Birthdays and Plastic Surgery
April 10th, 2012
As I write this, it is a few days before my birthday. I got to thinking about how my patients are often motivated by age to do something to fight the aging process. Each milestone birthday seems to bring in a characteristic patient type that reflects the aging process.
When girls turn 18, they no longer need parental consent, and often are looking to improve body image. At Yager Esthetics, I see consults for the nose, breasts (both implants and reductions), and liposuction most frequently. It is my challenge to make sure that they understand the risk and process, and that they are mature and secure enough to handle it.
At age 30, the first fears of aging set in. Many women have had children, and it is time to get the body back. Mommy Makeovers, breast lifts and implants, tummy tucks and lipo are all very popular in this age group, as is the Brazilian Buttlift. They are still young, and want to enjoy physical beauty for a little longer.
At age 40, facial changes start. There are still the body after baby procedures, but we start to talk about the eyelids, the neck, and occasionally the face. Fillers and Botox are very often demanded as well. Skin care starts.
At the dreaded 50, full on facelifts, brow lifts and eyelid procedures dominate the conversation. Fillers and wrinkle remedies are a maintenance must. Body procedures are still in demand, especially with the now single ladies.
After 60, it is essentially all facial aging changes that we deal with both surgically and nonsurgically, depending on the health and desires of the patient.
My advice is to fix what bothers you when it bothers you, not just because it is a certain birthday. Take control of your life and seek out honest, professional advice, and make the decision that works for you, when it works for you.
Plastic Surgery and Weddings
April 2nd, 2012When a woman is getting married, she wants to look her best. It is a magical day filled with fairytale dresses and many, many photographs. Diets almost always are begun, and the bride begins to obsess over how she will look. Sometimes, a plastic surgeon is consulted.
When someone is getting married, it is important to consider how much time we have before the big day to plan for recovery to the point of being photo ready. Things like liposuction require little time off from work, but take a while for swelling to disappear. If it is arms or a back or neck, you want to make sure you can have massage after, and 3 months ahead is a good time frame.
For breast surgery, you will look fine for photos in a month, but if the honeymoon requires lifting or force with the upper body, 3 months is safer. For a tummy tuck, at least 2 months is a good guideline. Face or eyelid or nasal surgeries are trickier. This is a very photoed site. I recommend 3 months at least.
Things like Botox or fillers or peels are usually good to do about 6 weeks prior in case of any bruising or if touchups are needed. You do not want to have any additional stress on your wedding day.
So if plastic surgery needs to come before your wedding, or someone close to you is getting married and you want to look your best, plan early to see your plastic surgeon as scheduling often takes a while as well. Good luck!
Bullying and Plastic Surgery
March 28th, 2012We hear a lot these days about bullying and the pain and even life ending consequences that can occur when a child can not deal with the emotional burden. We teach our children to speak up against it, schools are more aware, and it is not tolerated like it used to be. So what does this have to do with plastic surgery?
If your child has ears that stick out from the sides of his/her head, they may be teased or bullied at school. Otoplasty, or ear surgery, is a simple one hour procedure that can reshape the ear and make your child less self conscious. More severe defects, such as cleft lip and palate, are routinely corrected before school begins to avoid these situations.
Likewise, as teenagers, kids can be bullied about their noses, and in some cases a rhinoplasty is indicated to reshape the nose even in teenagers. They must be mature, physically developed, and the procedure should be their idea.
No patient, especially a child, should have plastic surgery unless they are self motivated, understand the risks and benefits, and have the full support and consent of their parents. Bullying is a terrible and serious problem, but plastic surgery is surgery. All surgeries carry risks, and your child needs to be aware of all of them to make an informed decision.
We all want the best for our children, including myself. If my child were being teased for a physical trait that could be corrected and I felt they were realistic and understood the risks, I would support their decision
Botox Gone Bad- Injectable Horror Stories
March 20th, 2012As a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon in New York, I see many patients with facial lines who are looking for nonsurgical correction. Many of them have had it done before in other places, and I hear shocking stories . Let me tell you a little bit about how to avoid being ripped off or permanently damaged.
Only a doctor or a nurse under his direct supervision licensed in the state can inject you with a filler or botox. If it is a doctor from another country or a salon or spa employee, it is illegal for them to do this. Make sure you ask if they are licensed by the state to do this procedure.
Anyone with a license to practice medicine regardless of what field they trained in can offer you injectables. This means your Family Practitioner, Ob/Gyn, Radiologist, and even Dentists can do these treatments with no training required. Ask what field they received there Board Certification in, and how long they have been doing that particular treatment.
Make sure you know what you are getting. Many illegal practitioners inject silicone, but call it botox or biopolymer or whatever is hot. You can avoid this by asking to see the bottle or syringe and packaging first. All legal injectables have the brand and logo printed on them. A regular syringe of clear liquid is most likely silicone. This is permanent and can cause longterm problems.
Even if you get botox, it can be watered down. Botox is measured in units, and each area needs about 15 to 25 units. Ask how many units, as sometimes a cheap price isn’t so inexpensive if you are getting less.
My last advice is if you are unsure or feel that something is not right, do not do the procedure. It is not an emergency, do your homework. You can always go back if all checks out. Hope this helps.
Your Plastic Surgeon is not your Parent
March 13th, 2012Many patients visit me at Yager Esthetics looking for answers to their cosmetic concerns. They want to look better, have heard good things about my office from friends, family, other doctors, or on television, and they see me for a consultation. What surprises some is that I do not make any of the decisions, I leave them to the patient.
To clarify, this does not mean I do what the patient asks of me regardless of what it is. It is my job to educate you, give you the benefit of my experience, and review the risk and benefits of your options with you. I will let you know if I disagree with your choice, and explain why it may not be your best option as well. I am not your parent, I am your experienced guide and teacher, a partner in care who will help you decide what the best choice may be.
I hear stories of consultations in other offices where the doctor pops in, looks at the patient, and tells them what they need, and leaves it to his staff to answer questions and try to make you commit to surgery. I do not think this is adequate. Each patient is unique, and just because you plastic surgeon is partial to a c-cup, this might be either too big or small for your taste. One size does NOT fit all.
I encourage you to come to my office for an education on your safe options for improving your appearance. I will do my best to guide you through the process so that we may come to a mutually agreeable decision as to how to realize your esthetic dreams.