Aesthetic medicine is practiced today by a multitude of doctors ranging from dentistry to gynecology. By virtue of training, some branches have very little to do with the aesthetics of the face. The branch of oculoplasty, better defined as oculofacial plastic surgery, prepares the doctor, from an ultra-specialist point of view, to recognize and treat the aesthetic defects that affect the face as a whole with particular attention to one’s gaze.
The interventions aimed at improving the aesthetic appearance of the gaze will have an impact on the whole face. The eyes have always been the most delicate part of the face. Several scientific studies have shown that the periocular region is the first indication in the perception of exhaustion and aging of the face. The gaze is the area that suggests the first signs of aging. A recent study carried out by the University of Philadelphia, which sampled the population composed of female patients aged between 40 and 65, has brought out an interesting fact, that is the most requested treatment of aesthetic medicine is the improvement of one’s gaze (80% of patients), followed by the treatment of the cheeks (26%) and finally the lips (only 15%).
Today, the market offers numerous non-invasive options dedicated to improving the gaze with immediate and natural effects. Prior to undergoing an aesthetic treatment, we must not forget that the area around the eyes is an area of absolute difficulty given the complexity of the anatomy of the structures that compose it. An error that would leave a visible effect on the cheeks would be immediately perceptible at the naked eye level.
In the field that I have been active in for more than 20 years, the growing evolution of aesthetic medicine remains extremely important. The doctor must understand the indications that allow non-invasive solutions and prefer surgical solutions if it is the only way to solve the imperfection. Not all patients are referred to the non-invasive solution. The specialist’s task is to guide the patient towards the best technique for them by personalizing the intervention plan. The eyes are the center of my expertise, but as an oculofacial plastic surgeon, my attention is directed to the whole face to obtain a harmonious final result.
Bernardini Oculoplasty offers a combination of numerous rejuvenation techniques. The aesthetic treatments are performed personally by Dr. Francesco Bernardini, and the post-treatment course is followed carefully by the specialized team to ensure the best result over time.
The non-invasive aesthetic medicine of the face includes all the medical treatments that can be performed in the clinic without undergoing surgery and allow for the rejuvenation of the face softly and gradually without creating profound and irreversible alterations.
We offer our patients tailored, appropriate cosmetic treatments dedicated to the face that combines the effectiveness of cutting-edge non-invasive procedures and the quality and safety of the materials that are being used.
While not altering patients’ natural appearance, today’s advancement in aesthetic medicine allows for variations of a few millimeters in size to obtain the best version of themselves.
In the past, to be effective, the proposed solutions risked permanently altering one’s features. New generation products used with cutting-edge technology and continuously evolving injection techniques allow me to marry a new philosophy: the ideal effect is that of complete naturalness. The mirror must give the patient a fresh and young image with the main features unchanged. The doctor’s intervention must be invisible to the eyes of others … a play of prestige based on proportions and subtle balances.
We also propose a guide to non-invasive solutions suitable for solving classic imperfections associated with skin aging (such as wrinkles that give the face a perennially tired and sad appearance) and constitutional imperfections.
Leading Anti-Aging Cosmetic Treatments For The Face
1. Filler with Hyaluronic Acid
2. Calcium Hydroxyapatite Fillers
3. Resorbable Traction and Suspension Threads
4. Lipofilling
5. Skin Regeneration and Biostimulation
6. Soft Surgery with Plexr
7. Micro Botox
1. Filler with Hyaluronic Acid
The use of hyaluronic acid finds its main indication in the face and its use today is no longer limited to the correction of wrinkles but now includes “marionette” lines and crow’s feet. Filler treatment restores the whole face’s volume, treats skin laxity secondary to the loss of skin elasticity, and improves skin hydration. A growing number of patients are resorting to the “famous” hyaluronic acid bites, and Italy is now the fourth world market of treatments with fillers. The market is growing exponentially, and in the long term, we “all” may resort to minimally invasive treatments to keep ourselves looking young. The treatment with fillers based on hyaluronic acid is the “main treatment” offered in aesthetic medicine because it has considerable strengths: ease of treatment that is shortly performed in the clinic, speedy recovery, immediacy of the result, long duration of the treatment, and safety in the hands of the expert.
The injection is carried out in the thickness of the dermis, at varying depths depending on the area to be treated. They are generally in painless injections, thanks to the very thin type of needle or cannula.
The available new products are mixed with an anesthetic solution to minimize any discomfort. The patient leaves the clinic without any visible sign of invasiveness.
The curative effect of calcium hydroxyapatite is immediately visible after treatment. The filling action effectively corrects the depletion of the cheeks and temples, smoothes nasolabial wrinkles and those of the marionette lines, characterizes the chin, and harmonizes the oval shape of the face, thus redefining the mandibular line.
As it is gradually reabsorbed, calcium hydroxyapatite produces its second effect by stimulating new collagen and elastin production. This reinforces the skin by making it more toned and elastic and gives the face a refined and naturally lifted effect.
During the weeks following the treatment, calcium hydroxyapatite’s formulation causes the skin to restructure from the inside. This cellular regeneration manifests itself on the outside with a greater radiance on the face and a different skin consistency that is smoother with a more uniform tone.
2. Calcium Hydroxyapatite Filler
Calcium hydroxyapatite is a range of innovative and specific FDA-approved fillers. Its exclusive formulation based on calcium hydroxylapatite allows one to obtain a triple action with results that last over time, from redefining the contour of the face, producing a natural lifting effect, and redistributing the volumes on the skin.
The product is completely absorbable, has a unique lifting power that allows for the shaping of the contours of the face with absolute naturalness to ensure better comfort during treatment.
The curative effect of calcium hydroxyapatite is immediately visible after treatment. In the weeks following the treatment, the calcium hydroxyapatite formula induces the skin to restructure from the inside. Cellular regeneration gives a greater luminosity and compactness to the skin.
3. Resorbable Traction and Suspension Threads
The traction and suspension threads are an effective and safe technique that optimizes the rejuvenation of the central and lower part of the face, especially the cheeks and mandibular line.
The wire implant is a simple method performed in the clinic, similar to an injection of fillers, with immediate recovery times.
In many cases, the implant allows one to delay or avoid more invasive procedures, such as the traditional facelift, procedures that still leave scars and have very long recovery times.
In particular, if coupled with other non-invasive treatments, such as fillers and botox, the traction wires help define the mandibular line and lift the cheek more. In my experience, these are the two best performing indications for the use of wires. As an oculofacial plastic surgeon, I propose the treatment with threads to offer natural results without the risk of having the “swollen face” effect. The goal is to improve facial tone and lift tissues without inflating. The wires I prefer are PDO Elevance or Poly-lactic (Silhouette). Both guarantee a strong traction thanks to the two different “anchorage” systems, “pins” for the wires in PDO Elevance and “cones” for the Silhouette Poly-lactic wires.
The advantages of modern threads are that they:
- raise and do not swell;
- are used in specific areas, difficult to treat with fillers and botox, allowing to expand the field of action of non-invasive treatments;
- act with a double effect:
- the immediate one due to the wire itself,
- the secondary, long-term, to be attributed to the neo-collagenesis reaction that takes place in the tissues along the thread, this reaction increases the compactness of the tissues, counteracting the natural laxity resulting from aging;
- are completely absorbable over time and do not leave any trace of the procedure.
4. Lipofilling
Lipofilling is a method that involves the removal of autologous fat that is present in certain body areas where it is naturally present in more significant quantities, such as abdomen, hips, thighs, and the re-implantation of such in other regions of the body where necessary, such as the face.
The adipose tissue (fat) is aspirated where it is in excess with small cannulas connected to syringes and implanted in the area involved in the treatment.
Today, thanks to the cannula’s small diameter, the fat can be replanted on the surface, therefore closer to the skin than traditional lipofilling, where the regenerative function of the fat is optimized to ensure a marked improvement in the quality of the skin.
SEFFI is an excellent method that allows for the restoration of constant loss of volume in the face that usually begins at thirty-five years of age. This volume restoration is obtained in a natural but significant manner. No prosthetic effect is present but only a natural filling effect that makes a face fresh and younger.
The SEFFI methodology is the right solution for every type of patient. It uses autologous fat to restore volumes and regenerate the skin, both at the same time. It can be done separately or in combination with other surgical treatments, particularly blepharoplasty or endoscopic facelift.
5. Skin Regeneration and Biostimulation
We offer a wide range of treatments that have a highly regarded skin regeneration effect. They range from fat stem cells to stimulation threads to hyaluronic acid-based fillers that are all with expert optimized results.
6. Soft Surgery with Plexr
Plexr is an aid to surgery and aesthetic medicine that allows for soft solutions in an outpatient setting through the use of plasma technology.
I use Plexr to remove all skin lesions, from xanthelasma to dermal neoformations, promoting rapid and accelerated recovery. It can also be wisely used to tense excess palpebral (eyelid) skin.
7. Micro-Botox
Enough botox faces! Today it is no longer mandatory to choose between a natural appearance with wrinkles that become more evident over the years or a frozen, immobile face with botox. Micro-botox is a new technique of preparing and injecting that consists of the use of micro boluses of botox that are specially diluted at the surface level of the skin, in correspondence with the skin insertion of the facial muscles.
The result is that the muscle function no longer stops but only the amount of wrinkles that are formed on the skin. Another advantage of this technique is that it can also be used in the lower part of the face, for wrinkles around the lips, chin, and neck.
Botox continues to be the most effective medical treatment for the eyes, and today, by treating the whole face with this new technique, the results are further improved.
Safety has also improved! Botox is a 100% safe treatment. Just think of it as a treatment used in medicine by neurologists for over 40 years to treat muscle spasms with 10 times the anesthetic dose.
It is always essential to contact the expert because the results depend totally on skillful hands!
Conclusion
Non-invasive solutions are increasingly requested and allow for a rapid expansion of the treatments offered in aesthetic medicine. They continue to be more and more secure, natural, and effective.
The philosophy we adopt in Bernardini Oculoplasty is to pursue excellence. We only use superior materials, approved by the American FDA or with the CE mark, ensuring the highest quality of products, combined with cutting-edge expertise.
All the solutions that I have listed are valid, but the maximum result is guaranteed exclusively by the personalization of the treatment. The patient is advised to let herself be guided by the expert. Every case is different. I propose the most suitable surgical solutions which non-invasive techniques for facial rejuvenation may complement.
If you, too, are contemplating the idea of refreshing your eyes and giving light back to your whole face, aesthetic medicine could be a good ally. Today, you can rejuvenate naturally and quickly, in total safety, with just one session in the clinic.
