April 3rd, 2010
The names of procedures that are marketed today for facial rejuvenation can sound like alphabet soup and can be very confusing for patients.
Facelifts fall into one of two categories: Mini or Full. You may have heard of the ones with the cute names like S-lift, Thread lift, or Lifestyle lift. These are often marketed in the popular magazines, and are merely variations on the mini-facelift.
So which one do I recommend?—the one that fits my patient.
When a patient comes in to my office for a consultation I will listen to their goals and concerns, look at their hairline and hairstyle, and recommend a specific plan. I perform all of these procedures, but I will pick the specific components of each that will achieve the patient’s goals and try to minimize scars where possible.
I begin with the premise that no one wants the bigger facelift, but a patient with a turkey gobbler neck will need a more aggressive approach than the patient who comes in with a tad of neck laxity and a little joweling. Some will benefit from an eyelid or brow lift, while others may not. Some don’t even need surgery at all, but may do better with laser, chemical peels, or fillers. Each patient is different, and each will need his or her own subtle surgical variations.
I’m not a fan of the alphabet soup of facelifts, but prefer to tailor a procedure to the individual patient. If you are interested in learning what would be best for you, contact me, and I’d be happy to help you sort through the options.
Tags: Chemical Peels, Facelift, facial rejuvenation
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March 17th, 2010
The Bigger disease is highly contagious and usually sets in about six months after breast augmentation surgery. When breast implants are first put in all patients look too big tight and high before the skin and muscles relax. I prepare my patients extensively for this so they don’t panic. Next comes what I call the honeymoon period. As about 3 weeks rolls around the implants start to settle but still have that push up bra look without the push up bra. While these breasts don’t yet look natural patients get used to the dramatic fullness so when the implants fall into their most natural location Patients begin to think “gee, I should have gone bigger”.
The best way to treat the bigger disease is prevention. In my cosmetic surgery practice I have a few rules of thumb when considering breast augmentation.
1.) We talk about the bigger disease from the get go so patients can incorporate it into their breast implant size decision making. If the patient is agonizing between two implant sizes I will generally urge on the side of slightly fuller because implants tend to look smaller inside the body than they do in sizing bra’s.
2.) We size implants extensively at the initial consult (I think trying on actual implants is the best method), and we have pretty much an open door policy encouraging women to try on breast implant sizers as many times as they like before the surgery. It is best to be confident of your decision before the day of surgery. Each of my offices is stocked with high, moderate and low profile sizers for your breast.
3.) Bring a friend, relative or significant other to your sizing session along with a work blouse, casual blouse or sweater and even exercise clothes. It’s good to have a second opinion from a friend or loved one. Making sure that you are comfortable in work and play clothing is important as well.
If you’re considering breast enhancement contact my office today to schedule a consultation. I look forward to helping you achieve a sense of balance through breast augmentation.
Tags: Breast Augmentation, Breast Enhancement
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March 10th, 2010
The term “mommy makeover” gets used a lot on web sites and in marketing. In my own practice I call it post partum restoration which I think sounds more professional. Weather its makeover or restoration the goal is the same. It’s about making women who have had children feel normal again and it is one of the most rewarding parts of my practice. There are usually two components to this kind of restoration: breast enhancement and rejuvenation of the abdomen.
Breast enhancement:
In a rather cruel way the breasts enlarge with childbearing but they often deflate after weaning leaving even less volume than before pregnancy. My patients who have had children complain of feeling “deflated” after pregnancy and they just want to feel normal again, nothing more, nothing less. Through breast augmentation or breast lift and sometimes both I help to restore the balance of what used to be.
Tummy enhancement:
The other part of “mommy makeover” is the tummy. While sometimes the skin of the tummy will shrink back well after delivery, often it does not. Some women will do well with their first pregnancy but not with the second. The usual treatment here is tummy tuck. What! , tummy tuck, not liposuction? Yes, when the skin becomes loose, wavy saggy or irregular it needs to be tightened. Liposuction makes skin looser not tighter. I guide my patients by pinching on their tummies. If the skin tone is good (which is unusual postpartum) I will recommend liposuction. If the skin is loose I may recommend full or mini tummy tuck depending on how much I can pinch.
“My husband says I should just go to the gym and work it off…” is something I hear daily. What the men often don’t understand is that the problem isn’t the muscles at all. The problem is the “overstretched” skin. Women with loose skin who diet, exercise and do everything right usually see weight loss. Paradoxically the weight loss leads to even more loosening of the skin and greater need for tummy tuck.
If you feel loose or deflated after child bearing and would like to be evaluated please contact our office today.
Tags: Breast Enhancement, Mommy Makeover, Tummy Tuck
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February 15th, 2010
Breast Augmentation is the most popular procedure that I perform.
While the breast certainly plays an important part, to me the key is a sense of balance when I look at the entire person and especially the hips.
Prospective Breast implant patients are taken to an implant sizing room in my office where we keep implants to try on in all sizes. Before I walk into the consultation, the breast augmentation patient has often already chosen and is trying on the smallest breast implant in our sample drawer.
I think the conventional wisdom is that “smaller” will always be more natural. I try to instill in my breast implant patients that “balance” is more natural.
Small breast implants tend to be narrow which may be just fine for a very narrow chested breast implant patient. But in the average breast augmentation patient a breast implant that is too narrow for the breast will tend to look like a torpedo. A breast implant that is too wide will make the patient look “top Heavy”.
Breast augmentation patients’ Height makes a huge difference as well. Tall people will look very different than shorter people even with the same implant.
During my breast implant sizing sessions we first find the breast implant diameter that fills the chest appropriately and has enough diameter to balance with the curve of the hips. Once we like the diameter I can then change the size of the breast by looking at high, moderate or low profile breast implants in that same diameter.
If you look at the breast augmentation photographs on my web page I always try to include the hips so patients can see the overall balance. Breast implant photos that only show a “Box of breasts” tells only a small part of the story.
I encourage all my breast enlargement patients to come to the sizing room as many times as needed to try real breast implants on their frame. Many come with friends or spouses. Many breast augmentation patients will bring different blouses or sweaters with them.
Breast augmentation is an important and long term decision. If it’s something you have been considering I encourage you to come in and search for a sense of proportion as well.
Tags: Breast Augmentation
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