What Happens During a Non-Surgical Facelift?
The FaceTite and Renuvion procedures combine radio frequency technology with traditional liposuction. During this procedure, you are given a local anesthetic to alleviate any mild discomfort, but you are fully awake throughout. Your surgeon will then make a small incision and insert a lipo probe to break up any fat.
Once the lipo is complete and the fat suctioned off, your surgeon will then insert a separate probe with electrodes to deliver radio frequency waves. Although the RF waves primarily help in reducing the levels of subdermal fat, they also help induce collagen production and stimulate your collagen fibers beneath the skin.
What to Expect After a Non-Surgical Facelift
After your procedure your plastic surgeon will typically apply compression garments that you’ll wear at home. These ensure that your skin heals and tightens as it should. Because FaceTite and Renuvion are outpatient procedures, you can return to your home afterwards.
Downtime is fairly short. It will typically take a day or two to recover. Many patients will experience little to no side-effects. However, as with any cosmetic procedure, you may face some minor discomfort, swelling, bruising, or minimal scarring at the incision site.
Non-Surgical Facelift Alternatives
FaceTite and Renuvion, powered by radio frequency assisted lipolysis, are both minimally-invasive procedures – not surgical, but more invasive than nonsurgical skin tightening treatments like Ultherapy. A facelift is the most invasive procedure, requiring surgical incisions and sutures. Here is how these different treatments compare with each other:
FaceTite vs. Renuvion
Non-surgical skin tightening with either FaceTite or Renuvion has been tested extensively and shown to achieve contraction results anywhere from 35% to 60%. Both deliver radio frequency energy via a wand inserted under to coagulate or shrink the tissues. Renuvion is different from FaceTite in that it supplements the radio frequency energy with helium plasma to heat subdermal tissues to 85 degrees Celsius in less than a second. BodyTite operates at a slightly lower temperature and may therefore take longer to complete.
However, both treatments are usually combined with liposuction which takes a certain amount of time to complete, meaning this time difference is not as significant as it sounds.
With both treatments, the contraction effect is noticeable immediately after the procedure and will continue to improve over the course of 6-9 months (Renuvion), or up to a year (FaceTite).
Radio Frequency Assisted Skin Tightening vs. Ultherapy
Ultherapy is another common non-surgical, cosmetic procedure used to promote collagen production and tighten the skin. However, unlike FaceTite and Renuvion, Ultherapy does not use any incisions or lipo. Instead, Ultherapy applies ultrasound technology to contour the face or neck. As with FaceTite and Renuvion, there is no downtime after your procedure.
Although Ultherapy is an effective device, the results will wear off fairly quickly. Compared to a FaceTite or Renuvion procedure, you will need to have more treatments over the course of a year in order to experience your desired results. Thus, FaceTite and Renuvion are more cost effective, longer lasting treatment options for reducing minor to moderate skin laxity than Ultherapy.
Radio Frequency Assisted Skin Tightening vs Facelift
Compared to the minimally invasive FaceTite and Renuvion, a surgical facelift may not seem like the best option when it comes time to consider plastic surgery. However, there are pros and cons to both procedures.
Although FaceTite and Renuvion are safe alternatives to a facelift, there is a limit to how much skin contraction can be achieved. If you are experiencing severe skin laxity, drooping jowls, and deep wrinkles, a surgical facelift can guarantee dramatic, permanent results, albeit with greater risk of more severe side-effects: severe pain, bleeding, and infection. There is also the potential of experiencing adverse effects of a higher level of anesthesia needed for surgery.
It is best to consult with your local plastic surgeon to discuss the benefits and results of both FaceTite and Facelift procedures, as well as any health risks relating to either procedure.
How Long Does a Non-Surgical Facelift last?
Both FaceTite and Renuvion are FDA-approved to last for at least one year. However, some patients have experienced satisfying skin tightening effects for up to five years – compared to the eight to ten years of longevity resulting from a surgical facelift.
This does not mean that within one to five years you will return to your pre-procedure appearance, it just means that you may experience a gradual reduction in overall tissue tightness similar to the natural aging process. Having a good skin care regimen, wearing sunscreen daily, and not smoking may help improve the longevity of your results.