With winter just around the corner, you are probably getting ready for the festivities—buying presents, eyeing the best dinner recipes, and setting up bright and beautiful decorations around the house. You might also be looking for ways to present your cheeriest, most relaxed-looking face to friends and family. You’re far from alone in this regard; as the New Year approaches annually, men and women of all ages crowd the nearest plastic surgeon’s office, hoping to take advantage of non-invasive cosmetic procedures that require little to no recovery time and provide results which can satisfy even the most critical pair of eyes. There are dozens of options to choose from, but some of the best and most accessible treatments can be found in Kybella, an innovative neck-lifting injection, PiXel8-RF, a micro-needling therapy that tightens and evens out the skin, and hyaluronic acid fillers such as Juvéderm, Restylane, and Belotero.
Kybella is one of the most effective injectables on the market today, offering patients the opportunity to do away with their turkey necks and double chins. When injected, Kybella’s primary ingredient—a naturally occurring molecule called deoxycholic acid—destroys fatty tissue in the neck area that is then safely reabsorbed by the body. Within four to eight weeks of treatment, a patient’s neck will become noticeably tighter and smoother, replicating the effects of a more invasive neck-lift surgery. The best part? Kybella is a permanent treatment with no downtime, so patients will not need to revisit their doctor every few months for expensive and often inconvenient upkeep.
PiXel8-RF, on the other hand, is a machine that uses fractional bi-polar radio frequencies and minimally invasive micro-needles to rejuvenate the face. During treatment, heat is directed far down into the layers of the epidermis while extremely small needles roll over the surface of the skin. This prompts the face to produce more collagen, making the skin firmer while simultaneously eliminating fine lines, wrinkles, drooping jowls, and even acne scars. Though the affected areas may become temporarily red over the course of 24 hours, recovery time is otherwise minimal, and most patients will see results in just a few days. Unlike Kybella, PiXel8-RF’s outcomes are not permanent, though touch-ups are only recommended once a year, infrequent enough not to become too bothersome or unattractively costly.
Compared to Kybella and PiXel8-RF, Restylane, Juvéderm, Belotero, and other dermal fillers are relatively old dogs, with some having been on the market since 1996, but they are just as effective and widely used. Made from hyaluronic acid, a sugar molecule that is naturally found in the eyes, joints, and skin, these fillers can be injected into any area of the face where additional volume is needed, whether the cause of such hollowing, wrinkling, and loosening be age or genetics. This technique is commonly referred to as a liquid facelift.
“The best thing about hyaluronic acid fillers, in my opinion, is their versatility,” says Dr. Andrew Jacono, a dual board-certified facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon based on Manhattan’s Park Avenue. “They can add immense volume and depth to just about any part of the face—frown lines, nasolabial folds, the lips and chin, and even the lower eyelids. The possibilities are practically endless.”
Because fillers are over time broken down and metabolized, they generally last between six months to a year, but since no two human bodies function in quite the same way, the timeframe may vary. With this in mind, patients are advised to return to their doctor for repeat fillings once the results of the previous treatment wear off, though one-time injections—say, for special occasions—are not unheard of.
With so many fantastic remedies out there, holiday-goers should rest assured that their best face isn’t out of reach. In fact, it is just a quick, easy, and painless treatment away from becoming a reality.
