Beauty… The State of the Art…Persky-Sunder Facial Plastic Surgery Thoughts

Today’s cosmetic consultation should be a collaboration between patient and physician. A patient should clearly explain what troubles them to the point that has caused them to make the appointment (unless they are very needy and just came for the “compliments” at a complimentary consultation. Compliments at our office include not only, “You have beautiful eyes!”, but also an occasional piece of chocolate). The physician should listen until there is mutual understanding. A patient may hear about this or that new treatment and ask for it, but their may be a better, safer, less invasive plan to achieve the result. A patient bothered by her eyebrows drooping may ask for a surgical endoscopic brow lift, when if the lost volume of the lateral brows and face are restored, a natural rejuvenation can be obtained. Realistic expectations of what both the patient and physicians goals are should be completely clear once a treatment plan is made.

Visualization is most important in facial aesthetics. Bubba Watson, the 2012 Master’s Golf Champion won the tournament with most incredibly creative shots. Before hitting the winning shot, Bubba, like Jack Nicklaus decades before him, carefully examined the situation of where his golf shot had landed on the leaves in the forest, visualized the movements necessary to create the improbable flight of his golf ball under branches, over tree tops, curving to the right in the air to land softly on the green. Great facial plastic surgeons must likewise examine the face of the patient who sits before them in consultation, and visualize the best possible result, and plan the optimum treatments to that end.

Buyer beware! Dr. Persky just returned from a multi-speciality aesthetic conference (Facial Aesthetics State of the Art 2012) that was not only for core multi-speciality aesthetic physicians (plastic surgery, facial plastic surgery, dermatology, and opthalmo-plastic surgery), but also included “aesthetic extenders’ and non-aesthetic core physicians. An internist without any experience in plastic surgery approached me during a break asking me what I thought about the surgical tool in the exhibitors hall that she was told ” With this you can do a blepharoplasty (eye lid surgery)” , and whether she should purchase the surgical tool, take it back home to her office, and perform blepharoplasty. I was shocked and succinctly dissuaded her from attempting any surgery without a proper training residency. At a recent Scuptra injection conference in Beverly Hills with premiere injector Danny Vllegar, MD (Vienna), I was not surprised by some of the improper injecting techniques that were being used by nurses, physician’s assistants, and other “extenders” from high profile practices when they discussed their techniques. Patients should also beware that there is an increase of Botox and Laser “centers” in Urgent Cares, and strip mall stores. Needless to say, too ofter patients “get what they pay for.” An advantage of being treated by a facial plastic surgeon with artistic vision is that you may not only need that touch of Botox, but by adding a little something here or there, your aesthetic result is greatly enhanced. Please choose your facial aesthetic provider carefully, it is much easier for us to take care of you from the beginning, and much more difficult to correct problems.

So what’s new with noses? Retired world famous facial plastic surgeon Frank Kamer, MD has also said that though our surgical goal is to create symmetry, slight asymmetries in rhinoplasty are okay, even lending to a more natural appearing nose. Rhinoplasty remains the most difficult of all facial plastic surgery aesthetic surgeries (other than the miraculous full facial transplants that we are currently witnessing). The key to a great nose is that it “gets out of the way” of the patient’s eyes and other facial features. While in the past, an obvious nose job was a sign of status, today natural and unoperated upon appearing noses are preferred . We are using more conservative techniques such as using sutures to position and re-shape nasal cartilages instead of removing excessive cartilage. Diced cartilage grafts wrapped in temporalis fascia allows the rhinoplasty surgeon to augment the nasal profile in a most natural manner.

Sculptra and Ulthera are excellent non-invasive, non-surgical treatments to restore facial volume, shape, and tightness. In combination they are even more effective.

“Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes clean to the bone.”
― Dorothy Parker

So how to best achieve a state of beauty? Again, “beauty is a happy heart”, it comes from inside of us. Once your inner beauty is taken care of, when a little external “polishing up” is desired, please come visit Drs. Persky and Sunder. Both doctors share a facial plastic surgeon’s artistic vision and sense (common sense included) with all of the “paints on their palate” to help to bring your inner beauty to the surface. From the slightest facial injection to the most eloquent rhytidectomy (face lift) …and everything in between, our physicians will work with you to help you achieve your aesthetic goals, which we wish to have the privilege of doing for many years to come. Enjoy the beauty of life and be well.