Facial Aesthetics -Treatment beyond medicines!
Everyone, regardless of age or gender, wants to look young, appealing, and gorgeous. In today's world, people are increasingly intrigued by physical appearance or attractiveness. Observing yourself age can be an emotional experience.
Regardless of how frequently people claim that beauty is more than skin deep, seeing fine lines and wrinkles can evoke despair and a sense of gloom. While looks aren't important, how you look is extremely personal. If you're dissatisfied with it, it might affect everything from your mood to your motivation to your willingness to be socially active.
An individual can feel more confident by improving their appearance through cosmetic operations. The growing popularity of minimally invasive procedures like lasers, Botox, and fillers may be one of the reasons why more people are choosing these kinds of operations.
As we age, a variety of structural changes occur that affect the appearance of our faces, mainly in the bottom third. Aging causes ptosis of the labial commissures, enlarged mento-labial sulcus, the appearance of so-called "marionette lines," and changes in the relative connection between the jawline and neck. Aging and sun exposure lead to more fine lines and wrinkles. Patients benefit greatly from the abundance of aesthetic treatment choices available, but these should be pursued only after a thorough consultation and discussion with a certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon.
Fine lines and wrinkles: Neurotoxin injections (Botox) can be used to smooth out fine wrinkles, particularly those on the upper face, such as the forehead, glabella, and around the eyes. The results appear within 1 - 2 weeks and last for around 4 - 6 months.
Sagging face & volume loss: Sagginess of the face and volume loss are common complaints among older patients, which can be alleviated by using dermal fillers. This biometric volume loss can be rectified using a range of fillers available today. Collagen-stimulating fillers, such as injectable poly-L-lactic acid, can be utilized to replenish lost volume and improve shallow to deep nasolabial fold contours. Another technique to improve the sagging face is to employ PDO threads, which reposition the supporting components and lift the face.
Skin laxity: Loose skin may be tightened with microneedling - radiofrequency (MNRF) devices, microfocused ultrasound therapy (MFUS), or more invasive surgical lifts.
Thin Lips: Lips are the most expressive feature on a woman's face. Thin lips can be effectively treated with hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers, which assist the lips gain adequate size, shape, contour, and a gorgeous cupid's bow. Overfilled or "duck lips" are usually the result of poor perioral filling rather than overfilling the lips itself. If you don't want to volumize your lips but want to improve the 'upper lip-show', you can accomplish it without fillers via a treatment known as a 'lip flip'. Here, botox is injected at specific places on the top lip, relaxing the muscle that pulls the upper lip downward.
Melasma: Melasma is a cosmetic concern for patients, with severity ranging from light pigmentation to severe disfiguring hypermelanosis, which can have a significant influence on their quality of life. The most pressing problem for a dermatologist is the complexity of treatment. Aside from photoprotection, melasma therapy options include topical, oral, procedural, and combination treatments. Newer treatments to addressing this issue include laser toning, mesotherapy, and biorepeel sessions, in addition to the popular glutathione supplement.
Pitted Acne Scars: The pitted scars are especially problematic. Not only do they require a range of treatments, but they can also take a long time to fade. In some circumstances, they will never fade entirely. Typically, they require a combination procedure with MNRF, fractional co2 resurfacing, scar subcision, and medium depth peels. MNRF is considered safer and more acceptable than fractional Co2 laser in treating such scars, with advantages like reduced downtime, a lower risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and better outcomes.
Double Chin: A double chin is additional weight carried beneath the chin, usually between the chin and the neck. It makes your neck appear larger and can sometimes be associated with looking older. Deoxycholic injections, when administered beneath the chin, aid in the breakdown of double chin fat. Some people may only need two or three shots, while others may require up to six. Aside from these injections, we can improve results by using PDO mono threads, radiofrequency, or HIFU treatments.
Crooked nose: Non-surgical rhinoplasty can be performed with fillers (liquid rhinoplasty) or PDO threads (string rhinoplasty) to refine the nose tip, reduce a hump, or fix an asymmetric nose. The nature and severity of the condition determine whether to have surgical or non-surgical rhinoplasty.
Turkey Neck: It refers to the sagging or wrinkled skin of the neck that occurs with age. When the neck area does not match the upper face appearance, a non-surgical neck lift may be an appropriate alternative. Botox can be used on vertical neck bands to relax the muscle and minimize wrinkles, while fractionated laser treatment can improve skin texture.
Apart from improving face features, cosmetic operations can be applied to therapeutic interventions, such as (a) botulinum toxin in excessive axillary sweating (b) chemical peels in post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. (c) laser hair removal for hairy nevi, (d) laser resurfacing for post-traumatic or post-surgical scar (e) thread lift for facial paralysis and asymmetry of the eyebrows.
Cosmetic dermatology is increasingly requested by our present generation and the wealth of new products and minimally and non-invasive treatment options makes these outpatient procedures more and more appealing. Remember, you can’t completely stop time; there are many procedures that will help you age gracefully, but it’s not possible to remove every brown spot or every wrinkle. The results must be subtle, natural looking and graceful. All of this can be accomplished by consulting with trained dermatologists/plastic surgeons (MD Dermatology/Mch Plastic Surgery) who understand the fine art of facial aesthetics. There is a very thin line between correcting a problem with fillers and devastating the facial aesthetics altogether. So, choose your doctor cautiously, have a thorough discussion with him, consider all other possibilities before deciding on a procedure. The present scientific period has experienced a profound aesthetic revolution; what was once impossible is now possible. As the expression goes, 'you are never too old to look younger', and the field of aesthetics can provide some nice answers to your ageing and troublesome skin.
BY Dr Mir Shahnawaz is a Dermatologist, Laser Expert & Hairtransplant Surgeon, Director & Founder - DERMIS Skin & Hair Clinic, Bemina, Srinagar
