Patients opt for facial cosmetic surgery for a variety of reasons. They may want to correct flaws or defects, reduce signs of aging or improve their confidence. There are many procedures that help patients achieve these goals, some are permanent while others require routine follow-up.
Facelift
Signs of aging usually appear in your face first. Gravity and volume loss cause skin to sag and wrinkles to develop. A facelift will smooth your skin, tighten tissue and muscles and eliminate excess skin and fat. Candidates for this procedure should be in good health, in their 40s through 70s, and have skin that maintains some elasticity.
Rhinoplasty
Also referred to as a nose job, rhinoplasty is performed to repair or reshape the nose. It can enlarge or reduce the size of your nose, straighten the bridge, reshape the tip, narrow the width of the nostrils, and change the angle between the nose and upper lip. It may be used to correct defects resulting from trauma or birth and can also help you with any breathing difficulties.
Revision rhinoplasty is used to rebuild or reshape deformities resulting from a previous rhinoplasty surgery.
Eyelid Surgery
Known as blepharoplasty, eyelid surgery is a procedure that removes excess skin and wrinkles from the lower eyelids and fatty deposits from the upper eyelids, thus eliminating droopy eyelids and bags and circles beneath the eyes. Results are usually long lasting, though some opt for repeat surgeries after a number of years have passed.
Otoplasty
Otoplasty is a cosmetic surgical procedure that alters the shape, position or size of the ears. It is used to fix defects of the ear that have been present from birth or have resulted from injury. It is most often performed to correct prominent or protruding ears. Younger patients benefit most, though their ears should be fully grown before the procedure is performed, usually around the age of four or five.
Botox
Botox is an injectable drug used to temporarily paralyze muscle activity. Derived from the Clostridium botulinum bacterium, it is injected into the skin to reduce facial wrinkles and creases, crow’s feet and frown lines. It blocks signals from the nerves to the muscles, preventing them from contracting.
Results last from three to 12 months, with many patients opting for maintenance injections. The best candidates are healthy adults who do not have deep lines or creases etched into the skin.
Injectable Fillers
Injectable fillers are soft tissue fillers injected into the skin to fill in facial lines, folds and wrinkles. Unlike Botox, injectable fillers rely on substances such as hyaluronic acid, polyactic acid or calcium hydro-xylapatite.
The most popular brands include Restylane, Juvaderm, Radiesse and Sculptra. Most last between six months and two years and require maintenance injections. They are often used in conjunction with other procedures such as facelifts and Botox injections.
Call Augusta – Aiken ENT & Allergy at (706) 868-5676 or (803) 649-0003 for more information or to schedule an appointment.