With time, the face becomes thinner as subcutaneous fat is lost; the nasolabial folds (between the nose and the cheeks) deepen and lines around the mouth appear. Expression lines are often present on the forehead, between the eyebrows (glabellar frown lines), at the outer corners of the eyes (crow’s feet), and sometimes on the neck, reflecting hypercontraction of the subcutaneous mimetic muscles. The face gradually takes on a stern, tired look. In women, the neck and the décolletage may also be affected, as the skin is often thinner and loses its radiance, becoming dull as it dehydrates. Pigmented spots can appear on the face and on the backs of the hands, which may also show hollowing. Over the years, skin lines and wrinkles develop, from fine lines to deeper, more marked wrinkles; the skin is less firm and loses elasticity. These natural processes are multifactorial. One’s genetic make-up plays a role, but environmental factors also greatly accelerate ageing. Sun exposure and smoking are among the best-recognised ‘accelerators’. Because the signs of passing time are varied and differ from one person to another, their management cannot rely on a single medical or surgical technique, however well performed.
During your first consultation, Docteur Lionel Sallaz, after listening to your concerns, will examine you carefully to analyse your face in detail and how it is ageing, in order to define the treatment plan best suited to your individual case. If a surgical procedure is preferable, he will let you know and explain why. It is his expert role to determine whether aesthetic medicine treatments are preferable or whether surgery is more appropriate for you. These are different therapies and ‘one does not replace the other’, because we are all different, with different requests, and there is therefore no single treatment capable of addressing everything for everyone. Treatment must be adapted to each individual, which is precisely the value of consulting a plastic surgeon who practises both surgery and aesthetic medicine. He will therefore be able to advise you, as your treatment will be truly bespoke and tailored to you, not a standard, identical treatment for all. The various medical treatments may be proposed alone or combined with each other (and even with surgery), depending on the effect sought. They may include:
Botulinum toxin (‘Botox’) injections to treat expression lines.
Hyaluronic acid dermal filler injections when a volumising effect is sought to fill certain wrinkles.
Mesotherapy to prioritise the anti-ageing effect and restore skin hydration and tone.
Microdermabrasion to help the skin 'breathe'.
Radiofrequency to tighten tissues by acting on the skin’s natural collagen.
Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) can, in certain cases, reduce sun-induced pigmentation (solar lentigines), even out a 'tired' complexion, or reduce the appearance of oily, acne-prone skin.
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