Facial Contouring
Dr vanVliet works with a wide array of treatment modalities to restore facial contour and proportion in a harmonized, natural looking way. Her expert work is subtle and gentle and you will never look like 'work has been done’.
As we age, significant changes occur to our facial profile. The causes underlying the facial deflation and descent we see are very much multifactorial. As a Plastic Surgeon, Dr. vanVliet is well versed with the anatomical variables that contribute towards our changing facial contour over time. She works with a wide array of treatment modalities that help prevent, as well as restore us back to more youthful and harmonized facial proportions.
Skin Renewal
Addressing facial aging often starts with restoring skin back to its most healthy and robust self. Much of the laxity and spots that we assume are part of the ‘natural’ aging process are in fact preventable and reversible – this is good news! An easy way to look your best at all stages of the life cycle is to restore your skin to its most Healthy and Beautiful state. Smooth, clear skin can be yours at any age. Please refer to our Skin Renewal and Bio-Regenerative treatment menus to get started!
Deflation
We begin to see changes related to deflation of soft tissues as soon as our early 30’s. Deflationary changes are a result of loss of volume and support of our underlying bony and soft tissues. Decade by decade there is a very orderly and anatomical progression of skeletal and fat pad resorption – and with that a predictable pattern of deflation.
Commonly, Deflation manifests as:
- tear troughs
- hollowing of lower eyelids and temples
- loss of cheek projection
- loss of lip fullness
A key role of dermal Fillers is to restore volume in order to ameliorate the progressive volume loss and deflation of soft tissues. Dr vanVliet works with an extensive palate of Hyaluronic Acid (HA) based fillers with many differing properties to help correct deflation at their distinct anatomical sites. For rejuvenation measures, this is less about augmentation of soft tissues than simple restoration of volume to achieve natural looking, harmonized facial proportions. Tiny incremental volume changes, when placed in correct anatomical planes can create subtle, but very impactful results that will have you looking refreshed – but never like ‘any work’ has been done.
Neurotoxins are also used to selectively relax overused muscle groups that contribute towards wrinkles, fine lines and facial descent. Well placed toxins not only relax lines of animation but can also serve to lift a brow, or sculpt a jawline.
Descent
If volume loss, leading to deflation continues unabated, eventual descent of soft tissues will occur. This descent occurs in a very predictable fashion and in women it results in a more masculanized, bottom heavy facial contour.
Common manifestations of soft tissue descent are:
- Brow descent and hooding of our upper eyelids
- Mid-cheek grooves
- Hollow lower eyelids
- Naso-labial folds
- Downturn of mouth and loss of visibility of our lips
- Marionette lines
- Jowles
- Disruption of our crisp jawline contour
- Double chins, Lax necklines
Addressing facial descent requires a multi-tiered approach that often starts with restoring lost volume with dermal Fillers. Facelift surgery has traditionally been recommended when lifting or redistribution of lax facial tissues has been required. Our Silhouette Instalift threads are a new revolutionary technique that fills the void that has existed and it allows us to safely lift descended facial tissue without the risks, cost or down-time of surgery.
