With the popularization in recent years of non-invasive procedures for facial rejuvenation, facelifts and other surgical procedures experienced a substantial decline. People who wanted a more youthful appearance concluded that surgery was no longer necessary and opted for simpler, less expensive procedures such as injectables and fillers. Recent research, however, shows that in the past two years, patients are realizing how much more effective it is to combine non-invasive treatments with surgical enhancement.

"Facelifts have been on the decline since 2000," said American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) President Richard D'Amico, MD. "With the advent of injectables like Botox and fillers such as Restylane and Juvederm, many baby boomers thought they would substitute for a facelift. However, our latest statistics show patients now know they get the best results when surgery and injectables are used together. Facelifts are critical to lift and reposition skin and underlying tissues, while injectables are vital for plumping and restoring volume."

According to the latest statistics released by the ASPS, facelifts are up 14 percent for patients ages 40 and over, with nearly 116,200 procedures performed in 2007. Facelifts, the sixth most popular surgical cosmetic procedure, have also increased 14 percent for women and 16 percent for men since 2006.

"If you have jowls the size of Kansas, you can't expect any injection on earth to move them back where they belong," said Dr. D'Amico. "The best approach is to have surgical repositioning and maintain it with fillers and injectables."

If you are still leery about going under the knife, though, there are several non-surgical options available that work to tone and tighten skin. While the results may not be as extreme or lasting as a facelift, procedures such as Thermage ThermaCool, Titan Laser, the Accent Laser and ReFirme are affordable and effective alternatives to a traditional facelift.