For the past few years, it has become increasingly clear that many of the aging changes of the face are due to loss of volume. This is especially true around the eyes and the mouth. Essentially, our faces deflate as we age. You can see this in people who have lost tons of weight. Their faces become gaunt and sunken and make them look much older. The solution for many of these cases is restoring the volume. This approach is often non-surgical and is sometimes referred to as a “non-surgical facelift.” It produces a very natural, youthful result. The goal is to look younger, not different.
Restoration of volume in the face can be tricky, and an experienced plastic surgeon can help you achieve your goals. At the Kryger Institute, we customize our treatment plan to your unique anatomy and the goals that you are trying to achieve. For example, using your own fat works great around the eyes and cheeks where a lot of volume loss occurs. More superficial areas of volume loss such as the nasolabial folds (the lines that radiate from the corners of the nose to the corners of the mouth) are often treated best with long term fillers such as Radiesse. Patients needing a lot of volume but who are unwilling to undergo the short trip to the operating room required for fat grafting, can get filler that has been carefully diluted to provide a larger volume.
Of course, the only way to determine the best treatment to meet your individual needs is to come in for a consultation and have us examine your face and talk about your goals. After considering all the issues such as recovery time, cost, how long the treatment lasts, and so forth, we will come up with the plan that is best suited for you.