What Can Facial Plastic Surgery Do for You?
It comes as little surprise that body contouring procedures, like breast surgery, liposuction, or Brazilian butt lifts, are among the most popular forms of plastic surgery in the world today. In fact, according to statistics compiled by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, they account for more than half of all the cosmetic plastic surgery procedures performed in the United States alone. However, with all of the excitement over procedures that can shape the body, it is easy to forget that early plastic surgery was really developed to specifically address the face. While classic facial plastic surgery is familiar to many patients, few truly understand all of the things that a facial plastic surgeon can really accomplish.
Minimizing the Signs of Facial Aging
The most obvious signs of aging are associated with the face, and one of the most effective uses for facial plastic surgery is to make patients look younger and healthier. Highly targeted procedures, like blepharoplasty (or eyelid surgery), are designed to alleviate one specific area of concern, leaving the other facial features unchanged so that people are unable to tell exactly what sort of work the patient has had done. More comprehensive forms of facial rejuvenation, like a full or mini facelift procedure, can improve the appearance of multiple areas simultaneously, giving the entire face a refreshed and rejuvenated look.
Enhancing or De-Emphasizing Facial Features
Many people have individual areas of concern on the face that they would like emphasized, or de-emphasized. For example, one person may wish that they had a stronger and more prominent jaw line while another might wish for a smaller or more proportional nose. Procedures like otoplasty (ear surgery) and rhinoplasty (nose surgery) use cartilage taken from the patient’s own body or artificial implants to rebuild and shape facial features, creating an appearance that blends seamlessly with the face’s natural structure.
Adding Volume and Fullness
Decades ago, cosmetic facial plastic surgery to address aging relied mostly on subtraction, removing excess sagging skin and then stretching the facial muscles to erase wrinkles. Today, modern facelifts work very differently. Youthful faces have a natural plumpness, but as time goes by fat deposits begin to break down, allowing the skin to sag and droop. Fat transfer techniques for the face use fat taken from other areas of the patient’s own body (via liposuction) to restore this lost fat to key areas, giving the face a more youthful appearance.
If you would like to learn more about any of the various plastic surgery and facial rejuvenation procedures that we perform, please contact Atlanta Plastic Surgery, P.C. at one of our Atlanta, Alpharetta or Cumming offices to schedule a consultation. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ for the latest plastic surgery news.