If you are looking for a facial surgery that will rejuvenate your face and make you look younger, you generally have two options: a full facelift β which tightens the skin, fat and muscle around the cheeks, chin and neck β or a mini facelift β which also reduces sagging in the cheek, neck and chin area, although a smaller scale.
Since there are two options available, you may wonder why anyone would go for the mini or smaller version of the surgery.
But if youβre the right candidate for the procedure, a mini facelift can have a number of benefits. It also has a few drawbacks, which is why weighing the pros and cons of the surgery with your doctor is always a good idea.
One of the main attractions when it comes to a mini facelift is the significantly reduced recovery time compared to a full facelift.
While many patients need about two weeks to recover after a traditional facelift, plus a few more weeks of taking it easy, most patients are able to get back to their life just five to seven days after a mini facelift.
The amount of discomfort a patient feels after a mini facelift is also usually minimal. A surgeon may prescribe some pain medication to make discomfort even less noticeable. Usually, there is some bruising and swelling, but much less than there is after a traditional facelift surgery.
A big con when it comes to a mini facelift is that the results often last for a much shorter amount of time than the results for a full facelift. The results from a traditional facelift can last for a decade, or in some cases, even longer. How long the results last after a mini facelift depends on a number of factors, including the rate at which the patient ages, the skill of the surgeon who performed the procedure, and the type of procedure he or she performed. In our practice, we utilize techniques of traditional facelift techniques in order to achieve greater duration of correction.
Although the results donβt last as long, one positive aspect of the mini facelift is that the procedure itself doesnβt last very long. It can take several hours for a doctor to perform a full facelift. After the surgery, the patient needs time to wake up from the general anesthesia and for the grogginess from the anesthesia to wear off. In contrast, a mini facelift typically takes about an hour and a half. Most patients are given a local anesthetic and sedation, so that theyβre unaware of whatβs happening during the surgery but they arenβt fully out.
Not only do the results from a mini facelift not last as long as the results from a full facelift, they also tend to be less dramatic. Surgeons usually recommend a mini facelift for patients who are only just beginning to show signs of aging on their face. The procedure will most likely not be very helpful for people with significant sagginess in the jowls or chin area.
Mini facelifts tend to be more budget conscious, at least upfront, compared to full facelifts. Since the procedure is less involved and shorter in duration, the cost of surgeon fees and other associated fees is much less. It should be noted, however, that a mini facelift can cost more overtime. With a traditional facelift, a patient may need just a single surgery to restore a more youthful look. A mini facelift may provide the results a patient wants at first, but as those results wear off, he or she may need an additional surgery or may decide to have a traditional facelift done, which will bring the cost up quite a bit.
While a mini facelift offers plenty of advantages, itβs not a procedure to rush into. The surgery has as many risks as a full procedure, meaning thatβs its important to choose an experienced facial plastic surgeon to do it. Itβs also important to be in good health and have realistic expectations about the results.
At , Dr. Stephen Smith offers both full and mini facelift procedures. If youβre ready to weigh the pros and cons of either surgery and decide which procedure is right for you, schedule a consultation with Dr. Smith. Call for your appointment today.
As the oldest procedure in the facial plastic surgery playbook, rhinoplasty continues to be one of the most popular. Even thousands of years ago, doctors were performing this cosmetic procedure to help individuals change the way they look. It is also one of the most complex facial surgeries, since the nose is such a delicate and intricate part of the body. For this reason, every procedure is customized according to a patientβs needs and desires.
The list of reasons for rhinoplasty surgery is long, ranging from beauty concerns to medical necessities, from functional to reconstructive to cosmetic. Whatever your reason may be, a rhinoplasty can be the solution to your problems once and for all.
Changing your nose can change your entire look, as many rhinoplasty patients can attest. For many, this key facial feature is a source of stress, discontent, and frustration. When you hate the way your nose works, a rhinoplasty surgery is a miracle in itself. Working with a plastic surgeon, you can plan the way your face will look and finally achieve the beauty youβve always wanted. It may boost your confidence, help you become more outgoing, and let you love what you see in the mirror.
If you donβt like the way your nose looks, you can change it, plain and simple. You can make your nose bigger, smaller, shorter, longer, straighter, narrower, wider, and more. Smooth out that bump on your nose that ruins your profile. Create the nose that helps you give a great first impression every time you meet someone new.
From deviated septums to obstructed airways, the nose can have many problems that result in breathing difficulties. Many patients seeking rhinoplasty from a surgeon are aiming to solve these bothersome problems. This surgery can help to fix misaligned or off-centered cartilage that could be causing the breathing trouble. Even loud snoring can be cured for good with a little surgical reworking of the nose. Imagine sleeping through the night without waking yourself up or disturbing your partner!
Whether recently broken or healed for decades, a damaged nose is a big reason for patients to opt for rhinoplasty surgery. The nose is a delicate part of the body, so when it suffers the stress of being broken, airways can be obstructed or bones can set incorrectly. Those who do choose to have follow-up surgery after suffering a broken nose might do so to help alleviate trouble breathing because of misaligned airways. Still, it is very common to seek rhinoplasty surgery because a broken nose is misshapen and needs to be reconstructed, or perhaps redesigned altogether.
A sinus infection can be an unpleasant experience, one that many people repeat year after year when the worst of their allergies strike. Unfortunately, most chronic sinusitis patients donβt realize that the cause of their repeat infections is poor drainage, thanks to trouble with the passageways. Nose surgery is a great option for those who are struggling with sinus infections, especially if misalignments are discovered. In some cases, airways can be widened to allow for easy passage of mucus and other fluids. Seek a consultation with a plastic surgeon to determine if youβre a candidate for a rhinoplasty surgery; it could change the way you look at allergy season forever.
Sometimes, unfortunately, patients of previous rhinoplasty surgeries seek a second physician to correct problems with their new nose. When things go wrong, or your nose comes out looking worse than before, there are options to help you! In most cases, dissatisfaction with a previous surgery can be fixed to look more like what you originally envisioned. While not as common as some of the other reasons for rhinoplasty surgery, a revision rhinoplasty procedure can be a very important one. No one wants to be stuck with a nose that looks wrong, right? These follow-up surgeries can help to restore the function and appearance of your nose, hopefully keeping you from needing more and more surgeries in the future.
If any of these reasons sound familiar to you, it might be time to consult with a rhinoplasty specialist to discuss your options. Dr. Smith, founder of , is a specialist rhinoplasty surgeon who will go over the procedure and what it can do for you. Choose the right surgeon the first time around so you can skip out on your own revision surgery. Contact Dr. Smith today at . Visit at , , or go online to https://smithfacialplastics.com and fill out their contact form and get information about the rhinoplasty surgery that can solve your problems.
For hundreds of years, society has been tantalized by tales of eternal youth. From stories about the βFountain of Youthβ to plastic surgery procedures
that virtually erase the signs of aging, there are plenty of real and
fictitious ways to avoid everything from wrinkles and crowβs feet to
blemished skin and uneven pigmentation. One such procedure is Botox,
which is perhaps the leading way to reduce the signs of aging and
promote a rejuvenated appearance in patients of all ages, and from all
backgrounds.
Thanks to advances in plastic surgery, Botox presents one of the least invasive ways to reduce the signs of aging that can seriously affect some patientsβ self-esteem. The procedure uses a very fine needle that is used to inject the solution into certain muscles throughout the face. Doctors are actually able to target specific areas of the face, treating only those muscles that have allowed the skin to sag or wrinkle.
Though the needle is quite small, some patients do request an
anesthetic cream to be applied prior to each injection. This is widely
available and itβs a great way to make the procedure even less invasive
than it otherwise would be.
Botox treatments are not permanent, due in large part to the nature
of the injections and how they work. That means patients who pursue
Botox treatments to reduce the signs of aging on the face will need to
work with their plastic surgeon to arrange future visits in order to
maintain the youthful appearance promoted by this treatment.
Furthermore, Botox treatments should not be considered a way to fully
erase all signs of aging. There will be a great deal of improvement in
the appearance of the face, but patients will still see some minor lines
or wrinkles. This is actually a preferred consequence of treatment, as
the more natural appearance after each injection prevents patients from
looking βplasticβ or like their youthful appearance is somehow
artificial.
Though the primary effect of a Botox treatment is a reduction in the
signs of aging throughout the face, a secondary side effect is just as
noticeable and worth sharing: Most patients will actually experience a
great degree of added confidence. An elevated sense of self-esteem
almost always comes with the territory, with researchers finding that
patients feel more confident, more proactive, and more encouraged to be
assertive, than they did before their first injections.
With ongoing treatment, Botox injections can help to sustain this
feeling of greater, more youthful confidence. Patients looking to boost
their appearance with this non-invasive procedure should, as always,
make sure that theyβre working with a board-certified plastic surgeon
who can offer the best chance of minimal side effects, great results,
and no long-term medical complications as a result of treatment.
Over the course of the past decade or so, the amount of money
reimbursed to traditional physicians through insurance company programs
has decreased in a major way. In fact, these decreases have been so
stark that otherwise lucrative careers have seemed to become dead-end
jobs, where raises are less frequent and salaries are nowhere near as
high as they were at the beginning of the 21st century. In a medical
climate like this one, there are plenty of incentives for doctors to
diversify their careers and branch out into services like plastic
surgery.
Plastic surgery,
in fact, is one of the most popular βsecond careersβ for physicians who
are looking to engage in a more lucrative type of practice. Thatβs
because virtually all plastic surgery procedures are paid for
out-of-pocket, without the assistance of traditional medical insurance
plans. Physicians who provide these services are therefore likely to
enjoy a much better compensation structure. The problem, though, is that
many physicians are simply not certified to branch out into this field.
That can lead to major medical complications and aesthetic
embarrassments for todayβs patients.
One of the peculiar things about the plastic surgery industry is
thatβs virtually unregulated in comparison to traditional medical
practices. Doctors who engage in everything from gynecology to family
practice services and beyond, all must pass board certification
examinations issued by the American Board of Medical Specialties. When
people refer to βpassing the boardsβ or being a βboard-certified
physician,β this is what theyβre often talking about.
In plastic surgery, though, passing board exams and completing at
least three years of a medical residency is simply not required. In all
but three states, doctors can declare themselves to be plastic surgeons
as long as they already have any type of board certification from the
ABMS. That means patients might be getting cosmetic work performed on
them by physicians who donβt know who to properly complete the
procedure. What results is a botched nose job, a serious infection, or a
dramatic injury that requires tens of thousands of dollars in follow-up
work.
The only way for patients to maintain peace of mind when seeking a qualified plastic surgeon is to make sure that theyβre choosing a physician that specifically holds a plastic surgery certification from the American Board of Medical Specialties. Shadow organizations, often with similar names that include the word βboardβ in their title, do not guarantee any level of prior experience, residence, or specific education, and that means patients will be at serious risk of injury or cosmetic defects.
Because the stakes are so high with all plastic surgery procedures,
and malpractice can lead to significant financial difficulty, medical
complications, and long-term suffering, patients owe it to themselves to
make sure that their plastic surgeon is properly certified in not only
cosmetic surgery, but also the specific type of surgery that they
perform. Even though it might not be the law in most states, itβs still
the best way to avoid major headaches after the procedure.
Since rhinoplasty first became a major part of plastic surgery operations, the procedure has been almost exclusively associated with Caucasian patients who strive to have the βperfect nose.β Typically, that constitutes a nose that is tall, slender, and somewhat narrow, and this shape is almost exclusively associated with white patients. In recent years, though, plastic surgery professionals have been working to refine their skills and broaden their horizons, embracing different ethnic groups with a diverse number of βperfectβ looks and facial features.
The result has been what some are calling βethnic rhinoplastyβ or, in
some cases, ethnically-sensitive rhinoplasty. These procedures take
into account not only the patientβs goals, but also the natural shape of
their nose and the ethnic facial features that set African-American,
Hispanic, and even Asian patients apart from their Caucasian
counterparts. The result is a more natural look, a greater degree of
self-esteem after the procedure, and longer-lasting confidence that
doesnβt require a second or even third operation.
In Venezuela, plastic surgery procedures
have only recently become popular among women at all levels of society,
and of all racial backgrounds. For quite some time, the most popular
request made by rhinoplasty patients of color was that their physician
should help them achieve a more perfect nose. Their goal was to
transform the wider, flatter noses of those with African and mixed-race
backgrounds into the taller, more slender noses associated with white
society.
Though a large number of these procedures were performed, the end
result of the plastic surgery work was quite stark. Though patients were
initially impressed with their physicianβs work, and appreciative of
their transformed appearance, researchers in Venezuela found that
self-esteem levels soon plummeted back to pre-surgery levels. Many
patients simply werenβt satisfied with the long-term changes made as
part of their surgery, and many actually felt as if they had given up a
key part of their ethnic identity.
In light of the research done in Venezuela, surgeons around the world
have been focusing on ways to bring plastic surgery to those of all
races. Primarily, the goal of this work is to make sure that those with
African heritage, or even those with Hispanic and Asian backgrounds, can
get the same benefits from plastic surgery that Caucasian men and women
have enjoyed since the outset.
Ethnic rhinoplasty, and other race-sensitive procedures like it, is designed to help
patients achieve the perfect idea of beauty within their native race.
Itβs a look that appears much more natural on the surface, and
procedures that take this more refined track have been known to produce
long-term benefits in self-esteem, confidence, and interpersonal
relations.
Ethnic rhinoplasty, then, is just one more example of how the plastic
surgery profession is changing with the times, adopting a more nuanced
view of beauty and how aesthetic preferences apply to a much more
diverse cross-section of society at large.
The fractionated CO2 laser is a very exciting technology that may prove
to be the best technology that we have at our disposal. It combines the
vigorous CO2 laser wavelength, but has been recently engineered to
lessen downtime and eliminate side effects with the fractionated
ultrapulse delivery. We are very encouraged by itβs ability to improve
skin texture, tone, fine wrinkles, and even some scarring.
As in architecture, βform equals functionβ. If a nose appears to fit a face, then it probably functions as intended. We were designed to breathe through the nose, but despite that, they come in all shapes and sizes. You certainly do not need to be a board certified facial plastic surgeon to point out a congenital or acquired nasal deformity that may have a compromised airway.
