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Dr. James Grotting lends his expertise, offering valuable insight on how to achieve a youthful face without undergoing a facelift. As time marches on, it can become difficult to ignore the small imperfections in your face. Wrinkles and lines can become more prominent, skin starts to sag, and age spots develop. It used to be that the only options to address these issues were makeup (a short-term and labor-intensive process) or facelift surgery (which is an invasive surgery that requires several weeks to recover from).

Fortunately, non-surgical options are now available to treat these concerns and provide patients with a younger-looking face. Although these options will not result in the same improvement as surgery, they are often enough to make you look younger.

WHAT FACIAL PROCEDURE SHOULD I START WITH?

There are several non-surgical options available for patients who choose Dr. Grotting to help them improve their appearance.

Should I Start With Chemical Peels?

There are two broad types of chemical peels—superficial and deep. Superficial peels are often an excellent place for patients to start if they want to look better quickly.

A major benefit of superficial peels is patients don’t need to spend lots of time recovering after treatment. These treatments will make the skin look younger and brighter for a couple of months. They should be combined with a good skin care program, so we encourage you to develop a plan with one of our skilled aestheticians.

Deep chemical peels are reserved for patients with extensive sun damage, deep wrinkles, or even a history of multiple skin cancers. We prefer the phenol croton oil peel, which typically takes a week to heal but can result in remarkable improvement in your skin color and texture.

Should I Start With Injectable Treatments?

If you are looking for something a bit longer-term than a superficial chemical peel to treat your wrinkles or are looking for a way to restore volume, injectable treatments are a good way to go.

Dr. Grotting offers several different neuromodulators and dermal fillers to smooth out wrinkles and fine lines and restore lost facial volume. The results of these treatments can last between three months and two years, depending on the chosen injectable. We encourage patients even in their twenties to begin using neuromodulators (like BOTOX cosmetic) to prevent deeply etched wrinkles from forming.

If forehead wrinkles are of greater concern, Dr. Grotting offers several different neuromodulator treatments, including BOTOX® Cosmetic, Dysport®, XEOMIN®, and Jeuveau™. Neuromodulators treat wrinkles by reducing the muscle contractions that cause them. This allows wrinkles to heal and prevents new ones from forming. The effects of these treatments often last three to six months.

On the other hand, dermal fillers do not affect muscle movement but, instead, physically “fill” depressed facial areas to reduce wrinkles and restore volume. Common injectable fillers include JUVÉDERM®, Restylane®, and RADIESSE®.

Should I Start With Laser Resurfacing?

Laser resurfacing treatments use an Erbium or CO2 laser to remove dead or damaged skin cells from the face. This effect can create similar results as a superficial chemical peel but is far more precise with results that last longer. Lasers traditionally take longer to heal than superficial chemical peels, but it is entirely related to the depth of penetration into the skin.

Certain lasers can also correct skin discoloration, which can be especially attractive to people with apparent birthmarks, sun spots, or scarring.

WHAT ARE THE MOST EFFECTIVE NON-SURGICAL FACIAL TREATMENTS?

When considering the most effective non-surgical face treatment, it is important to consider which condition you want to be treated. A treatment to remove deep wrinkles will be very different from one aimed at reducing the appearance of scars. That said, some treatments are more effective than others.

The following treatments should be performed after a plastic surgeon has examined your condition and determined that the treatment will achieve the desired results.

What Do Radio Frequency Treatments Do?

Radio frequency treatments, especially FaceTite®, can tighten sagging skin, reduce wrinkles, and recontour the face. This is a solid alternative to facelift surgery for qualifying patients, usually early in the aging process. While not quite as effective as a facelift, radio frequency treatments can provide exceptional results with less downtime, fewer risks, and a lower cost. We usually reserve these approaches for patients under 50.