Facial Aesthetic Surgery

Visible signs of aging of the face and neck can be treated in a number of different ways, including plastic surgery, laser surgery, skin resurfacing, topical skin care, and injection of Botox and fillers such as Juvederm. The following 3 charts are just intended to provide a guide for the patient to the multitude of procedures that are available for rejuvenation of the aging face. This includes from the time of the earliest signs of aging and environmental damage to later decades of life with more extensive changes of the aging process.

It is our belief that the most natural rejuvenation of the aging face and neck can be best achieved by finding the proper blend of:

1. Surgical Procedures
1. Facelift
2. Eyelid Rejuvenation Surgery
3. Ear Surgery (Otoplasty)
4. Rhinoplasty
   
2. Fillers and injectables
3. Laser resurfacing techniques for each patient on an individual basis
4. Daily skin care, including sun avoidance and topical agents as prescribed by your physician
   

Many patients begin to show evidence of their age by the presence of wrinkles, lines around the mouth and eyes, and deepening of the nasolabial folds. For these patients, the improvement they seek can often be achieved with injectables and fillers. Two examples of these fillers and injectables include Botox and the non-animal derived hyaluronic gels, such as Juvederm or Restylane.

For those patients whose main problem is structural as evidenced by sagging skin and unsightly accumulations of fat, for example, surgical correction is usually the required procedure for proper rejuvenation.

There are those patients who, even after their injections and surgical procedures such as a facelift, still do not see the rejuvenations they were seeking when they look in the mirror. The reason for this is that their skin has aged with the rest of the structures of their face but has not been properly addressed. This occurs even when the patient has undergone a skilled surgery and has been injected with a multitude of fillers. These patients require a laser resurfacing of their skin to improve its pigmentation and texture, reduce wrinkles, and aid in tightening of the skin.

Furthermore, some patients who seek face-lift consultations are, in fact, better candidates for treatment by non-ablative and ablative skin resurfacing, fractional skin resurfacing or plasma skin resurfacing. For this reason, we have extensively incorporated into our plastic surgery practice, more so than most plastic surgeons, these laser, light, and plasma procedures. These procedures are discussed elsewhere in this website and in more detail in our other web site www.lasersandplasticsurgery.com.

Clearly, a full understanding of the ideal blend of procedures necessary to maximize their rejuvenation cannot, for most patients, realistically be achieved without consultation with a plastic surgeon. This plastic surgeon should be, in my opinion, an expert and experienced in all these modalities:

1. Injection of fillers and Botox
2. lasers
3. surgical rejuvenation
   

We hope, nevertheless, that the patient seeking information about these procedures will be able to use this website and its sister site as a guide to help them before, during and after their consultation.