?

Facelift, also known as rhytidectomy, is a plastic surgery procedure to reduce the signs of aging, primarily from the midface and lower face. Aging signs may appear more conspicuously on the face due to heredity factors, gravitational forces, environmental exposure, sun damage, medical condition, and natural facial expressions. Skin elasticity also goes down with age due to depletion of natural collagen. Facelift is an effective way to reverse the signs of aging, make the facial skin appear tighter and smoother, and restore youthfulness to the face.

The procedure involves re-contouring the loose skin and muscles, re-positioning the underlying fat and tissue, and restoring volume to the cheeks and mid-face without causing excessive stress to the overlying skin. A typical facelift can take several years off the patient’s face. The goal is to meet the patient’s needs and expectations from the procedure without compromising safety and customizing the treatment in accordance with the unique facial features and anatomy of the patient.

Facelift Techniques

With advancements in cosmetic surgery, a number of innovative approaches to facelift and neck lift surgery are available today. However, the traditional facelift procedure still continues to be preferred by many surgeons. An experienced plastic surgeon will choose the technique that is most suited to meet the patient’s needs and facial condition.

Traditional Technique: The traditional or standard facelift technique is designed to treat the lower two-third portion of the face as well as the neck. It involves removal of excess fat and skin, tightening the loose muscles, and re-draping the skin on the face smoothly. This procedure can be used to correct conditions such as sagging skin, excess fat pockets, droopy jowls, lines beneath lower eyelids, tired or old looking mid-face, lines around the mouth and double chin.

Endoscopic Technique: This facelift procedure involves the use of a miniature camera that is inserted underneath the skin to help identify problem areas and perform corrective surgery. The technique is minimally invasive to ensure that the recovery period is shorter, surgical risk is reduced and scars are negligible. Tiny incisions are made in this technique to help lift the upper face and cheeks. This technique can help improve conditions such as droopy brows, loose skin over cheeks, frown lines, sagging mid-face and jowls, and lines around the mouth.

Facelift is essentially a facial plastic surgery of the mid-face, lower face, and may also include the neck. However, conspicuous signs of aging in the upper face may not be corrected by any facelift technique. To ensure overall facial harmony, the plastic surgeon may recommend combining of facelift with other procedures such as forehead lift, eyelid surgery, brow lift, and minimally invasive treatments such as Botox or laser skin rejuvenation.

Procedure

Facelift is usually performed under local anesthesia. The surgeon will begin the procedure by making an incision along the hairline or natural creases or folds on the face to hide the scars. Through the incision, the surgeon will remove a certain amount of excess tissue and fat. Multiple small incisions may be made to remove fat and loose skin from the chin and neck to enhance the overall facial contour. The overlying skin will be smoothed and re-draped on the face and the incisions will be closed.

The patient will have the face bandaged after the surgery and it may take a day or two before the dressings can be removed. Stitches will be removed in about a week. Pain relieving medication may be prescribed for the first few days. Cold compresses can be used to provide relief from swelling and bruising. Most patients can resume their normal activities within two to three weeks following the surgery.

Facelift with Dr. V

The Virginia Institute for Surgical Arts is a state of the art facility for facial plastic surgery in Chantilly and Fairfax, VA. Dr. V is board certified facial plastic surgeon, with expertise in various cosmetic surgery procedures. She is an experienced surgeon in Northern Virginia for facelift, brow lift, eyelid surgery, and other facial rejuvenation techniques.

For more information about this procedure or any other please click here to contact us.

FRAXEL DUAL LASER TREATMENT

Often referred to as a “microscopic facelift,” The Fraxel DUAL wavelength system builds upon the original patented fractional technology of the Fraxel Re:Store laser to allow practitioners to treat the deep and superficial layers of the skin simultaneously, without requiring the need for additional recovery time. The Fraxel DUAL treatment utilizes lasers operating at complementary frequencies to generate miniscule wounds in the skin’s dermis, which then initiates an internal healing response from the body, causing it to naturally produce collagen and elastin, the two primary components necessary for skin restoration and healing.

Fraxel DUAL laser system offers a number of new and advanced treatment benefits, including:

Provides more treatment options and better opportunities for treatment customization
Doctors can treat larger areas of the body or multiple regions of the body in one session
The procedure is more comfortable for patients
Length of treatment time is reduced
Pigment reduction results are visible more quickly

Because the Fraxel DUAL laser system offers the advantages of two lasers in one treatment, it is an excellent choice to treat a broad range of skin conditions and problems, and is effective for patients with mild or severe skin damage. The Fraxel DUAL laser is FDA-approved to treat a multitude of skin problems, including, but not limited to: periorbital wrinkles (wrinkles around the eyes), age spots, surgical scars, melasma (irregular patches of brown skin), actinic keratosis (precancerous lesions), acne scars, unwanted brown spots, pigmented lesions, and fine lines.

Another benefit of Fraxel DUAL is its ability to target and treat small areas of tissue without causing damage to the surrounding tissues, thereby minimizing recovery time, and allowing patients to resume their daily activities shortly after their treatment. Following the 15-30 minute treatment, patients may experience temporary after-effects such as a sun-burnt appearance, minor itching, dry skin, flaking, and skin peeling—all of which will subside in 2-3 days.

Although Fraxel DUAL’s skin-rejuvenating results will be visible after only one session, clinical studies recommend a treatment regimen of 3-5 sessions spaced approximately one month apart in order to achieve optimal and lasting skin-resurfacing effects.

For more information about this procedure or any other please click here to contact us.

The Non-invasive Solution to Lift, Tighten and Tone Skin on the Face and Neck

It’s been featured on national television shows such as Rachael Ray, The View and The Doctors. It’s been touted by big-name beauty editors from Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, Shape and more…

It’s Ultherapy, a non-surgical face and neck treatment that uses ultrasound to actually lift and tone loose skin — on the brow, on the neck and under the chin — without any downtime. And, it’s offered here in Northern Virginia at The Virginia Institute for Surgical Arts.

Ultherapy Uses Ultrasound?

That’s right! Ultherapy is the only cosmetic procedure to use ultrasound imaging, which allows us to actually see the layers of tissue we target during the treatment, to ensure that the energy is delivered precisely to where it will be most effective.

Leveraging this tried-and-true technology, we can specifically target the deep foundation below the skin – the one typically addressed in cosmetic surgery – without cutting or disrupting the surface of the skin. That means after a 90-minute non-invasive treatment, you’ll be able to return to your everyday life without interruptions…and, without hiding behind those “post-treatment” glasses or scarves.

Ultherapy Creates Collagen and Elastin Naturally

Ultherapy is so unique because it refreshes your collagen by jumpstarting a repair process. It relies on the body’s own regenerative process to stimulate the natural creation of new collagen and elastin – yes, new collagen and elastin. This results in an actual lift of skin overtime – and just better-fitting skin.

Many people notice an immediate effect following the treatment, but the ultimate lifting and toning takes place over 2-3 months, as tired collagen is replaced with new, stronger collagen. And, as this collagen-building process continues, further improvements can even appear up to 6 months following a procedure!

Ultherapy – an Uplift not a Facelift

Ultherapy is a non-surgical option for people with mild to moderate skin laxity – those who want some lifting for skin that has lost elasticity, but are not ready for surgery, either mentally, financially or logistically. It’s also a great option for those who want to “stay ahead of the game” as well as those looking to prolong the effects of cosmetic surgery.

Ultherapy may cause some discomfort while the energy is being delivered, but it is temporary and a positive signal that the collagen-building process has been initiated. Of course, we offer a number of options to help make your Ultherapy treatment as comfortable as possible. Our patients who’ve had Ultherapy typically leave comfortable and excited about the benefits to come!

Ask us if Ultherapy is right for you!

If you’re looking for a lift to counter the effects that gravity takes over time, it may be just the treatment you’ve been waiting for. Click here to learn more about Ultherapy or call our office today.

Learning About the Facelift Procedure