Facelift or fillers - what's right for me?

This article has been reviewed and approved by Dr. Marie Forséni, plastic surgeon, and Sara Ghannad, injection nurse, on August 18, 2024.

Growing older is a luxury, but we don't always appreciate the signs of ageing that appear on our faces. Many people look in the mirror and no longer recognize themselves. Deep creases in the skin, wrinkles where makeup settles untidily during the day, and loose skin that sags and sags can be reasons for a change. But what's best for you - a facelift or fillers?

Both methods have advantages and disadvantages, and it depends a lot on the state of your skin and what you want to achieve. Read on to get an idea of what might suit you best - a facelift or fillers.

What is a facelift?

A facelift is an operation to tighten the skin on the face and remove excess skin. It is performed to rejuvenate the skin and remove wrinkles, deep folds and loose skin on the face. A facelift is often combined with a neck lift, where the same is done on the neck.

The incision is usually made in the hairline and behind the jawline to make the scar discreet.

Benefits of facelifts

Results that last

A facelift gives results that last for 10 years or more. Therefore, it is a good investment for those who want to avoid recurring visits to the injection nurse.

Several improvements at once

A facelift both smoothes wrinkles, deep skin folds and removes loose, sagging skin. Therefore, it is beneficial for those who are older and have several signs of ageing that you want to address. You can also combine the facelift with a neck lift if you have so-called turkey neck with loose skin around the neck.

Adaptable

A facelift can be easily customized to your specific needs. You can choose to focus more on a specific part of the face, such as the forehead, cheeks or chin, or get a more or less dramatic result.

Disadvantages of facelifts

An invasive procedure

A facelift is a surgical procedure that requires general anesthesia and has a longer recovery time. You will need to wear a girdle around your head to protect your skin after the procedure, so if you want to be discreet about your procedure, you will need to stay at home for a while.

Higher cost

Surgical procedures cost more money. A facelift almost always costs over €50,000 sek, making it a major investment. That's why it's important to consider your options before you decide.

Risks of surgery

As with all forms of surgery, facelifts carry risks, both from infection after the procedure and from the anesthesia, especially if you are a little older. At Estetikcentrum we have experienced surgeons who can assess the risks and make an informed choice with you at your consultation.

What is fillers?

Fillers is - unlike a facelift - not a surgical procedure but an injection treatment. There are different types of fillers with varying hardness and quality, used for different parts of the body. Lip fillers is by far the most common type and extremely trendy at the moment, but fillers can also be used to add volume to other parts of the face affected by signs of ageing.

Typically, fillers contains hyaluronic acid, which also occurs naturally in the body, to restore volume to areas such as the cheeks, eye area, forehead and jawline.

Advantages of fillers

Non-invasive method

With fillers you avoid general anaesthesia and long recovery time and therefore minimize the risks. There are risks with fillers as well, but they are often minor and if you visit a professional clinic with a trained nurse injector, they can often be avoided completely.

Direct result

With fillers , results will be visible immediately after treatment. You will likely have some bruising around the injection area and some swelling for the first few days, but on your return visit a week after treatment, your results will be clear. This is incredibly fast compared to a facelift where the final result can take up to six months to be completed.

Variation and adaptation

Fillers can be used in many different ways and fill in exactly where you want extra volume. It's not always the case that you want to tighten up your whole face, but you might have looser skin around your eyes or chin that you want to isolate. Then fillers is a good option compared to facelifts.

Disadvantages of fillers

Results do not last in the long run

Fillers is a convenient, non-invasive method, but it also means that the results are temporary, lasting only between six months and two years. After that, you either need to have another treatment, or choose a different treatment method.

Less effective treatment

Fillers works best to counteract loss of volume and wrinkles in specific areas, while facelifts give a lift to the whole face, and can smooth out deeper wrinkles and remove sagging skin.

The result may look unnatural

With repeated treatments over time, fillers can give a puffy appearance and change the natural contours of the face. This can give an unnatural, cartoon-like look. Therefore, be wary of the 'blindness' that fillers can cause, and always go for a consultation and get expert advice before treatment.

Facelift or fillers - summary

There are pros and cons to both types of treatment, and what you choose will largely depend on what result you're after, what your budget is - short and long term - and how specific areas you want to treat. The best thing to do is to book a consultation with us to get advice directly from our experts.

Would you like advice on your choice of whether to book a facelift or fillers? Book a consultation with our amazing surgeon Dr. Marie Forséni who can give you expert advice and help with your decision. Book your consultation here. You can also contact us if you have any questions and we will help you.