Facial Cosmetic Surgeries For Men And Women
Elderly Couple
Which Facial Surgery Should I Consider?
Whether you’re considering a facial cosmetic procedure to improve your health, enhance your features or change your look, it is important to know that plastic surgery can have a huge impact on your life. The decision to have facial surgery is very personal. Whatever your reasons may be, it’s very important that you pick a surgeon you are comfortable with, and that he or she understands your goals and concerns.
What is facial plastic surgery? Is it different from reconstructive surgery?
The term “plastic surgery” is often used interchangeably with the term “cosmetic surgery.” Cosmetic surgery refers to elective surgical procedures to reshape normal structures of the body to enhance the appearance or correct something a patient finds bothersome. Whether it’s straightening a crooked nose, creating a more attractive facial contour or erasing the signs of age, the goal of most facial surgery procedures is to help a patient achieve greater self-confidence and add to their sense of well-being.
Plastic reconstructive surgeries, on the other hand, are medically necessary procedures to correct abnormal structures of the body caused by birth defects, trauma, infection, tumors or disease. The goal of reconstructive surgery is to improve the function of the structure but may also help create a more “normal” appearance for the patient.
To answer one of the more common questions about the difference between the two: most health insurance policies cover reconstructive surgery, but they do not cover cosmetic (or elective) procedures.
Common Types of Facial Surgeries
A rhinoplasty or a “nose job” is a surgery to change the shape and/or size of the nose. Often, patients elect for rhinoplasty if they feel the shape, size or features of their nose disrupt their facial harmony. Most patients want to get rid of a crooked nose, a prominent bump, or wide tip.
Recovery from rhinoplasty does not involve much pain, but patients experience swelling and bruising for a few weeks.
A brow lift, also called a forehead lift, most often addresses the issues of a low brow, a sagging brow that causes wrinkles or an asymmetrical brow. If the goal is to eliminate forehead wrinkles, this procedure offers results you cannot achieve with Botox or fillers alone. This is also a great procedure to have in conjunction with a facelift or eyelid surgery for an overall refreshed and more youthful look.
A blepharoplasty, or eyelid lift, can be performed on both the upper and lower lids to help patients look more awake and youthful by getting rid of droopy eyelids, sagging lids and bags under the eyes. Eyelid surgery can also correct impaired peripheral vision caused by severely sagging skin.
A neck lift can get rid of excess skin and fat deposits under the neck as well as the “turkey neck.” Full facelift surgery involves the neck, but a neck lift can be performed alone without a facelift.
A facelift (or rhytidectomy) involves repositioning and tightening loose skin on each side of the face to return a more youthful facial contour. A facelift is performed to take care of aging skin as it becomes less elastic which can create a worn, tired look around the jowls, neck and the sides of the mouth. Other procedures can be done at the same time as the facelift such a browlift and eyelid lift. A facelift is the facial surgery procedure with one of the longest associated recovery times. Though the surgery is commonly an outpatient procedure, there may be several days of swelling and bruising. Most patients need to take two to three weeks off work and full recovery can take up to six months. The good news? You can expect the results of your facelift to last 10 or more years.
The results of facial surgery can only be as good as the surgeon who performs these procedures. Questions to ask when choosing the surgeon should include how many years of experience he or she has performing surgery, the number of surgeries performed and their training and board certification. Board Certification is not just showing that one can pass a test. Obtaining certification from The American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) involves demonstrating certain levels of specialized education, training, experience, expertise in plastic surgery, and required yearly continuing medical education.
The surgeon can be verified with a quick search on the ABPS website.
Southlake Plastic Surgery is a premier plastic surgery center in Southlake, Texas. Board-certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Mark Mason, has completed training under world-renowned plastic surgeons and has been performing surgeries on men and women in Tarrant County for 20 years.
