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FAQs About Brow Lifts

People age in different ways. Depending on your genes, facial movements and lifestyle habits, you might begin to show signs of aging in the forehead or eyebrow area before you start to age in the lower portion of your face. Just as people age in different ways, different surgeries are designed to focus on different areas. While the term “facelift” might imply that the procedure focuses on the entire facial area, it’s actually generally used to correct sagging and wrinkles on the lower part of the face. Signs of aging on the upper part of the face, or forehead, are generally addressed with a brow lift.

Why Would I Want a Brow Lift?

You might consider a brow lift if you are concerned about a number of changes to the upper part of your face. Aging can cause the eyebrows to become heavy and droopy, which makes people look as though they are sleepy, or in some cases, angry. Wrinkles can also form in the forehead or brow area, which make you look older than you feel or upset, even when you are not. The lines can be two vertical lines that form between the brows or horizontal lines that stretch across the forehead. The surgery can smooth those creases or lines and elevate a drooping brow.

What Are My Options for Surgery?

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to a brow lift. Depending on your specific needs, the surgeon may perform the surgery endoscopically or he or she may perform a traditional procedure, which involves a larger incision. During an endoscopic procedure, the surgeon makes a few very small incisions in your hairline. He or she then uses a small scope, or camera, to help him or her see where to remove or trim away extra skin, muscle or fat. Since the incisions are small and hidden, many patients who have an endoscopic procedure performed do not have to worry about scarring.

The incision made during a traditional, or open brow lift, is generally much larger. It stretches across the head, usually just inside the hairline. Depending on how much extra skin or tissue you have and the degree of sagging on your forehead, the traditional procedure might be more appropriate for you.

Brow lift procedures can also vary in terms of what type of anesthesia the surgeon uses. General anesthesia is commonly used, which means you’ll be completely out of it during the surgery. Another option is local anesthesia, which numbs the area, combined with sedation, which makes you sleepy but doesn’t completely knock you out. Your surgeon will review the pros and cons of each option to help you determine which is most appropriate.

What Can I Expect During Recovery?

Since a brow lift is a surgical procedure, you can anticipate there being some downtime. It will take a few weeks for swelling, bruising and redness to subside. Many patients take up to two weeks off from work to rest up and recuperate. The exact length of your recovery depends in part on the type of procedure you have performed. An endoscopic surgery generally has a shorter recovery period than a traditional procedure, for example.

You’ll want to stay in touch with your surgeon during the recovery period. He will prescribe pain medications for you to take, if needed, and will arrange for the bandages or sutures to be removed, as needed.

Is a Non-Surgical Option Available?

If aging on your forehead is a concern, a brow lift isn’t your only option. Depending on the amount of aging in the area, a non-surgical solution might be effective. For example, if you have frown lines between the brows, but not a considerable amount of droopiness, Botox injections might be an appropriate option for you. While Botox injections require almost no recovery time, the results from the injections don’t last nearly as long as the results from surgery. You’ll have to repeat the treatment every few months to keep up a youthful looking forehead and brow area.

Can I Combine the Surgery With Another Procedure?

It is possible to combine a brow lift with another related surgery, to get better results or to create a more balanced appearance. For example, you and your surgeon might decide that it makes sense to have a brow lift performed at the same time as a facelift or at the same time as eyelid surgery. Combining surgeries can mean a lower cost to you, compared to having two separate procedures, and a reduced, combined recovery time.

If you have any additional questions about the brow lift procedure or are wondering if it is right for you, contact Dr. Stephen Smith, a fourth-generation facial plastic surgeon. Dr. Smith will help you weigh the pros and cons of the procedure and will evaluate the signs of aging on your face to determine if it’s the best option for you. You can schedule an appointment with Dr. Smith at one of his two practices. Call to reach the , practice. For an appointment in Columbus, , call 614-678-7180 today.

Common Myths About Facelifts – Blog

Today’s plastic surgery patients have more options than before. You can choose between injections, laser treatments or traditional surgery. When it comes to surgery, you have the option of traditional, invasive procedures or less invasive surgeries with shorter downtimes. The number of options available has perhaps led to some misconceptions, myths and confusion about certain surgeries. One procedure that suffers many misconceptions is the facelift. If you’re considering the surgery, speaking with a facial plastic surgeon beforehand will help you separate fact from fiction.

Your Results Will Last Forever

facelift will help reverse the signs of aging on your face. But the procedure won’t keep the hands of time from marching forward, nor will it permanently freeze your face in a state of youth. The results from a facelift will be long-lasting, with many patients seeing results for about a decade or so. But your face will continue to age after the surgery.

Although you can’t stop time with the surgery, there are a few things you can do to make the most of the procedure. Listen to your surgeon’s instructions during recovery. Make every effort to avoid a lot of sun exposure. Wearing sunscreen all the time will help protect your face from the aging effects of the sun’s rays. Eating a healthy diet will help you stay in good shape and keep the signs of aging from creeping back onto your face.

Your Results Will Look Unnatural

Once you’ve seen the “windswept” look created by older, traditional facelift techniques, you know why some patients fear they will end up with a tightly pulled, permanently surprised looking face. Fortunately that unnatural look is largely a thing of the past. Older techniques relied on tightening the skin during the surgery. Today, the procedure involves cutting away extra skin and fat and tightening the underlying muscles, creating a more natural look overall.

Another way to avoid an unnatural look is to avoid having too much done to your face. Some patients benefit from combining the surgery with another procedure, such as Botox. But going overboard is possible, creating an overdone look. Your surgeon can help you decide what procedure or combination of procedures will give you the most natural results.

You’ll Have to Hide for Months Afterwards

A facelift does have a longer recovery time than certain other procedures, such as injections or a mini facelift. Bruising and swelling are also common after the surgery and you’ll be bandaged for a few days afterwards. While you can expect some swelling and bruising for a few weeks and most surgeons recommend taking about two weeks off from work, you won’t be shut off from society during your recovery.

Usually, you’ll find that you’re able to go out and about at the two week point. Many patients see friends and family well before that. As you start to heal from the surgery, your surgeon can give you pointers on using makeup to conceal any lingering bruises so that you feel confident going out in the public again.

You Won’t Need a Facelift Until You’re 60 or 70

A lot of people associate facelifts with older patients. While a 70-year-old patient who is in good health can benefit from the surgery, it’s not exclusively for the geriatric set. In many cases, having the surgery performed relatively early, in your 40s or 50s, can provide even better results.

By the time you reach age 60 or 70, you’ll likely have signs of aging on other areas of the face, which can’t be helped by a facelift. If you decide to have just a facelift, your results might look unbalanced, as you have signs of aging in the area around the eyes, for example, but look more youthful around your neck and chin. Older patients might need to combine surgeries to get the same results they’d have gotten if they’d had surgery earlier.

You’ll Get the Same Results From Injections

Injections can really help when it comes to the signs of aging on your face. Botox can help ease the appearance of frown lines while fillers such as Juvederm can help with the lines and wrinkles around your nose and mouth. While injections might seem like a quick and easy alternative to surgery, they really aren’t the same thing and won’t give you the same results.

A facelift not only reduces wrinkles, it also tightens the skin, reducing sagging and looseness. Injections don’t do that. Injections also don’t last nearly as long as the results from surgery. You might see results for a few months or up to two years after an injection.

Getting the facts about a facelift will help you decide if the procedure is right for you. A fourth-generation facial plastic surgeon, Dr. Stephen Smith can help you weigh the pros and cons and sort reality from fiction when it comes to facelifts. You can find Dr. Smith at two practices in . Call for a consultation at the , practice. You can also see Dr. Smith in Columbus, . Call 614-678-7180 to schedule an appointment today.

How Can Rhinoplasty Help You?

If you’ve been unhappy with the way your nose looks, you might want to consider rhinoplasty.

Although superficially the main benefit of rhinoplasty is to correct a physical issue with your nose, the surgery has a wide range of benefits. Nose reshaping surgery can improve not only the way your nose looks, but also the way it functions. It can also provide benefits for you emotionally and socially.

Better Facial Balance

Surgery to change the way your nose looks can improve its appearance in several ways. The surgeon might make your nose smaller if you feel that it is too large for your face or he or she might enlarge the nose so that other facial features don’t overwhelm it. The surgery can also correct any crookedness in your nose or smooth down any humps. During rhinoplasty, the surgeon can also adjust the angle of the nose’s tip, so that it is more flattering.

Changing the way your nose looks can improve your appearance not because it alters your nose, but because the surgery can help your nose look as though it better fits your face. For example, if your nose is large in relation to your chin or other facial features, reducing its size will create a more balanced, harmonious face.

Improve Breathing

Rhinoplasty doesn’t have to be a strictly cosmetic surgery. In some cases, changing the shape and size of the nose can also improve its function. Known as a functional rhinoplasty, the surgery can help you breathe easier or can improve your sleep.

Functional rhinoplasty can take several forms. The type of surgery your surgeon performs depends on your particular problem. For example, if you struggle to breathe because of a deviated septum, meaning the cartilage between your nasal cavities leans too far to one side or the other, a septoplasty can correct it and improve breathing.

Another way that rhinoplasty can improve your breathing is through turbinate reduction. The turbinates are small bones, covered in mucous membranes, that are located along the nasal cavity. Every person has three turbinates in each nostril. In some cases, the turbinates become large enough to block the nasal passage and make breathing a struggle. In that case, a surgeon may reduce the size of the turbinates during rhinoplasty, so that you can breathe without difficulty after you heal.

Give Your Self-Esteem a Boost

Having rhinoplasty performed can help improve your self confidence, as long as you have realistic expectations for the way the surgery will turn out. Finally getting the surgery after living with a nose you didn’t like for years can make you feel happier about your appearance and generally improve your self-esteem.

A report published in 2013 suggested that patients who had rhinoplasty or another facial surgery, such as a facelift or eyelid surgery, were more likely to say that their self esteem had improved after surgery or that their quality of life had improved.

Improve Social Standing

To a lesser extent, rhinoplasty can also help improve a patient’s social standing. Some teenagers might wish to have the surgery if they are constantly bullied by others about the shape or size of their nose. Even though having the surgery won’t change other teens’ behavior, the confidence boost that a teenager gets from the change might be enough to help him or her better handle the bullying.

A nose-reshaping surgery might also help improve a person’s career prospects, particularly if a person works in an industry that is very focused on appearance. But it’s important to remember that rhinoplasty alone won’t determine whether or not you advance on the career ladder or move up in your job. Getting ahead in your career might be a side benefit of rhinoplasty, but it shouldn’t be the sole reason for having the procedure performed.

Understanding the benefits of rhinoplasty and the ways it might help you, can help you decide if the surgery is the right option for you. Speaking with a facial plastic surgeon who regularly performs the surgery can help you determine if it’s a good fit for you.

In , Dr. Stephen Smith is a fourth generation facial plastic surgeon. He can walk you through the process and prepare you for what to expect from rhinoplasty. Dr. Smith practices in two locations. To schedule an appointment at the practice in , , call . For an appointment in Columbus, , call 614-678-7180 for an appointment today.

How to Choose Between Injections and Surgery

When you visit a facial plastic surgeon these days, you might not actually be seeing him for a surgical procedure. While plenty of patients have procedures such as rhinoplasty, eyelid surgery or facelifts performed every year, non-surgical options, particularly injections such as Botox or dermal fillers have increased in popularity.

If you are concerned about wrinkles or other signs of aging on your face, one of the decisions you might have to make is whether to handle those signs of aging with injections or to go under the knife. Which one you choose depends on a number of factors, including your schedule and what you expect to get out of the procedure.

How Much Time Do You Have for Recovery?

One of the major differences between plastic surgery and a minimally invasive procedure is the amount of time you need to recover after treatment. While you may be able to go back to work a week or so after surgery, it can take considerably longer for bruising to fade or swelling to decrease. After any type of surgery, you’ll need to talk to your surgeon about what you can and can’t do and for how long.

For example, after rhinoplasty, you’ll want to steer of any activity that can bump the nose as it heals. That usually means you’ll need to avoid working out, swimming or other types of exercise for about a month after the surgery. That might not be a big deal if you’re not an active person, but if you love going to the gym or play a sport, it can be a challenge.

In contrast, recovery after a dermal filler or Botox injection is usually pretty quick. In most cases, you can go back to your regular life immediately after the injection. Some people even schedule their injections over a lunch break, then head back to work, as if nothing has happened.

You might have to take some precautions after an injection, though. If you have Botox injections, it’s usually recommended that you keep your head held up for several hours after the treatment, so that the substance doesn’t travel from the treated area to another part of your face, causing side effects. Your surgeon will give you specific instructions after an injection so you know exactly what to do.

What Are You Concerned About?

Another thing to think about when deciding whether injections or surgery is the right call for you is what you’re hoping to get out of the treatment. If your big issue is loose skin on the lower part of your face, a facelift is usually your best option, as injections won’t reduce sagginess or tighten that skin. But, if your big concern is simply a few lines and wrinkles, injections can usually accomplish what you want without much fuss.

While it is possible to change the shape of the nose somewhat with injectable fillers such as Juvederm, if you want your nose made smaller, surgical rhinoplasty is usually the best option. If you are concerned about your forehead and brows and are trying to decide between Botox injections or a brow lift, the decision might come down to how extensive the wrinkles and sagging are in the area. Botox can help with the frown lines, but if you have a lot of droopiness or a furrowed brow, a forehead lift might be the appropriate option.

Do You Want Long Lasting Results?

The other major difference between surgery and injections is the duration of results. No injections provide results that last forever. In the case of surgery, not all are permanent, but the results typically last a lot longer than the results from an injection.

For example, Botox injections typically wear off after about 3 months. To keep up your appearance, you’ll need a repeat injection. In contrast, a brow lift can last for years. Depending on how you age, when you had the surgery and how well you take care of yourself afterwards, the results from a facelift can last for more than a decade. The results from an injectable filler, on the other hand, last for up to two years at the most.

Speaking with a board certified facial plastic surgeon can help you narrow things down and determine which treatment best meets your needs. In , Dr. Stephen Smith regularly performs facial plastic surgery and non-surgical treatments, such as Botox injections and fillers. He can review your options with you and discuss your concerns. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Smith, call today.

Taking Care of Your Facelift

While a facelift can take a few years off of your looks, it won’t magically keep those years from returning.

Making the most of your facelift and getting results that last five or 10 years, or even longer, means remembering to shield yourself from external factors that contribute to aging. In some cases, it also means embracing non-surgical options, which can help you maintain or even enhance your results.

Take Care of Yourself

Turning back the clock on your looks doesn’t mean you can turn back the clock on your habits. If your teens, twenties and thirties were full of junk food, alcohol and cigarettes, don’t revert to those habits. If you kept up a diet of junk food, such as salty snacks and sugary treats, into your forties and beyond, the time after your surgery is ideal for turning over a new leaf is now.

Try to stick to a balanced diet full of good-for-you foods such as vegetables, grains, fruit and lean protein. For one thing, losing and gaining weight after your facelift can affect the results, as losing fat from your face makes you look older. Eating a steady diet full of foods that contain a lot of vitamins and nutrients gives your body that fuel it needs to fight the signs of aging. You don’t have to necessarily look for “superfoods,” which are bursting with nutrients. Simply choosing to eat more of a wide variety of vegetables and fruits can help.

It’s also important to try to say no to sugar. Although it might taste sweet, sugar wreaks havoc on your skin, causing something called glycation. Glycation affects the collagen that’s just below the surface of the skin, leading to more wrinkles and to skin that’s less smooth and elastic.

Even though your surgeon might have told you to stop smoking for just a few weeks after your surgery, it’s in the best interests of your overall health and the prolonged results of your facelift, for you to kick the habit for good. Smoking is one of the leading causes of wrinkles. If your goal is to look more youthful and keep wrinkles away, smoking just isn’t the way to do it.

Pamper Your Skin

One of the best ways to pamper and care for your skin after a facelift is to protect it from the sun. You might be told to avoid any sun exposure immediately after your surgery. Once your surgeon gives you the go-ahead to go outdoors again, make every effort to cover up your face. Wear a moisturizer with sunscreen, don a wide-brimmed hat and put on a pair of sunglasses with UV protection.

Keeping up a good skincare routine post-surgery is also a good way to make your results last as long as possible. Your surgeon can recommend certain products for you or you can ask about prescription strength products, such as Retin-A to help fight wrinkles or products that contain alpha hydroxy or beta hydroxy acids. Try not to go overboard with the products after your surgery. If you’re not sure if two products will interact with each or irritate your skin, ask before using them.

Don’t Rule Out Injections and Laser Treatments

Although you probably don’t want to receive laser skin resurfacing or an injection immediately after your surgery, as time goes on, either or both can be an option to help you maintain the results. A facelift only focuses on the lower portion of your face, so injections that target the forehead and upper area, such as Botox, can help create a balanced, more youthful look. As time goes on, injectable fillers in the lower part of your face can help keep wrinkles and lines from returning.

A facelift procedure doesn’t adjust the quality of your skin, such as its texture or areas of discoloration. Laser treatments, such as fractional CO2 laser, can help reduce the appearance of fine lines, scars and uneven texture. Lasers also help give your skin a more even tone, by removing or reducing the appearance of sun or age spots.

In , Dr. Stephen Smith offers facelift surgery at two locations. He can also help patients maintain their results with non-surgical options, including laser treatments and injections. To learn more about facelifts, injections and laser skin resurfacing, call to schedule an appointment with Dr. Smith today.

Vitamins to Help Fight Aging

When you were a kid, your parents probably had you take a multivitamin to help you grow. Now that you’re an adult, you might not be so concerned about developing strong bones or about gaining in size. But, vitamins will play a big role in your life and in your diet. A number of vitamins play an important role in protecting your skin from the signs of aging. Along with considering skin rejuvenation treatments and surgery to reduce the signs of aging, it’s also worth taking a peek at the vitamins you’re ingesting or applying to your skin. Some have a huge part to play when it comes to minimizing wrinkles, spots and other signs of getting older.

Vitamin A

If you’ve ever used a topical product that claims to fight wrinkles, you might be very familiar with the role vitamin A plays in helping your skin. Retinol, a known wrinkle-fighter, is derived from it. Products that contain retinol or retinoids, the synthetic form of vitamin A, are known to help increase cell turnover and improve the production of collagen in the skin. Retinoids not only help minimize wrinkles. They are also helpful for minimizing dark spots and hyperpigmentation, since they encourage exfoliation.

You can find retinoids in both over-the-counter and prescription products. As you might have guessed, the prescription strength products tend to be stronger. If you have particularly sensitive skin, it can be helpful to speak with your facial plastic surgeon first or to try a milder over-the-counter retinol product. When you use a product with retinol, it’s often best to apply it at night, since it does make you more sensitive to sun exposure. You’ll also want to be particularly diligent about wearing an SPF every day when using retinol.

Vitamin C

It can seem like there’s nothing vitamin C can’t do. It not only helps your immune system and improves your body’s absorption of certain nutrients, but it’s also great for your skin. Vitamin C helps reign in free radicals that cause skin damage, helps encourage collagen production, and helps fade dark spots. When you’re focusing your skin, the best way to get your vitamin C is topically.

Applying a moisturizer or serum that contains the vitamin can help reduce dark spots and improve the texture of your skin. There are just a few things to keep in mind: vitamin C is a bit volatile, and will break down when exposed to sun or air. For that reason, look for a product that contains it and that is also packaged in an opaque, airtight container.

While evening in the best time for your retinoids, morning is the best time for your vitamin C. Put a product containing it on your skin first, before your sunscreen, to give your skin even more protection against sun exposure and free radicals.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is known as an antioxidant and a moisturizer and it’s fairly common in skincare products. It’s also often found in sunscreens, as it provides an added layer of protection against sun exposure (just don’t rely on vitamin E instead of SPF). While it might be tempting to take a vitamin E supplement to further protect and moisturize your skin, you’re probably getting enough from your diet or in a multi-vitamin. Go ahead and use topical products with vitamin E to your heart’s content, but speak with your doctor before taking a vitamin E supplement, or any supplement, for that matter.

Niacinamide (Vitamin B3)

As you get older, your skin begins to lose its protective barrier. Redness becomes more common. Some anti-aging products, particularly those that contain retinoids, can also make redness worse, particularly if you have sensitive or reactive skin.

That’s where niacinamide, or vitamin B3, can come in handy. It helps strengthen your skin’s protective barrier by encouraging the production of fatty acids and ceramides. The stronger your skin’s barrier, the more protected it is, and the less redness you’ll see. Topical products with niacinamide can be particularly helpful if you suffer from rosacea, as they can minimize redness and flushing associated with the condition.

While using skincare products that are packed full of vitamins won’t replace surgery or treatments such as Botox or fillers, they can help you keep the signs of aging at bay for some time. If you’re interested in learning more about the role vitamins play in skincare and more about what you can do to keep your skin looking youthful for longer, make an appointment with Dr. Stephen Smith, a fourth generation facial plastic surgeon in , today. Call to schedule your consultation.

Volume: The Paradigm Shift

The age old targets of facial plastic surgery have been dropping tissues. Therefore, the answer had always been reductive surgery (removing tissue). While these surgical techniques remain useful in our facial rejuvenation strategies, volumetric changes were initially neglected. Fortunately, that has changed in the modern practice of facial plastic surgery.

If we look at our children, their faces are full and voluminous. The senior most members in our lives may become hollow and skeletal in appearance, and most of us are somewhere in between. Therefore, Volume portrays youth and our ability to correct those changes allows us to reserve surgical efforts. Hyaluronic acids (Juvederm and Restylane), and hydroxyapatite (Radiesse) are office based strategies with little or no downtime, with longevity up to and potentially beyond a year. Fat transfer offers a longer term solution.

Ways to Be Comfortable During Facelift Recovery

A facelift does two things. It takes years off of your appearance by minimizing loose or sagging skin in the lower part of the face and near the neck. It also helps you stay looking youthful for longer, with some patients seeing the results of their facelift last for 10 years, if not longer. Before you are able to enjoy the results of the facelift, though, you need to get through the surgery itself and the recovery period. While some parts of the recovery process might be a little uncomfortable, there are several things you can do to make yourself as comfortable as possible as your body heals after surgery.

Keep Yourself Upright

When you get home from the surgery center, one of the first things you might want to do is collapse in a prone position on your bed. For the sake of your comfort, and to keep bruising and swelling to a minimum, resist the urge to flop onto your bed. Instead, keep your head elevated as much as possible.

That doesn’t mean you have to stand. You can sit upright in a chair or lean back in a recliner, as long as your head is held up above your heart. Avoid any activities that require you to bend or lean over during the initial recovery period, as well. Bending can make swelling worse and can raise your blood pressure, increasing your risk for bleeding.

Use Cool Compresses

Draping a cool, but not freezing, compress over your eyes or the upper part of your face after your surgery can help relax you and bring down swelling. Keep the compress comfortable by using a rag dipped in cool water and wrung out, not a bag of ice. Using ice can reduce blood flow in the facial area, which can interfere with healing. Not to mention, the ice might be way too cold for skin, creating an uncomfortable experience.

Cover the Mirrors

After any type of facial plastic surgery, things tend to look worse before they start looking better. After a facelift, you’ll likely have a lot of swelling and puffiness on your face, as well as some bruising. During the first few days at home, you’ll most likely be wearing a bandage and may have some stitches.

For that reason, it’s usually a good idea to avoid the mirror as much as possible, at least for the first few days after your facelift. You can know that you’ll eventually look better, but seeing a reminder that, at the moment at least, you don’t, won’t be very helpful. If you can, take any mirrors down or cover them with a dark cloth. It’s also a good idea to avoid using your phone’s camera to take selfies or to video chat at this time.

Get Some Sleep

A facelift can take a lot out of you and making sure you get plenty of rest and sleep afterwards is an important part of your recovery. But, falling asleep can be challenging during those first few days after your procedure.

There are a few ways you can coax yourself into getting the sleep you need. For one thing, take an pain medication prescribed by your surgeon for a few days after your facelift. The pain medication can help minimize any discomfort that can keep you up at night. If your surgery took place in the summer, make sure your bedroom is cool enough for sleeping at night. Run the air conditioner in the room or take a few blankets off of the bed, so that you don’t overheat.

It’s also helpful to avoid caffeine during the first week after your facelift, especially if you find that it keeps you up at night. Switch to decaf or to a relaxing herbal tea instead.

Adding more pillows to your bed can also help you get a good night’s sleep after surgery. A few pillows under your back and neck will keep the head sufficiently elevated, while a few pillows on either side of you will keep you from rolling over if you usually sleep on your stomach or side.

Finally, if you usually sleep with a partner, you might find that kicking him or her out of bed for a few days can help you both get a better night’s sleep.

Don’t Rush Yourself

Although many people find that they are ready to return to their usual lives a week or two after their facelift, keep in mind that everyone heals at a difference pace. You don’t have to rush yourself or hurry to return to daily activities, especially if those daily activities are on the strenuous side. Take your time and listen to what your body is telling you. You might be ready to bounce back after just a few days, or you might need three or four weeks before you’re back to normal.

If you have any questions about the facelift recovery process, Dr. Stephen Smith, a fourth generation facial plastic surgeon in , is available to answer them. Dr. Smith’s practice has two locations in the state. To schedule a consultation at either practice, call today.

Ways to Safely Add Volume to Your Lips

Before she came clean and admitted to having had injections to plump up her lips, there was a lot of speculation surrounding reality TV star Kylie Jenner’s pout. The gossip and rumors about her lips reached a point where people, mainly teenagers, were going to great, mostly unsafe lengths to get her look.

The “Kylie Jenner Lip Challenge” involved sucking on a small cup or glass, such as a shot glass, to plump up the lips. While many people who tried it did see volumized lips, many also had to deal with painful and unpleasant results, such as bright red marks or purple bruising around their lips. There was also the risk of the cup breaking and cutting the skin, especially if it was made of glass. Damaged caused by the “Lip Challenge” wasn’t just superficial and temporary. The pressure from the glass can hurt the muscle and skin tissue in the lip area, causing permanent injury and making the lips less full looking.

Fortunately, most have agreed that sucking on a shot glass isn’t the way to go about getting fuller, plumper lips. Even Kylie herself has admitted to having worked with a surgeon to plump her pout. If you are looking to add volume to your lips safely, you have a few options.

Injectable Fillers

Depending on how long you want your results to last, lip augmentation using injectable fillers might be the way to go. While years ago, collagen injections were commonly used to add volume to the lips, today, many facial plastic surgeons prefer to use injectables made from hyaluronic acid.

Fillers that contain hyaluronic acid offer a number of benefits. They tend to be more lighter and more natural feeling that certain other options. Since hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance and isn’t derived from animals, the chance that it will cause an allergic reaction is greatly reduced. Another major benefit of hyaluronic acid fillers, such as Restylane and Juvederm, is that the surgeon can reverse the treatment by injecting an enzyme that dissolves the material, if a patient doesn’t like her results. Alternatively, if a patient decides she wants a bit more volume, the surgeon can easily inject more of the filler into the lips.

The treatment process is relatively straightforward and simple. Most treatments take less than half an hour. Before injecting the filler, the facial plastic surgeon will apply a topical anesthetic to the area, to minimize discomfort. He will then use a very fine needle to administer the filler. Many patients are able to return to their regular lives immediately after the treatment. It is usually recommended that you wait a few hours or a day before you use lipstick or lip balm again.

The big downside of hyaluronic acid fillers is that the results are very temporary. For the most part, people can expect to see fuller lips for about six months.

Fat Transfer

If you have a bit of extra, unwanted fat on your body, one option is to put it to good use by having it injected into your lips. Fat transfer, sometimes call lipotransfer or fat grafting, involves using liposuction to remove fat from an area such as the hips or thighs, cleaning the fat using a centrifuge, then injecting it in the area that needs to be volumized. It can be used in a variety of areas, not just the lips, such as the cheeks and under the eyes.

Fat transfer does take a bit longer to perform compared to injectable fillers, since the surgeon needs to first remove extra fat and prepare it. There’s also a slightly longer recovery period after the injection. Bruising, redness and excess swelling are common after the procedure. It might seem at first that your lips are too full, but that extra fullness will diminish as swelling decreases and as your body reabsorbs some of the fat.

How long the results last depends on your body and how it reacts to the treatment. Fat grafting can provide a permanent results for some people. It’s also possible that your lips will reabsorb a considerable amount of fat and that you’ll want another treatment. No matter what happens, you can expect the results from fat grafting to last longer than the results from an injectable filler.

Fourth generation, -based facial plastic surgeon Dr. Stephen Smith offers both fat transfer and a variety of dermal fillers for lip augmentation. He can help you decide which method best meets your needs. Dr. Smith’s practice as two locations in . For an appointment at either location, call .

Week By Week Guide to Facelift Recovery

Good things come to those who wait. When it comes to a facelift, that can definitely be the case. The surgery’s results can last for a decade or even longer. But in exchange for having long-lasting results, the surgery also has a bit of a lengthy recovery process, especially when compared to injections and fillers, which provide quick, but not long-lasting results. While you might be ready to go and take on the world a day or two after your surgery, it’s important to take your surgeon’s advice and follow the schedule for recovery.

Week 1

During the first week after your facelift, you’ll want to take it as easy as possible. Going to work or school is definitely off the table during those first seven days. Instead, you’ll want to stay home, resting as much as possible. Your face will most likely be bandaged for the first couple of days. By the seventh day, you’ll most likely return to the doctor to have any stitches taken out.

Activities should be limited during that first week. Bruising, swelling and puffiness are to be expected, and in some cases, they can get worse before they get better. It’s usually recommended that you keep your head elevated during the first week to help reduce swelling and bruising. Sitting in a recliner and sleeping on your back, propped up by pillows, is usually advised. While you can’t hit the gym for a major workout at this point, you might feel up to going for a short, leisurely walk after the first day or two.

Week 2

Week two after a facelift is when many patients are able to resume a number of regular activities. You’ll most likely be able to head back to the office by around the tenth day after the surgery. It’s worth noting that if you have a job that requires a lot of activity, such as bending and lifting, it might be recommended that you wait even longer before heading back in.

While you can get back to work and might be able to start doing other activities, such as your daily errands by week 2, your face won’t be completely back to normal at this point. It’s common for people to have some traces of bruising left or to have some slight swelling still.

By the end of the second week after the surgery, you might be able to resume taking certain prescription medications and certain over-the-counter medicines, too. Your surgeon will give you the specific details on when you can resume certain drugs. Even if you feel fine, it’s still a good idea to wait until you get the all-clear from your doctor before restarting any medicines you stopped for the surgery.

Technically speaking, you can also start smoking again at the end of the second week after your facelift. But since you’ve already gone a full month or longer without using any tobacco or nicotine products, it is usually in the best interests of your health to keep off of the cigarettes and tobacco products, even after the two week deadline is up.

Week 3 and Beyond

Starting in the third week after your facelift, your life will begin to get back to normal. You’ll most likely be back at work, settling back into a regular groove. Your surgeon might also give you the go-ahead to start working out again, usually around week three or four.

As far as your incisions go, they will be beginning to fade and to become even less noticeable. Swelling and bruising might linger, but should be less obvious by this point. If you weren’t a back sleeper to begin with, you can probably resume your regular stomach or side-sleeping position at this point, too.

Taking good care of your skin in the weeks and months after your facelift can help improve your results and help you maintain those results. Sun protection is a must, not only in the weeks during which your incisions are healing, but at all times. Your surgeon may advise that you stay out of the sun for some time after surgery. Once you can go out in the sun, it’s usually recommended that you wear a sunscreen. You might also consider treatments such as injections or a chemical peel to help you maintain a refreshed appearance.

Fourth-generation plastic surgeon Dr. Stephen Smith is available to answer any questions you have about a facelift and about the recovery period afterwards. He practices in two locations. For a consultation at the practice in , , call . To schedule an appointment in Columbus, , call 614-678-7180 today.

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