Seeking a lunchtime facelift? Find out what's on the menu.
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A dusting of face powder and a fresh coat of lipstick used to be the only way to give your looks-and your spirit -- an instant boost. Now women have the power to enhance their features -- and even transform themselves-with the same nonchalance as booking an afternoon spa appointment.
Dr. Lisa Kellett, a dermatologist in Toronto, credits the recent boom in quick, non-invasive mini-facelifts, wrinkle erasers and waistline-trimming procedures-- the so-called "lunchtime plastic surgeries" -- to advances in technology. According to a survey by Medicard Finance, the number of patients having non-surgical facelift procedures in 2003 grew by 325 percent from the previous year, while injectable fillers were up 23 percent and liposuctions increased by 16 percent. (Medicard Finance is a Canadian credit card company that finances elective medical procedures.)
"We live in a here-and-now society," says Kellett, whose clinic, DLK On Avenue, saw the longest lunchtime lineups last year for injectable lip and wrinkle fillers. "All of our patients want an alternative to the knife-and-stitch approach, and they want immediate and measurable results." Choosing the safest and most effective options from the array of face and body innovations available is still the biggest challenge.
Suture lifts
(LIFESTYLE LIFT, CONTROUR THREADS, THREAD LIFT) Designed for the desperate housewife on a budget, these one-hour in-office microsurgeries involve strategically placed surgical threads administered under local anaesthetic. The Lifestyle Lift firms the lower face and neck area by inserting tiny, permanent sutures beneath the skin to lift and tighten sagging muscles. With Contour Threads -- intended for specific problem areas -- a surgeon smooths out a droopy brow, cheek or jowl by passing a needle and barbed thread under the loose skin in question and tugging it back into place. "The results are natural-looking yet instantaneous," says Dr. David Kent, a plastic surgeon in Detroit who is one of a number of doctors behind the widely marketed Lifestyle Lift.
Cost Lifestyle Lift, $5,000; Contour Threads, $450 per thread.
Maintenance The Lifestyle Lift lasts five to 10 years. Contour Threads last three to five years.
Downtime Other than minor swelling and bruising, both procedures promise a few days' recovery using an ice pack.
Drawbacks The Lifestyle Lift provides the most dramatic results on women over 40. Contour Threads can be performed on younger women but won't last as long as the Lifestyle Lift or a traditional facelift.
