What do I mean by that? Well, Covid-19 has had a lot of us holed up at home looking at ourselves in the mirror. (Is that a wrinkle? Where did that crease come from? And when did I get jowls?!!)
In a world where a lot of things are outside of your control, one thing you can control is how you look.
Don’t get me wrong, we can’t stop the aging process, but we can slow things down a bit. Tweak Mother Nature, so to speak. Use the right products and see a board-certified plastic surgeon for both surgical and non-surgical beauty interventions. You may be surprised at all of the choices that are out there as well as the amazing results that can be achieved.
Let’s take a look at that laundry list of complaints you compiled while staring in the bathroom mirror and talk about how we can address them, either surgically or non-surgically.
Facial Rejuvenation for the Forehead
Lines on your forehead, either the horizontal kind or the “elevens” between your eyes are due to muscle contractions. In the same way muscle memory helps you learn how to ride a horse or perform martial arts, the “expression lines” become a habit, but not one that you want to keep.
BOTOX is a great, non-surgical treatment for both types of forehead lines because it works by paralyzing those muscles, allowing them to finally relax. The look of lines will diminish significantly or disappear for several months. My practice has been recognized as a Black Diamond provider of Allergan BOTOX, meaning we’re in the top 1% of providers using this product. Basically, you can trust that we know what we’re doing.
If your eyebrows have become lower over time, it is because the skin of the forehead has become lax, allowing the distance between the brows and the eyelashes to shorten. This can cause you to look tired, angry or sad. For women in this position, I recommend a brow lift, which is a surgical procedure that raises the eyebrows back to their original position, creating a more refreshed and pleasing appearance.
Treatment for lines around the mouth
If you have “parentheses” around your mouth, vertical lip lines or furrows between the corners of
the mouth and chin, I can help. Juvéderm dermal filler is great for smoothing these lines in a
furrows and wrinkles. The results are immediate, creating a gorgeous softening of facial
wrinkles with no downtime.
Another option is the Sciton Joule laser, whose results you have to see to believe. It literally erases deep lines and wrinkles when I use it for deep resurfacing. I’m so excited and proud to offer this tool, which you won’t find everywhere. I encourage you to click to the link to learn more.
Facial rejuvenation for the eyes
“Crow’s feet” around the eyes are one of the most common first complaints associated with aging. BOTOX works great for these, and as a plastic surgeon, I’m very strict about ensuring my BOTOX patients aren’t so heavily treated that it affects their natural facial expressions. We do want to see those “smiling eyes,” after all!
For drooping eyelids, I offer a procedure called blepharoplasty. Through well-hidden incisions in the crease of the upper eyelid and just beneath the eyelashes of the lower lid, I can correct drooping eyelids as well as puffy bags under the eyes. In some cases, this surgical procedure can even reduce the appearance of dark circles beneath the eyes.
Thin lips
If your lips aren’t as luscious as they used to be, Juvéderm VOLBELLA® XC injections can make a stunning difference. This specially formulated hyaluronic acid filler is designed to create soft, smooth results that look and feel natural in the lip area. I use it to diminish vertical lip lines, improve the shape of the upper and lower lip, improve lip symmetry, and increase lip fullness just the right amount for a beautiful, natural-looking result. If you desire more of an augmentation, I may recommend Juvederm Ultra, a thicker filler whose results are more dramatic.
If I know lip augmentation isn’t going to give you the desired result due to age-related changes that affect the shape of the mouth, I may recommend a lip lift. This minor surgical procedure (in- office with no general anesthesia needed) ensures that we’re augmenting a properly-shaped lip and not drawing attention to a feature that calls out your age
Continue on to Part II of this blog post to read how I can treat loss of volume in the cheeks, lax skin and jowls, chin and neck complaints, and skin discoloration.
Categorized in: Non-surgical Procedures