Liquid Facelift vs Non-Surgical Facelift: Understanding Your Options
- Grace Li
- Jan 16
- 12 min read
You glance at a photo of yourself and notice the changes that no one points out. A subtle hollow under the eyes softening into the cheeks, the appearance of fine lines where there used to be none. It’s nothing major, but after a few of these realisations, you start to consider whether there might be a way to lift and rejuvenate your face without having to go under the knife. These seemingly insignificant changes to facial features can also have a surprisingly large impact on one’s confidence, even if no one around them is aware of them.
Or perhaps you’ve also taken to noticing the less-defined jawline you weren’t so happy to see in your new driver’s license photo or the corners of your mouth that always seem to be falling down a little these days. Every glance in the mirror is followed by an internal debate about whether or not it’s worth it to look into nonsurgical options — but with so many names and options being thrown around, it can be difficult to wrap your head around what’s even a reasonable fit for your face. At My Body Vibes, we get to help people sort all of these questions out safely and considerately.
The first step to finding out what might work for you is scheduling a consultation to get a sense of what will match your facial structure and lifestyle.
*All medical procedures have risks and must be performed by a qualified practitioner following a consultation to assess suitability. Results vary from person to person.
During a consultation, you can ask questions, discuss your concerns, and get a better understanding before you decide if any method is right for you. That being said, let’s clear up some of the confusion between liquid facelifts and nonsurgical facelifts by breaking down what each option actually involves, who it may be a good fit for, what recovery is like, and the most important information in a head-to-head comparison, all with your face in mind.
Table of Contents
What Is Meant by a “Liquid Facelift”?
A “liquid facelift” has become a term you may hear associated with a non-surgical approach that supports your face’s natural shape and contours. The focus of this approach is not surgery, but rather treatment plans that are developed specifically for your facial features and the areas you want to work on. You are helped to work with your features, rather than trying to change them, by balancing and adding proportion in a natural way.
As part of a consultation, a practitioner may talk you through strategies to help in areas where the natural volume contour of the face has changed as we age, for example, to help you to understand how relatively small changes can support the overall shape. Another area of concern such as wrinkle lines in specific parts of the face may be considered, and you may be shown how different non-surgical options can be used to meet your unique needs.
Faces are all unique, so there is a focus on personalisation in the planning. A consultation ensures any options discussed are suitable for your skin, lifestyle and expectations, rather than using a standard “cookie-cutter” method.
What Is Considered a Non-Surgical Facelift?
A non-surgical facelift is an umbrella term that encompasses a wide variety of procedures and technologies that can help to support the natural scaffolding and architecture of the face, and do not involve surgery. This includes a range of device-based or minimally invasive techniques that interact with the skin and underlying layers of tissue in different ways.
This is why a personalised, in-depth assessment is so important. It allows the practitioner to identify which options may be suitable for your particular facial structure, skin type, and desired outcome.
Some individuals may look to HiFu treatments that use precision energy to help promote gentle lifting and support to the deeper layers of tissue. While others might want to try approaches like RF Microneedling that can interact with the surface and mid-layers of the skin to support tone and texture. Each technology works in its own way with the skin, which is why having a full understanding of the range of options available is important before selecting an overall plan.
The important thing to remember is that a non-surgical facelift isn’t one single procedure, it’s a term that covers several options, each with its own set of benefits, considerations, and recovery.
What Each Approach Involves
As you research your non-surgical face options, it can be a confusing concept to grasp: what's the difference between all these approaches? Maybe you're wondering about minor improvements in your cheeks or jaw. Maybe you're just starting to see lines or folds that weren't there before. At a consultation, you can ask questions like "what are line smoothing treatments?" and get a clear idea of how different non-surgical methods work with the features of your face.
At this stage of the conversation, we're always focused on practical, personalised options rather than specific products or promised outcomes.
How Liquid Facelift Approaches Are Typically Planned
Liquid facelift approaches are based around a detailed understanding of your individual facial shape and structure, as well as the small ways that your face can change over time. During a consultation, a practitioner will ask you about your specific areas of concern, and consider options that may help to support natural balance within the face.
The practitioner will also discuss the concept of volume treatments in general terms , and help you to understand how non-surgical, assessment-led treatments can interact with the three-dimensional structure of your face in a suitable and safe way. These discussions are always informed by and completely tailored to your unique features.
How Non-Surgical Facelift Treatments Are Typically Planned
Planning for this approach will consider factors including skin quality, the treatment area and the rate at which changes can be made safely. A practitioner may talk about the differences between options such as Ultraformer-III vs Ultherapy during consultation, giving you a broad overview of how each technique works with the structure of the face and leaving it to you to decide what’s suitable as part of an assessment-led plan.
These conversations will help you to understand what each treatment involves in practical terms, but will not offer specific guarantees of outcome.
*All medical procedures have risks and must be performed by a qualified practitioner following a consultation to assess suitability. Results vary from person to person.
Concerns These Approaches May Be Considered For
Facial Structure, Balance, and Volume-Related Concerns
Over time and with natural shifts in facial features, some individuals may feel that certain areas lack definition or balance. This can include subtle changes in cheek fullness, jawline contour, or the relationship between mid-face and lower face. Wrinkles around areas of movement or softening of volume that once supported facial contours may also be noticed.
Lines along the neck, also known as necklines, could also become more visible. There may be non-surgical treatments related to these contexts and how assessment-led options could support a natural and healthy structure and proportion to the face (without implying guarantees or specific outcomes).
Skin Texture, Firmness, and Surface-Level Concerns
Surface-level changes can also contribute to how an individual perceives their skin. Differences in hydration, slight variations in even tone, or areas with a less firm feel are some examples. Common concerns such as dull skin, enlarged pores, or pigmentation removal may also be part of a consultation discussion.
These are actionable considerations that help determine whether any non-surgical options are suitable and how the face may respond to various assessment-led methods. By focusing on the health and condition of the skin, a practitioner can provide relevant recommendations in a personalised, safe, and measured way.
Who May Be Suitable (and Who May Not)
Determining whether a liquid facelift or non-surgical facelift approach is suitable for you goes beyond age or skin type — it requires an understanding of your facial changes and lifestyle considerations. Other factors, such as overall health and any past procedures you’ve had, may be taken into account as well.
While non-surgical approaches are considered non-invasive, they still interact with the facial tissues in different ways. Skin sensitivity, healing tendencies, or even previous treatments may impact the suitability of specific approaches for you, which is why suitability is not one-size-fits-all.
Logistical considerations also play a part, as the availability for follow-up sessions, comfort with potential temporary skin changes, or lifestyle habits like frequent travel and exercise can all influence the practicality of a particular method seamlessly integrating into your routine. This is why having an open discussion with a qualified practitioner allows you to make an informed decision, rather than navigating on your own to speculate which approach might be suitable.
*As with any medical procedure, non-surgical facelifts come with inherent risks. Suitability is determined during a consultation. Results may vary.
Cost Considerations and Longevity
As you research the options for a non-surgical facelift, you’re likely to wonder about both the cost and duration of the results. There is a range of both, which is not surprising when you consider that every face is different, as is every skin type and every combination of cosmetic concerns that a person presents. What is suitable for one person may not be the right choice for another, and that can affect the amount of planning required as well as how long it will take to arrive at a treatment plan that is truly tailored to the individual.
The duration of the results is also personal. These non-surgical methods work with your facial bones and your skin, and the two will respond differently in each person according to their lifestyle, age, skin quality, and the natural changes that the body undergoes over time. There is no set amount of time that is correct or certain, and that is why there are follow-up discussions to make sure that your plan of care remains suitable for your face.
By bearing in mind that both of these aspects are subjective, you can make decisions with a realistic perspective and take into account what is right for you, your face, and your lifestyle, rather than what may be right for someone else.
Recovery, Downtime, and Lifestyle Factors
While non-surgical facelift procedures are minimally invasive by design, slight post-treatment changes are normal in the initial days following your session. You might experience mild redness, warmth, or temporary sensitivity in the treated areas, or you may just have the feeling that your skin requires a little more attention. These side effects are often temporary, and by paying close attention to your facial response in the days following your treatment, you can best prepare for daily activities and self-care in the first few days.
Your lifestyle can impact your skin’s settling process. Drinking plenty of water, getting sufficient rest, and avoiding exposure to extreme heat or heavy exercise during the first days after your session can help improve comfort. Your aesthetician may recommend incorporating non-invasive treatments, such as LED light therapy, into your long-term skincare routine to enhance the vitality of your skin, though the timing and appropriateness of such treatments will always be determined on a case-by-case basis during your initial consultation.
Follow-ups can allow you to monitor these subtle changes and make adjustments as needed. Even minor tweaks, such as spacing your sessions to better align with your schedule, adjusting skincare products, or tracking sensitivity, can impact the manageability of the procedure. The goal is not to expedite the recovery period but to help you better understand your skin’s reaction over time.
Combination Approaches: When More Than One Method Is Considered
On occasion, you may be presented with more than one non-surgical option at your consultation. This is not about “piggy-backing” multiple treatments or “going for broke”, it is a logical discussion about how one method of intervention may overlap or sit beside another, how one device or injectable may work better or differently in different areas of the face, or how multiple non-surgical strategies may help with two or more different concerns at the same time.
The use of non-surgical approaches in combination with each other can be a highly individualised and patient-centred process. The interval between treatments, the order in which multiple treatments are received, and how frequently these are used will differ from one person to the next, depending upon skin response, bone structure, and lifestyle factors that might influence recovery. The duration between non-surgical treatments may be weeks or months apart, or, in some cases, may be explored in a phased approach as part of a non-surgical assessment to see how your skin responds to each technique.
Investigating multiple avenues in this way can help to get a clearer view of what your face might need, without immediately committing to a single intervention. Remember, this all falls under the umbrella of a non-surgical assessment-led plan, and your choices remain your own, made for your own comfort, time, and skin health.
Liquid Facelift vs Non-Surgical Facelift: Comparison Table
If you’re looking for non-surgical options to help you with your skin and facial concerns, it can be difficult to really compare these approaches.
So, to help you see how these two options compare, this table will consider each approach side-by-side, covering how treatment is usually planned, what’s involved and other practical matters, which are the most relevant questions for most people, like recovery and upkeep.
This is to help guide a discussion with a trained professional, not to replace one.
Catagory | Liquid Facelift | Non-Surgical Facelift |
What It Involves | A consultation-planned approach where a qualified practitioner assesses facial structure, balance, and areas of concern before discussing suitable non-surgical options. | The use of non-invasive or minimally invasive devices designed to work with the skin and underlying tissue to support firmness and texture. |
Primary Focus | Addressing concerns such as facial balance, contour changes, and the appearance of wrinkle lines through an individualised treatment plan. | Supporting skin firmness, surface texture, and overall skin quality without injections. |
Type of Treatment | Medical aesthetic procedures that require assessment, informed consent, and suitability screening by a qualified practitioner. | Device-based treatments that use energy or stimulation to encourage natural skin responses. |
Downtime Considerations | Downtime varies depending on individual response and the areas treated; some people resume daily activities quickly, while others may need short-term adjustments. | Downtime is typically minimal, though temporary redness, warmth, or sensitivity can occur depending on the device used. |
Longevity of Effects | Varies between individuals and depends on factors such as skin condition, lifestyle, and ongoing care. | Results develop gradually and may require a series of sessions for optimal skin support. |
Maintenance | Follow-up consultations may be recommended to monitor skin response and discuss ongoing care. | Periodic sessions may be suggested as part of a longer-term skincare plan. |
Suitability | Not suitable for everyone; requires a medical consultation to assess health history, concerns, and expectations. | Generally suitable for a wide range of skin types, though individual assessment is still essential. |
Recovery Experience | Individual responses differ; temporary changes such as tenderness or swelling can occur and should be monitored. | Recovery is usually straightforward, with short-term skin sensitivity being the most common experience. |
Best For | People seeking tailored, assessment-led options to address specific facial concerns under medical guidance. | People looking for non-invasive approaches to support skin firmness and texture over time. |
*All medical procedures carry risks and require a consultation to determine suitability. Results vary.
How to Decide What’s Right for You
If you are reading this, you are likely doing some digging on the various non-surgical facelift treatments. You may be considering one or two, but you also likely do not want a facelift that “everyone will notice.” You just want to feel more like yourself again. That could mean tighter skin, smoothing out certain areas, or understanding what even is possible without surgical intervention. The challenge is that there is no easy answer, and what is best for one person might be completely unsuitable for another.
Balancing Concerns, Budget, and Expectations
For most people, the main factors at play are: what they don’t like about how they look in the mirror, the time that they realistically have to spare for either appointments or downtime, and of course, budget.
For example, certain treatment plans require much more ongoing maintenance than others, and the rate at which you’ll see results can be much slower or more dramatic depending on your choice. If you have a good idea of the level of change that you are looking for (and the time you have to wait for it), it can help narrow down these decisions and make them much less daunting.
The Role of Medical Assessment and Informed Consent
This brings us to the most important piece of the puzzle. You are not choosing a random treatment that you saw a celebrity get or something that sounds good; you are sitting down with the experienced medical team at My Body Vibes and discussing your concerns, medical history, and expectations. The team can then clearly lay out options that are a good match for you and what is best avoided.
This consultation is what leads to informed consent, where you understand the potential risks and benefits and feel confident in moving forward — or more time if that’s what you prefer.
Book a Consultation to Discuss Your Options
The best method to find which option is the most appropriate for your concerns, lifestyle and preference is to speak directly with one of our qualified practitioners. By booking a consultation at My Body Vibes, you have the time and space to ask questions, discuss your options and receive personalised advice — before you commit to any form of treatment.
Take the first step today and feel confident exploring the options that are right for you.
All medical procedures carry risks and require a consultation to determine suitability. Results vary.
Comments