Patients often say: “I don’t want surgery, I prefer milder treatments”.
What is the difference between aesthetic medicine and aesthetic surgery?
Treatments linked to aesthetic medicine
Aesthetic medicine concerns any procedure that can be carried at the practice. This includes hyaluronic acid injections (fillers), botulinum toxin injections (Botox), or tensor threads for instance. These treatments help improve the architecture of the face (hollows, sagging tissues).
There are also aesthetic treatments available such as peels, mesotherapy or lasers that can be carried out at the practice and concern the surface and the quality of the skin. These treatments address the quality of the skin (tone, radiance, hydration) not the architecture of the face.
When does surgery take over from aesthetic medicine?
Aesthetic medicine is suitable for certain problems but aesthetic surgery may sometimes be necessary to treat issues that aesthetic medicine is unable to correct. For example, when it is necessary to remove or tighten the skin, in the case of a blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) or a neck and face lift, or even when bone needs to be removed to treat a bump in the case of a rhinoplasty (nose surgery), as well as when it is necessary to remove or add fat during liposuction or lipofilling.
Sometimes you need to know when to stop aesthetic medicine: I always explain to my patients that, in some cases, aesthetic medicine is no longer suitable and it is necessary to undergo surgery to achieve the most natural result possible.
Provide an optimal solution
Indeed, for a natural result, it is necessary to provide the right solution. When the face loses volume, hyaluronic acid injections help restore lost plumpness and fullness. But when the tissues are well and truly sagging, injections will make the face look swollen and doctored. Consequently, it becomes necessary to lift the tissues using surgery (neck and face lift), which will thus provide the most natural result.
However, after the procedure, once the foundations have been restored, injections will help maintain the results and help them last as long as possible.
Aesthetic medicine and aesthetic surgery are complementary for the optimal treatment of the face and aging.