As we approach the Holidays, many of us will be enjoyingtime with family and friends over festive meals and happy gatherings.  Meeting people that we probably have notseen in years, we always want to look our best during this festive time:  young, fresh, and rejuvenated.  Looking better and younger has neverbeen easier.  Today’s cosmeticprocedures are surprisingly affordable and do not require a long time for recovery. Below is a listing of suggestedminimally invasive procedures available at your plastic surgeon’s office today.The procedures offer the quick fix you need to celebrate the Holidays with yourfamily and friends with confidence and radiance.

LiquidFacelift:

A Liquid Facelift is a refinedtechnique to lift and contour sagging facial features with the benefit ofwrinkle reduction.  This is done using advanced liquid facelift productssuch as dermal fillers and BOTOX® injections.   A liquid facelift is a welcome alternative to surgicalfacelift methods because of its safety, affordability and the immediategratification it provides.  Liquid facelift is a revolutionary approach toerasing deep lines and folds and sagging facial features that age theface.  The liquid facelift option allows the patient who is holding off onthe surgical option to restore the youthful volume of their appearance. Depending on the filler used, your plastic surgeon can lift your brows, plumpyour lips, augment your cheeks and rejuvenate your mid-face.  Dermalfillers can enhance and mold patient’s features to a particular shape, angleand proportion, such as flaring a man’s jaw for a more rugged or angular look,or filling the nasolabial folds, or laugh lines, that distract from the shapeof the cheeks.

Products used:

·      BOTOX® Cosmetic: 

·      Dermal fillers:  Fillers used are Juvederm™ andRestylane®, which are hyluronic acid-based, and  Radiesse®, which is a calcium derivative product.

Procedure time: About an hour in your plastic surgeon’s office.                 

Down Time: Minimal,some swelling or bruising, which should subside in 24 to 48 hours.

Cost: Depending on theamount of fillers and BOTOX used, a liquid facelift can range from $700-$1500.

LaserFacelift:

Another quick-fix cosmetic surgeryprocedure,  alaser facelift is recommended when the aging factor is the sun’s harmful raysand photodamage resulting in fine wrinkles and dull, leathery and saggy skin.Cutting edge technology with the Cutera Titan Laser® offers thoseseeking quick rejuvenation a procedure that is extremely effective in givingpatients an all-natural option to enhance skin tone without surgery. CuteraTitan is the most researched and peer-reviewed infrared solution for deepdermal heating of all skin types. Titan's light-based platform provides a moreuniform distribution of energy for heating the deep dermis than other energysources such as Radio Frequency.  Witheach Titan pulse, the patient feels a brief heating sensation. Some patientsare more comfortable taking a mild pain reliever beforehand. Many patients arecomfortable without any medication.

Procedure Time: Full-face treatment takes about 45 minutes persession, in your plastic surgeon’s office.

Down Time: Titantreatments have no down time, require no recovery time, are painless, requireno anesthesia and offer plenty of results.

Cost: $600-$800 per session for a full-face treatment. Althougha single treatment can produce very good results for many patients, it is quitecommon for patients to have two or three treatments over a few months.

A laser facelift is often combined with the liquid facelift forimmediate tightening of the jowl or lower face area along with Botox and dermalfillers for maximum benefits with minimum downtown.

Laser Facial

This new approach to facials isdone using Cutera Laser Genesis® or other similar technologies. It is an innovative technology for skin therapy and complexionblending that promotes vibrant and healthy looking skin in men and women. TheLaser Genesis procedure utilizes non-invasive laser technology to safely,discretely and effectively treat fine lines, wrinkles, large pores, uneven skintexture and diffuse redness and scars. By gently heating the upper dermis wellbelow your skin's surface, Laser Genesis stimulates collagen re-growth.Additional heat is generated in dilated capillaries to reduce facial rednesssuch as rosy cheeks or rosacea. Laser Genesis can help restore the skin'syouthful glow and appearance by smoothing out uneven textures caused by aging,sun damage or scars. You will see a creamier, healthier complexion as largepores are reduced in size, and minor imperfections are diminished. Theindividual treatment results are subtle, but the overall effect of multipletreatments can be quite dramatic. Over the course of four to five treatments,Laser Genesis has been scientifically proven to produce new collagen and reducethe signs of aging. On average, you may require four to six treatments toachieve optimal results. Every patient's condition and needs vary.

ProcedureTime: 30-45 minutes

Down Time: Laser Genesistreatments have no down time, require no recovery time, are painless, requireno anesthesia and offer plenty of results. The treatment can be described asrelaxing and therapeutic. You will experience a gentle warming of your skin'ssurface during the procedure as the laser hand piece is moved back and forthabout 1/2 inch above your skin. You can immediately return to normal activitiesprovided you use sunscreen if participating in outdoor activities.

Cost: $200-$300 per treatment

Vi Peel™

Vi Peel is the first Next GenerationAesthetic. It is painless, yet produces dramatic visible results in just dayswith little downtime. Obsolete peels of the past, without exception, epitomizethe "no pain, no gain" approach to skin care. Before Vi Peel, thedeeper the peel, the more painful, the more downtime, the better the results. Asingle Vi Peel will achieve significant repair and add a healthy glow to theskin. It is a true, restorative and painless repair of damaged skin, includingsun damage and acne. Best of all, it is a true aging prevention measure foryounger skin with no visible damage. The peel reduces age spots, freckles, hyper pigmentationand melasma.  Results include aclearing of acne skin conditions with a reduction in acne scars. By stimulatingcollagen, the Vi Peel shows a great response on the skin of the neck. It helpsimprove texture and quality with gradual softening of the lines and sometightening effects. The peel is also available for the first time forAfro-American and darker skin types such as some Asian and Latin skinstypes.  This type of anti-ageingand restorative skin care was previously unavailable.

Procedure Time: 15 minutes

Down Time: no downtime, softpeeling typically starts on the third day from application

Cost: $300-$500 per peel

Other Holidays quick fixes include a freshly tweezed set of eyebrows ($15-$25) and a purifying, refreshing and deep cleansing facial($80-$120).

Call your plastic surgeon’s office now to take advantage of theabove quick fixes and be on your way to a newly rejuvenated you for the holidays.