Years ago, if you wanted your skin to look more lifted, firmer, and smoother, your only option was to go under the knife. A brow or eyelid lift, or even the full-on facelift with all its bruising, swelling, and serious downtime was the only way to effectively turn back the hands of time when it came to aging. These days, we have a lot more tools in the toolbox for face lifting without surgery, including injectable fillers and other minimally and non-invasive skin-tightening procedures, but they’re still not our only options. In fact, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), the facelift is losing some steam. The procedure has fallen nine percent in popularity since the year 2000 and no longer ranks in the top five of invasive cosmetic surgeries.
So, what else is taking its place?
Natural face lifting via anti-aging topical regimens packed with high-powered ingredients. As skin-care treatments continue to evolve far beyond a basic moisturizer, they’ve become serious contenders in lifting and firming category.
No, they’ll never replicate the look of a surgical procedure, but by affecting changes in your skin’s appearance over time, they may make you think twice about even needing one in the first place. Here’s what you need to know about innovative new topical treatments, versus the more invasive injectables and surgery when it comes to helping create a firmer, more lifted appearance of the skin with the most natural-looking results.
Your non-surgical face lifting and firming options.
There have never been more ways to get a non-surgical facelift than now, but finding which option is right for you requires a little bit of research. Here are the things you need to know about to help you make the best decision.
Injectables/fillers
What they are:
Hyaluronic acid fillers such as Restylane and Juvederm were created to literally fill in wrinkles, but are now also being used to do some face lifting without surgery.
By adding volume to sunken areas of the face, fillers can lift up sagging skin giving it a tauter appearance. It’s no surprise that soft tissue fillers rank second in the most popular minimally invasive cosmetic procedures in 2018, according to the ASPS.
Their risk factor:
Bleeding, swelling, bruising, asymmetry, damage to skin, and lumps and bumps can all result from injectables. Keep in mind they’re using a needle (which comes with an ouch factor) to inject the solution into your skin, so smooth results cannot be guaranteed. Injectables are pricey, too, and the results are not permanent. You’ll need to refresh your filler every six months to a year, which can add up quickly in terms of dollars.
The skin-care alternative: Growth factors
You may not be able to replicate the instant filling and lifting effect of an injectable with a topical treatment, but you can make real changes to the look of your skin that will last longer than a temporary filler—and without the bruising and expensive cost.
Growth factors in skin-care are key for making skin act and look younger. They’re great communicators, telling your skin to firm up for a more lifted appearance. Hydrating Ingredients such as eggshell membrane are also key.
Eggshell membrane, from the lining of an eggshell, replenishes skin’s moisture barrier, the cornerstone of healthy skin, which in turn promotes the look of collagen-rich, plump skin.
Skin-tightening treatments
What they are:
These are the non-surgical face lifting procedures that stimulate collagen from deep within the dermis, having a firming and lifting effect on the skin’s surface over time. Radiofrequency (RF) and ultrasound treatments fall under this category. By heating up the collagen layer (proteins that give skin its firm, smooth look) with radiofrequency or ultrasonic waves, the collagen layer contracts, which causes a tightening effect. Plus, you get a boost in collagen production that plays out on the skin’s surface over the course of the next several months. Some dermatologists combine radiofrequency with microneedling, a treatment that includes puncturing skin’s surface with a roller-like device covered with tiny needles. These “microinjuries” send your skin into repair mode, and with that comes an increase in growth factors and collagen production, while RF and ultrasound waves to get deeper into your skin.
Their risk factor:
Redness, burns, scarring, and discoloration can occur with skin tightening treatments that use RF and ultrasonic waves. Like injectables, they come with a steeper price, and the results are not permanent. You’ll need to schedule (and pay for) multiple skin-tightening treatments to achieve your desired result, which can add up quickly in terms of dollars.
The skin-care alternative: Retinol
When you’re looking skin tightening and firming, retinol is a top contender.
Retinol, a vitamin A derivative, is another dermatologist go-to for visibly firming the skin. Perricone MD encapsulates typically unstable retinol in a polymer-based matrix to keep it stable, active, and to ensure a targeted release where (and when) you need it most.
The only risk is minor sensitivity, but most people can build up to up to daily use without any irritation.
Why topicals are the preferred approach to anti-aging
Surgeries, and even minimally invasive procedures, have their place, especially if you want relatively fast and dramatic changes in the appearance of your skin, but they can come with some significant downsides, as we noted above. But well-formulated skin-care treatments are all gain, and no risk. By taking an inside-out approach, you get natural-looking, long-term results: healthier, visibly firmer, and more lifted-looking skin over time. And a high-quality skin-care routine may help stave off the changes in your skin that might make you consider a surgical procedure in the future.
The standout in non-surgical face lifting
High Potency Growth Factor Firming & Lifting Serum is one of Perricone MD’s breakthrough in anti-aging skincare, providing the most dramatic lifting effect to date. The treatment contains retinol, growth factors, and eggshell membrane. You can find dozens of retinol products at your local cosmetic store, and even some products that contain growth factors. But it’s the combination of these anti-aging superstars together, along with eggshell membrane, that delivers visibly firmer, more lifted-looking skin.
In this product, retinol is encapsulated in a polymer-based matrix in order to keep the ingredient stable active, and to ensure a targeted release where (and when) you need it most. The growth factor in High Potency Growth Factor Firming & Lifting Serum is a lab-devised synthetic version of the proteins that naturally occur in your skin that can help restore skin’s youthful behaviors, which translates into visibly firmer skin. Eggshell membrane helps lock in essential moisture for more supple-looking skin.
So, the choice is yours, what would you rather do? Go under the knife or slather on a skin-care serum twice a day to get more youthful skin? To us, there’s one true clear winner in the competition of non surgical face lifting – innovative, scientifically proven ingredients that boost skin’s hydration, lift, firm and tone your complexion and leave skin feeling and looking it’s healthiest, and most radiant wins every. Single. Time.