Now the man who became famous for singing the song “Mandy”, Barry Manilow (68), can be classified with Mickey Rourke among the ranks of celebrities who, after surgical facial treatments with scalpel, Botox and the like, are now nearly unrecognizable. The legendary “Mandy” singer and heartthrob of the 70s revealed his “new” face at an appearance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno – and his fans could hardly recognize him!
Hardly any other part of the body is as important for the identity of a person as the face: Shape, proportions, and facial expressions, especially while speaking and laughing, characterize every person in his or her own way. Therefore, procedures and treatments of the face require the surgeon to have an extraordinary sense for beauty and aesthetics. Ideally, a facial treatment should turn back the clock several years, but under no circumstance to create a “new” face!
With aging, our skin loses its elasticity and the subcutaneous tissue degenerates. These changes in skin and tissue have a number of causes. The most important cause is the decrease in activity of certain hormonal glands after the age of approximately 35 to 40. The results: The face appears increasingly saggy and wrinkly. With early treatment of hormonal deficiencies with bio-identical hormones (Hormonal Regeneration®) the appearance of aging in the skin and tissue are completely reversed. If Hormonal Regeneration® is applied too late, additional local procedures from the pool of aesthetic-regenerative medicine must be used.
Depending on the type of face, there are treatments, which can strengthen the facial tissue, and additionally return lost volume to the face. The removal of excess skin is only necessary and sensible when tissue stretch is too far advanced.
Findings in aesthetic-regenerative medicine have made scalpel, Botox, and artificial fillers used in facial rejuvenation unnecessary in most cases. Instead, New Cosmetic Surgery relies on the rejuvenating power of stem cells derived from autologous fat, as well as treatments with specific tissue hormones, also known as growth factors. Even in the case of excess skin, the combination with the use of stem cell treatment is advisable. In this way, invasive surgery can be minimized, and the rejuvenation maximized.
Stem cells from autologous fat are either used in the form of stem cell-enriched autologous fat or as stem cell suspension for the stem cell facelift and the skin rejuvenation on the lower neckline and hands. Stem cell-enriched autologous fat has shown to be excellent in long-term natural reconstruction of lacking subcutaneous volume. The main focus of treatment with stem cell suspension is the rejuvenation of already existing tissue. Here, the injected stem cells unfold their rejuvenating effects into the surrounding tissue.
Therapy with growth factors can imitate the effect of treatment with autologous stem cells to a certain degree. In this case, the extraction of a small amount of fat for obtaining stem cells and autologous fat is unnecessary. The growth factors are injected into the skin using a special form of mesotherapy (via micro-needles) and have a local rejuvenating effect.
In any case, a subtle rejuvenation of the face should be preferred to a disfiguring surgical facelift. Even if a patient’s circle of fans – unlike Mr. Manilow – is limited to friends and family members, everyone still wants to be recognizable to their fans after a facial treatment in accordance with the opinion of
DDr. Heinrich, MD