Non Surgical Face Lift

Although many people want to reverse their signs of facial aging, undergoing a surgical facelift is not for everyone. That is why creative surgeons like Dr. Shapiro highly recommend a series of non surgical facelift procedures to correct facial aging, wrinkles, jowls, and lax skin. A combination of therapeutic toxins, soft tissue fillers, laser therapy, and fat transfer techniques can produce the results of a facelift completely without surgery. Dr. Shapiro uses the following procedures regularly for reducing visual signs of aging in the neck and facial areas. His creative combination of these various techniques are unique and customized to each individual face.

Therapeutic Toxins

Botox, short for botulinum toxin, is an effective therapeutic injection that temporarily corrects the appearance of wrinkles near the lips, eyes, and forehead.

Wrinkles are caused by two major factors: skin that relaxes with age and the continuous wrinkling of the skin by muscles of expression. Botox corrects the latter. When injected directly into select facial muscles, the toxin serves as a nerve block that interrupts brain signals for movements of expression. This both allows the skin to heal and to prevent further wrinkling.

Because Dr. Shapiro is a highly experienced cosmetic surgeon, he would never let you leave his office looking like the stereotypical Botox patient. In fact, since he prefers to use Botox in combination with other techniques listed here, his creativity and expertise can do even more than relax wrinkles. Dr. Shapiro's Botox regimen can lift your eyebrows and open up your eyes, enhance facial contour, and rejuvenate the area surrounding the lips.

Correction typically lasts from three to six months, and can last longer when using the brand name Dysport.

The FDA has also approved Botox type A for treatment of chronic migraines, excessive sweating, and muscle spasms in the neck and eyes.

Soft Tissue Fillers

The signs of facial aging are also the result of slow collagen production. Collagen is a natural protein that supports healthy, elastic, and growing skin. It is very similar to a lattice in your garden that provides a support structure for your vines to grow. In nonsurgical facelifts, soft tissue fillers will substitute for natural collagen as the skin grows back faster.

Most soft tissue fillers are made of natural collagen, as well as hyaluronic acid, another substance found in the connective tissues of the body. The brand names that Dr. Shapiro regularly uses each have their own benefits.

Brand	Composed of...	Benefits
Juvederm	Hyaluronic Acid	Volumizes Hydrates skin Produces a natural, youthful glow
Restylane	Hyaluronic Acid	Same as Juvederm Naturally occurring hyaluronic acid does not cause allergic reactions
Radiesse	Calcium	Activates growth of natural collagen Fills deep wrinkles and folds, especially around the mouth and nose Calcium is naturally absorbed
Sculptra	Synthetic material used in dissolving surgical stitches	Fills hollows beneath eyes and in the cheeks Corrects folds around the mouth and nose (nasolabial) Corrects jowls Can last for 2-3 years

Dr. Shapiro uses these powerful fillers in combination to treat your individual case for the perfect non surgical facelift.

Laser Therapy

Laser therapy is another excellent way to tighten the skin without any downtime or surgical invasion. Dr. Shapiro uses ReFirme Laser to activate natural collagen production and skin retraction to naturally tighten the skin.

Although it sounds ominous, laser therapy is actually very gentle. The laser works by targeting fractions of skin with a combination of infrared light and radio frequency energy. This combination heats elastic tissues in the skin, causing them to react by retracting and thus tightening the skin. The result is tight, healthy, and glowing facial skin.

Fat Transfer

Fat transfer performs the same function as a soft tissue filler, where the filler is made of the patient’s own body fat that has been harvested from other areas.

Patients who opt for the fat transfer procedure will get a 2-for-1 benefit by removing fat from another area in the body that can benefit from improved contour. This is most often the abdomen, flanks, or thighs. The fat is then re-injected to fill hollows beneath the eyes, valleys in the cheeks, deep wrinkles, or sagging jowls.

The face is thus effectively rejuvenated by replacing lost volume in these areas. Fat transfer may also be used to restore thin lips to a youthful pout and smile.