The plastic surgery facelift requiring general anesthesia is now joined by numerous other less invasive procedures for facial renewal, thus making the need stronger than ever for potential patients to find a doctor who is qualified in the latest technologies.
“Because we have come a long way in the last 10 to 20 years, there are numerous options for facial rejuvenation, many of which don’t require the general anesthesia of a facelift,” said Dr. Roy David, M.D., a facial plastic surgeon in La Jolla who has performed more than 1,000 facelifts. “Patients need to choose a plastic surgeon who is board certified, who specializes in the face and who can offer them multiple choices.”
He notes the following procedures produce excellent results in facial rejuvenation:
• The Eight Point Liquid Facelift adds volume to hollow points of the face by injecting fillers and requires no surgery. Due to developments in recent years that allow doctors to define and pinpoint key areas of the face, the procedure now produces more dramatic results for those patients that don’t need or want surgery, said David.
• The La Jolla Lift is a minimally invasive procedure done with gentle sedation that corrects the jowls along the jaw line and loose neck skin, also known as turkey neck. David said he developed the La Jolla Lift because he found most of his patients wanted to have those areas of their faces changed. He said it can produce results on par with any facelift that requires general anesthesia.
• Ultherapy involves an FDA-approved device that uses ultrasound to lift the skin on the neck, chin and brow. The in-office procedure, which stimulates new collagen growth, takes about an hour to perform and involves no down time for patients because it is non-invasive, said David. He said it is the only type of device on the market. David added that it does not produce as dramatic of results as other procedures, such as a La Jolla Lift. However, he said it can be combined with an Eight Point Liquid Facelift at the same time.
• Voluma is a relatively new, FDA-approved type of injectable filler for the mid-face and the cheekbone area that quickly lifts the cheeks, which indirectly lift up the smile lines and the jowl areas, said David. The results of the product lasts for two years and can be easily dissolved with an injectable enzyme if a patient doesn’t like the outcome, he said.
David is double-board certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and the American Board of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, is a member of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He also specializes in plastic surgery exclusively of the face, nose, eyes, neck and scalp. He performs all of the procedures noted above.
“It’s important to remember that patients don’t necessarily need to go under the knife to look great,” he said.
