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!
Cosmetic nose surgery (or a “nose job,” as it’s often called) is a very well-known plastic surgery. But it’s also been the subject of many rumors and misunderstandings, so when future patients research their surgery, they don’t know what’s fact and what’s fiction. In more than 20 years as a double board-certified plastic surgeon, I’ve heard just about every question in the book. So, to help future patients learn more about the procedure they’re considering, I’m discussing five common questions about nose surgery.
How does nose surgery change the shape of my nose?
Cosmetic nose surgery, or rhinoplasty, is different in every patient depending on their specific goals. The procedure can be customized to make the nose smaller or larger, adjust the width of the nostrils, change the angle and/or size of the nasal tip, remove a bump on the bridge of the nose, straighten a crooked nose, and much more. Depending on the ultimate goal, this can be done by adjusting the bones of the nose, removing cartilage from the nose or grafting more of your own cartilage from other areas, and other techniques.
I never see anyone with scars from nose surgery. Why?
One of the advantages of rhinoplasty is that it leaves little or no visible scarring. There are two basic approaches: an open rhinoplasty or a closed (also called endonasal) rhinoplasty. Open nose surgery uses an incision across the small area between your nostrils, called the columella. When it’s healed, this scar is barely visible at all, even in the rare occasion that someone looks directly up at your nose from underneath. A closed rhinoplasty, on the other hand, leaves no visible scarring at all because the only incisions are inside the nostrils. The approach your plastic surgeon uses will depend on your cosmetic goals and what needs to be done to accomplish them.
Is it true that rhinoplasty can help people breathe better?
In some cases, yes. Nose surgery can be performed to correct structural breathing problems in the nose like a deviated septum, and cosmetic changes can often be made during this same surgery. However, rhinoplasty doesn’t improve other breathing issues like asthma.
I’ve heard about the Band Aid Mini Facelift that you perform under local anesthesia. Can you do nose surgery without general anesthesia as well?
You’re correct that one of the reasons my Band Aid Mini Facelift, Band Aid Liposuction, Band Aid Tummy Tuck and other Band Aid procedures are so popular is that they don’t require general anesthesia, so the risks and the recovery time are reduced. However, cosmetic nose surgery needs to be performed under general anesthesia to produce satisfying results.
How soon will I see the results of my nose surgery?
As with any surgery, your body isn’t 100% recovered by the time you feel well enough to return to work or your other daily activities. You will have swelling after your surgery, and while most swelling subsides in a few weeks (to the point that it’s undetectable to most people), it could take several months for your swelling to fully resolve and your nose to heal into its new contours. Every patient heals at their own pace, so there isn’t a specific deadline. Still, as excited as you may be to enjoy your new look, it’s important to be patient and let your body heal.
If you have questions about rhinoplasty or another plastic surgery you’re considering, remember that you don’t need to find the answers on your own. You can schedule as many consultations as you want with a board-certified plastic surgeon until you have all the answers you need and you feel comfortable moving forward. To discuss your specific cosmetic surgery questions and find out how I can help you become your most confident and beautiful self, schedule a plastic surgery consultation with Dr. John LeRoy. For more patient health tips and cosmetic surgery facts, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+
There’s a strong trend in plastic surgery toward less invasive procedures. Not only are patients attracted to the limited downtime, but they love the natural-looking results as well. In many cases, patients begin with the mildest procedures in their younger years, gradually adding more extensive procedures as aging accelerates. But some patients have asked, “Can I keep aging at bay enough to avoid ever needing a facelift?”
The answer isn’t a simple yes or no. Every patient ages at their own pace and in their own way. Every patient also has their own threshold of how far they’re willing to let their aging go before they feel the need for cosmetic surgery. There are many factors that affect how a person ages, including genetics, sun exposure, skin care, lifestyle habits, smoking, stress, and more. Depending on how quickly you’re aging, nonsurgical or minimally invasive procedures could be able to keep up with your aging well enough that you don’t feel the need for a facelift. In other words, the short answer to your question is, “It’s possible for some patients.”
If your goal is to remain looking youthful for as long as possible without a face lift, there are many options. On top of lifestyle choices like wearing sunscreen every day, eating right, exercising regularly, avoiding smoking and excessive drinking, and managing stress, you can make a great improvement with minimally invasive treatments. Here are a few options:
Many patients think that they don’t want any plastic surgery, but the most popular choice among my patients is my Band Aid Mini Facelift. This is a unique procedure I developed that uses gentle numbing (no general anesthesia) and offers natural-looking results with an in-office procedure. The surgery requires half the recovery time of a traditional facelift, and it’s the way that over 6,000 of my patients in the past 20 years have taken as much as 10 years off their faces without the need for an extensive facelift. For patients who want a touch-up to resolve new aging a few years later, my Band Aid Micro Mini Facelift is an even easier procedure.
Every facial rejuvenation patient wants the same thing: the best result with the least amount of inconvenience and expense. As a double board-certified plastic surgeon who specializes in minimally invasive facelifts, that’s the balance I aim for. If you want to learn more about how to get a younger look without an invasive facelift, schedule a consultation with me, Dr. John L. LeRoy. For more cosmetic surgery tips and information about my other Band Aid procedures, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.
Cosmetic surgery isn’t about making everyone fit the same standard of beauty. It’s about helping each patient balance their natural features in a way that makes them feel confident. Breast reduction surgery is no exception. For men and women alike, too much breast volume is a common source of both physical and emotional discomfort. For these patients, male or female breast reduction can be the answer. As a double board-certified plastic surgeon who has been performing breast reduction and other plastic surgeries for over 20 years, I’ve created a helpful infographic of facts about each procedure.
For patients who are appropriate candidates, breast reduction surgery can be the start to a life with less self-consciousness, fewer aches and pains, and more freedom to feel comfortable in your own skin. To find out more about what results breast reduction can offer and whether you’re a good candidate, schedule a breast reduction consultation with me, Dr. John L. LeRoy. For more helpful facts about plastic surgery for the face, breasts, and body, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.
If you’re considering a plastic surgery procedure, it’s only natural to want to learn more about it. But if you jump in head-first, you might feel like you’re drowning in a sea of complex medical terms you don’t understand. To make the process easier, I’ve built a small glossary of terms any facelift patient will want to know.
Tear trough is the deep crease some patients have that starts in the inside corner of the eye and curves around about an inch under their eye.
Nasolabial fold is the deep wrinkle many patients have that extends from the nose to the corners of the mouth.
Jowls are the areas of sagging skin that develop with age along the sides of the jawline.
Collagen is a protein your body produces, and it keeps skin firm, smooth, and youthful.
Elastin is a protein your body produces to keep the skin firm and “elastic,” much like collagen.
Epidermis is the top layer of the skin.
Dermis is the middle layer of skin, just below the epidermis. The dermis is where wrinkles form and where collagen and elastin exist to make the skin firm. This is also where facial fillers are placed to smooth wrinkles.
Subcutaneous is a term that means “below the skin.”
SMAS describes the underlying facial muscles and other tissue beneath the skin. In many face lifts, the SMAS (which stands for superficial musculo-aponeurotic system) is lifted to a more youthful position to create a more natural-looking result.
Rhytidectomy is the technical term for a facelift. This procedure typically focuses on the lower two-thirds of the face (below the eyes). Signs of aging above the eyes are treated with another procedure called a brow lift or forehead lift.
Mini facelift is a general term used to describe a less invasive version of a traditional face lift. Every surgeon performs mini facelifts differently, and some are not very effective, so be cautious about knowing what type of results you can expect.
Band Aid Mini Facelift is a specialized minimally invasive surgery I developed in 1997 and have performed for over 6,000 patients. The surgery is designed for patients who don’t need a full facelift but who want a natural-looking result with half as much recovery time. I perform the Band Aid Mini Facelift in my comfortable office setting with gentle numbing rather than general anesthesia, which lowers the cost significantly as well.
Mid Facelift is a facelift that focuses only on the middle third of the face primarily the cheeks and the area under the eyes.
Lower facelift is a surgery that focuses solely on the bottom third of the face, like the jawline, the “jowls,” and the area underneath the chin.
Cutaneous facelift is an old, now unfavored type of facelift that lifts only the skin, not the underlying muscle or other facial tissue. It is rarely performed today because the results are short-lived and because it often leaves patients with the dreaded “windswept” look.
Thread lift is a procedure that only uses a few tiny stitches under the skin to lift the underlying facial tissue. However, these lifts tend to produce minimal results that fade quickly.
Deep plane lift is a more extensive type of facelift that lifts not only the skin and the SMAS but the facial structure beneath as well.
Blepharoplasty is the medical term for cosmetic eyelid surgery, which is very commonly performed at the same time as a facelift. Like my Band Aid Facelift, I also have offer Band Aid Eyelid Surgery which can be performed using gentle numbing.
Ptosis is the medical term for sagging or drooping.
Hyperpigmentation is a darkening of the skin, usually in the form of small dots or patches that most patients call age spots. This is typically caused by sun damage over time.
Photoaging is aging that is caused or accelerated by sun exposure, like age spots, sallowness (yellowing skin), and some wrinkles.
Local anesthesia is an injected numbing medication that keeps the treatment area comfortable while the patient remains awake. This is one of the primary advantages to my Band Aid Mini Facelift.
General anesthesia is an intravenous anesthetic that keeps a patient comfortable during surgery by making them unconscious.
Excision simply means to remove; in a facelift, a certain amount of excess sagging skin will be excised.
Exparel® is a medicine I inject at the end of the surgery to reduce post-surgical discomfort for up to three days.
Hematoma is a pooling of blood beneath the skin.
Hyperpigmented/hypopigmented scar is a scar that is either darker than your natural skin (hyperpigmented) or lighter than your natural skin (hypopigmented).
Hypertropic scar is a scar that raises above the incision site, but it doesn’t get wider than the incision.
Keloids are large, raised scars that are sometimes itchy and uncomfortable and may pucker the skin. They’re larger versions of hypertropic scars and they can grow beyond the incision. The risk for keloid scarring is genetic.
If you’re researching an upcoming plastic surgery, go into it with accurate expectations. Don’t try to develop a medical school-level understanding of the procedure’s complexities. Your goal should be to learn enough to have a discussion about the results you want, what your priorities are, and the approach your surgeon recommends. If you have further questions or if you’re ready to discuss your potential procedure, schedule a facelift consultation with me, double board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. John LeRoy. For more helpful tips and information for cosmetic surgery patients, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ as well.