Lasers, Lashes & Lips, Oh, MY!

Looking for a little post-summer pick-me-up? We’ve got 3 quick fixes for freshening up for fall.

Whether it’s wrinkles, sun spots, thinning lashes and lips, or all of the above, each of these emphasize the fact that you’re getting older. But don’t call to make that facelift consult yet (oh, no!). At TFI, we’ve got three ways you can enhance your face without going under the knife:

1. Lasers

Skin rejuvenation with the fractional erbium 2940 laser will improve all those tell-tale signs of summer sun damage—fine lines, wrinkles, sun spots and skin laxity—that can make your face appear older than its years. and. The beauty of this low energy laser is that it limits damage to the skin thereby increasing post-procedure comfort and healing time. In just a few days, you’ll be ready for your close up!

2. Lashes

While innovative non-prescription lash products abound, big price tags and unproven results make Latisse the industry gold standard. Just like the commercial says, Latisse grows longer, thicker, darker lashes in as soon as 8 weeks, with full results in 16 weeks. Of note, you have to continue to use Latisse to maintain your new and improved lashes. If you stop using it, they'll return to their original state. The reason? Eyelashes, like your hair, follow a regular growth cycle: they grow, fallout, then grow again.

3. Lips

Most experts agree: If you want to enhance the lips, the best place to start is with a hyaluronic acid (HA) filler such as Juvéderm. Juvéderm is a smooth, clear gel, which is injected into the lips with an ultra-fine needle and immediately adds volume. Plumper lips are visible immediately following treatment, although your lips will be larger than the desired end result because of post-procedure swelling. But don’t worry: Swelling resolves in 2 to 3 days and your lips will have that full and sculpted look you’re going for. Results generally last from 3 to 8 months.

Need a Lift? Needle vs Scalpel...

If your neck needs a lift, chances are so does your face. In fact, these two procedures are often performed simultaneously. Today, however, we've learned several things about the way the face ages and those insights have influenced the way we approach facial rejuvenation. Your face may need a lift, but it doesn't necessarily involve a scalpel.

We know today that facial aging is a 3-dimensional process: wrinkles and sun damage to the skin, loss of volume, and general drooping of tissue. Instead of pulling it all up and snipping it off in a traditional facelift procedure (can you say "wind-blown" look?), surgeons today are filling lines with soft tissue fillers (Restylane, Perlane, Juvederm) or fat, and picking up that excess skin by revolumizing the midface (cheeks). Often referred to as a liquid facelift, if the needle can effectively meet your goals, a surgical facelift not necessarily indicated.

But that isn't to say that the facelift is a thing of the past. If you haven't taken preventive measures along the way, have significant drooping skin, and the aging process has simply caught up with you, a surgical facelift may be needed to meet your rejuvenation goals.

At the end of the day, it's all about a customized approach to your face. If there's one thing we know for certain in the aesthetic industry (contrary to past approaches), one size does not fit all!

Facing Fat Facts

Whether it's your own fat, synthetic fillers, or both for your facial rejuvenation goals, the same adage applies: One size does not fit all

Despite the aesthetic industry’s evolving attitude toward fat as functional facial filler over the past several years—from cynical to skeptical to accepting—Dr. Few has been fat grafting for more than 12 years. Today, no doubt about it, fat is fabulous. (Who’d have predicted that?)

Fat, says Dr. Few, may be uniquely “green” (a great way to recycle that unwanted collection from the waistline, no doubt), and offer a nice, long-term facial result, but, he points out, it isn’t a filler that completely transcends the overall filler category. In other words, just as certain synthetic fillers are indicated for specific components of facial rejuvenation, (ie, hyaluronic acids are used to fill lines, plump lips, put the apple back in your cheek), fat too has it’s strengths. Unfortunately, that doesn’t include filling fine lines.

“Fat is only good for volume, not superficial wrinkles,” says Dr. Few, a fact he often points out to counter the misconception among his filler patients.

While fat is routinely used for cheeks, chin and jawline, if you’ve got fine lines to fill, those are best left to the HA fillers (Restylane, Juvéderm, Perlane). In Dr. Few's hands, it's Restylane. And if fat just isn't your thing (or if you simply don't have the tissue to spare—ahem, nice problem to have!), Dr. Few says you can opt for Restylane all the way.

Side by side, here's generally how fat and Restylane stack up (all that's left is to decide is, which one is right for you?):

Fat vs Restylane

	Procedure Time, min	Cost	Longevity
Fat	45	$4000	Indefinitely*
Restylane	15	$1500 (2 syringes)	up to 18 months

*75% patients won’t need another filler for several years; 25% patients will need another round of fat in 3 to 12 months.