Stack ‘Em: A Nonsurgical Approach to Cosmetic Surgery

For most people considering plastic surgery, no words ring sweeter than ‘noninvasive and minimally procedures,’ and those are exactly the words used when discussing the innovative ways that your plastic surgeon can combine a one-two-(sometimes three) punch of skin tightening, injectables and laser treatments in order to achieve near-surgical facelift results without going under the knife.

What?!

Yes.

Nonsurgical procedures have advanced to the point that doctors are discovering the benefit of combining certain noninvasive and minimally-invasive strategies, in a very specific order, to address damage from the sun, loss of volume and sagging… you know, all of those pesky signs of aging. And did we mention that this would all happen in the same session? It’s true. By customizing these noninvasive procedures to the individual patient, surgeons can then address very specific issues, and avoid the more invasive, traditional facelift without sacrificing near-surgical results.

Now let’s get down to the details, first of which is that this noninvasive approach is not for everyone. Patients in the advanced stages of aging may find that surgery is their only option.*tears But patients in the early to middle stages of visible aging can rejoice—you may be a good candidate. While combination treatments are tailored to each individual patient, here’s an example of how it would go.

Perhaps your surgeon will start with a nonsurgical skin tightening procedure that uses ultrasound or laser skin tightening technology, then follow that up with dermal fillers, and laser therapy to lift, restore volume and resurface the skin all at the same time. In a single session, the doctor can achieve remarkable results while still causing minimal discomfort. And by tailoring each “combo menu” to the individual patient, he or she can produce a more natural result that can last from 3 – 4 years, perhaps longer with regular follow ups. Excited yet? #same.

Through combining treatments, doctors also don’t have to be as aggressive with each individual component, as the first works to bolster the effectiveness of the next. This minimizes tissue trauma, maximizes results and diminishes downtime.

And let’s spend some time with that “diminished downtime,” shall we? Since each treatment is minimally invasive, patients typically find that they can return to their everyday activities within a day or two—a far cry from the 2-4 weeks period for a surgical facelift recovery. That might help offset the fact that these combined treatments can get a little pricey, sometimes in the $5,000+ range. Yikes! But for patients seeking a nonsurgical approach to staving off the dreaded effects of Father Time, it might just be worth it.