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Atlanta facelift

Ask Dr. LeRoy: Will I Still Need Botox® and Facial Fillers after a Facelift?

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There’s nothing quite like looking into a mirror one day and noticing that first wrinkle. Some people think little of it, but many are bothered by seeing the aging process begin, especially when it happens earlier than they expected. For those who choose to fight back against fine lines and wrinkles, cosmetic facial injectables (like facial fillers and Botox® or Dysport®) are often the first place they turn, because the treatments are quick and easy, they require little or no downtime, and they can produce beautiful, natural-looking results. But as the aging process continues, patients require more significant procedures in order to achieve the results they want, and when they reach a point when a facelift or a Band Aid Mini Facelift is their ideal choice, many patients ask: how do injectables fit in?

facial plastic surgeon atlanta gaThere are two general categories of injectables. Botox® and Dysport® target lines around the eyes, forehead, and eyebrows (like crow’s feet and frown lines). These wrinkles are caused largely by tension in the underlying facial muscles and repeated facial expressions. When Botox® or Dysport® is injected into the targeted muscles, it blocks the signals that cause them to contract. This smooths the muscles and minimizes the fine lines and wrinkles they were causing. Facial fillers, on the other hand (like Restylane®, Juvéderm®, and more), address wrinkles around the mouth and nose, like smile lines (“parentheses”) and marionette lines, which are caused by a breakdown in the skin and repetitive facial movements. Fillers tackle this problem by “filling in” the wrinkles with youthful volume, and they can also be used to give the cheeks and the lips a fuller, younger look. Both types of injectables are temporary – based on how quickly your body metabolizes them, Botox® and Dysport® typically last around 3-4 months, while fillers can last between 6 months and 2 years (depending on the type of solution that is used).

Ultimately, injectables can be a great way to smooth specific fine lines and wrinkles for a younger but natural-looking appearance. However, they cannot be used to treat the sagging skin that aging eventually causes (like jowls and neck folds). When a patient has developed skin laxity, cosmetic surgery in the form of a facelift or a Band Aid Mini Facelift is typically the best option. Both of these procedures can remove excess skin, restore firmness to the facial skin, and reposition the underlying tissue for a more lifted, youthful look, but the Band Aid Mini Facelift is a minimally invasive option performed in-office with gentle numbing and smaller incisions for limited recovery time.

So, does a facelift eliminate the need for injectables? While it is fully a patient’s choice whether or not to continue their treatments, most face lift patients are happier with their results if they keep up with regular injectables (though they often need less than they did before). Plastic surgery does not get rid of every fine like and wrinkle – if it did, the results would look far too “tight” and unnatural. Throughout over twenty years as a double board-certified plastic surgeon who specializes in facial rejuvenation, I have found that patients typically want to look like a younger version of themselves, and strategies like this can repair existing signs of aging while reducing the new ones as they arise, creating an ongoing youthfulness.

A combination of surgical and non-surgical procedures has helped countless patients continue to be their most confident and beautiful selves for decades to come. But there is no “one size fits all” solution, so it’s important to work with a board-certified plastic surgeon who can evaluate your needs and design a plan that is designed around you. To get started, schedule a consultation with me, Dr. John LeRoy. Or, for more plastic surgery tips, our latest special offers, and more, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

Ask Dr. LeRoy: Why Do Some Patients Have Multiple Band Aid Facelifts?

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The Band Aid Mini Facelift I developed is undoubtedly my most popular procedure, and for good reason. After all, it offers patients the degree of facial rejuvenation that only cosmetic surgery can produce, and yet it’s performed in-office using minimally invasive techniques and gentle numbing rather than general anesthesia. But, as a brief look at our plastic surgery testimonials will show, it’s not uncommon for patients to return for a second or even third mini facelift. Why is this the case?

Why Do Some Patients Have Multiple Mini FaceliftsThe simplified answer is that aging is an ongoing process.  For instance, the results of a rhinoplasty (or nose surgery) will typically look the same throughout the rest of the patient’s life, because after the nose reaches its genetically-determined adult structure, it changes very little if at all. Aging, on the other hand, is inevitable and progressive throughout adulthood. So while a face lift will remove excess skin and restore a more youthful shape to the face, the existing skin will continue to lose firmness and facial tissue will continue to drop, eventually creating new wrinkles and sagging skin. You will always look younger than you would have if you had never had a facelift, but for instance, if you look to be 40 years old after your surgery, you will not continue to look 40 forever.

With that being said, patients return for a second Band Aid Mini Facelift for many reasons. Everyone ages at their own pace due to heredity as well as environmental factors, but it typically takes around ten years after a mini facelift for patients’ signs of aging to return to the extent that they appeared before surgery, so some patients choose to have a second mini facelift after ten, fifteen, or twenty years in order to address the new aging that has appeared since their last surgery. Another common reason patients return is to have a different area treated. The mini face lift is designed to target specifically the area of the face which needs the most attention, be it the cheekbone area, the jawline, or the neck, so some patients may initially receive surgery to rejuvenate their jawline and return several years later to also address skin laxity on their neck.

Another popular choice is for Band Aid Facelift patients to later undergo not a second mini facelift but one of my other facial rejuvenation surgeries, such as Band Aid Eyelid Surgery to improve “hooded” eyelids or bags under the eyes, or a Band Aid Brow Lift to address aging across the forehead. I also offer a variety of non-surgical skin treatments, which are particularly popular for patients who want to maintain the results of their facelift, including Band Aid Laser Skin Resurfacing, Band Aid Skin Tightening, and injectables (such as Botox®, Restylane®, Juvéderm®, and more).

Plastic surgery is more than simply a cosmetic change. To paraphrase one of my previous patients, it’s an added pick-me-up each day that contributes to an overall more positive outlook. While aging is inevitable, choosing manageable and incremental procedures like the Band Aid Mini Facelift can help you feel more confident and uplifted by your appearance for years to come. To start discussing the ideal treatment plan for you, schedule a consultation with me, Dr. John LeRoy. Or, for more information about our plastic surgery services as well as the latest special offers and announcements from our office, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

How Your Band Aid Mini Facelift is Customized to You

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How many times have you noticed someone’s hairstyle or outfit and said, “That looks great on them, but it would look horrible on me”? This same idea applies to plastic surgery – a procedure which accentuates one person’s natural beauty may look far less flattering if it were performed the exact same way for someone else. One of my core focuses for my signature Band Aid Facelift is tailoring each patient’s surgery to his or her aesthetic goals, facial features, and unique aging process. Here are a few ways I work to customize each patient’s surgery:

facial plastic surgery atlanta gaExtensiveness

Part of the intent of a Band Aid Mini Facelift is to make surgical facial rejuvenation accessible for those who don’t yet need a traditional, more comprehensive facelift. This in-office procedure uses gentle numbing and requires significantly less recovery time. But even among patients who have the Band Aid Facelift, the amount of improvement they want or need will vary. My goal for every patient is to create plastic surgery results which help them look noticeably younger, but which keep them looking natural as well.

Area of Focus

Everyone ages in their own unique way, based on their genetics, lifestyle choices, and other factors. Some patients experience more aging throughout their lower face, while others’ wrinkles and sagging skin are higher up on their face, and still others age more quickly along their jawline or neck. Your Band Aid Facelift will focus on the specific areas you want to improve in a natural way.

Combination of Procedures

Beyond the Band Aid Facelift, I have also developed other minimally invasive surgeries, from the Band Aid Brow Lift to Band Aid Eyelift Surgery, Band Aid Liposuction and more. For some patients, the best route toward looking and feeling their best will involve one or more procedures along with their Band Aid Facelift, but in some cases, these can all be performed within the same surgery, making it easier on your schedule.

Choosing to have plastic surgery is a very personal decision. Self-consciousness about one’s appearance can be very close to the heart, and every patient goes through their own unique emotional process before making their choice about a procedure. Your surgery itself should be just as individualized in order to help you become your most confident and beautiful self. To start discussing the best way to meet your specific aesthetic goals, schedule a consultation with me, Dr. John L. LeRoy. Or, for more helpful tips and information, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

A Procedure for Every Sign of Aging

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There are a lot more factors affecting your facial aging besides the number of candles on your birthday cake. Genetics play a role, as do your lifestyle choices (smoking, sun protection, etc.), stress, and even weight fluctuations in some cases. Fortunately, there are varying plastic surgeries for your unique signs of aging, and many of them are also available as minimally invasive Band Aid procedures I’ve developed over the past twenty years.

atlanta plastic surgeryFor lax skin among your cheeks, jawline, or other areas of the lower to mid-face: Band Aid Facelift

The traditional facelift is a highly popular surgery which can restore firmness to aging skin along the jowls and throughout the mid-face, but it can be an extensive procedure with significant recovery time. For patients who are in the earlier stages of aging, my Band Aid Facelift is an in-office procedures which uses gentle numbing, minimally invasive techniques, and smaller incisions to provide natural-looking results with less downtime, less bruising and swelling, a lower cost, and smaller scars.

For bags under the eyes or sagging skin above the eyelids: Band Aid Eyelid Surgery

Blepharoplasty, also known as an eyelid lift can be performed on the upper eyelids (to remove sagging skin which has given the eyelids a “hooded” appearance), the lower eyelids (to reduce “bags under the eyes” by removing fat deposits and restoring firmer skin), or both. For patients who need a milder improvement, this surgery can often be performed as a minimally invasive Band Aid procedure.

For deep forehead creases and a sagging brow line: Band Aid Brow Lift

The Band Aid Brow Lift, as one would assume, focuses on the area around and above the eyebrows. By removing excess skin for patients whose brow line has become lax and lower with age, this procedure can be significantly easier to fit into your schedule than a more traditional brow lift. Depending on your needs, I can also reposition the underlying muscles which have become tense and created forehead creases after years of facial expressions.

While the procedures above can be ideal options for someone who wants surgical-quality results without the downtime of a traditional plastic surgery, others with earlier signs of aging (like crow’s feet, fine lines, and milder wrinkles) may be a better fit for non-surgical methods like Botox® or Dysport® injections, facial fillers, Band Aid Laser Skin Resurfacing, or Band Aid Skin Tightening. To discuss your best options for restoring an appearance you can feel confident in, schedule a consultation with me, Dr. John LeRoy. Or, for more tips and information about cosmetic surgery, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

Why is Dr. LeRoy Featured as Atlanta Magazine’s “Face of the Band Aid Mini Facelift”?

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As the medical field continues to advance and improve, patients have more and more options for their aesthetic concerns, especially when it comes to facial rejuvenation. Unfortunately, few understand the differences between their various options and how to choose one over another. For instance, one of the most common questions my patients ask is, “What’s the difference between a traditional facelift and a Band Aid Facelift?” My recent feature in Atlanta Magazine as Atlanta’s “Face of the Band Aid Mini Facelift” serves to highlight these differences.

Atlanta plastic surgeonThe traditional facelift is rather well-known. As an extensive yet effective surgery, it involves excising skin from certain areas of the face where the skin has become lax with age, as well as repositioning the underlying facial tissue for an overall more youthful look. However, after seeing during my fellowship at the Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital that a more gradual and progressive approach gave the facelift patients a more natural and preferred result, I developed the Band Aid Facelift.

The Band Aid Facelift is essentially a minimally invasive version of the well-known facelift. During this procedure, I use specialized techniques and smaller incisions in more targeted areas. As a result, I’m able to achieve successful and natural-looking results while using only gentle numbing as opposed to general anesthesia. The recovery period is far shorter than a traditional facelift requires, and because the incisions are smaller, you can also expect less swelling, bruising, and scarring.

While the Band Aid Facelift is an ideal balance for many patients, the true key to being happy with your surgical results is working with the surgeon to determine the right procedure for your unique needs. I find that my patients with more significant aging are better satisfied with the traditional, comprehensive facelift. On the other hand, if your skin laxity or wrinkles are limited to a specific region, you may be an optimal candidate for a Band Aid Brow Lift or Band Aid Eyelid Surgery, and if you’re looking for a more subtle and non-surgical rejuvenation method, either Band Aid Skin Tightening or Band Aid Laser Skin Resurfacing may be your best bet.

Sifting through your options can feel overwhelming at first, be rest assured that I’m here to help you find the course of treatment which will best meet your cosmetic and medical needs. To start discussing how you can become your most confident and beautiful self, schedule a consultation with me, Dr. John LeRoy. Or, for more information on my Band Aid procedures and the latest news on plastic surgery, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

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