One thing we have noticed in our interactions with patients here at Southern Surgical Arts is that many do not realize they can get some of the benefits of a traditional face lift without actually undergoing surgery.
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At Southern Surgical Arts, we frequently see patients who desire tighter, more youthful looking skin on their faces—especially around the forehead, chin and neck areas. Patients also ask us to help with sagging, loose skin on their neck and décolletage. Many of these patients aren’t ready for a surgical intervention or don’t wish to commit to the downtime that surgery would entail.
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You may think of cosmetic surgeons as your lifeline to a more beautiful “you”—but did you know some qualified surgeons are also a source of relief for those who experience chronic migraine headaches?
If you suffer from chronic migraines, you know the pain and frustration of how these intense, debilitating headaches can negatively affect every area of your life. Because of the extreme physical discomfort caused by migraines, chances are that your work and home life have been greatly impacted at one point or another. If medications and lifestyle changes haven’t brought you relief, you might want to seek help from an unexpected source—Botox®. Studies have found that both the frequency and severity of the migraine headache can be reduced by 50% as a result of Botox therapy.
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If you’re one of the nearly 14 million Americans with rosacea, you know how frustrating the condition can be. The characteristic redness on the cheeks, nose, and chin may eventually lead to visible blood vessels, small lumps and bumps and thickened skin. Adding to the frustration, one of the more popular “go-to” treatments for skin resurfacing—the chemical peel—will only irritate the sensitive skin of rosacea sufferers even more.
Even if you don’t have rosacea, redness may still be an issue for you. You may have “cherry” moles, port wine stains, or vascular lesions like surface capillaries. Or, you may have fresh surgical scars or stretch marks that are reddish in color and have not yet begun to fade.
Fortunately, advances in cometic laser technology mean that we can treat these red-hued lesions with more beautiful results than ever before, thanks to the Vbeam pulsed-dye laser at Southern Surgical Arts.
The Vbeam laser is the gold standard in treating red marks and lesions. It delivers an intense but gentle burst of light into targeted areas of the skin. The light is absorbed by the targeted blood vessels or red-pigmented areas in the skin (depending on which skin condition is being treated). The goal of this treatment is to fade the targeted red areas so they blend more readily into the surrounding skin.
One of the many attractive features of this treatment is that discomfort is minimal and there is little downtime. The Vbeam has a patented cooling technique that minimizes stinging. Your face may look slightly reddened for about 24-48 hours and you may experience some short-lived, mild swelling. Results will be influenced by factors including how long you’ve had the lesions and the locations on your body.
The Vbeam laser is most effective on patients with fair to medium skin tones. It is not recommended for darker skin tones because the contrast between the surrounding skin’s color and that of the treatment area may not be enough for the laser to target effectively.
To learn more about how Vbeam can help to reduce redness, please call Southern Surgical Arts at 423.266.3331. We are happy to share additional information with you.
When you hear the name “Sciton NanoLaserPeel™”, you might think of a futuristic technology or possibly something out of a science fiction movie. This is only appropriate, as the Sciton NanoLaserPeel is one of the most cutting-edge new procedures available today for skin rejuvenation. Southern Surgical Arts is proud to offer this exciting technology to our patients.
What is NanoLaserPeel?
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One of the biggest misconceptions about gender and elective surgery is that women are the only ones who are interested in enhancing themselves through cosmetic surgery. When many people think of cosmetic surgery, they may simply think of women getting breast augmentations, liposuction, face lifts and even quick-recovery options like Botox and lasers. But, actually more men are turning to their local cosmetic surgeon to achieve a more athletic physique and look more attractive.
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At one point or another, perhaps in an old TV show from the 80s, we’ve all seen a “bad” face lift. This is a face lift that is obvious to even the untrained eye, leaving an unnaturally plastic, stretched look to the skin, the eyes tugged back harshly—and the result is anything but enviable.
Images like this can stay with us for a long time, making us cringe at the thought of ever pursuing that kind of surgical intervention for ourselves. But today’s reality could not be more different!
Not Your Mother’s Face Lift
Since we started our blog in 2008, we’ve covered dozens of topics related to cosmetic surgery. When choosing our blog topics, we take into account the interests of our readers and patients, and target the issues for which we receive the most questions.
Scroll through some of our “greatest hits” posts below to see which of our articles have been the most popular since we started blogging!
Q. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT A FACELIFT CANNOT FIX?
A. A traditional facelift treats the lower two-thirds of the face: the cheeks, jowls and neck. It will not improve areas of the upper face such as the brow or eye areas, which are better treated with a brow-lift. If you want a more youthful appearance overall, Dr. Nease can discuss a facelift along with different options for the eye and forehead area based on your goals during your consultation.
Words like Belotero, Restylane, CO2 and “fat transfer” may not be in your everyday vocabulary, but you’ve probably heard about one problem that they are each excellent at addressing: hollow eyes.
Hollow eyes result when fat loss due to aging, genetics, or even extreme weight loss causes the area around the eyes to look bony, sunken and “hollowed out.” This can make dark shadows and wrinkles look more prominent, causing you to appear fatigued and older than you really are.
Because eyes are so important to first impressions, many are distressed when they start to see these changes. However, there are several non-surgical alternatives to help you rejuvenate the eye area, creating a more rested, youthful appearance.
Belotero can be an excellent solution to adding volume back to the delicate area around the eyes. A hyaluronic acid, Belotero provides subtle, natural-looking results with minimal swelling, no downtime and often immediate results. Because it is a thin, light product, Belotero can be used closer to the surface than other products without causing discoloration. Best of all, your Belotero treatment can last from 6-12 months.
Restylane is a hyaluronic acid product commonly referred to as a “dermal filler.” When Restylane is injected into the under eye area, also known as the “tear trough,” it smooths out and softens the hollow look. Results can last up to 9 months, with minimal bruising that typically resolves within one week. Restylane is a good option for someone with moderate to severe hollowing who is not yet ready for a surgical solution but who desires an immediate improvement.
Belotero and Restylane are very similar products, both safe and effective at filling in the tear troughs.
CO2 laser resurfacing is another excellent, non-surgical way to achieve immediate results in creating a more youthful looking eye area. CO2 therapy improves skin tone and texture, and tightens the skin around the eyes to diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
The fractional CO2 laser is considered the “gold standard” of resurfacing lasers, with a typical recovery time of a week to ten days, during which the skin will be reddened and slightly swollen. Patients can opt to be lightly sedated during the procedure for a more comfortable experience.
Finally, fat transfer is an excellent, natural approach to improving hollow eyes. During a fat transfer, Dr. Deal or Dr. Nease will harvest your body’s own fat from other areas via an incision so tiny it does not even require a suture. After the fat has been filtered for impurities, it will be injected into targeted areas around your eyes. Because the fat comes from your own body, this is a very safe, well-tolerated procedure and an excellent way to improve the contours of your eyes. Additionally, fat transfer combined with CO2 laser resurfacing is a highly effective method for rejuvenating the lower eyelid and surrounding area.
While more expensive than fillers, fat transfer is actually a more affordable option when you consider that the results can last for years.
If you’re “eyeing” any of these procedures to help you look more youthful and rested, please give us a call at 423-266-3331! Both Dr. Nease and Dr. Deal are award-winning, board-certified surgeons who have performed more than 10,000 cosmetic surgery procedures in the last seven years. Their commitment to safe, quality, and cutting-edge care is one of the reasons that Southern Surgical Arts is consistently recognized as Best of the Best.