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Face odyssey
Cosmetic dermatology is advancing at lightening speed. ELLE reports on the latest developments.
By Christy Wright
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5. Eyes by thermage
Who it's for: This non-invasive alternative to a surgical eye lift is for those who want to tighten skin around the eyes, smooth crow's feet and reduce under-eye bags. Previously, Thermage could not be used near the eyes because its radio-frequency energy penetrated too deeply and was damaging to delicate skin.
What's involved: The ThermaCool system directs radio-frequency energy through a penlike tip designed to target the delicate skin around the eyes. This energy activates the body's wound-healing response by heating the deepest layers of tissue and stimulating collagen production.
Duration: One hour.
Recovery time: No downtime.
Pros: Non-invasive; no bruising or swelling; results can last for up to two years, depending on the patient's age and skin condition.
Cons: Possible redness, blisters and bumps and, in rare cases, some
surface irregularities.
Expense: About $1,800 in Canada and $2,800 in the United States.
Website: www.thermage-info.com.
6. Eyebrow transplant
Who it's for: Anyone with little or no eyebrow hair due to excessive plucking, hereditary hair loss or physical trauma (such as burns, scarring or injury).
What's involved:A surgeon removes a small strip of fine hair from the scalp (just above the ear), makes tiny needle pricks along a drawn-in brow and transplants individual hairs into the pinpricks.
Duration: Two or three hours.
Recovery time: No downtime; new eyebrow hairs start to grow on their own after two or three months.
Pros: Brows are natural and last a lifetime.
Cons: Possible mild pain in the brow area immediately following the procedure; mild swelling for two or three days; scabbing that can last up to a week; new hairs require trimming every three or four weeks.
Expense: $2,000 to $4,000 in Canada and $2,250 to $4,500 in the United States, depending on the amount of hair required.
Website: www.hairtransplantnetwork.com.
7. Transbleph brow lift
Who it's for: Anyone with a mildly to moderately sagging brow line and droopy eyelids.
What's involved: This bio-absorbable eyebrow clip allows doctors to perform a brow lift by making a small incision in the crease of the upper eyelid to expose the browbone. The clip is drilled into the browbone, and any excess skin on the upper lid and browbone is lifted and hooked onto the clip's tiny barbs.
Duration: Eight minutes for each eye.
Recovery time: Less than a week.
Pros: In the past, brow lifts involved a large incision near the hairline along with a forehead lift, but with this procedure the incision is hidden in the fold of the upper lid; the body begins to absorb the clip immediately, which makes the incision impalpable within four or five months (and the skin won't sag after the clip dissolves); results can last up to three years, depending on how the patient ages.
Cons: Invasive.
Expense: $2,500 to $4,000 for both brows.
Website: www.coaptsystems.com.
8. Refirme
Who it's for: Anyone who wants to lift droopy skin around the brows, cheeks, jowls and neck.
What's involved: A wand combining infrared light and bipolar radio-frequency energy in the same pulse is passed over the face, heating up connective tissue and stimulating collagen production for an instant tightening effect.
Duration: 30 minutes.
Recovery time: No downtime.
Pros: Quick and non-invasive; noticeably less painful than other tissue tighteners, such as Thermage; produces consistent results on all skin types (including black, white, Asian and even suntanned skin); instant elevation of the cheeks and tightening of the neck.
Cons: Not for women who are pregnant, too heavy or too thin or who wear pacemakers; patients may feel a mild pinching sensation; several treatments are required for best results.
Expense: From $1,500 to $2,500 for the treatment package, and from $250 to $500 for the maintenance treatments.
Website: www.syneron.com.
On the horizon . . .
Tissue transplant:
Like a page out of a science fiction novel, tissue banking is fast becoming the way of the future. This procedure uses a patient's own DNA code to grow a new sheet of skin. The young tissue is implanted over the patient's damaged skin to cover up signs of aging. The procedure is currently in clinical trials in Canada, but U.S. doctors are using tissue transplants to treat burn patients.
Lip implant:
If you're saving up to buy a pair of "Angelinas," take note: FulFil lip implants -- the first truly soft, permanent lip implants -- are now available in the United States. Designed to create plumper lips, the saline-filled implants are adjustable, long-lasting and removable.
If you were to have one cosmetic procedure, what would it be? Chat about it in our forums!
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