As we age, our bodies go through lots of changes. Among these is a reduced production rate of hyaluronic acid, also known as HA. Hyaluronic acid, among other things, is vital for keeping your face looking young and healthy. At Plastic Surgery Center in Sarasota, FL, we are proud to offer several anti-aging procedures to help you regain your confidence and restore your youthful facial contours. Today, we’d like to talk about the most incredible benefits of a facial fat transfer.

What Is a Facial Fat Transfer?

Facial fat transfer, more commonly known as fat grafting, is a natural way to restore the appearance of youth to your face without the need for an invasive medical procedure. It starts with the most innovative, non-invasive technique to gently remove fat from a part of your body that you’re unhappy with.

Then, the fat is cleaned, leaving only whole, undamaged fat cells and removing any blood and other liquids. Finally, your own fat is injected into parts of your face that show signs of aging.

What Can I Expect Before Treatment?

Before your first treatment session, you will meet with your plastic surgeon and discuss at length which areas you would like to have treated. We will also discuss any and all concerns you have, what results you can realistically expect, a thorough description of the treatment process, and all post-treatment care you will need to take.

What Can I Expect During Treatment?

On the day of your treatment, we will numb both the donor and recipient fat sites with local anesthesia. Receiving this type of anesthesia means you can drive yourself home after treatment. If large volumes of fat are required, we may recommend general anesthesia or local anesthesia combined with sedation to ensure your comfort throughout your entire facial fat grafting treatment.

If you receive general anesthesia, you will not be able to drive within 24 hours of your treatment, so you will need to arrange a ride to and from our office. The same holds true for sedation. Once your treatment sites are sanitized, we will inject you with local anesthesia. Once the anesthesia has taken effect, we will withdraw fat from your trouble site with a syringe and cannula, which is a very fine tube.

After the fat has been purified, it is injected into your face with a needle. We will remove more fat than is necessary from your trouble site to account for blood volume, damaged fat cells and a percentage of fat that will be metabolized by your body when injected into your face.

Advantages of Facial Fat Grafting

1. Natural-Looking Results

One of the most significant benefits of facial fat grafting is how natural the results look. With the right plastic surgeon, results from facial implants can look natural. However, analogous fat transfer is actually natural.

Rather than using synthetic plastics or gels, in this method fat is being transferred from one part of your body to another. This means there is no risk of infection and no risk of your body rejecting the augmentation as a foreign substance.

2. Contour Other Parts of Your Body

Your face isn’t the only part of your body that shows signs of aging. As you age, your hormone production rate drops. These hormonal imbalances, particularly low testosterone, can lead to a drastic reduction in metabolism. Unfortunately, many people don’t change their eating habits to account for their new metabolism. Thus they develop excess fat in certain places on their body.

Facial fat grafting allows you to remove fat from your trouble spots, contouring your perfect physique. The only stipulation is that you have enough fat to be removed. During your initial consultation, we will help you determine if you have enough fat to be removed from a given trouble region.

3. No Downtime

Another significant benefit of analogous fat transfer to the face is the recovery period. You can go back to your daily routine the same day as your treatment. This holds true even if you have a large area, such as your cheeks, filled. It is also in stark contrast to getting facial implants, which require an invasive procedure and one to two weeks off of work.

Keep in mind, however, that you may need to avoid strenuous exercise for a few days after your treatment to allow the fat to settle into place properly. We also recommend sleeping on your back to ensure the fat remains in the injection site.

4. Long-Lasting Results

The results of facial fat grafting are long-lasting. It takes about six months for the healthy fat cells injected into your face to establish a blood supply and become permanent. However, once this occurs, the results are relatively permanent. As long as you consume enough calories for weight maintenance, you should not need a follow-up treatment.

It’s important to keep in mind, however, that not all fat transferred to your face will “take”. Thus, we will inject a little “extra” fat into the treatment site. By the end of six months, you should have the results you want. The injected fat will have settled into its proper place and become permanent.

Am I a Good Candidate for Autologous Facial Fat Grafting?

During your initial consultation, we will help you determine if you are a good candidate for autologous facial fat grafting. There are several things you must consider when deciding if this is the anti-aging treatment for you. First, you must be in good general health. Second, you must have enough fat to transfer from another part of your body. Third, you need to have realistic expectations about the results. Finally, you must be committed to healthy lifestyle choices.

Health

While autologous facial fat grafting is non-invasive, it is still important to be in good general health. You must not have an active infection at either the donor or recipient sites. Let us know if you are taking antibiotics within two weeks of your scheduled appointment. We may recommend rescheduling your treatment.

Moreover, this is not a good treatment for you if you suffer from certain blood diseases that require you to take anti-clotting or anti-platelet medications. Other medications and supplements, such as NSAIDs, MAOIs, vitamin E, fish oil and St. John’s Wort, can all thin your blood and affect the outcome of your treatment. Avoid taking these medications for several days before your autologous facial fat grafting.

Body Composition

To be a candidate for any type of autologous fat grafting, you must have an adequate supply of excess fat elsewhere on your body. Fat cannot be harvested from a friend or even a family member. It must come from your own body. Luckily, we all have areas of our bodies that we’re not happy with. Among the places that we can harvest fat from are:

• Upper arms
• Thighs
• Abdomen
• Lower buttocks
• Hips
• Sides
• Back

You may be dissatisfied with fatty tissue depositis beneath your arms. But that doesn’t mean you have enough fat to be removed for autologous facial fat grafting. When we review your aesthetic goals, we will assess your problem areas and let you know where we can graft fat from for the best results.

Expectations

It’s important to understand what results you can realistically expect. First, it helps us determine the best anti-aging treatment for you. Second, it is the only way to ensure you will be satisfied with the results. The most important thing for you to understand is that not all of the grafted fat will “take”. Because we overfill the treatment sites, your treated areas may look a little too plump for a brief period.

The second most important thing for you to understand is that the results of this treatment are not permanent. Due to a reduced production rate of hyaluronic acid, facial volume loss will still occur as you continue to age. By eating enough calories to maintain your body weight, you can ensure that the fat in your treatment areas remains. However, even if your cheeks don’t become sunken in the future, you may still experience wrinkles, lines and folds caused by volume loss.

What to Expect During Recovery

During recovery, it is essential that you keep your face as immobile as you can. This includes avoiding vigorous exercise. Do not massage or otherwise touch the treatment areas for the first seven days after your treatment. This gives the grafted fat tissue time to settle into its intended position.

You should also take antibiotics as prescribed and avoid excessive exposure to the sun. Finally, you will need to sleep on your back for the first week after treatment. Again, this helps to ensure that the fat takes root in its intended locations.

Lifestyle Choices

The best candidates for autologous facial fat grafting do not smoke. This is because nicotine constricts your blood vessels, making your facial skin look older and “recovery” take longer. We strongly recommend that you avoid the consumption of nicotine for a couple weeks after your treatment.

Alternatives to Facial Fat Transfer

If you decide facial fat transfer is not right for you, there are a couple of alternatives that may provide you with better results. During your initial consultation, we will review your medical history, current health status and unique aesthetic goals to help you find the best anti-aging solutions for your needs.

Facial Implants

Facial implants are used to improve facial volume and contour. However, they are not a direct substitute for facial fat grafting. Facial implants are most common in younger clients who feel their chin or cheekbones need to be enhanced.

Facial fat grafting, contrastingly, is most often used by older clients who wish to look younger rather than more pronounced. Facial implants are often combined with other cosmetic procedures, such as rhinoplasty, to strike the perfect balance of contour.

Anti-Aging Injections

There are several types of anti-aging injections that may be right for you. These include dermal fillers and neuromodulators. Dermal fillers include a synthetic version of HA and are sold under brand names such as Juvederm and Restylane. They plump up sagging cheeks and lips and add volume to fill in lines, wrinkles and folds on your face.

Neuromodulators are made with the neurotoxin known as Botulinum toxin A. They are sold under brand names such as Botox and Dysport and work by reducing the frequency of electric signals between your neurons. This prevents muscle hyperactivity and allows your face to relax. It is particularly effective for the treatment of lines and wrinkles that are exacerbated by facial movements, like smiling, frowning or laughing.

Take the First Step Towards Looking Younger Today

To discover if facial fat transfer is the best way to restore the youthful contours of your face, contact the dedicated beauty experts at Plastic Surgery Center in Sarasota, FL today to schedule your initial consultation. We will help you come up with a treatment plan that helps you look younger and feel more confident about how you look.

Trying to recapture our youth with topical treatments is like pushing a boulder up a hill. Frankly speaking, there’s only so much that serums, scrubs, and even high-tech treatments can accomplish. While there are many cosmetic treatments that will stimulate collagen production and give you a glowing, youthful complexion, there is really no rival to the youthfulness you can attain with a mini facelift. At Plastic Surgery Center in Sarasota, FL, we specialize in this quick, easy, and effective procedure.

In the interest of providing you with information to make a fully informed decision about your cosmetic treatments, we have put together a guideline for everything you need to know about this treatment. If you still have questions, feel free to contact our office and talk to our expert staff before your initial consultation.

What Is a Mini Facelift?

This is a minimally invasive procedure that has a quicker recovery time than a traditional facelift. This treatment goes by many names, such as a mini lift and a weekend lift. But regardless of what you call it, the treatment always does the same thing – tighten and lift the skin for minor facial aging in the cheeks and jaw areas of the face.

Mini lifts are targeted procedures that produce a natural-looking, more youthful appearance, and are completely customizable for every patient.

Benefits of Mini Facelift

A mini lift is designed to have fewer incisions and a speedier recovery, but these aren’t the only benefits of the procedure. Other benefits of a mini lift include…

• Tightening of skin in the chin and jaw
• Lifting the skin in the jowls
• Minimizing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
• Minimal scarring
• Less sedation
• Lower cost
• Personalized treatment
• Long-lasting results

Aside from the lift your face will have, and the short recovery time, mini lifts have less risk of both scaring and side effects from general anesthesia. Unlike traditional facelifts, most weekend lifts are done with a combination of mild sedation and local anesthesia. This is a draw for patients who are anxious about “going under”.

Another benefit of a mini lift is the lower cost. Compared to a traditional lift, mini lifts are only a fraction of the price. Cosmetic treatments themselves are investments, especially invasive procedures that deliver long-lasting results. With a mini lift, you get the benefit of long-term results without taking a huge chunk out of your wallet. Additionally, you also get a procedure that is tailored to your exact needs.

What Happens In a Mini Facelift?

While it’s nice to know what the numerous benefits of a mini lift are, many patients are comforted to know the exact steps of the procedure. Here we have outlined the entire mini lift process, from your initial appointment all the way to recovery so you know exactly what to expect every step of the way.

Initial Consultation

Your first appointment will be the initial consultation. During this appointment, you will talk with our outstanding surgeon, Dr. Jeff Scott, as well as other staff. Your consultation is primarily about talking about your appearance goals and examining the aging symptoms you are experiencing in the mid-face region. We will ask for your general medical history, take note of your current health, and other factors that need to be considered, such as how easily your skin scars.

In order to fully analyze your appearance and create a personalized treatment plan, we will take pictures of your face from both front and side angles. These pictures will help Dr. Scott determine the best way to help you achieve your ideal appearance. At this time, we may suggest additional options to explore, such as an eye lift or other cosmetic treatments.

Mini Lift Process

The full process of a mini lift can be broken down into a few simple steps, which include pre-treatment guidelines, sedation, procedure, and post-treatment guidelines. For you as a patient, your only job is to arrive at your appointment dressed comfortably and ready to reset the clock on your youth.

Step One: Pre-Treatment Guidelines

There are a few instructions that we will require you to follow before your appointment. We will provide you with a full list of pre-treatment guidelines at your initial consultation. One thing that will be included on that list is to avoid certain over-the-counter medications for a short period of time before your procedure. We may also advise that you have an attendant ready to take you home after the procedure is complete.

Step Two: Sedation

There are two choices for sedation when you undergo a mini lift. The first is general anesthesia, which will fully sedate you during the course of your treatment. Some patients do not or cannot use general anesthesia, which is why a second option is available. Many patients choose a combination of twilight sedation and a local anesthetic, which merely leaves your relaxed from the partial sedation.

Step Three: Procedure

Overall, the procedure for a mini lift is simple. Dr. Scott will make a small s-shaped incision near the ear, which he will use as the main point for the lift. It is possible that another small incision will be made near the chin, depending on the goals of your treatment. In any kind of facelift, the skin is gently redraped toward the incision site and excess skin is trimmed away.

The procedure will take 3 or 4 hours to complete. After the lift is completed, Dr. Scott will close the incisions with sutures or skin glue, which will need to be removed about 7 days after the procedure.

Step Four: Post-Treatment Guidelines

It is very important that post-treatment guidelines are followed to ensure the best recovery and healing. Once your procedure is complete and sedation wears off, you will notice that your incision areas have been dressed with bandages, drains, or a combination of both. We will provide you with a detailed list of guidelines, such as how often to clean and redress your incisions, and to sleep elevated to reduce swelling.

The post-treatment guidelines will also provide advice on how to manage the expected swelling and bruising that comes in the days following the procedure, as well as ways to manage discomfort with certain medications. We will also recommend you limit your activity for the first few days follow the procedure. In order to better promote healing, we may also prescribe topical ointments to use during your recovery.

Expected Recovery

Recovery for a mini lift typically takes a few weeks, usually between 1 to 3 weeks to fully recover from the procedure. We generally recommend you set aside 1 week following the procedure, as this is when the majority of healing will take place. Recovery is made easier when the post-treatment guidelines are followed well.

After your sutures are removed, we will advise you on whether or not you can return to your normal activities.

How Long Will Results Last?

While the expected results of a mini lift are tightened skin in the mid-face, you might be wondering how long those results are going to last. You will first see results from the mini lift after you have fully healed from the procedure. For most patients, these results last for 5 years or more. Overall, the length of time the results of a mini lift last depends on your rate of aging. Some patients enjoy the results of mini lifts for as long as 10 years.

Why a Mini Facelift Is Right for You

By now, you might be wondering why you should choose a mini weekend facelift over a traditional facelift – and it’s a fair question. Why get the miniature option when the total option is available?

The fact of the matter is that we all age differently and that means for some that a total facelift might be too drastic of a procedure. If you are only experiencing the early signs of aging, then you really don’t need a total face lift. Sometimes, too much of a good thing is bad. For facelifts, the goal is to lift the face while still appearing natural, so having a total facelift instead of a lift in targeted areas is sometimes unnecessary.

And that’s the second point of why a weekend facelift might be a perfect fit for your needs. With a mini lift, you get to select which areas of your face deserve the most attention. With a mini lift, you get a tailor-made treatment that suits exactly your needs and nobody else’s. With a mini lift, you get to take back some control and choose where to turn back the clock. And is there anything better than that?

Can You Combine Mini Facelift With Other Treatments?

A mini lift accomplishes a very specific set of goals, and for some that might mean that other appearance goals might not be totally met by the lift alone. Thankfully, it is totally possible to create a treatment plan that combines a mini lift with other treatment options, such as a brow lift, derma fillers, injectables, or other skin rejuvenation techniques. You can also combine a lift with mainly topical techniques, such as chemical peels or facials offered at our office.

If you are interested in combining a mini lift with other treatments, our expert staff will help you outline a treatment timeline for treatment so that all of your appearance goals can be met with the best possible outcome. Our primary goal is to meet your expectations with comprehensive and compassionate care. We encourage you to speak up so that we can answer any questions you might have when you come in for a visit.

Ideal Candidates

If you’re interested in a mini lift, you might be curious about who ideal candidates are for this treatment. Typically, candidates for this treatment are 40 or older. By the broadest strokes, ideal candidates are anyone who is experiencing early signs of aging and skin laxity. Early signs of aging include:

• Skin laxity in the jowls and cheeks
• Skin laxity beneath the chin
• Fine lines and wrinkles around the mouth

This treatment is the perfect choice for those who want to have a natural, long-lasting return of a youthful appearance. If you have mild to moderate skin laxity in the mid-face and chin area, then you are likely a candidate for this treatment.

Learn More

If you want to give your appearance a youthful boost, then a mini facelift might be right for you. Contact the experts at Plastic Surgery Center in Sarasota, FL to schedule your initial consultation today! Our caring and compassionate team will help tailor a treatment plan to best fit your lifestyle and appearance goals. We look forward to the opportunity to welcome you!

 

Breast Augmentation

Breast augmentation is one of the most common cosmetic surgeries performed. This procedure is implemented to enhance the shape and size of your breasts and is generally accomplished with saline or silicone implants or in some cases, fat transfer.  Each procedure is customized to meet the unique needs and desires of every patient. Common reasons to have this surgery include:

• Restoring the fullness of the breasts lost due to pregnancy, breastfeeding and weight loss
• Increasing projection and fullness of the breasts
• Improving confidence and self-image
• Correcting Breast Asymmetry

Once you decide that you are interested in having a breast augmentation, your first step is to consult a Plastic surgeon who is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) in order to ensure your safety and achieve the best results possible.

At your comprehensive appointment, Dr. Scott will listen to your goals, examine you, review your medical history and discuss the different options available to help you achieve your objective.

The Options for Breast Augmentation

 There are different factors involved in order to determine the type, size and profile of implant best suited for your aesthetic goals. Silicone or saline Implants are used in most instances when an increase in more than one cup size is desired. Whereas fat transfer may be used for small enhancement or to correct mild asymmetry.

Both silicone and saline implants have an outer shell composed of silicone.  A saline implant is filled with salt water (naturally found in our body). Silicone implants are filled with a silicone gel that is viscous or gummy-like.  This gel-like property of silicone implants allows the implant to feel more natural than that of a saline implant. Rupture of a saline implant is more easily detected than that of a silicone implant because the salt water will leak and be resorbed by the body resulting in deflation. For this reason, it is recommended by the FDA to have MRI screening 3 years after implantation of a silicone implant.  Due to the cohesive nature of the current generation silicone implants, rupture does not allow silicone to leak out into the body.

The decision to have an augmentation with a silicone or saline implant is a personal choice.  At your consultation the differences between the two types of implants will be explained in greater detail to enable you to make an informed decision.

The size of the implant is based upon your goals as well as your individual anatomy.  Precise measurements will be taken of your chest wall by Dr. Scott to determine the optimal size and projection (or style) of implant best suited for you. It is often helpful to look at the many before and after breast augmentation pictures on our website prior to your appointment in order to get an idea of the look you are interested in achieving. When looking at the different sizes and types of implants, it is best to find a picture of someone close in age  who has a similar chest wall build, height and weight.  The use of sizers over your breast, bags filled with rice and even 3D simulations are not completely accurate in determining the optimal implant cc’s or volume.  These methods are unable to take into account the fine nuances of the individual such as your skin elasticity, degree of asymmetry, and your body. This decision is best made by your plastic surgeon based upon your anatomy, goals and concerns.

The Surgery

Your safety is Dr. Scott’s primary concern.  Therefore, he performs his surgery in a state-of-the-art JCAH accredited Outpatient Surgery Center.  You will be given light general anesthesia by a Board Certified Anesthesiologist to further ensure your safety and comfort.  The procedure takes approximately 1½ hours and you will need a responsible adult to pick you up from the surgery center and stay with you for the first 24 hours.

In order to decrease chance of infection, most incisions are now made in the inframammary fold.  The vast experience and expertise of Dr. Scott ensures that the scars are well hidden.

He uses a sterile funnel to insert the implant in order to further decrease chance of infection, capsular contracture and minimize the size of the incision.

The Recovery Process

After your procedure, you may experience slight tightness and discomfort. Depending upon your occupation, the majority of patients are able to return to their normal routines and work in a few days.  There will be some restrictions afterwards regarding the amount of weight you can lift as well as certain exercises to avoid for a few weeks after surgery.   All of this will be reviewed with you at your preoperative appointment prior to your surgery.

Additional Procedures

Often times, a breast lift or mastopexy is performed in conjunction with a breast augmentation.  A breast lift is performed to give the breasts a more youthful appearance by removing and tightening excess skin as well as lifting and often decreasing the size of the areola.  In addition, body contouring using liposuction or a tummy tuck is often performed at the same time as a breast augmentation.  The combination of breast augmentation, body contouring, and tummy tuck is commonly referred to as a mommy makeover.  These procedures can also be discussed at your consultation to determine if you are a candidate.

Get In Touch with Us for More Information

Breast augmentation surgery has helped improve the confidence and self-image of countless women, and it can help you too. If you are interested in learning more about this procedure, we encourage you to reach out and make an appointment with The Plastic Surgery Center. Dr. Scott’s vast surgical experience, expertise and ability to listen to his patients has produced continual patient satisfaction.  At our convenient locations in Bradenton and Sarasota, our caring team of dedicated professionals will be pleased to explain the process to you in greater detail, answer any questions you may have, and help you achieve your dreams. Contact us today to set up your thorough consultation – we look forward to speaking with you!