The Baby lift, by Dr. V

 

What is it?

The baby lift is a novel, minimally invasive technique to address skin laxity of the face and neck. This procedure, pioneered by the Health and Beauty clinics medical director; Dr. Villalobos, combines the ease of a thread lift with the efficacy of a mini face lift in order to provide the perfect option for those looking to get a fresh and rested look without all the risks, recovery time or pain that comes with a full face or neck lift.

 

Thread lifts claim to tighten your skin by inserting medical-grade thread material, which has tiny cones along its length, under the skin and then “pulling” your skin up by tightening the thread and attaching the cones to the tissue just below the skin. The effectiveness and duration of results are limited with this procedure, because the threads are left under the skin with poor attachment to any solid structure, which allows them to sag with aging skin.

 

Mini face/neck lift procedures are a traditional alternative to a full (deep plane) face or neck lift. This involves an incision around the ear which allows the surgeon to separate the skin from the facia, then tighten it by removing the excess skin and suturing it back in a tighter position. The results from this procedure are noticeable right away and usually last a 3-5 years. The draw back to this procedure is that it’s more invasive and involves separating a lot of skin in order to reach the problem areas (nasal-labial folds, jowls, turkey neck).

 

Our novel technique utilized incisions similar to the mini face lift, but smaller. The Baby Neck Lift requires an incision, 4-5 cm in length, around the earlobe and up behind the ear, whereas the Baby Face Lift only requires a small 3 cm incision above the hairline, in the temporal region. The locations of these incision are chosen specifically so the skin can heal discretely and scaring is minimized. Now, instead of separating a lot of skin from the facia, like a mini lift, we place the threads underneath the skin with specialized utensils, in a position tailored to your face, to tighten saggy skin and lessen the appearance of wrinkles. In order to achieve lasting results, we then anchor the threads into the harder tissue below the skin,  at the incision site. With the threads anchored into place, we then remove the excess skin and close the incisions.

 

The entire procedure takes about an hour and a half. There is no need to go under general anesthesia, because it’s such a minor procedure we are able to use a local anesthetic. That means you’re up and able to drive right after. The results are noticeable immediately, and will only improve over the following weeks. There will be swelling and possibly some bruising for about 5 to 10 days. Sutures are removed at the 10th post-op day then there is no need for any other follow up visits. Limitations after surgery include no excessive chewing or exercising for the first week, and we recommend you sleep on your back for that week as well.

 

Who needs it?

Anyone with mild, to moderate facial or neck skin laxity.

 

 

 

What are the risks?

This procedure involves very little risk of negative effects because we work on a superficial plane. That means we don’t cut deep enough to interfere with any nerves or major blood vessels, we just work with the skin. Like any procedure, there is still a risk for some bruising, swelling, discomfort and infection, but we take measures to minimize these risks.

 

What are the benefits?

Repair sagging skin and reverse the effects of aging! This procedure tightens skin of the face and neck and reduces the appearance of wrinkles, leaving a youthful and rested look. The results will last between 2-3 years for most patients.

 

What is the cost?

The Baby Lifts are competitively priced with the Baby Face Lift at $1800, and the Baby Neck Lift at $2400. This is the price if payed in cash, card payments will include taxes and fees.