During Lunchtime Face-Lift, collagen and elastin production are stimulated to give youthful look.

A native of Colombia, Maureen Cabra relocated to the United States in 1984 at the age of 17. In the US, Maureen attended college, and for the past 23 years, she’s been an escrow officer for a real estate law practice in Jupiter.

“As an escrow officer, I prepare all the paperwork for property transactions,” Maureen elaborates. “I also translate the documents from English into Spanish in cases where buyers or sellers do not speak English. It’s a wonderful job.”

Last year, Maureen, 56, became concerned after noticing some signs of aging on her face.

“When you’re over 50, everything starts to sag, so I had that problem,” she describes. “I also had bags under my eyes. My eyebrows were drooping, and I had a problem with my chin. Essentially, I had a double chin.

“My daughter is an aesthetician at GaliDerm Aesthetics & Plastic Surgery, so I decided to see what treatments might work for me.”

Maureen spoke with the owner, Cigdem Gali, MSPA, PA-C, a physician assistant specializing in aesthetic medicine.

Cigdem reports that Maureen was starting to exhibit some “normal signs of aging.”

“She felt she looked a little tired because her eyelids were looking a little heavier than normal. Her smile lines were starting to droop as well,” Cigdem says.

“She didn’t want to dramatically change her appearance. She just wanted to look more refreshed, more youthful, so I recommended a PDO thread lift, a nonsurgical procedure during which we place dissolvable polydioxanone threads into the tissue of the face. The threads lift, tighten and add volume to the area being treated.”

Polydioxanone Threads

The PDO thread lift is a component of a more comprehensive treatment process dubbed the Lunchtime Face-Lift. Cigdem typically uses a combination of threads, fillers and a neurotoxin for the Lunchtime Face-Lift.

During a PDO thread lift, the physician assistant employs the most advanced and effective threads on the market to achieve the best results.

“We use Minimally Invasive Nonsurgical Threads, or MINT^™ PDO threads,” Cigdem maintains. “They’re polydioxanone threads, which are molded rather than cut. Cut threads break down quicker and don’t keep as long of a hold in the skin.”

Polydioxanone threads stimulate collagen and elastin production, which give skin a smoother, more youthful appearance. They also create tiny micro-scars that sustain the lift even after the threads dissolve, which generally occurs about nine months later.

“We generally use a combination of barbed and smooth threads for the Lunchtime Face-Lift,” Cigdem reports. “Barbed threads are for lifting. Smooth threads are more for collagen and elastin stimulation and structural support. If there’s an area of crepey skin or if we need to attack volume more aggressively, we’ll use smooth threads as well.

“Still, about 95 percent of the procedure involves barbed threads for lifting.”

Part of Cigdem’s signature technique for the PDO thread lift is the addition of fixation threads.

“Fixation threads act almost like Velcro®, if you will,” the physician assistant observes. “After we’ve lifted the tissue into the desired position, the fixation threads continue to hold the lift. They add to the longevity of the treatment results.”

Once the threads are in place, Cigdem introduces fillers to add volume, lift and further define the patient’s face.

“We lose volume as we age, and restoring that lost volume rejuvenates the face, making the patient appear more youthful and rested,” she adds.

GaliDerm Aesthetics & Plastic Surgery employs a full range of fillers, including JUVÉDERM^®, RESTYLANE^®, VERSA^® and RADIESSE^®. It also carries the RHA^® Collection from Revance Therapeutics, which is available only at elite centers.

“I don’t look like I’ve had anything done. I just look refreshed, like I’m 20 years younger.” – Maureen

Cigdem finishes the Lunchtime Face-Lift by injecting a neurotoxin such as BOTOX^® Cosmetic, JEUVEAU^®, XEOMIN^® or DYSPORT^®. Neurotoxins relax facial muscles so they cannot be stimulated to move. They not only prevent future wrinkles, but will also help eliminate or soften existing fine lines and wrinkles.

“During the facial assessment I determine which technique, treatment and products will give my patients optimal results based on their desired aesthetic outcome and current appearance.” Cigdem explains. “I evaluate each patient’s needs and tailor the treatment to the individual, but in every Lunchtime Face-Lift, we lift, tighten and smooth the skin. And with the right combination of treatments, the procedure can make patients look 10 years younger.”

“Zero” Downtime

One of Maureen’s concerns was her drooping eyebrows. During her Lunchtime Face-Lift, Cigdem used the threads to lift Maureen’s brows.

“We repositioned her brows in such a way that her eyelids looked more youthful and she appeared less tired,” Cigdem details. “We then did a mid- and lower face thread lift to help lift some of the jowling. We repositioned her cheeks so that her nasolabial folds were not as heavy.

“Maureen’s downtime following the procedure was zero, which is typical with the Lunchtime Face-Lift. Essentially, patients have three days of slight discomfort, which is easily tolerated with over-the-counter medication. They are able to return to work the same day, and the puncture sites are easily disguised if patients wear their hair down. I keep the insertion sites close to the hairline.

“Typically, patients return to us for a maintenance treatment at one year,” Cigdem adds. “But results can last up to 1½ years. The process takes about 45 minutes to complete, so it can be performed during the patient’s lunch break.”

Maureen is very pleased with the outcome of her Lunchtime Face-Lift at GaliDerm Aesthetics & Plastic Surgery.

“My results are wonderful,” she enthuses. “Everything Cigdem does looks natural. I don’t look like I’ve had anything done. I just look refreshed, like I’m 20 years younger. And my procedure was done over a year ago.

“Cigdem is very thorough, and she explains everything. When she’s performing a treatment, she tells you what she’s doing and what you’re going to feel. She explains what’s happening and what’s going to happen later. She constantly asks you how you feel.

“Cigdem and her staff take care of their clients really well. They’re 200 percent amazing.”

© FHCN article by Patti DiPanfilo. Photo by Jordan Pysz. mkb