• Surgical procedure – This is a medical procedure involving an incision(s) and a support team and includes some level of anesthesia. Surgery should always be performed in a facility that is approved by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). Surgery should always be formed by an experienced, licensed physician.

• Minimally invasive procedure – May also be known as “minimally invasive surgery (MIS).” Minimally invasive procedures minimize the surgicaleffects to the body by using special instruments inserted through small incisions. Minimally invasive procedures often involve a lower level of anesthesia and should only be performed by an experienced, licensed professional in an AAAHC-approved facility.
• Treatment – This is a completely non-surgical approach to cosmetic improvements, that is, there is no anesthesia, though numbing creams may be used.

Faster is not always better

There is no doubt that advancements in cosmetic enhancement options have benefitted those who wish to have a more vital, youthful appearance, or who wish to reshape certain areas of their body. But not all goals can be accomplished through non-surgical options and many times, the overall cost and time demands of a surgical procedure are less than those of ongoing non-surgical treatments.

In the vast majority of cases, the results through surgical procedures far exceed than those of non-surgical treatments.

Though they are non-surgical, treatments are not always the solution. There are situations in which a desired nonsurgical treatment cannot address the goal of the patient and that is when a procedure may be considered.

Overtime volume loss in the face may result in lax skin, in which laser treatments and filler can help to plump and smooth skin, though it cannot rid and tighten lax skin like a procedure can. This is where considering your desired outcome from a nonsurgical treatment is important and where consultations are key in identifying whether what you desire is to improve or restore what facial contours you once had.

Short- and long-term costs

Filler, for example, a non-surgical treatment that helps restore and enhance facial features. The results of fillers typically last between 12-18 months, 24 months for Voluma. Filler is used to treat various areas such as lips, nasolabial folds, cheeks, and lip lines. In addition, there are off label areas such as the chin, jawline, and nose that fillers are being used to sculpt ones features.

In addition to the ongoing costs of the filler treatments, there is also the time factor. Each treatment requires an office visit, which may mean time off from work, or time away from the home, which may mean childcare concerns.

In the long run the time and money spent may approach that of a surgical procedure used to achieve the same goals of say, jawline sculpting using filler which could have been achieved in one surgical procedure. Most often, surgery will provide a far better outcome. Procedures such as ThermiTight, submental liposuction, or a Microlift are some that we offer at FAC to help better define your jawline. Our fat transfer procedure also work to restore volume to your cheeks and temple, for example, that filler can also be used to enhance.