As we age so too does our skin. It is a naturally occurring and unavoidable phenomenon that even people with the most ageless skin naturally face. Most people use facial products in their daily routine that help to ameliorate some of the aging issues. Some turn to cosmetic surgery. Many others look to less invasive cosmetic procedures. We, at TSLMS, are big fans of one in particular – Clearlift Laser Treatment. We know that dermatologists and aestheticians agree on this one.

 

Why Our Skin Ages

As we get older our skin gets more frail and loses its glow and elasticity, leaving behind lines, wrinkles and sags. While this occurs naturally, there are environmental factors that contribute. Ultraviolet radiation and smoking are two of the biggest contributors. Poor diet, lack of sleep and little to no exercise can be harmful too. As is any sort of pollution or illness and poor hygiene. 

As noted by WebMD, the symptoms that skin is aging include:

• Skin becomes rougher.
• Skin develops lesions such as benign tumors.
• Skin becomes slack. The loss of the elastic tissue (elastin) in the skin with age causes the skin to hang loosely.
• Skin becomes more transparent. This is caused by the thinning of the epidermis (surface layer of the skin).
• Skin becomes more fragile. This is caused by a flattening of the area where the epidermis and dermis (layer of skin under the epidermis) come together.
• Skin becomes more easily bruised. This is due to thinner blood vessel walls.

Collagen and elastin are too of the most important components of the skin’s ability to stay youthful. The National Institutes of Health points out that, “The ligaments consist of collagen bands intermingled with elastic fibers that support hundreds of pounds of stress per square inch. In the spine the basic functional unit comprises vertebrae, intervertebral disc and ligament tissues. The interspinous ligaments with the function of limiting the spine flexion are exposed to a traumatic and degenerative process that promotes pain or instability. It has been shown that aging induces structural changes to capsular, fascial and ligamentous structures, mainly to the elastic and collagen fibers.”

As those systems start to break down, we can visibly see the results. This is where procedures come into play.

 

Facelifts Are Invasive and Costly

As pointed out by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, to which many of our members belong, a Rhytidectomy costs on average just over $7500. This can vary dramatically depending on the part of the country a person lives in and the surgeon they are seeing. Generally speaking a full face and neck lift is one of the most effective ways to take a dramatic amount of age off of a person. However, it is also an invasive procedure that comes with extensive healing time – and as such is not for everyone. Not to mention that not everyone is a good candidate for facelifts, from the surgeons’ perspective. 

Essentially, facelift candidates should be healthy without medical conditions that could get in the way of the healing process, should not smoke and should have good mental health that can get them through a healing process that can take up to a year, sometimes even more.

Facelifts are outpatient procedures unless something during the surgery goes wrong. They involve anesthesia, frequently general, and an incision, or series of incisions.

A traditional facelift incision often begins in the hairline at the temples, continuing around the ear and ends in the lower scalp. Fat may be sculpted or redistributed from the face, jowls and neck and underlying tissue is repositioned, commonly the deeper layers of the face and the muscles are also lifted. Skin is draped over the uplifted contours and excess skin is trimmed away. A second incision under the chin may be necessary to further improve an aging neck. Sutures or skin adhesives close the incisions. (Source).

This process may be more limited in some cases, depending on the person getting the lift. The skin is then sutured up and the healing process begins. 

On average, facelifts can help take about 12 years off of people. On the other hand, ClearLift, which is often called the lunchtime facelift, can take years off your face in just 20 minutes without surgery. 

 

ClearLift Laser Treatment The LunchTime Facelift Without Surgery 

The cost of treatment varies, but a person can expect to pay around $350 per treatment and have a series of up to 6 treatments, though many people see noticeable results after two treatments. This is substantially less than a facelift costs. That said, the technology is nothing short of amazing. 

The company describes it this way:

ClearLift is one of Harmony XL Pro most popular and esteemed treatments. It is known as the “Laser facelift” treatment, “Collagen booster”, “Lunchtime Procedure”. It is considered to be the most comprehensive Q-Switched Nd:YAG treatment solution available today. It treats a variety of age-related skin imperfections including wrinkles, fine lines, photo-damage, uneven skin tone and skin laxity. ClearLift is safe and effective even for thin and delicate areas of the skin such as face, neck and decollete. It is based on a unique method of energy dispersion, emitting narrow pulse widths with multiple peaks of energy, resulting in more effective treatment.

ClearLift is a fractional nonablative laser that is effective on people whose skin shows mild to moderate signs of aging. It does not require anesthesia, is nearly painless and does not cause bruises.