Aging is inevitable. It happens to all of us and in fact after the age of 30, signs become more prevalent each year. Factors like UV exposure, pollution, lifestyle habits, and diet choices affect our bodies including the breakdown of collagen. Your personal genetics plays a big part as well, and that is something you don’t have control over. Facial aging is the most noticeable because it’s an area that we can’t really cover up. It’s what we all see in each other first, and let’s be honest we all want to bring our best face forward. In the beauty world we hear the words collagen and elastin quite often, losing and building, but do we really understand what it means? Utah Facial Plastics team of providers are great at educating patients on the aging process, along with ways to slow it, and when it’s time to really consider a facelift.
Aging and Collagen Loss
When we are young, our skin is full of collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid. You’ve heard of the term “baby soft skin”, and it’s something we all admire and love. Even when we are in our teens and early 20’s we still get to enjoy youthful skin, and most don’t really have to try hard to prevent or take care of their skin. However, as we are exposed to the environment, lifestyle habits, and aging in general, signs of aging will usually start to creep in and then we are left asking ourselves “What happened?”.
Collagen makes up over 70% of our dermis. It is the building blocks that keeps our skin supple, plump, and smooth. Can we slow down collagen loss? Yes, somewhat. Staying out of the sun or using proper sun protection when you are out is the best and easiest thing you can do. Eating a healthy diet and living a healthy lifestyle is another big factor. Managing stress and taking care of your skin with proper skin care will also help slow down collagen loss.
Collagen breakdown starts in our 20’s. Over time the surface and subsurface structures of fat, muscle and bone begin to change. Skin may become thinner, drier, start to wrinkle, or sag more. Some experience this quicker than others, but cheeks and lower face muscles begin to drop, creating jowling. Hollowing in areas like under the eyes, cheeks, and temples will start to occur. Hyaluronic acid is what keeps moisture locked in our skin. We lose this over time as well and lines begin to form. Face shape can even change and when we notice these things, we start to ask ourselves, what can I do about this?
Maintaining Aging Symptoms
Addressing skin damage and aging concerns can be overwhelming. Usually most don’t know where to begin and aren’t sure what’s going to be the most beneficial. At any age, even before we notice signs of aging, it is best to get on a good skin care regimen.
At UFP Aesthetics, our master estheticians went through schooling to understand skin function and skin care. We know that medical grade skin care is the most effective at preventing and maintaining signs of aging. It is backed by research and testing, has the highest concentration of ingredients that are best for prevention and maintaining healthy skin cells. Facials, laser treatments, and Botox are great for addressing the skin surface and fine lines. They can also help to stimulate new collagen and elastin, keeping the skin firmer for a longer amount of time. It is important to know that skin treatments are maintenance treatments and will need to be done yearly to keep skin looking radiant as well as reversing signs of damage, usually caused by the sun. The earlier you take charge of your skin care routine, the better off you will be long term.
When It’s Time to Consider a Facelift
When we start to approach our 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s our skin and facial structures are no longer what they once were. We can find ourselves in the mirror using our hands to push those structures back in place, it may be time to consider a facelifting procedure. Now this isn’t a need or want for everyone, and you may be ok with how you are aging, but we want you to know there are options. A facelift procedure might be the only option to get you the look and results you want.
Utah Facial Plastics surgeons see patients daily and a common statement that is made is “I would prefer not to have surgery, can I do a laser treatment instead?” Well, if you have skin flaws including dull skin, mild to severe lines, and pigmentation… then yes, a laser treatment might be a good choice for you if you are solely wanting to address your skin. But if you have symptoms of jowling, volume loss, sagging, loss of definition in the jawline, loose or sagging neck skin, or neck bands… you really need to consider having a facelift done. Lasers with RF can help to firm and tone skin to an extent. You will continue to age and likely over time will not have got the results you were looking for. A facelift procedure will help lift underlying fat and muscle back into a place it once was, along with removing the excess skin needed to tighten everything back up.
Plastic Surgery That Will Make You Look Rejuvenated, Not Overdone
Millions of people receive plastic surgery procedures every year. Many of those people are nervous or scared they will look unnatural or not like themselves. The doctors at Utah Facial Plastics have a mission and goal to treat all patients safely, with kindness, and to help accomplish the goals they desire with the best outcome possible. They want to provide natural results to not change who you are, but to accentuate your best features. They are highly skilled, and their results have shown time and time again that it is very possible to have plastic surgery that is unnoticeable to others with natural results.
Our surgeons primarily perform two types of facelifts. One is considered a mini-lift, called the MACSlift. This is done in-office and mainly addresses early jowling. This is usually done by our younger patients, but we have patients of all ages that opt for this procedure. It is important to know that it is not as aggressive as the standard facelift and will not address underlying neck concerns.
Now, if you are someone experiencing overall facial sagging, jowling, neck concerns, and excess skin, a deep plane facelift will likely be the best choice to address and lift the face and neck. It will lift and tighten these areas as one unit, offering the most natural results. Most patients will only desire or need to do this once in their lifetime and can experience many years of benefit and joy from having this procedure. When done by an experienced facial plastic surgeon who uses techniques that address the skin as well as underlying facial tissues, it can be a very rewarding thing to do.
It is always best to come in and talk to a facial plastic surgeon as they are specialized in surgical procedures of the face. They can really help you determine the best course of action for you and walk you through the process and recovery for facelift surgery or other surgeries. You may need time to plan ahead, and it is always a good idea to come in and get the information needed to do so. Visit www.utahfacialplastics.com to schedule a consultation or contact us if you have questions about a procedure. We see patients from all over Salt Lake City and surrounding areas, with two locations in Draper and Layton Utah.