Recently there has been a great deal of interest in nonsurgical cosmetic procedures such as Botox, collagen, Restylane and superficial peel or laser treatments. By themselves these procedures can produce excellent results in treatment of mild wrinkling and effects of aging in younger people. These techniques are not designed to replace facelift and eyelift procedures, which are still the standard for cosmetic improvement. In addition, the "nonsurgical" treatments rarely last longer than six months.

Less invasive procedures such as collagen or Botox are frequently used in combination with surgical lifting and can further enhance the results of these procedures. For example, following surgical procedures patients may still have some wrinkling in the forehead or frown areas and these can be improved with Botox treatment. Also, following surgical procedures there are still some persistent lines around the mouth or in the cheeks that would benefit from fillers such as collagen or the newer Restylane material. In addition, laser resurfacing may be indicated in patients who have wrinkling; however, neither the laser treatment nor filler treatments can correct significant skin laxity or sagging. This still requires surgical lifting which remains the most effective method to improve appearance and reduce the signs of aging.

Michael P. Falvey, M.D.
Diplomate, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, South Bay Independent Physicians Medical Group, Inc.
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