"Every time I look in the mirror, my face seems to sag. Should I already get a lifting treatment?"
"My friend said she already got it done. Am I the only one who's late?"
This is usually the very first question asked by those who start noticing sagging.
Hello, I'm Kwon Si-jin, the director preparing to practise here in Myeongdong ^^
We're getting ready to open in Myeongdong soon, and because "do I need to do this now?" comes up so often ahead of opening, I wanted to set this down as information first.
Worrying about sagging doesn't mean lifting has to happen right now. Even if a face "looks saggy," the areas that need to be addressed differ depending on the cause.
There are clear criteria that separate cases where you can hold off from cases where it is time to start.Let me show you exactly what those are.
First, when the cause isn't sagging
A blurred facial line isn't always down to sagging.
Even when it looks similar in the mirror, the cause usually divides like this.
- Swellingif the line differs between morning and evening, we look here first
- Fatsoft when pressed, and it moves with weight change
- Muscleif the angle stands out when you clench, it's the chewing muscle
- Bone structureif the shape has been the same since childhood, it's far from what a procedure handles
- Saggingif the line clearly returns when you lie down, it's closer to this
What lifting handles is the last one.If one of the first four is the main cause and you begin with lifting, it easily ends in cost spent and little change.
Photographing your line lying down and sitting up, then comparing, helps you gauge which side it is.
Second, when the skin is worn down
Lifting works by putting in heat or physical stimulus to draw out a recovery response.
So it is efficient when there is capacity left to recover, and when there isn't, only the stimulus remains.
If you're in one of the periods below, moving the order back is better.
- Not long after a strong procedure
- When redness or flaking lasts longer than usual
- While taking oral acne medication, or shortly after stopping
- When sleep is badly short, or weight has changed a lot in a short period
Starting after the skin has returned to its usual state doesn't change the result. If anything, satisfaction tends to be higher when recovery goes smoothly.
Third, when it's still early
While firmness is still sufficient, spending the same money elsewhere leaves you with more.
At this stage a blurred facial line is usually down to swelling or fat, or to posture and sleep rhythm, rather than sagging.
Honestly, the surest thing at this stage is sun protection, because sunlight plays a large part in how fast firmness declines.
Of course age alone can't decide it. If you work outdoors or your weight has changed a great deal, the same age can mean a different state, so dividing it by diagnosis is more accurate.
So when is the time to start?
The basis for deciding timing is the direction of change rather than age.
When the signs below overlap, a consultation is worth having.
- The difference in line between lying down and sitting up feels greater than before
- A folded mark remains even without smiling
- Comparing photographs taken in the same lighting a year or two apart, a direction is visible
One alone is hard to judge on.Meaning appears when they overlap.
What you can do while it waits
Saying it isn't the moment doesn't mean doing nothing.
- Sun protectionit plays the largest part in how fast firmness declines
- Barrier careif a sensitised state drags on, the options available later narrow
- Avoiding sudden weight changelarge change over a short period stays in the line
- A recordone photograph each season in the same lighting and angle makes the timing judgement easy
Postponing and neglecting are different
Saying it isn't the moment isn't the same as saying it needs no attention.
Postponing means waiting with a timing in mind.Neglect means letting it drift without a basis.
The difference lies in whether a record remains.With a seasonal photograph taken under the same conditions, you notice change as soon as it appears.
Without a record you get stuck on "when did this start?", and in the meantime options can narrow.
You can settle it with these questions alone
When it's hard to judge whether this is the right time, asking these four in consultation will sort it out.
- "In my case, is the cause sagging or something else?"this answer decides the branch
- "What changes if I do it now, and what if I wait?"this checks the value of timing
- "What doesn't need doing today?"whether this answer comes is the point
- "What should I look at to decide next time?"you take a basis away with you
Take the fourth answer home and you won't have to start the same conversation from scratch next time.
Why we don't choose the device first
Lifting isn't one thing; it divides by the layer targeted and the form of energy.
- Ultrasound familytargets deep layers in points. The sagging side
- Radiofrequency familywarms the dermis across a surface. The firmness and texture side
- Microwave familyreaches the fat layer. The contour side
- Thread familyfixes position physically. For when direction is needed
Once the cause is set the branch is set, and only once the branch is set does a device name mean anything.Reverse the order and you can end up receiving the wrong procedure well.
- Lifting is a treatment that addresses sagging
- If sagging is not the cause, now may not be the time
- When the skin is worn out, waiting is better
Frequently asked questions
Q. If I wait, will I need more later?
A. That's hard to state flatly. But once sagging has progressed the change obtained from the same procedure can be smaller, so having a consultation when a direction starts to show leaves options wider.
Q. Does doing it early work as prevention?
A. A preventive effect hasn't been established conclusively. Repeating it in a period when it isn't needed can build up cost and recovery burden, so deciding from the state is better.
Q. Is there anything to look at instead of lifting?
A. It depends on the cause.Swelling points to living rhythm, fat to another branch, muscle to a different approach again.Dividing the cause comes first.
Q. Can I just have a consultation?
A. Yes.Separating what is needed today from what is still early is what a consultation is.
It may not be now
Lifting is a procedure that handles sagging. If the cause isn't sagging, if the skin is worn down, or if firmness is still sufficient, this may not be the moment.
DA Clinic Myeongdong is set to open soon.We'll share news of our opening and treatment information first on our blog and Instagram ^^
Thank you for reading this far.This was Kwon Si-jin, director of DA Clinic Myeongdong.
This column is an informational article meant to provide general medical information; the effects and side effects of any procedure may differ from person to person. DA Clinic Myeongdong is set to open. (Medical Service Act, Article 56)