Saggy skin, wrinkles, fine lines - these are some of the aspects you deal with as you age. According to studies shown, you can also experience volumetric changes from bone and facial fat loss as well. [1] If you’re concerned about how to get rid of wrinkles and restore lost volume, considering facelifts may help with that.

What are facelifts?

Facelifts are an aesthetic procedure that helps alter the signs of ageing on your face. The main goal is to restore the face’s youthful glow as well as lift sagging skin. One would think that the word “facelift” would be associated with surgery and having to go under the knife. With the advancement of medical technology, individuals can now enjoy a variety of facelift treatments that are less intrusive and have a lower risk of complications.

What are the benefits of a facelift?

• Lift and tighten sagging skin
• Create a youthful facial appearance
• Remove wrinkles and fine lines
• Excess fat is removed

What are the different types of facelifts available?

Depending on the aesthetic goals that you have in mind, there are different treatments to achieve the best facelift suited for you, which are:

• Doublo Gold HIFU
• Fotona 4D Laser Facelift
• Kinetic Airjet Facelift
• Face Thread Lift
• PFHL Skin Hydrator

Doublo Gold HIFU

The Doublo Gold HIFU, also known as a lunchtime treatment, will deliver a noticeable yet natural difference to droopy skin before your lunchtime is even over - the time for the treatment has been halved!

HIFU, or High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound, uses heat energy to aid in tightening the skin to stimulate the regeneration of collagen and elastin. The advanced device shoots heat waves throughout the layers, reaching the muscle layer under the epidermis and dermis to help elevate skin looseness in the face and neck. [2]

A safe, comfortable and fast option, Doublo Gold HIFU has no downtime and produces long-lasting results. Essentially a non-surgical face and neck lift, it can also target other areas of the body.

Fotona 4D Laser Facelift

Fotona 4D Laser Facelift is a non-surgical laser procedure that aims to strengthen the skin tone and facial structure while lifting saggy skin. It reinforces collagen and immediately lifts the skin by collagen contraction.

Collagen is a key ingredient in ensuring our skin is firm, healthy and youthful-looking. With the Fotona 4D laser Lift, the immediate result will be a stimulation of collagen which helps in tightening and increasing the elasticity of the skin.

A six-session treatment programme is effective in reducing the buccal fat in a patient’s face, giving them a more defined and shapely face. It utilises a 4-step laster technology that has two different wavelengths and a combination of four lasers to produce effective results inside out.

Kinetic Airjet Facelift

Utilising Kinetic Energy to rejuvenate and tighten the skin, the Kinetic Airjet is a modern, minimally invasive full facelift treatment. Cambridge is one of the only few centres in Singapore to use this technology.

Helping to improve facial skin laxity and elasticity, the Kinetic Airjet Facelift’s procedure is different from using lasers like the HIFU treatment and does not make use of any thermal heat. It aims below the SMAS layer to achieve facial rejuvenation, reversing the ageing process and tightening up excess skin.

During the treatment, the energy is delivered directly to the target tissue through a dispersion effect.

Benefits of the treatment include:

• No direct contact and needles
• No surgery required
• Effective in removing wrinkles
• Non-invasive face tightening
• Immediate and long-lasting facelifts
• Anti-ageing effects
• Eradicating fine lines
• Removal of acne scars of the following types: Ice Pick, Boxcar, Rolling and Hypertrophy

Face Threadlift

One of the most popular cosmetic procedures amongst older patients, face threadlifts are a viable solution to restoring a youthful appearance without the pain and side effects of a surgical procedure.

Cambridge Medical’s Signature Ultra V treatment is non-surgical and minimally intrusive, designed to provide an added lift to sagging skin in an au naturale way. It makes use of thinner, lesser invasive Polydioxanone threads that stimulate collagen synthesis - tightening the skin to produce the much-coveted V shape face.

These Polydioxanone threads (PDO) are designed to be biocompatible and absorbable by the skin. When introducing a thread into your skin, promotes the body’s collagen production and leads to the firmness of the skin. Depending on your needs, there are three types of threads used - mono, screw and cog threads.

PFHL Skin Hydrator

If you’re looking into firming and improvement of skin elasticity and dramatic skin hydration, PFHL Skin Hydrator may be the solution for you. The treatment addresses signs of ageing as the first revolutionary bio-remodelling “injectable moisturiser” by stimulating lost collagen, elastin and adipocytes.

PFHL Skin Hydrator not only helps with skin hydration but adds the right amount of volume to even out fine lines and wrinkles, smoothing out skin texture. It will also help to boost collagen and elastin levels.

PFHL Skin Hydrator is a skin treatment that is injected into all the layers of the skin, delivering hyaluronic acid (HA) in high concentrations invoking a bio-remodelling process. The concentration of HA is 5 times more than the average skin boost treatment. Other than rejuvenating the face, it can also be used in the abdominal and neck area.

Some of the benefits include:

• Hydrating the skin dramatically
• Provide firming, tightening and lifting effects on skin
• Bio-stimulate elastin, 4 types of collagen and hydration in the 3 main layers of skin
• Evens out fine lines and wrinkles
• Boosts collagen and elastin
• Provides tissue repair process, ideal for acne scarring

The various treatments can be used to target various aspects of your aesthetic goals and may vary depending on what you feel fits you best. As such, when unsure, seek the advice of the doctor for further details.

What are the expectations after facelifts?

After you proceed with your procedure, you may wonder about what happens after. The procedure you pick may have a different downtime from others, as with the pain, duration and purpose of the treatment.

As with all procedures, results may only be visible with time, as your skin recovers and may not be as immediate as you think. It will vary according to your skin condition and each individual’s results and recovery will be different. To ensure maximum results during recovery, there are aspects that you may consider to achieve them.

Stay comfortable

Swelling, bruising and slight discomfort are common things you will face in the aftermath of the procedure. Fret not, your doctor may prescribe you pain medication if needed to help ease any aches. For certain procedures, it is important to ice your face during the first 48 hours to reduce swelling and bruising. You may take note of these aspects from your doctor’s instructions.

Staying comfortable is important for your health as your blood pressure may rise due to discomfort or pain. Don’t be shy to ask your friends and family for help after your surgery and sleep with pillows propped up to help with the swelling and bruising.

Stay active

It’s also important to stay active depending on the limits set by your doctor. The amount of swelling and bruising is dependent largely on how your body reacts and heals. It will subside with time but when faced with swelling, relax in a seated position and take regular walks in your living space.

Be patient with yourself

Swelling and bruising will subside and you will continue to notice improvement as time passes. Between three to six months, you should have a pretty good idea of your outcome. In reality, it’s important to be patient with yourself on your final results. When unsure, express your concerns with your doctor.

With non-invasive facelifts, there is not much comparison between our expectations and reality. By opting for these aesthetic treatments, you will get to experience the benefits of a more youthful appearance with lesser downtime and implications. Although the procedures are relatively fuss-free, it’s important to take care of yourself post-surgery to maintain the best visible results for a longer time.

1. Coleman, S. R., & Grover, R. (2006). The anatomy of the aging face: volume loss and changes in 3-dimensional topography. Aesthetic surgery journal, 26(1_Supplement), S4-S9.
2. Park, H., Kim, E., Kim, J., Ro, Y., & Ko, J. (2015). High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound for the Treatment of Wrinkles and Skin Laxity in Seven Different Facial Areas. Annals of dermatology, 27(6), 688–693. https://doi.org/10.5021/ad.2015.27.6.688