Silhouette InstaLift is an FDA approved, easy, in-office procedure, used to suspend patient’s facial skin with an immediate improvement. Instead of a facial filler, Sillhouette InstaLift uses sutures made up of Polyglycolide/L-lactide, a biomedical copolymer. This technique allows Dr. Burgess to lift the facial structure, unlike current facial fillers.
The Silhouette Instalift sutures are lined with bidirectional cones made of the same material, PLGA. Dr. Burgess will make small incisions on the patient’s face and pull the sutures through. This helps pull up the face gently, causing a mechanical fixation of the patient’s tissue.
The sutures and cones are then resorbed helping collagen production over time, increasing the facial volume, and contouring of the face. Generally, an average of 3 sutures are used per side in each patient. Results are immediate but continue to improve by stimulated fibroblasts and collagen production and can last up to 1-2 years.
Patients are able to drive themselves to and from their appointments as only a local anesthesia is used. There can be some swelling, bruising, dimpling to the needle site, and redness. Symptoms should subside within the first week. Acetaminophen can be taken for pain management. Patients should not apply makeup for 24 hours and need to sleep elevated on pillows for 3-5 nights, with no face-down massages or facial aesthetic treatments for 4 weeks. Vigorous exercise or high impact sports, i.e., running should be avoided for at least 2 weeks.
This treatment is patient specific which will require a consultation or evaluation by Dr. Burgess. Patients should be in good health, non-smokers, with mild to moderate facial aging present in the jowls. Patients with thicker skin can have a better result after Silhouette Instalift, than those with thin, crêpe skin.
