My practice sees many patients who are bothered by facial lines, wrinkles, and skin laxity but whose signs of facial aging aren’t yet advanced enough to require facelift surgery. Sometimes we provide injections of a single dermal filler or BOTOX Cosmetic for our Toronto patients, but we have found that we often get the best results when we combine the benefits of fillers with a wrinkle smoothing injectable. Called Soft Lift™, this combination technique is tailored to each patient’s needs, and it carries a number of advantages over a traditional surgical face lift.
Because BOTOX Cosmetic and dermal fillers are minimally invasive, there is considerably less recuperation involved. Most patients experience only swelling, redness, and sometimes minor bruising after treatment. Soft Lift eliminates concerns like anesthesia and scarring, and minimizes the downtime and risks associated with treatment.
Another advantage of Soft Lift is that it adds volume to specific areas of the face with dermal filler injections. A lot of recent research has focused on volume loss and the aging face. Many studies have shown that volume loss (i.e. flattened, sunken cheeks; hollows under the eyes; thinning lips) contributes even more to an aged appearance than lines and wrinkles. Volume replacement is one of the key components of Soft Lift.
By restoring volume to areas such as the cheeks, lips, and under-eye area, Soft Lift can bring back more youthful facial contours. This added volume can also provide lift and help to smooth lines and wrinkles such as nasolabial folds. When you add BOTOX injections, lines on the upper face – such as crow’s feet, frown lines, and forehead furrows – are smoothed as well. The result is a full-face rejuvenation, which is a better option for many people than facelift surgery.
Most Soft Lift procedures take around an hour, and patients are usually able to resume their normal activities shortly thereafter. Results are subtle and natural looking, but produce a face that typically looks years younger and completely refreshed.
If you’ve noticed that aging is beginning to affect your face, contact a board-certified dermatologist to find out if Soft Lift, or a similar combination procedure, is a good match for you.