quick face lift or laser?

horseluvr · 04-29-2007, 12:30 PM

I am considering a laser treatment to erase wrinkles especially around my mouth. The Dr. showed me photos of some success stories but he also showed me the before and after of the "quick lift". I am wondering about the pros and cons of both. Anyone have experience? I am in my 60's and realize that I cannot look young again [don't want to] but would like to look less tired and not have lipstick "bleed". Any advice is welcomed!

Mintha · 05-06-2007, 08:44 PM

Dear Horseluvr
I am in the same age group and have the same question as you do. I am scheduled for a test spot on my face of a new laser that takes off the outer layer of skin to reduce wrinkles, etc. Am concerned it might burn me though as have thin skin. Have lots of questions for the doctor.

Please let me know what you have found

Mintha

horseluvr · 05-08-2007, 04:15 PM

When I talked with the doctor he said the burning sensation would last for about 2 hours but the redness would take several days to fade. He said you get lots of sympathy for several days but the real pain is short lived. In my experience doctors always minimize the pain so I would plan on a week off after the laser, I just want to know if the pain etc is worth the results!

Diana · 05-25-2007, 12:48 AM

I have had many Laser treatments on my face,PhotoFacial, Polaris, Refirme and now there is a new oncalled Portrait that is alo nore invasive.Laser is the way to go if you want to get rid of Sun damage,redness.brown spots,wrinkles around the eyes,neck.I am 55 and don't want to go under the knife or have scars from the Quote Quik Lift, Natural Lift etc. They all leave scars around your ears in the cheek area, granted they fade and its done under a Local sedation, but I have had 4 surgeries in 2 years( not related to face) and will do anything not to be int the hospital or clinic or under sedation for awhile.
I have had all of my procedures done with just the coolind system thry use with the laser, I have a very high tolerence for pain, normally they numb you with a cream first,but i am allergic to the cream they use. So I am used to the zapping and burning sensation, sometimes some areas do get burned but they give you a cream to use or you ca use Kela-cote for burns, it is sold over the counter for burns and it is wonderful stuff abit pricey, but very good.
It really depends on how much pain you are willing to be in, personally I have never liked any facelifts i have seen Natural or otherwise. don't like that pulled look most of them give you, but i would have my eyes done as soon as they can do it with a laser, thats coming soon.
Don't get me wrong for some people the Laser is very painful and you do have to do maintaince every 4months,and they can be pricey as well, but the effect is so much more natural..Good Luck Ladies...Oh I forgot to mention the effects of the the laser just gets better up to 3months after your treatment unless you go for the more invasive which should last several years.did you check out the Pallone Procedure her on the forums??ABC did a newscast on it and it looks great!!

catwoman · 05-28-2007, 09:54 AM

Horseluvr, I had a mid-face lift under local anesthesia 7 months ago. I am pleased with my results. However, this type of procedure will not help the lines around your mouth. From what I have been told and have read, only deep peels, laser treatment, and fillers will repair that area. If you are unhappy with sagging skin in your jowls and neck area, too, you would be happy with the mid-face lift and perhaps a laser treatment and filler in your upper lip area. Sorry if my post is too late for your questions, but I was just browsing and thought I would relay what I know.

horseluvr · 05-28-2007, 01:00 PM

Catwoman, Thanks for your response. I still haven't done anything....Do you think they could do all of that in one visit? The quick lift, some lazer and filler? How long would the recovery be? I am going to a reunion in Sept but don't want to red and swollen!
Thanks!

catwoman · 05-28-2007, 01:56 PM

You certainly can have this all done at the same time. I had some lasering done with my eye procedure. The laser peel will take the longest to heal and for the redness to go away. However, it can be concealed with make up once the skin has healed over. I looked pretty normal within two weeks after my face lift. It is really only the swelling that is obvious, the stitches come out in approx two weeks and really are not that noticeable beforehand.
I think you would be pleased with the filler and the lift without the laser peel. There are better fillers on the market now that last up to 3 or more years. Truthfully, I did not notice much improvement in the skin under eyes after the laser. It was a lot of pain and healing for little improvement in my opinion. And the redness lasted for months and I had to be very careful of any sunlight in that area. I don't know where you live or what type of mid face lift you are considering, but my best advice is to seek out a well known, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon for your procedures. Do not go to Lifestyle Lift centers (I'll probably get a lot of flack for saying that!). Do your homework and research and you will come to the same conclusion. After all, this our FACE we are tampering with, you will want the best you can afford. My doctor explained the difference in a true mid-face lift, S-lift, MAS, vs. "Lifestyle Lift". My face lift took over 3 hours to perform...Lifestyle Lift takes about an hour...you do the math! Good luck to you in whatever you choose and if I can help in any way, please don't hesitate to contact me.

horseluvr · 05-28-2007, 02:39 PM

Catwoman, Thant sounds quite good to me. I have been reading about bad results from the lazer over on the internet and was getting discouraged. Maybe the "quick lift" which is offered at the plastic surgeons office [no hospital and no general anesthesia] would be good and he could do the filler as needed while I was in a "twilight sleep". I do have a "crapey" neck, so the lift would problably be best for me if the lip wrinkles could be filled.
I am squeamish about pain and visualizing what they are doing....but maybe a Zanax would help that! My doctor is Bd certified in ENT, Plastic Surgery and Dermatology I believe. But after seeing some other people's recoveries, I don't really believe the doc when they say how "easy" it all is. I prefer hearing from people like you who have had it done. I aprreciate your being willing to share!

catwoman · 05-28-2007, 03:40 PM

I am glad to hear you have a Board Certified doc in mind. Believe, nothing is as easy as "They" say. Until you have personally experienced any type of cosmetic surgery yourself, I do not think they should make those claims. Of course, everybody's experience and tolerance of discomfort is different. The worst part of my facelift was experienced durng the first 48 hours. I had a great deal of swelling which is not only frightening in appearance, but uncomfortable. At no time was I in any pain, just tightness and swelling. I made the mistake of not preparing myself for this by taking pre and post op supplements like I did for my other surgeries. I just had SMartlipo done on my entire mid body and have been taking the supplements...what a difference they make in recovery time and comfort. You can order these supplements and other post op care items from www.makemeheal.com. They are very helpful via the phone if you need help in deciding on what to get. I do recommend getting the cold face compresses that you can freeze. They really help with the swelling. Arnica is wonderful for pre and post op prep. All this available on line. They also have head wraps in case the one the doctor supplies becomes uncomfortable. You will need to keep one on for awhile, maybe a week. Helps with the swellling. I wore it mostly at night. I don't think it provides any other benefit other than that. Once your doctor pulls your face muscles up and secures them, they will remain in place. Additional compression on chin and neck is only needed if you have lipo and the skin needs to remain compressed to heal. I am excited for you and know you will love the results. The best thing is that it is not such a drastic change to your appearance. Just turns back the clock a bit and makes you look refreshed.

Diana · 06-07-2007, 11:51 AM

I have a friend who had a Lifestyle lift, and another who is going to have one done in July. My one friend loved hers,was swollen and got keloids, but they fixed that.I just can't see having those scars on the front of your ears, I wear my hair up all the time and would not want the scars to show!! I have had several laser treatments done( no peels) and have been very happy with them, no down time and can wear makeup the next day. I would never have a Dr. touch me who is not board certified.Lifestle lits is mass production lines.

04-29-2007, 12:30 PM	#1
horseluvr Newbie Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 11	quick face lift or laser? I am considering a laser treatment to erase wrinkles especially around my mouth. The Dr. showed me photos of some success stories but he also showed me the before and after of the "quick lift". I am wondering about the pros and cons of both. Anyone have experience? I am in my 60's and realize that I cannot look young again [don't want to] but would like to look less tired and not have lipstick "bleed". Any advice is welcomed!

05-06-2007, 08:44 PM	#2
Mintha Newbie Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Portland,OR Posts: 1	Reply to horseluvr Dear Horseluvr I am in the same age group and have the same question as you do. I am scheduled for a test spot on my face of a new laser that takes off the outer layer of skin to reduce wrinkles, etc. Am concerned it might burn me though as have thin skin. Have lots of questions for the doctor. Please let me know what you have found Mintha

05-28-2007, 01:56 PM	#7
catwoman Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Missouri Posts: 679 My Mood:	You certainly can have this all done at the same time. I had some lasering done with my eye procedure. The laser peel will take the longest to heal and for the redness to go away. However, it can be concealed with make up once the skin has healed over. I looked pretty normal within two weeks after my face lift. It is really only the swelling that is obvious, the stitches come out in approx two weeks and really are not that noticeable beforehand. I think you would be pleased with the filler and the lift without the laser peel. There are better fillers on the market now that last up to 3 or more years. Truthfully, I did not notice much improvement in the skin under eyes after the laser. It was a lot of pain and healing for little improvement in my opinion. And the redness lasted for months and I had to be very careful of any sunlight in that area. I don't know where you live or what type of mid face lift you are considering, but my best advice is to seek out a well known, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon for your procedures. Do not go to Lifestyle Lift centers (I'll probably get a lot of flack for saying that!). Do your homework and research and you will come to the same conclusion. After all, this our FACE we are tampering with, you will want the best you can afford. My doctor explained the difference in a true mid-face lift, S-lift, MAS, vs. "Lifestyle Lift". My face lift took over 3 hours to perform...Lifestyle Lift takes about an hour...you do the math! Good luck to you in whatever you choose and if I can help in any way, please don't hesitate to contact me. Last edited by catwoman : 05-28-2007 at 01:59 PM. Reason: typo

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05-08-2007, 04:15 PM	#3
horseluvr Newbie Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 11	When I talked with the doctor he said the burning sensation would last for about 2 hours but the redness would take several days to fade. He said you get lots of sympathy for several days but the real pain is short lived. In my experience doctors always minimize the pain so I would plan on a week off after the laser, I just want to know if the pain etc is worth the results!

05-25-2007, 12:48 AM	#4
Diana Newbie Join Date: May 2007 Location: USA Posts: 15 My Mood:	I have had many Laser treatments on my face,PhotoFacial, Polaris, Refirme and now there is a new oncalled Portrait that is alo nore invasive.Laser is the way to go if you want to get rid of Sun damage,redness.brown spots,wrinkles around the eyes,neck.I am 55 and don't want to go under the knife or have scars from the Quote Quik Lift, Natural Lift etc. They all leave scars around your ears in the cheek area, granted they fade and its done under a Local sedation, but I have had 4 surgeries in 2 years( not related to face) and will do anything not to be int the hospital or clinic or under sedation for awhile. I have had all of my procedures done with just the coolind system thry use with the laser, I have a very high tolerence for pain, normally they numb you with a cream first,but i am allergic to the cream they use. So I am used to the zapping and burning sensation, sometimes some areas do get burned but they give you a cream to use or you ca use Kela-cote for burns, it is sold over the counter for burns and it is wonderful stuff abit pricey, but very good. It really depends on how much pain you are willing to be in, personally I have never liked any facelifts i have seen Natural or otherwise. don't like that pulled look most of them give you, but i would have my eyes done as soon as they can do it with a laser, thats coming soon. Don't get me wrong for some people the Laser is very painful and you do have to do maintaince every 4months,and they can be pricey as well, but the effect is so much more natural..Good Luck Ladies...Oh I forgot to mention the effects of the the laser just gets better up to 3months after your treatment unless you go for the more invasive which should last several years.did you check out the Pallone Procedure her on the forums??ABC did a newscast on it and it looks great!!

05-28-2007, 09:54 AM	#5
catwoman Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Missouri Posts: 679 My Mood:	Horseluvr, I had a mid-face lift under local anesthesia 7 months ago. I am pleased with my results. However, this type of procedure will not help the lines around your mouth. From what I have been told and have read, only deep peels, laser treatment, and fillers will repair that area. If you are unhappy with sagging skin in your jowls and neck area, too, you would be happy with the mid-face lift and perhaps a laser treatment and filler in your upper lip area. Sorry if my post is too late for your questions, but I was just browsing and thought I would relay what I know.

05-28-2007, 01:00 PM	#6
horseluvr Newbie Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 11	Catwoman, Thanks for your response. I still haven't done anything....Do you think they could do all of that in one visit? The quick lift, some lazer and filler? How long would the recovery be? I am going to a reunion in Sept but don't want to red and swollen! Thanks!

05-28-2007, 02:39 PM	#8
horseluvr Newbie Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 11	Catwoman, Thant sounds quite good to me. I have been reading about bad results from the lazer over on the internet and was getting discouraged. Maybe the "quick lift" which is offered at the plastic surgeons office [no hospital and no general anesthesia] would be good and he could do the filler as needed while I was in a "twilight sleep". I do have a "crapey" neck, so the lift would problably be best for me if the lip wrinkles could be filled. I am squeamish about pain and visualizing what they are doing....but maybe a Zanax would help that! My doctor is Bd certified in ENT, Plastic Surgery and Dermatology I believe. But after seeing some other people's recoveries, I don't really believe the doc when they say how "easy" it all is. I prefer hearing from people like you who have had it done. I aprreciate your being willing to share!

05-28-2007, 03:40 PM	#9
catwoman Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Missouri Posts: 679 My Mood:	I am glad to hear you have a Board Certified doc in mind. Believe, nothing is as easy as "They" say. Until you have personally experienced any type of cosmetic surgery yourself, I do not think they should make those claims. Of course, everybody's experience and tolerance of discomfort is different. The worst part of my facelift was experienced durng the first 48 hours. I had a great deal of swelling which is not only frightening in appearance, but uncomfortable. At no time was I in any pain, just tightness and swelling. I made the mistake of not preparing myself for this by taking pre and post op supplements like I did for my other surgeries. I just had SMartlipo done on my entire mid body and have been taking the supplements...what a difference they make in recovery time and comfort. You can order these supplements and other post op care items from www.makemeheal.com. They are very helpful via the phone if you need help in deciding on what to get. I do recommend getting the cold face compresses that you can freeze. They really help with the swelling. Arnica is wonderful for pre and post op prep. All this available on line. They also have head wraps in case the one the doctor supplies becomes uncomfortable. You will need to keep one on for awhile, maybe a week. Helps with the swellling. I wore it mostly at night. I don't think it provides any other benefit other than that. Once your doctor pulls your face muscles up and secures them, they will remain in place. Additional compression on chin and neck is only needed if you have lipo and the skin needs to remain compressed to heal. I am excited for you and know you will love the results. The best thing is that it is not such a drastic change to your appearance. Just turns back the clock a bit and makes you look refreshed.

06-07-2007, 11:51 AM	#10
Diana Newbie Join Date: May 2007 Location: USA Posts: 15 My Mood:	I have a friend who had a Lifestyle lift, and another who is going to have one done in July. My one friend loved hers,was swollen and got keloids, but they fixed that.I just can't see having those scars on the front of your ears, I wear my hair up all the time and would not want the scars to show!! I have had several laser treatments done( no peels) and have been very happy with them, no down time and can wear makeup the next day. I would never have a Dr. touch me who is not board certified.Lifestle lits is mass production lines.