Facial rejuvenation without surgery

Education is the best way to learn about the available treatment options and gain an understanding of what is best for your individual condition

By: Cheryl Baisden
   There is no Fountain of Youth, unfortunately, so as we age, our muscle tone begins to deteriorate. Sun damage and the simple stresses of everyday life start to take their toll. One day we look in the mirror and staring back at us is our mother or father. And no matter how attractive we might feel our parents are, it’s still a shock to discover we’ve actually become them.
   With age come wrinkles around the eyes and mouth and across the forehead. Eyebrows start to droop. Skin loses elasticity and starts to sag. "Whether we like it or not, these changes are a natural part of aging," says Thomas A. Leach, M.D., a board-certified plastic surgeon specializing in plastic and reconstructive surgery at University Medical Center at Princeton. "Some people are not bothered by the changes brought on by the aging process, while others want to take some corrective measures to look and feel better."
   Popular television shows, such as "Extreme Makeover" and "The Swan," portray these measures as time-intensive, costly and yielding dramatic results. While this may be true, the other reality is that several more affordable options exist for facial rejuvenation. They are becoming known as "lunch hour facelifts" because they can be completed in less than an hour. And because these procedures are non-surgical, the results are more natural and far less obvious to others.
   "These procedures restore a certain youthfulness to the face without necessarily making it obvious to others that you’ve had any kind of enhancement done," says Karen Flicker, MSCA, OTR, a certified acupuncturist and occupational therapist at University Medical Center at Princeton. "While not radical, like a traditional face lift, non-surgical procedures can do wonders for a person’s appearance and state of mind."
   Facial rejuvenation acupuncture — sometimes referred to as an acupuncture facelift — can erase anywhere from five to 15 years of aging from the face after just a few treatments. Fine lines can be entirely eliminated and deep wrinkles diminished. Additionally, bags under the eyes can be reduced, jowls firmed, puffiness eliminated, droopy eyelids lifted and double chins minimized.
   "While these are the most dramatic effects of facial rejuvenation acupuncture, it can also help to moisturize the skin, improve muscle tone, tighten pores, clear up adult acne and reduce the overall signs of stress in your face," says Ms. Flicker.
   Based on Chinese principles employed for more than 1,000 years, the procedure involves the insertion of hair-thin needles in various locations to stimulate energy and help reverse the aging process.
   Non-surgical techniques based on far more modern medicine include the use of Botox and Restalyne injections under the skin, as well as chemical and micro peels for the skin surface. These rejuvenate the skin, minimize the appearance of wrinkles and improve skin tone by restoring sun-damaged and blemished skin.
   "These products offer an alternative to surgery for people who want to reduce wrinkles, improve skin tone, slightly increase the volume of their lips, or reduce the effects of aging on the skin," says Dr. Leach. "We can also do some facial shaping without surgery, such as correcting eyebrows that have started to droop, using injections of Botox or Restalyne to contour existing features and providing a better or fuller shape."
   But non-surgical facial rejuvenation techniques cannot be successfully used to treat all age-related conditions, and they require regular maintenance to remain beneficial.
   "Some treatments have been marketed as being amazing solutions to facial aging, when in fact they are not miracle cures," says Dr. Leach. "In some cases, actual surgery is the best way to go, and people may be using Botox or Restalyne inappropriately, expecting results that aren’t possible without surgery. Education is the best way to learn about the available treatment options and gain an understanding of what is best for your individual condition."
   Dr. Leach and Ms. Flicker will introduce the public to some of these non-surgical facial rejuvenation options at two informative free community programs.
   On Wednesday, May 4, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., Ms. Flicker will discuss "Acupuncture for Facial Rejuvenation." On Tuesday, May 10, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., Dr. Leach will address "Non-Surgical Facial Rejuvenation." Both programs, sponsored by Princeton HealthCare System’s Community Education Department, will be held at the Princeton Fitness & Wellness Center in Montgomery.
   For more information on facial rejuvenation or to register for these community programs, call (609) 497-4480.