Face lift

Painless Facelift — Tighten Your Face Without Pain, Scars, or Downtime

If you want a firmer face with minimal wrinkles, it’s important to treat and prevent the problem at the right point for natural-looking, long-lasting results. Therefore, you need to assess your own issues carefully and identify the correct cause of your facial sagging. You must pinpoint which layer of your face is responsible for the wrinkles and sagging.

The face consists of 7 main important layers.

1. Skin
   Our face shows all the traces of our life’s journey on the skin. Wrinkles, from fine lines to deep folds, sagging and drooping are all visible on the surface. Many people try to solve these problems by just caring for the skin, thinking that if the skin is healthy, wrinkles will disappear. But actually, what we see on the skin surface is mostly the effect, not the cause. So skincare alone cannot fix the root problem. Only fine lines and dehydration wrinkles are caused by skin health.

   The epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin on the face, is about 0.08–0.15 mm thick. It protects the body from external environments and keeps the skin hydrated. Dry skin causes an uneven surface with cracks like dry earth. Sometimes applying moisturizer thickly can reduce fine lines caused by dryness.

   The dermis is mainly made of collagen and elastin, providing elasticity, firmness, and hydration. Over time, collagen breaks down with age, causing the skin to lose firmness and look less youthful. Stimulating collagen production improves skin texture. Many injectable products target the dermis for skin smoothing and tightening. Another effective method is using RF (Radio-Frequency) waves to stimulate collagen production. RF treatments can also reduce fat, decrease oil gland activity (thus reducing acne), and shrink pores by up to 60%. Since RF devices vary, a doctor should recommend the most suitable one based on individual skin condition.

   Subcutaneous fat not only makes the face appear fuller but also acts as weight that pulls the face downward due to gravity. When the face’s lifting strength is less than this downward pull, sagging and jowls appear.

   Fascia and muscles
   The fascia layer, also called SMAS (Superficial Musculo-Aponeurotic System), connects muscles to the skin, pulling the face taut. Over time, the fascia loses its elasticity, like an old stretched rubber band, resulting in wrinkles and sagging around the cheeks, nasolabial folds, and jawline. Devices like Ultherapy use ultrasound waves to stimulate this fascia and lift the face.

   The muscle layer of the face contains 43 muscle groups. Some muscles lift the face, others pull it down. When young, lifting muscles are strong and keep the face firm and healthy-looking (without surgical tightness). With age, these muscles weaken like other muscles in the body without exercise, leading to sagging. The downward-pulling muscles remain strong, causing the face to droop and jowls to form. Many treatments fail because they do not target this muscle layer.

   Ligaments have less impact on sagging or non-surgical lifting.

   Deep fat layer
   Recently, buccal fat removal (fat pads in the cheeks) has become trendy to create a slimmer face. However, losing this fat can make the face hollow, a sign of aging that is irreversible. Anyone considering this should think carefully.

   Periosteum and deep fascia layers have minimal roles in non-surgical facial sagging or lifting.

   Bone
   With age, the midface bones thin and shrink, causing the skin to sag. Fillers above the bones replace lost volume and slightly lift the skin. For round faces, big jawbones may prevent a V-shape face even after treatments. Jaw reduction surgery can help, but for those avoiding surgery, repeated long-term Botulinum toxin injections on the jaw muscles may reduce jawbone size over many years.

   Summary of Causes for Sagging and Drooping:

   1. Epidermis

   2. Dermis

   3. Subcutaneous fat

   4. Fascia

   5. Muscle

   6. Bone

   Treating only one layer won’t fully lift the face. Many people don’t see results because they don’t treat all layers.

   Introducing EMFACE® — The Newest All-in-One Device

   EMFACE® treats 5 out of these 6 causes in one session, using two main mechanisms:

   • Electrical stimulation:
     Targets lifting muscles directly, strengthening muscles that have weakened with age. Stronger muscles lift the face and tighten the fascia connected to them, improving skin firmness. Stimulating forehead muscles can also lift eyebrows and upper eyelids, reducing drooping. Since we cannot voluntarily contract facial muscles fully, EMFACE® helps with effective muscle training. Correct placement of electrodes is crucial to avoid strengthening muscles that pull the face downward.

   • Radio-frequency (RF) waves:
     Stimulates repair and collagen production in the epidermis and dermis, resulting in smoother, hydrated skin with reduced fine lines. Research shows EMFACE® can increase midface volume equivalent to 2cc of filler, and total face volume comparable to 5cc of filler.

   What EMFACE® Doesn’t Do:
   It cannot reduce subcutaneous fat. For fat reduction, treatments like ThermiSmooth RF or Botulinum toxin for jaw slimming are recommended. Combining EMFACE® with Ultherapy or MSC stem cell injections can further enhance skin tightening and rejuvenation.