Fresher face

Gemme Huffman has taken care of her skin and her body, but at 66, she felt like she needed a little "freshening" up.

"I don't want a young face," Huffman says in a thick Dutch accent, "but when parts started to sag, I wanted to do something. I want to look as good as I can."

After reading a Parade magazine article on the latest developments in plastic surgery, she went to the Facial Surgery Center in the West Medical Office adjacent to Roper St. Francis Hospital and learned about a new procedure using lasers to remove fat and tighten skin.

The new Acculift laser procedure, developed by medical equipment manufacturer Lutronic, involves using a special laser to target subcutaneous fat and skin water in a highly specific way and liquefy it for removal with a syringe. After fat removal, the laser then is used to heat the underside of the skin, which causes it to tighten over the course of six to eight weeks.

The procedures target early jowling, fullness under the chin and thick folds near the nose, or "nasolabial folds."

Dr. Marcelo Hochman of the Facial Surgery Center says Huffman is among three groups of people who are ideal for the procedure.

"She (Huffman) is someone who, if you did a face-lift, you would get some result, but it's so much of a bigger procedure than she needs. She's not ready for a face-lift, but is starting to see the change. ... Prior to this procedure, the only option we had was to inject fillers to camouflage, or maybe do liposuction."

Hochman says the procedure also fills a niche for people who have had a face-lift and are seeing changes again, but it's too soon for another face-lift, or for young people as an alternative to liposuction to take care of "fullness."

The benefits of the procedure include saving money. An AccuLift procedure averages $2,500, while alternatives -- combinations of liposuction, filler and face-lifts -- can range from $3,000 to $6,000.

Also, the procedure involves less trauma, typically bruising, swelling and pain, than more conventional procedures because it uses equipment that is 1.6 millimeters in width as opposed to 5-6 millimeters. The smaller equipment also means that entry points are smaller, about the size of the bottom portion of the letter "L."

"We are always looking for less-invasive procedures for facial rejuvenation," says Hochman, whose practice is limited to cosmetic and reconstructive surgery of the face. "AccuLift has promised to do this, based on good science. In addition, in these economic times, less expensive and truly minimally invasive procedures are keenly sought after."

One of his patients, a 61-year-old woman from Moncks Corner who didn't want her name used, is pleased with results of a some work she had done on her neck just over two weeks ago.

"I've always looked young, but my neck was starting to look a little flabby," said the woman. "I can already tell a difference. It's tightening and yet I had no pain from the surgery and it took all of 20 minutes."

Lasers increasingly are being used in plastic surgery, including procedures known by their trademarked names of SLIM Lipo and SmartLipo, and are poised to continue revolutionizing plastic surgery.

Dr. Rodney Young of Palmetto Plastic Surgery has been using SmartLipo for about a year, primarily on the body and the neck.

"For me, the benefit is not so much in dissolving the fat, but rather the heating up of the skin to tighten it," says Young.

While he agrees with Hochman that laser procedures are a suitable alternative to face-lifts, particularly for those not quite ready for one, he disagrees with removing fat from the face, which tends to happen anyway in the aging process.

"For a chunky-face person, I'd hollow it (fat) out, but when it comes to faces, it tends to be about adding volume, not removing it."

About AccuLift

Laser-assisted liposuction is one of the many tools plastic surgeons are finding useful as demand continues for less-invasive body shaping procedures.

The AccuSculpt/AccuLift Laser Lipolysis System is a newcomer to the market, having recently received regulatory clearance from the FDA. According to the manufacturer, the system is the first laser to deliver a 1444 nanometer (nm) wavelength.

The special wavelength is said to allow for improved accuracy, precision, control and minimally invasive deep-tissue heating.

According to the manufacturer, the laser is indicated for the surgical incision, excision, vaporization, ablation and coagulation of soft tissue.

Post-operative pain and swelling can occur, and burns may be possible. AccuSculpt is used on all areas of the body. The target age for patients is 20 to 70. Generally, younger, more elastic skin has greater ability to tighten or contract after subsurface volume reduction, while older, less elastic skin is less able to adjust.

American Society of Plastic Surgeons

Reach David Quick at 937-5516 or dquick@postandcourier.com.

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