By Sherry Karabin ~
For years those looking to eliminate mid-facial and jawlines had two main choices: Non-invasive dermal fillers like Radiesse, Juvederm or Restylane or a surgical facelift. But fast-forward to today and there are a number of other alternatives, one of which is quickly becoming a go-to procedure for those who want an extra lift without undergoing general anesthesia. It’s called the Silhouette InstaLift and doctors who perform the procedure say it can produce gratifying results with little to no downtime.
“The procedure is done in the office under local anesthesia and takes about 45 minutes,” says Dr. David Abramson, Chief of the Department of Plastic Surgery at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center. “The patient may experience minimal bruising, but generally speaking there is no real recovery time,” says Abramson, a board-certified plastic surgeon, who also has offices at the Dermatology Center in Englewood and in New York City (www.drabramson.com). “A patient who gets an InstaLift on Friday will often be able to go out to dinner on Saturday and back to work on Monday.”
As Dr. Rudolf C. Thompson, a board-certified plastic surgeon and founder of the Thompson Center for Plastic Surgery in Colts Neck, New Jersey (www.thompsonplasticsurgerycenter.com) explains the Silhouette InstaLift is performed with re-absorbable sutures made from Poly (L-lactic-co-glycolic acid), which stimulates the body to produce collagen. “We place three or four sutures on each side of the face to gently restore the youthful contours of the face,” says Thompson.
“The patient will see increased volume in the cheeks within three months and an even better result in six months,” says Thompson. “The InstaLift can also be combined with other treatments, such as fillers and Botox, at the same time.” While a Silhouette InstaLift does produce visible results, the changes are not as dramatic as a traditional facelift. Compared to a traditional facelift, which removes excess facial skin and re-positions the underlying muscles and tissues to increase volume and create better contours, the Silhouette InstaLift addresses the middle third of the face and the jawline and does not involve removing sagging skin.
“A good candidate might be someone who has been getting filler injections, but wants a fuller look or someone who has done a facelift in the past and is not quite ready for another one,” says Abramson. Thompson says patients who undergo the procedure are asked to refrain from animated facial expressions for about five days.
“We also ask the patient to elevate their head while sleeping for two to three days and refrain from contact sports for about a week,” Thompson says. On average, the results last for about two years, compared to a surgical facelift, which produces results that can last a decade.
The cost of a Silhouette InstaLift does vary based on the geographic location of the plastic surgeon. “It is less expensive than a surgical facelift, but more expensive than fillers,” says Abramson. “We discuss the cost during the initial consultation and there are financing options available. “My advice is that patients seek out a plastic surgeon, who offers a wide variety of alternatives so they can choose the option that is best for them,” Abramson says.
“It is important,” says Thompson, “that patients have realistic expectations about their results when deciding between a non-surgical and surgical solution.”
Anyone interested in learning more about the Silhouette InstaLift can visit the websites of Dr. Thompson (https://www.thompsonplasticsurgerycenter.com/silhouette-instalift/) or
Dr. Abramson (https://www.drabramson.com/plastic-surgery/face/silhouette-instalift/).