Liquid Facelifts

Are Cosmetic Procedures Aging You?

Yes, Plastic Surgery and Cosmetic Procedures can make you look older.

The goal of all these procedures is to make us look more youthful, more rejuvenated, not harsher and older.

If you take a look at some at some celebrities over the years you can really see how their images have changed from too much fillers or too much Botox, making them look weird and sometimes older than they really are.  Woman are getting botox and fillers starting in their 20’s and end up looking more like they are in their 30’s.

Take a look at Kyle Jenner before she had fillers, with fillers and without fillers. Doesn’t she look prettier and younger without fillers?

Plastic Surgery and Cosmetic procedures can actually make you look older. In fact I’ve interviewed plastic surgeons for my podcast, The NipTuck Talk Show  who have stated they don’t like fillers, don’t use fillers because they feel too much filler over time can actually cause the face to age more.

I often wonder about this as I continue to plump up face with fillers due to age and volume loss.

Yes, too much filler can make you look older.  Rather than enchanting your looks, your face becomes distorted.  Puffy cheeks with slitty eyes and duck lips is not a natural look.

Frozen faces from too much Botox can make your face look weird, waxy and overdone. Nicole Kidman’s face had a weird frozen look last year. She’s still beautiful but her face had no movement.

Watch your brows. Too much Botox can raise your brows giving you an unnatural look screaming too much Botox. On the other hand low droopy brows can age you. A brow lift can also raise your brows to where they look freakish and unnatural. That’s a sure sign you’ve had a brow lift!

Large Breasts that don’t match your body shape look unnatural and can be a health risk.  Your breasts should look like they match your body shape not lead into the room. Yet many young woman still think, big is better. Actually big is not better and the trend is going smaller with 250-300cc breast implants.  Many surgeons today will not even operate on you if you are seeking 500-600cc breast implants.  When I see a young woman with enormous breasts, I cringe because she has no idea what she is going to look like at 50 or 60 years old. Your breast should flatter your body at any age.

Beware of too much liposuction and Buccal Fat removal.  These procedures can age you as you grow older and lose volume.  There are concerns that procedures like Kybella may remove too fat from your chin and neck.

Plastic surgeons caution patients about removing too much fat in areas where we need fat as we age. Such as necks and under the eyes.

The bottom line is we can’t stop the aging process.

Be smart about your cosmetic procedure choices, striving to look like a better version of  yourself at any age. 

Michele is an independent plastic surgery coach and patient advocate.  Visit her website for more information.

 

 

 

What To Know Before You Get Fillers This Holiday Season

You’ve heard about new facial fillers such as Juvederm Volbella® or Restylane Refyne®. Your doctor or nurse injector has many fillers in their tool box. How do they know which ones to use?  What fillers are the longest lasting  and what  should you know about each facial filler. When you’re planning on getting fillers for your lips, smile lines, temples or cheek area its important to be well informed. 

The most common fillers are Hyaluronic acid,  HA is a natural substance found in your body. These fillers are easily dissolved with Hyaluronidase if you are overfilled, have complications or don’t like the way it looks. However, it’s important your injector knows how to use this product, as too much can dissolve your natural tissue, this is not permanent.

I’ve tried all the Hyaluronic acid  fillers on the market today. I’ve been injected by the most skilled plastic surgeons, dermatologists and nurse injectors.  I still experience swelling, bruising and have had fillers dissolved.  Recently, I tried newer fillers like  Juvederm Vollure ®,  Juvederm Volbella® as well as Restylane Refyne® and Restylane Defyne®. My body breaks down fillers rapidly, therefore some fillers have a shorter duration.  Due to different technologies and your body’s chemistry some fillers  may cause more swelling and bruising than other fillers. Expect swelling and bruising especially with lip and under the eye fillers.

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Filling Eye Hollows with Dermal Fillers: What Are The Risks?

Deep hollows under your eyes can make you look tired and dull.

HA fillers can fill your hollows for a refreshed and more youthful look.

Filling eye hollows is a delicate business and there are risks. The biggest risk is bruising, lumps, overfilling and swelling. In some cases if not done properly it can actually make your lower eye area look worse.   Today there are more hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers in the aesthetic tool box and techniques for treating this delicate area have improved.

I’ve read many posts online about patients who have had fillers and are experiencing puffiness, lumps, bruising, swelling and a baggy look after the injections. Others have  good results. I’ve also experienced good and bad results.  Please choose your injector wisely. This is a very difficult area to treat.

Performing “tear trough” treatments to the hollow area under the eyes requires meticulous technique.  When done correctly the results are very satisfying.  The most important factor is to go to an injector who is has a lot of experience in this area.

Below are some guidelines to consider before you jump into filling your eye hollows (tear trough).

Parts of this post was originally written in 20o9 when I had my tear troughs treated for the first time.

A business colleague had her tear trough area filled by a local plastic surgeon in San Francisco, CA .  I was very impressed with her results and decided to fill my eye hollows, for a more youthful look.  At the time there were only two HA fillers on the market Juvederm and Restylane. Although both fillers were very similar Juvederm tends to create more puffiness in the eye area than Restylane, as it absorbs more water. My surgeon choose Juvederm which surprised me because Restylane was the preferred filler for this area. However, I trusted his judgement.

Afterwards I very bruised, swollen and lumpy. I waited patiently a couple of weeks hoping it would resolve. The bruising diminished but the puffiness persisted. I looked like I had been punched in the face and knew that OI needed a correction. Fortunately HA fillers can easily be dissolved with hyaluronidase. (more…)