Facial Procedures FAQ’s

Facial Procedures FAQs

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Below are some frequently asked questions about facial procedures performed at Palm Desert Plastic Surgery. Dr. Quardt encourages you to come in for a consultation to discuss these and other questions as they relate to your own individual goals.

What are facial fillers?

Facial fillers, also called dermal fillers or soft tissue fillers, have been nicknamed “liquid facelifts” for their ability to restore a youthful fullness to the face without requiring surgery or downtime. Facial fillers can temporarily plump up the lips, enhance the curves and contours of your face, and soften facial creases and wrinkles. Dr. Quardt offers many options for facial fillers, as well as alternate or additional treatments (such as Botox® Cosmetic, fat transfer or a chemical peel) to further enhance facial contours.

How do facial fillers differ from one another?

There are a few general categories of facial fillers. Some contain hyaluronic acid, a natural sugar in the body that dwindles with age to reveal wrinkles and folds. Fillers that contain hyaluronic acid—such as Restylane®, Perlane®, Juvederm®, Hylaform® and Hylaform Plus®—are designed to correct vertical lip lines, marionette lines around or below the corners of the mouth, and the smile lines that look like parentheses around your mouth.

Other fillers contain elastic collagen that gives our skin volume, flexibility and strength. A loss of collagen as we age can result in wrinkles, lines and loose skin. Replacing that collagen can improve the appearance of smile lines (nasolabial folds), “marionette” lines, wrinkles at the corners of the mouth (oral commissure), and sagging at the sides of the chin (“pre-jowl”). Some fillers like Radiesse® replace the body’s natural collagen. Others like Sculptra® are made of synthetic substances that mimic collagen. Still others, including both Radiesse® and Sculptra®, stimulate the production of new collagen.

I’m mostly concerned with loose skin and excess fat in my mid-face and neck. Do I need a full facelift?

You might not. Neck lifts and mini-facelifts are two alternatives to facelifts for people seeking improvement in the midface or neck only. The best candidates for mini facelifts have a small to moderate amount of loose tissue and want to tighten up the mid- and lower facial areas. Neck lifts also offer an alternative to traditional facelifts for people who want to concentrate on the neck area.

In addition, facial fillers can be used to restore a youthful fullness to the face by enhancing curves and contours, softening facial creases and wrinkles, and plumping up the lips.

What can be done to rejuvenate a sagging or fatty neck?

There are several options available to rejuvenate a sagging or fatty neck. These include neck liposuction, surgical neck lift with or without a facelift, platysmaplasty to tighten vertical muscle banding or cords, skin resurfacing to improve color and texture, and collagen treatments to improve volume and smoothness.

Many of these procedures can be combined with others to restore youthful contours to the face as well, such as chemical peels, facelifts and dermal fillers.

What can be done for sagging, puffy or lined skin in the eye and brow area?

Brow lifts can help revitalize the forehead and area between the eyes, smoothing out forehead creases and frown lines, correcting a low or sagging brow that may protrude over the eyelids, and raising the eyebrows to help you look less tired or angry.

Eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) addresses the upper and lower eyelids and surrounding area. It improves loose skin, fatty deposits, bags under the eyes and eyelid droopiness. Blepharoplasty is most useful for:

• Loose, saggy skin that obscures the natural contour of the upper eyelid and can impair your vision
• Fatty deposits that make the upper eyelids puffy
• Bags under the eyes
• Droopy lower eyelids that reveal the white below your iris
• Excess skin and fine wrinkles on your lower eyelids

Botox® or Dysport® are the most popular way to reduce wrinkles between the brows. These noninvasive procedures can smooth out frown lines, crow’s feet and furrows along the forehead to help you look more refreshed.

What can be treated with a chemical peel?

Chemical peels can treat skin damage that may have arisen from any of the following conditions:

• Acne or acne scars
• Age and liver spots
• Fine lines and wrinkles
• Freckles
• Irregular skin pigmentation
• Rough skin and scaly patches
• Scars
• Sun damage

Dr. Quardt offers several strengths of chemical peels that are specialized for different patients’ needs.

Talk with Dr. Quardt to find out more about the facial procedures she performs and whether they are right for you.