Facelift- Out with the Old

Advanced Liposuction Center presents some thing better than even the Silhouette Facelift, which corrects the signs of aging without scarring and the downtime associated with a traditional face lift.

As we age, our facial structures change. The skin loses elasticity and facial fat while gravity’s effects create flat cheeks, eye bags and deep jowls. The facial muscles also weaken, specifically around the lips and cheeks. The face assumes a tired, sagging appearance.

Other factors like smoking, sun damage, genetics and pollution may advance the loss of hyaluronic acid and elastin in the face while resulting in irregular pigmentations such as age spots, sun spots, spider veins, fine lines and wrinkles.

The traditional facelift has its pros and cons. Previously, doctors constructed the MACs Lift, lower facelift and S-Lift (short scar face lift), which in combination with cosmetic laser services and products such as microdermabrasion and chemical peels can correct many issues. However, the traditional facelift surgery requires intense scarring and extended downtime, and gives the appearance of “having work done.”

Pittsburgh Face lift
How to look ten years younger

Our Solution-something better than a Facelift…

Fat Transfer to the Face

Natural cheek enhancement: fat transfer to the cheeks

Any aspect of the face, including the cheeks, plays a large role in facial symmetry and overall aesthetics. Subtle enhancements and improvements to the contours of the cheeks can make a big difference, as can filling in a “hollow” look.

This type of fat transfer can accomplish the following:

  • Better defining the contours of the face.
  • Giving the face a more balanced look by correcting asymmetry.
  • Facial rejuvenation. Several procedures are used to lift the face and correct for sagging, tired looking eyes with bags under them.

As with breast revision, this isn’t a simple procedure and must be performed by an experienced surgeon. Dr. Giraldo has over 10 years of experience in facial cosmetic surgery and has a great working knowledge of how to work with a patient’s existing facial structure to achieve the best possible natural looking results. After all, the face is a bad place to have an overdone “worked on” look.

How is cheek enhancement performed?

Cheek augmentation used to be done using facial implants that didn’t look or move naturally. Today this older method has largely been replaced with fat transfer. Since a patient’s own fat is being used as implant material the finished look is very natural. It looks, feels, and moves like a patient’s own tissue for one simple reason—it is.

The first step is harvesting living fat cells. This can be taken during a liposuction procedure but this isn’t necessary. Often fat is removed from the abdomen, thighs, or buttocks specifically for this procedure. Using a small, thin surgical tube known as a cannula, the fat is first suctioned from the body and then purified using a centrifuge, leaving only healthy, living cells. At this point the fat is injected into the cheeks in thin layers anywhere additional volume is wanted, usually directly above the cheekbones.

While cheek enhancement using fat transfer is a newer technique, it’s quickly gaining a track record of effectiveness and safety. This technique is only minimally invasive and only requires a local anesthetic such as lidocaine or bupivacaine. This not only increases safety, but also dramatically reduces cost since an anesthesiologist and a hospital stay are not needed.

Consultation

At your initial consultation, you’ll discuss exactly what you want to accomplish using this procedure with Dr. Giraldo. You’ll develop a full understanding of what this procedure can and can’t accomplish, and arrive at realistically achievable expectations. Benefits and possible risks will be explained, and you’ll have an opportunity to ask any questions you might have. Oftentimes patients find it helpful to bring in a written list of question in order to avoid forgetting anything.

Goals

The overall goal of this surgery is to restore a younger, healthier, more aesthetically pleasing look to your face while avoiding an over-done or over-plumped appearance. There’s no one size fits all approach, and you’ll be asked to look at many pictures of different facial structures to decide which one you’d like to achieve. Many patients also bring in pictures of actresses and other celebrities (many of whom have had facial enhancement), and you can bet that top surgeons know in detail what these famous faces look like. Since the procedure is so customizable, most of the final “look” you want to achieve is up to you. In some cases, patients aren’t entirely sure what they want, and rely on Dr. Giraldo’s expertise at planning these procedures. Once again, expert surgeons have a finely developed sense of what will look best on a particular face.

Knowledge of aging patterns

Great surgeons also have a thorough knowledge of aging patterns, which is essential for understanding what faces should look like at different stages of life. High cheekbones with pronounced hollows underneath may look great on a twenty something, but can be out of place on an older face. Put simply, younger faces look different than older ones. The goal is a balanced, age appropriate final look. Without question it’s been established that fat transplant works, so the real question is how can it be done to maximum artistic effect. Perhaps more than other facial rejuvenation techniques, it takes a trained eye and a physician with well-honed instincts and sculpting skill to pull off flawlessly.

Ask Questions

Think of your initial consultation as an opportunity to develop a game plan with multiple different options. You’ll most certainly figure cost into your decision, a discussion which you’ll have with your surgeon’s office staff, not the surgeon themselves.

At other facilities, the issue of pricing can be more complicated than it might first appear. Often you will find additional fees and costs, such as a surgical staff fee, a fee to book the surgical center, the cost of prescription medication you may need, and the cost of any consumables used to perform the surgery. Not at The Advanced Liposuction Center! Our price includes the surgeon, staff , Facility and no anesthesiologist fee. Also realize that prices vary widely based on a surgeon’s experience level and geographic region. You’ll obviously pay more for a higher level of expertise, and costs will almost always be higher in densely populated urban areas with a high cost of living. Do your homework, use common sense. Even though cosmetic surgery isn’t a good time to go cheap, you still don’t want to pay more than you have to.

Our Board Certified Surgeon’s Philosophy

Dr. Giraldo insists on seeing and physically examining a patient’s facial structure before discussing potential treatment plans for a fat grafting procedure. He believes that there’s no other way to have a productive conversation which will compare patient goals with likely outcomes, then help the patient develop realistic expectations.

It’s very important to realize that most “failed” procedures are due to two reasons, barring of course incompetence or an unforeseen complication. The first has to do with unrealistic expectations. If a patient isn’t properly educated as to what is actually possible with a given procedure they may be left anticipating results that simply aren’t possible. This is sometimes seen with liposuction procedures. Generally, only about 5 liters of fat are removed per procedure, which makes sense since liposuction is a sculpting procedure and isn’t designed for weight loss. After the surgery, some patients are disappointed simply because they were expecting not only sculpting but significant weight loss as well. The second reason has to do with a patient ignoring their surgeon’s advice. There are times when an experienced surgeon might say something like “I can do this, but I don’t think you’ll be happy with it,” yet the patient chooses to continue anyway. This is a recipe for disappointment.

Day of Your Procedure, What to expect

Before your procedure

Dr. Giraldo chooses to meet with patients directly before your procedure to answer any last minute questions and to review the details of the planned procedure. “Before” pictures will be taken of your face from multiple angles for comparison with your finished look after you’ve healed completely. Before being operated on you’ll sign an informed consent document. This is standard to all medical visits, and gives acknowledgement that the patient fully understands both the benefits and potential risks of the procedure.

Safety first

Before moving forward, it’s necessary to determine whether or not the patient is in good enough physical condition to proceed. “Safety is our first priority. Making you beautiful comes in second,” says Dr. Giraldo. You’ll be given a thorough physical exam, medical history, and review of medications. If you’re undergoing liposuction with your fat transfer, any diet or weight loss plan you may be on will be reviewed. When asked if it’s better to begin a weight loss program before or after liposuction Dr. Giraldo’s answer is always the same. “Both. If you haven’t already, it’s better to adopt a healthy lifestyle before your surgery and keep on with it afterwards.” Additionally, the healthier a patient is prior to any procedure the smoother the healing process is likely to be. “Healthy people heal better,” says Dr. Giraldo.

Pre-op

You’ll also be given your formal pre and post-op instructions. If you need to take any medications, such as antibiotics or pain meds, it’s best to fill these prescriptions before your surgery. This way you’ll have everything in order and won’t have to run errands right after your procedure. In the weeks before your surgery you’ll be advised to temporarily stop taking some medications, namely blood thinners such as Coumadin and Warfarin. These are potent blood thinners, and can contribute to unnecessary bleeding during and after your surgery. By the same token, you’ll need to discontinue non-prescription pain medicines such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen sodium prior to your appointment since these are blood thinners as well. As part of your post-op instructions, you’ll receive a complete list of medications and even herbal supplements to avoid while you’re healing.

No Smoking

Smoking cigarettes can both impair healing and increase the risk of complications associated with any surgical procedure. In the case of fat transfer it’s recommended that a patient quit at least two weeks both before and after your procedure. “Or better yet, use it as an opportunity to quit for good,” says Dr. Giraldo. The nicotine in cigarette smoke is a vasoconstrictor, meaning that it causes blood vessels to shrink in size which can prevent optimal blood flow the healing area. It also de-oxygenates the blood, further getting in the way of proper healing. Avoiding sunlight for the first two weeks following your procedure is also important. Even mild sun exposure can cause pigment changes in the healing tissues of the face, most often post-operative darkening. There’s a small chance that this can become permanent.

Night Before

You will likely be asked to fast before your procedure, which usually means not eating past a certain time the night before. Also avoid alcohol for the two days prior to your appointment: alcohol is a known blood thinner and can contribute to excessive bleeding both during and after your surgery. Alcohol can interact with some of the medications you may be taking after your surgery, particularly narcotic painkillers, so it’s best to avoid drinking afterwards in some cases. After your procedure it’s important to eat a nutritious diet to aid in the healing process, and it’s recommended that you don’t start any kind of strict diet until after your healing period has come to an end. Optimal nutrition is essential for proper healing.

For most cosmetic procedures, including facial fat transfer, you’ll need to bring a driver with you as a safety precaution. It’s best if this person can stay with you for at least the first 24 hours following your procedure as a kind of safety monitor as well. Make sure that this person receives a copy of the post-op instructions as well, as they’ll be helping you during this period. It’s extremely important that you bring a driver. In some cases the facility won’t release you without one for safety reasons.

Call us today at (724) 683-7581 to book your free consultation. You’ll discuss your options and decide if natural cheek enhancement is right for you.

Other Procedures

We offer a minimally invasive treatment to restore youthful facial appearances. The Silhouette Facelift or “thread lifting” is performed as an alternative to the traditional facelift. This technique encompases permanent silhouette sutures with small, absorbable cones to reposition and lift the facial tissues. This treatment has the CE mark and is FDA­approved.

This procedure restores the neck and lower half of the face with a minimally invasive technique. We use local anesthesia for this outpatient procedure. The Silhouette Facelift typically takes 45 minutes and the facial and neck treatment takes approximately 1.5 hours.

The absorbable cones dissolve after 3­4 months, lifting the sutures for up to 5 years. At this time, patients may revisit our office for a touch up.

The ideal candidate for the Silhouette Facelift procedure is a man or woman ages 30 to 50 who is unhappy with their aging neck and jowls and wants to restore a fresh, youthful appearance. Patients should not have extreme laxity and should be in overall good health. Fat transfer procedures for facial rejuvenation are best for 40-65 year olds! Look 10-20 years younger, and then just re age naturally, all over again!

In combination with the Silhouette Facelift or fat transfer to face, several other non­surgical minimally invasive treatments may be suitable to achieve the optimum rejuvenation of the face.

    • Microdermabrasions and Photofacials to correct age and sun damage, changes in the skin such as age spots, hyperpigmentation and wrinkles.
    • Laser treatments stimulate elastin and collagen production to improve skin tone and elasticity.
    • Botox and Dysport ­ relax wrinkles caused by hyperactive muscles
    • Fillers (Juvederm, Radiesse, Voluma, Restylane) to restore volume in the cheeks, tear trough and chin would be a nice way to do a trial run!
    • Silhouette Brow­lift/midface lift or neck lift to lift drooping eyebrows, face and neck

Thus, at the time of the consultation a thorough assessment of the face and neck should be performed and a full discussion of the non­surgical and surgical procedures is essential to providing the most natural facial rejuvenation.

    • Performed in a one session, outpatient procedure
    • Successful results in both women and men
    • Minimal side effects and scarring
    • Relieves facial sagging, rejuvenating patients in a natural way
What is the Silhouette Facelift?
This procedure is a non-invasive facelift using silhouette sutures to lift the lower face and neck. Compared to a traditional facelift, the Silhouette Lift offers a stronger lift and can be altered down the road. This treatment is FDA approved in the US.
Is the Silhouette Facelift safe?
Yes, this treatment is FDA cleared in the US and received European CE mark. Over 30,000 Silhouette Facelifts have been performed in over 60 countries.
Where does treatment take place?
The Silhouette Facelift is an in-office procedure. Advanced Liposuction Center uses local anesthesia.
Who should get the Silhouette Facelift?
Women and men with mild-medium facial and neck sagging ages 30-60. Patients with very significant sagging should consider the traditional facelift. This option also benefits men who have receding hairlines and baldness since it will not scar like traditional surgery.
How long does treatment usually take?
The entire process takes about 2 hours.
What results will I notice?
Patients typically notice a firmer skin to the neck and lower facial structure. Results are very natural looking, making you look refreshed and more youthful.
How long will recovery take?
With the Silhouette Facelift, there is very little downtime. Patients experience temporary mild swelling and soreness post treatment. Patients can go back to their normal routine with 2-4 days.

How long do the results last?
Most patients experience benefits of the Silhouette Facelift for up to 5 years. After this time, touch ups can be performed within a 30 minute outpatient procedure.