The ultimate guide to Facial Wrinkles in Bangkok

Last fact-checked: 10 September 2020

Discover treatments to remove facial wrinkles in Bangkok with Medical Departures on your side.

New FDA-approved products, techniques and treatments combatting facial wrinkles are appearing on the market all the time; even facelift surgery offers an array of different options if you are looking for more dramatic, longer-lasting results than fillers.

With the distinction between surgery and non-invasive options becoming blurred somewhat these days, this article briefly addresses your choices in Bangkok, what each treatment entails, and how you can book with a reputable clinic in the Thai capital through Medical Departures.

Surgical Treatments

A facelift, or rhytidectomy, targets many signs of aging, such as creases below the eyelids, creases from the nose extending to the mouth, sagging, jowls and loose skin.

However, a full facelift is not always required or preferable, and there is a range of other surgical treatments that can be used in conjunction with a facelift (or on their own) to improve the appearance of wrinkles. These include eyelid surgery, brow lifts and neck lifts.

Non-Surgical Treatments

Injectables:

Neurotoxins (Botox®, Dysport® and Xeomin®) are purified proteins produced from the clostridium botulinum variety of bacteria. Injected in small amounts into the facial muscles, these work by weakening or immobilizing muscles around the affected area(s), temporarily preventing the skin from creasing. The effects of most of these common treatments last for between three and six months.

Fillers: 

These are used to add volume, particularly to deep folds and creases that are not caused by muscle activity. New fillers are being developed all the time, but the main ones currently on the market are:

• Hyaluronic acids (Juvederm®, Restylane®), which are soft fillers used to replace a naturally-occurring product that we lose as we age. They are usually used in soft areas, such as the lips.
• Hydroxyapatite microspheres (Radiesse®); this also replaces a naturally-occurring substance and is usually used where a firmer filler is required, such as where the folds along the side of the mouth appear as we get older.
• Poly-L Lactic Acid (Sculptra®); this is a synthetic polymer that works by stimulating the body to produce new collagen and is intended for the cheeks and temples, rather than soft areas like lips and eyelids.
• Polymethylmethacrylate microspheres/collagen (Bellafill®), which can permanently correct deeper areas of the skin.
• Fat grafting, a technique where fat is harvested from (usually) your own abdomen and then injected into the lips to create a fuller effect.

Skin Resurfacing:

Laser or light-based skin resurfacing treatments: In brief, lasers are used to stimulate the body’s own natural collagen production, which plumps up the skin. You will discover many different types of skin resurfacing treatments available, including:

Ablative (wounding) laser treatments:

• Traditional carbon dioxide lasers used to have a high risk of scarring and took months to heal. However, the newer fractional lasers, such as Fraxel Re-Pair® or Harmony Pixel Perfect® require just a couple of weeks of recovery.
• Erbium® lasers burn less surrounding skin tissue, so the downtime is less; swelling and bruising normally subside within one or two weeks, such as with the use of Harmony Pixel Laser™.

Non-ablative (non-wounding) laser treatment:

These are less invasive than ablative laser treatments and the recovery time is shorter, although the results aren’t as effective. Different types include:

• Pulsed Dye Laser (PDL) – VBeam®
• Nd:YAG Laser – CoolGlide®
• Gentle YAG®
• Laser Genesis™
• Cool Touch

Non-laser treatments:

Usually light-based and used to stimulate the cells beneath the skin’s surface. These include:

• Intense Pulse Light (IPL) – Lumenis®; Epilight®
• Infrared – Titan; Radiofrequency – Thermage®
• Ultrasound Imaging – Ulthera®

Dermabrasion/Microdermabrasion:

Dermabrasion treats scars, wrinkles and pigmentation by taking off the top layer of skin, leaving new skin to form and replace the old, damaged skin. The recovery time from the procedure depends on the depth and size of the treated area. New, pink skin growth occurs in around a week, which fades to normal skin growth between six and 12 weeks.

(Note: Microdermabrasion is a more superficial version of the treatment.)

Chemical Peels:

These can be used to improve the skin’s appearance by applying chemicals to make it blister and peel off. The new skin underneath is generally smoother and less wrinkled.

Deep peels using salicylic acid and trichloroacetic acid are used to penetrate deep into the skin and do a better job of smoothing lines than the more superficial glycolic acid peels.

Dermal Rolling:

An instrument packed with hundreds of fine titanium needles (the length of the needles varies depending on what you want the treatment to achieve) is rolled back and forth across the skin. It works in two ways:

1. The tiny little punctures it leaves in the skin is intended to stimulate the production of collagen to repair the skin, leaving it plumped and so evening out wrinkles
2. The holes allow beneficial dermal products to penetrate deep into the skin layers where they can do the most good, rather than sitting on the top of the skin. 

Booking with Medical Departures

Regardless of which treatment you are considering, it is always worthwhile doing some background checks, which is where we come in. Medical Departures has already done the legwork, with extensive qualifications and professional memberships listed on our site, as well as high-definition photos so you can see what the clinics look like. We also publish authenticated reviews from past patients, so you can get a fair and balanced opinion about clinics and surgeons in Bangkok.

Your face is unique–and you only have one so it’s worthwhile finding the best clinic and specialist. It is important to remember that while no cosmetic procedure can ever be guaranteed 100%, by taking some small precautions, you can enhance your natural beauty in confidence with assistance from Medical Departures.

How Much Can I Save on Wrinkle Treatments in Bangkok Compared to Home?

You will always save on facial wrinkle treatments in Bangkok when compared to countries like Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the US, depending on what you elect to have done. For example:

A facelift in Bangkok costs around AUD $10,000, compared to around $20,000 in Australia–giving you substantial savings.

Dermal fillers in Bangkok also cost around 50% less in Bangkok, although because these don’t cost as much as major cosmetic surgery, you will be looking at saving a couple of hundred, though not thousands of dollars. This can still be well worthwhile for those planning a trip to Bangkok for a holiday or business trip.

Please note that the above prices are average estimates. For more up-to-date prices, check out two of our leading partner clinics in Bangkok that offer a range of wrinkle treatments to international patients below:

• Meko Clinic IVF
• Klarita Clinic

How Do I Book with Medical Departures?

You can begin by browsing our full list of quality-checked clinics in Bangkok and see what they can offer you.

See below or get in touch with our Customer Care Team if you've any questions about facial wrinkles in Bangkok or to book your free appointment in the Thai capital.

Sources:

Norling, Hannah. Wrinkles: What to Expect at 20, 30 and Beyond. Real Simple. 27 March 2018. https://www.realsimple.com/beauty-fashion/skincare/types-of-wrinkles

Facial fillers for wrinkles. Mayo Clinic. 1 January 2020.  https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/facial-fillers/about/pac-20394072

Cherney, Kristeen. Everything You Need to Know About Laser Skin Resurfacing. Healthline. 12 February 2018.  https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/laser-skin-resurfacing

Santos-Longhurst, Adrienne. Will Sculptra Effectively Rejuvenate My Skin? Healthline. 26 June 2019.  https://www.healthline.com/health/sculptra

Wisco, Lucie. What Is Microdermabrasion? Healthline. 27 September 2018.   https://www.healthline.com/health/microdermabrasion

International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Website accessed: 11 September 2020.  https://www.isaps.org/