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Facelift or Fillers: Which is Right for Me?
If you’re seeing visible signs of aging on your face and looking for treatment, you may be trying to figure out if a facelift or facial fillers are best for you. Let’s take a look at what each procedure entails, how long recovery is, and what you need to do to prepare.
What is a Facelift?
A facelift is a surgical procedure that is often used to improve sagging skin on the face, loss of volume, or a double chin. Whether from age or gravity, a facelift can lift the skin to give you a smoother and more youthful appearance. At Hetal Fichadia, MD, we offer a traditional facelift, a limited incision facelift, and a neck lift. To help with sagging jowls or loose skin on the neck, a neck lift and facelift can be combined.
What are Fillers?
Made of natural and synthetic substances, facial fillers are injected into the face to create new facial contours, raise your cheekbones, and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. They restore volume to the face.
Facial fillers are primarily used in the cheeks and around the eyes, mouth, and nose. Injecting fillers can be a quick solution to age-related issues you’re seeing and most have very little downtime.
At Hetal Fichadia MD, we offer Juvederm Ultra and Ultraplus XC, Juvederm Vollure™ XC, Juvederm Volluma™ XC, Juvederm Volbella™ XC, Restylane®, Restylane Silk®, Restylane Lyft®, and Kybella®.
Choosing Between a Facelift vs. Fillers
To help you decide which one is right for you, let’s see how facelifts and fillers differ by looking at the results they can achieve, the recovery process, the cost, and the preparation needed.
Results
A facelift can improve sagging skin around the chin, cheeks, and neckline. You will likely not see many results right after the procedure as you’ll be red, bruised, and swollen. Most people will recover in 4-6 weeks and that’s when you’ll start to see results. But the final results won’t be fully visible until around six months.
As for fillers, the results can include the smoothing of fine lines and wrinkles. They also add more volume to various areas of the face. Some results are seen almost immediately but it may take a few days for any redness and swelling to completely go away.
Recovery
The recovery period for a facelift is much more extensive than it is for fillers. After a facelift, you will likely feel sleepy and need support from a friend or family member. You will also need some pain medication and plenty of rest. You will also experience an increase in swelling for the first four days after the surgery.
But as time goes on, you will have follow-up appointments with your doctor. They will remove your sutures. At this point, your swelling and bruising will dissipate as well.
Fillers, on the other hand, come with almost no pain and minimal downtime. You will likely be able to go back to work or school the same day or the next day. No medication is usually necessary and there are only a few guidelines for aftercare. Your doctor will ask you not to put any pressure on the treated area.
Cost
While facelifts are generally more expensive than fillers, the price range depends on how extensive the surgery is and how much you’re having done. Although, since facelifts can last years, you aren’t paying every few months like you might with fillers.
The cost of fillers depends on if you’re only getting one injection or multiple, and if you need additional injections for maintenance. Since the results of fillers can last anywhere from months to years, you may need more treatment and that could increase the cost.
Preparation
Before having a facelift or facial fillers, you’ll need to prepare for either form of treatment. Whether you’re having a facelift or fillers, you’ll want to schedule a consultation with your surgeon. They will be able to discuss the procedure with you, how you should prepare, and any aftercare guidelines to follow.
For a facelift, you’ll want to avoid smoking, blood thinners, and alcohol before the surgery. Your doctor will also likely have you do some lab testing or some form of medical evaluation.
For fillers, you’ll also want to avoid blood thinners, smoking, and alcohol for a few days to a week before the injections.
Schedule A Consultation
Still undecided on which option is right for you? Schedule a consultation with Dr. Fichadia. She can walk you through each procedure and based on your goals, will recommend one treatment over the other. As a double-board certified surgeon in Portland, OR, she has extensive knowledge of both procedures and can answer any questions you may have.
To schedule a consultation today, please call our Portland, OR office at (503) 488-2344 or use our online scheduling form.
Dr. Fichadia is a double board-certified, comprehensively trained plastic and reconstructive surgeon. She completed general surgical training at St Elizabeth’s Medical Center, an affiliate of Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, MA, and subsequently completed a highly competitive plastic surgery program at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, OR. She has presented research from her time in Boston and Portland at national and international surgical meetings such as Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons and annual meeting of American Society of Plastic Surgery.
