The Y Lift is a non-surgical way of achieving facelift effects with no downtime. It is based on an esthetic idea of the harmonious proportions of a youthful face. A young face is seen in a Y shape, with cheekbones making it wider at the top area and the chin forming a narrrow point at the lower end.
Aging causes the Y to widen at the lower end as the skin sags and the face deflates into wrinkles. A traditional facelift addresses this by raising the facial skin and underlying tissue via incisions around the ears and into the hairline on each side. Excess skin is removed and the incisions closed more tightly, keeping the face lifted in a more youthful shape.
A Y Lift regards the aging face as a balloon that needs re-inflating. Rather than removing any skin it seeks to plump the skin up and restore the Y shape. It is being offered in a cosmetic surgery center in New York by one Dr. Yan Trokel, who uses Juvederm injections to achieve quick results.
What is Juvederm?
Juvederm is an injectable filler that received approved by the FDA in 2006 for facial rejuvenation. It contains hyaluronic acid, a substance found naturally in the body which attracts water — as much as 1,000 times its own weight. As we age, the body produces less hyaluronic acid. This is a contributing cause of wrinkles, as less hyaluronic acid in the skin means less water also, which reduces skin volume.
Juvederm is a biocompatible gel injected into the skin’s middle layer, the dermis. This layer contains many structures such as sweat glands, hair follicles, blood vessels and nerves. It also contains a matrix of collagen and elastin, two fibrous proteins which support the skin, giving it a smooth surface. Aging skin produces less collagen and elastin, leaving gaps in the supportive matrix where the skin subsides in wrinkles.
How the Y Lift Works
For each patient, Dr. Trokel creates a customized facial form as the model of how to restore youthfulness. While propietary instruments are used to temporarily hold the face in that mold, Juvederm injections are used to hold it there more long-term.
Juvederm deposits hyaluronic acid in the dermis which then binds with the collagen and elastin. This plumps up the skin for a refreshed, youthful look. Results last between six and nine months, and sometimes as long as a year.
Dr. Trokel does Y Lifts on his patients’ lunch hours. They return to work afterwards with no swelling, bruising, or discomfort. No anesthesia is needed, no incisions, and no stitches.
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