A Blog published by the Cosmetic Centers of Hawaii

Try facial rejuvenation with combined cosmetic treatments

  

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"Aloha Dr. Stover!

I’m interested in facial procedures that would rejuvenate my appearance. Should I go step-by-step and do one procedure at a time or is it best to combine treatments. Thanks for your advice!"

Combining facial cosmetic treatments is very often a good choice.

I am asked questions like this nearly every day. The answer is fairly complex and depends upon the patient’s age, condition and what they want to achieve.

For the middle-aged patient who has a high school reunion in 3 months and wants to look their best in a short time, the combined approach is ideal. Possibly a mini-facelift, laser skin resurfacing, Botox and facial fillers in one appointment will freshen up the appearance with typically a short recovery.

For the mother of the bride with a wedding in 2 weeks, then we consider a gentle skin peel, Dysport or Botox to relax wrinkles on the forehead and crow’s feet, and soft tissue fillers like Restylane or Perlane to plump the lips, lines around the mouth and to fill and lift the cheeks.

Start early to minimize the aging process!

For the patient in her 30s or early 40s who wants to minimize the aging process, I will usually recommend doing some minimally invasive treatment every few months.

• Beginning Botox or Dysport at a young age and having regular treatments has been shown to delay the onset of wrinkles to the forehead and around the eyes.
• Beginning early with injectable fillers that have been shown to stimulate collagen such as Restylane, Perlane or Sculptra will delay the aging process.
• Similarly, annual Thermage and Fraxel laser treatments will keep the skin tight and toned and delay the appearance of aging.
• The daily use of a physician-strength skin care system such as Obagi has been scientifically proven to maintain the elasticity of skin.

Older patients may require more invasive cosmetic procedures.

For patients in their 60s and 70s who have significant facial laxity and wrinkles due to excess skin, fat and/or loose underlying muscle will typically benefit from more aggressive combined treatments.

I will probably recommend a traditional facelift with liposuction to the neck, upper and lower eyelid tightening surgery and a brow lift.

These patients will usually also benefit from rather aggressive laser resurfacing of the skin, particularly to soften the fine lines around the mouth and eyes.

I commonly see patients in this category in my practice on the Big Island of Hawaii. They have usually spent a great deal of time in the sun. They did not use or even know about the need to use high SPF sunblocks in their younger years.

The many years of sun exposure have damaged the collagen and elastin in the skin of the face and arms resulting in a weathered, wrinkled and loose appearance.

No matter what your age or what changes you want to achieve, the good news is that we have many surgical and non-surgical options to rejuvenate the face.

To age gracefully, it is best to begin young and have a combination of many small treatments over time.

To find out what treatment plan is ideal for you, call for a complimentary consultation today!   

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