Tag Archives: Atlanta eyelid surgery

Grammy Makeover Series: The Face

When we announced our brand new Grammy makeover procedure last month, there was so much we wanted to share (but there are far too many possibilities and we didn’t want to flood you with everything all at once)!  As a single, combination procedure made up of face, hand, arm, body and breast procedures, this “a-la-carte” type of tailored surgical plan helps restore a pre-child/grandchild body – so we thought we’d highlight each key part that makes a Grammy makeover so appealing to mature, female patients.  Since the face is often the first thing people notice about another person, let’s start with the surgical and nonsurgical features that can be included in your Grammy makeover facial plastic surgery plan.

When we consider facial plastic surgery, there are two ways that I can approach treatment.  As a double-board certified plastic surgeon with over 20 years specializing in facial procedures, I like to start by mapping out your surgical goals.  Are your eyelids hooded?  Has your chin accumulated pockets of fat creating a double chin?  Are the deep wrinkles of the forehead bothering you?  A facelift is often the first facial procedure that comes to mind when I talk to facial rejuvenation candidates.  A full facelift tightens loose facial skin and smoothes wrinkles mainly around the cheeks, neck and jowls (think lower half of the face) but sometimes that’s not necessarily enough, or for others needed at all, to achieve a younger look.  There are several facial procedures that focus on specific portions of the face to help provide overall rejuvenation.  The main facial plastic surgery procedures included in the Grammy makeover, beyond facelifts, are browlift, necklift and eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) – we’ll get more into the nonsurgical highlights a bit later:

GMFace

Now, to cover the other part that makes up the facial side of Grammy makeovers.  Cosmetic injectables are always topping the most popular nonsurgical facial rejuvenation procedure list.  They can do everything from temporarily relax facial muscles of the forehead (like Botox® or Dysport®), plump up the lips (Restylane® Silk) and even add volume to hollowed cheeks (with Juvéderm® as an example).  Now, we have added Kybella™ for fat reduction of the chin to our menu of cosmetic injectables.  Kybella™ is the newest, and only FDA-approved, treatment for the “double chin” that can add unwanted weight and age to a person’s face.  This cosmetic injectable uses the active ingredient deoxycholic acid, which is already naturally found in the body.   Once Kybella™ is injected in the fat below the chin, it breaks down and destroys the fat accumulating cells so they are no longer able to store fat.  Several treatments may be needed to get a younger-looking profile of the chin or they can be used post-facial rejuvenation surgery as a type of “touch-up.”

Facial plastic surgery results can last a very long time as long as you do your part to maintain (like wearing your SPF, avoiding smoking and making sure you’re eating and exercising right).  In order to do this, many Grammy makeover patients tailor a post-makeover maintenance plan to incorporate nonsurgical treatments like cosmetic injectables and laser skincare procedures to help them keep their face looking young.  We’re all going to continue aging and a lot of patients like to keep a consistent routine to push back the need for more surgery until a later time.  Just depends on your overall goals!

Next time on our Grammy makeover series we will talk about the arm and hand components, so be sure to check back regularly.  If you’re interested in learning more about Grammy makeovers, mommy makeovers, or any of the other cosmetic and reconstructive procedures we offer, we encourage you to contact Southern Plastic Surgery (SPS) at 770-622-9100 with any questions you may have.  Stay connected with the SPS and me, Dr. David Whiteman on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ for more.

Posted in Blog, Educational, Facial Plastic Surgery, In the News

Introducing the Grammy Makeover Series

Some of you may be familiar with the popular mommy makeover procedure.  Best known as a combination of breast and body contouring procedures (performed in one comprehensive surgery), mommy makeovers address common physical changes mothers can experience after pregnancy and childbirth to restore a pre-baby body.  Now, we’d like to introduce to you the Grammy makeover – the newest combo procedure helping grandmothers and mature women everywhere get their pre-child/grandchild body back!You can think of a Grammy makeover as a supercharged mommy makeover – offering a wide variety of face, hand, arm, breast and body contouring procedures to combine into one procedure.  After we determine your cosmetic goals, we’ll take a look at the procedures that will help you achieve your ultimate plastic surgery results.  For part one of my Grammy makeover series, I would like to start by covering some of the options that Grammy makeover patients have.

Grammy-Makeover

 

Grammy makeovers can address a multitude of concerns.  From creating a well-rested look by eliminating fat pockets and excess tissue with eyelid surgery to saying goodbye to sagging skin and wrinkles with a neck lift or facelift, Grammy makeovers can start with breathing new life into the face.  To compliment your overall look, cosmetic injectables like Botox® or facial fillers like Juvéderm® may be a non-surgical addition to your Grammy makeover.  As we head to the breasts, we will evaluate their look, in relation to your body frame (are they sagging, too big, too small or all the above?) and determine which breast enhancement procedure will give you bigger (or smaller), perkier breasts – depending on your preference.  If “bat wings” keep you hiding your arms, you may consider an arm lift to remove the extra skin and create a more toned appearance.  To create a sculpted midsection, free of a stomach pooch or weakened abdominal muscles, tummy tuck (also known as abdominoplasty) using the scarpa fascia technique may be what you need.  Finally, let’s not forget about the hands; what better way to complete your Grammy makeover than with hand rejuvenation using Radiesse®?  What’s unique about the Grammy makeover is that it’s 100% customizable; for you and only you.  There isn’t a pre-determined package to limit the type of results you want; the combination possibilities with a Grammy makeover are endless!

As your double board-certified surgeon, I want to help restore the face and body to its once youthful look.  Natural-looking plastic surgery results that highlight each patient’s beautiful existing features are important, so creating a surgical plan that best suits them uniquely is vital.  As an added bonus just as with mommy makeovers, Grammy makeovers have low overall complication rates (this is largely in part to working with an experienced, board-certified surgeon because not all doctors have the same expertise and skillset).  Grammy makeovers also offer the same benefit as mommy makeovers in regards to what patients save – time and money.  By combining procedures into one, patients reduce their overall recovery time (imagine having 3-5 separate surgeries spanned over several months, or years, versus once) as well as extra costs associated with surgical fees that can certainly add up with each individual procedure.

Plastic surgery doesn’t have to be a hard-reaching goal; you just need to know your options!  If you’ve been considering a cosmetic plastic surgery procedure or would like to learn more about the Grammy makeover, please contact Southern Plastic Surgery (SPS).  Stay tuned in the upcoming weeks as we discuss more details on the Grammy makeover.  Be sure to also follow SPS on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ for the latest updates.

Non-Surgical & Surgical Facial Rejuvenation

Facial rejuvenation treatments come in many forms.  From daily skincare regimens of moisturizer to more entailed cosmetic facial plastic surgery, men and women of all ages and skin types are choosing facial rejuvenation procedures to combat signs of aging in order to revive their youthful appearance.  In fact, according to the 2014 statistics shared by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, facial rejuvenation procedures saw a surge in popularity and remained among the top five in both minimally-invasive and cosmetic surgery procedures:

Plastic Surgery in Atlanta GABotox® – 6.7 million treatments performed

Botox® contains a purified form of botulinum that works by temporarily relaxing the muscles that cause wrinkles between (glabellar lines) and around (crow’s feet) the eyes that form with age and repeated facial and forehead expressions.  As Botox® is injected into the muscle, it is eventually absorbed and eliminated by the body and therefore treatments must be “re-touched” just about every 4-6 months to maintain the same facial rejuvenation results.

Facial Fillers – 2.3 million treatments performed

Like Botox®, facial fillers are cosmetic injectables but are unique in that they are composed of naturally-occurring substances found in the human body that work to restore lost facial volume and smoothes wrinkles and lines.  Facial fillers such as Juvéderm®, Expression®, Perlane®, Radiesse® and Restylane® are great for patients aged 21 and up who have moderate to minimal signs of aging or simply want to help maintain previous plastic surgery results.  Popular areas for facial filler treatments include the cheeks, lips, around the mouth area and jaw line.  Depending on the type of filler you choose, typical results can last anywhere from 6 months up to two years, therefore follow-up treatments are necessary to keep a more youthful appearance.

Blepharoplasty (Eyelid Surgery) – 207,000 procedures performed

As we age, skin loses its elasticity, often causing the upper eyelids to droop and form excess fat deposits underneath the eyes on the lower eyelids.  Blepharoplasty is performed to eliminate those telltale signs of aging on the upper and/or lower eyelids by removing excess fat, tissue and skin around the eyes in order to provide a rested appearance.  Depending on the patient’s particular goals, eyelid surgery can be performed on the upper eyelids (to address the “hooded” appearance from sagging eyelid skin) and/or on the lower eyelids (to target the fatty tissue that creates under eye bags).

Facelift – 128,000 procedures performed 

When you’re at the point where you’re looking for longer-lasting facial rejuvenation results, facelift surgery can target moderate to minimal signs of aging such as lax skin, or deep wrinkles and fine lines; particularly helpful for those looking to eliminate excess skin around the cheeks, jowls and neck.  Once I remove excess, sagging skin, I reposition the remaining skin, tissue and muscles (if needed) to fill lost volume and create an overall smoother, wrinkle-free appearance.  There are also those patients who may have specific isolated areas of concern on their face in regards to the neck and jowls and choose to opt for a mini facelift to only rejuvenate and tighten the lower third of the face.

Whichever facial rejuvenation plan we tailor for your unique needs is entirely up to you, however, the first step towards facial rejuvenation is to choose a board-certified plastic surgeon with extensive training in the procedure of your choosing.  When your safety is concerned, it is important to be your biggest advocate and do the research!  If you’d like to meet with me, cosmetic surgeon Dr. David Whiteman, to answer any questions, feel free to schedule a consultation whenever the need arises.  You can also stay connected with Southern Plastic Surgery on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ for plastic surgery news and updates.