Special offers for facial rejuvenation are the perfect way to reduce wrinkles and sagging skin, keep your facelift results looking their best, or enhance the results of a recent face lift. Contact the office of double board certified Atlanta plastic surgeon, Dr. John LeRoy today!
Our world today is flooded with ways to look younger. It’s no surprise, considering that nearly all of us have times when we look in the mirror and feel disappointed by the wrinkles we see. But these many options can feel like a burden when you’re trying to find the right one for you. To help you navigate your choices, I’ve used my experience as a double board-certified plastic surgeon to create a series of helpful blogs. You’ll find them all (and more) on my John L. LeRoy, MD Facebook page, but this latest addition helps you understand the difference between two popular treatments: nonsurgical skin tightening and facial filler injections.
Nonsurgical Skin Tightening
Sagging and thinning skin is just a natural part of the aging process, but fortunately, there is a solution that uses a very natural process. Collagen is the main component of skin that is responsible for keeping the skin firm. Our skin has less and less collagen as we age, but we can tell the body to produce more by initiating the healing process. Nonsurgical skin tightening (specifically my Band Aid Skin Tightening) does this with radio frequency (RF) energy. We use a handpiece that glides across your skin, and it sends targeted warmth into the deep layers of the skin while keeping your surface skin cool and comfortable. When the RF energy heats the deep layers of the skin, it triggers the healing process so your body begins to produce more collagen in the treated area. After a series of five quick sessions, your body continues to build more collagen for several months, with results continuing to improve for three to six months.
Facial Fillers
Also called dermal fillers, facial fillers are injectable materials that add volume to the face. They can be used to fill in specific wrinkles, like the nasolabial folds, laugh lines, and marionette lines. Or, fillers can be used to restore youthful volume to areas that have become hollowed with aging, like the cheeks. In a very quick and convenient procedure, I’ll use a syringe to inject the Restylane®, Juvéderm®, or other filler depending on your needs. Facial fillers allow me the precision to build the evened, youthful contours of your face. The results begin to appear immediately, although the final results won’t be apparent until all the swelling and bruising has resolved (this usually happens within a week, but up to two weeks is possible). These side effects generally don’t affect your ability to go to work or do your other daily activities.
How to Choose Between Nonsurgical Skin Tightening and Facial Fillers
Both of these procedures have some of the same advantages: they’re both nonsurgical, they both help you look younger and more rested, and they both require little or no recovery time. Here are a few tips to help you choose your facial rejuvenation treatment:
Getting the facial rejuvenation results you want starts with two choices: finding the right procedure and finding the right provider. If you’re ready to get started toward becoming your most confident, beautiful self, schedule a facial rejuvenation consultation with me today. I would be honored to guide you along your aesthetic journey.
In the field of plastic surgery, there are two major categories: cosmetic surgery and reconstructive surgery. Cosmetic surgery is purely done for aesthetics and self-confidence, while reconstructive surgery has more of a medical aspect because it’s repairing an area that has been affected by an illness or injury. Breast reduction, though, splits the difference. Large breasts cause cosmetic and medical problems alike, so patients benefit in both physical and emotional ways.
If you’re considering breast reduction surgery and you have questions about the procedure, I’ve answered some of the most common questions to offer a helping hand:
What health problems can a breast reduction help?
Any health issue or pain that is caused by the excessive size of your breasts is likely to get better after a breast reduction. The most common ones include pain in the back, neck, and shoulders, bra strap indentations in the shoulders, recurrent rashes under the breasts, poor posture, and even some numbness in parts of the breasts and upper chest.
Are there any nonsurgical ways to reduce my breast size?
Unfortunately no, there is no way to get the results of breast reduction without surgery. Depending on how much of your breast size is fat and how much is breast tissue, losing weight may make your breasts smaller. However, it also tends to make breasts sag more, whereas a breast reduction provides a youthful breast lift. There are rumors that exercising your chest muscles with make breasts sag less, and this is untrue. In the past, pills have been sold with the promise of reducing breast size, but none have been FDA-approved and some have even been dangerous to your health. The thought of surgery may make you nervous, but if it’s performed by an experienced board-certified plastic surgeon, the risks are very low while the likelihood of a great result is very high.
How much time do I need to take off work for breast reduction?
Your recovery will depend on the extent of your surgery, your overall health, your body’s natural healing process, your commitment to following your post plastic surgery instructions, and more. In general, most patients are back at work within one to two weeks. Make sure you consider the physical requirements of your job, as well as your commute. It’s best to overestimate and return to work early than to underestimate and risk your job or return to work too early for your body to handle.
After breast reduction surgery, will I still be able to have children and breastfeed?
In terms of pregnancy, a past breast reduction should have no effect on the health of your pregnancy. Your breasts go through many changes in both size and shape during pregnancy, though, and this is likely to affect the way your breasts look. Depending on the technique that is used, breast reduction may affect your ability to breastfeed in the future. It isn’t a common complication, but it isn’t unheard of either.
If you are nearing the completion of your family, it may be best to wait until you’re finished having children, because this will help your breast reduction results last longer. However, if you’re young, don’t assume you need to wait another 20 years to have surgery. Many young women have breast reduction and are perfectly happy with their results long-term whether they have children in the future or not.
Is the nipple removed during breast reduction?
No, you won’t come away from breast reduction without nipples, unless perhaps there is an extreme complication (which is incredibly rare). For most women the nipple remains attached to the underlying tissue throughout the entire surgery, and the breast is reshaped around it. This allows the nipple to remain functional. In less frequent cases of women with extremely large breasts, the nipple may need to be moved and re-attached during surgery, and this does mean that the nipple can lose sensation and functionality. However, this would be discussed with you in your consultation if it is necessary for you.
What factors could prevent me from getting breast reduction surgery?
As with any plastic surgery, you need to be deemed a good candidate before we can proceed with breast reduction. You may not be a good candidate if you have:
Breast reduction also should not be performed on women who are currently lactating. Ultimately, your eligibility for any procedure can only be determined with an in-office consultation and medical testing as well.
Will health insurance cover a breast reduction?
As you know, every insurance company is different, and their benefits change from one plan to the next as well. Many do cover breast reduction as long as it meets certain stipulations. You will need to have documentation of the back pain, neck pain, skin rashes, or other health issues caused by your large breasts, and you may need to show evidence of other treatments you’ve tried (chiropractors, skin treatments, etc.). Insurance companies will often only cover breast reduction if a certain amount of tissue is removed. If you’re planning to have an insurance-funded breast reduction, make sure you find out the requirements ahead of time so you can be prepared and won’t need to delay your surgery.
Breast reduction can be an incredibly freeing surgery for women who have spent their entire adult lives *literally* under the weight of their own breasts. If you’re ready to be more comfortable in your body both emotionally and physically, I would be honored to help. Get started with a breast reduction consultation with me, Dr. John L. LeRoy.
When people hear the term “facial rejuvenation,” they tend to think of procedures that make patients look younger, but that isn’t all it encompasses. The category of facial rejuvenation also includes treatments that help people look more refreshed and well-rested. In fact, I often see patients who say that even when they get plenty of sleep, they always look tired. They want their appearance to reflect energy and positivity, so they’ve come to me for help, and I have a few tricks up my sleeve.
Lower eyelid surgery for “puffiness” or “bags” under the eyes
Sometimes puffiness under the eyes can be temporary, caused by fluid retention, allergies, or irritation. If yours is more of a permanent fixture, however, it’s most likely caused by a shifting of the natural fat pads under your eyes. It’s common for these fat pads to move forward or lower as we age, and this can lead to some unwanted volume and “bags under the eyes,” especially when the skin has become thinner and more lax with time.
The only way to achieve a long-term and effective relief from puffiness or bags under the eyes is with lower eyelid surgery, also called lower blepharoplasty. It’s actually a rather minimally invasive procedure (especially if you’re a candidate for my in-office Band Aid Lower Blepharoplasty). Through small incisions near or within the lower lash line, the excess fat is removed and, if necessary, excess skin is removed and the remaining skin is given a lift.
Upper eyelid surgery for drooping upper eyelids
When people feel that they have droopy eyelids, the problem is not always the eyelids themselves but the skin above them and below the eyebrows. Some people naturally have extra skin in this area, but developing excess sagging skin is also a common sign of aging, so it’s amplified even more for people with naturally “hooded” eyelids. Ultimately, this extra skin can droop over the upper eyelids and make the eyes look less open (and therefore less awake and less cheerful).
Similar to lower blepharoplasty, I often perform upper eyelid surgery with my in-office minimally invasive version called Band Aid Eyelid Surgery, which uses gentle numbing rather than general anesthesia for a much shorter recovery period. During the procedure, the excess sagging skin is removed and the eyelids are given a more rested, youthful look while still remaining natural.
Facial fillers and/or Band Aid Laser Skin Resurfacing for dark circles under the eyes
There are a few different potential causes for dark circles under the eyes. The problem that affects people of all ages is shadowing. If your facial structure involves deep-set eyes, a protruding brow, and/or hollows under your eyes, it can shadow the area under your eyes to look darkened. For many patients, the solution to this is using facial fillers (like Juvéderm®, Restylane®, and others) to fill in the hollow area under the eyes. It’s a quick and simple procedure for an experienced board-certified plastic surgeon, and the results can last anywhere from 6 months to a year depending on which filler is used.
In other patients, dark circles under the eyes can be caused by thinning skin – a common part of the aging process. In these cases, my Band Aid Laser Skin Resurfacing uses the advanced DOT™ fractionated laser to stimulate collagen production and restore the skin to a thicker, firmer, brighter look.
No one wants to hear, “You look so tired,” or “Are you sick?” especially when they’re not. Certain natural features and signs of aging have a way of making anyone look sleep-deprived, but I’m happy to help you get back to the confident and well-rested appearance you once had. Remember, every patient is unique, so an in-person consultation is always needed to find out the best cosmetic options for your needs. To take that first step, schedule a plastic surgery or nonsurgical consultation with me, Dr. John L. LeRoy. Be sure to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+, too, for more helpful cosmetic surgery tips.
