Question:
Since Im not even 50, I dont feel like I need a facelift yet but I do have a lot of troublesome shallow wrinkles on my face that I dislike. Ive been considering laser skin resurfacing, but Id like to make sure that it would suit my needs better than a facelift. Does a laser peel produce the same effects as a facelift, only not as drastic?
Answer:
Subjecting yourself to a facelift may seem like a fairly aggressive approach to facial aging, however in the right situation, nothing delivers results quite like a facelift. When I discuss approaches to facial rejuvenation with patients I emphasize the different elements of the facial skin that contribute to signs of aging. One is skin quality, one is skin quantity, and the last is facial volume. In terms of the decision between laser skin resurfacing and facelift surgery, if you have a significant amount of skin excess, I believe a facelift may be necessary to give you the desired results. If you have poor skin quality, and medium wrinkling of the skin would certainly fall into this category, then laser skin resurfacing may be of significant benefit to you.
Posted by Dr. Philip Schoenfeld