By Carolynn Grimes
ThePlasticSurgeryChannel.com

Whatever you want to call it, “Bro-tox” or Botox, men are now learning what women have know for years; that Botox injections can help them look younger and more refreshed, taking years off the aging process.

The number of men getting Botox and cosmetic procedures has doubled in the last 15 years.

Doctors verify that they are seeing more men come into their office, many times at their wife’s or girlfriends prompting. But also to gain a professional edge in the workplace. Dr. Caroline Glicksman a board certified plastic surgeon and board member for ThePlasticSurgeryChannel.com says, “In my practice, one of the leading drivers of men trying Botox is the positive influence of their wives and girlfriends. Although their personal reasons may vary, a man who has the emotional support and encouragement of his wife or girlfriend, is more likely to try Botox for themselves, and continue using throughout the year. ”

Some men consider Botox because they want to look their best and compete in the workplace.

Another reason Glicksman says is men want that competitive edge  in the workplace.  “One of the things I’m seeing more recently with the economy, a lot of men have to go through job interviews, they are competing a little bit, so it helps them feel a little bit better about themselves for an interview,” states Glicksman.

Botox is now the number one plastic surgery procedure for men. According to the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), more than 2.4 million individuals underwent these procedures in 2010.

Dr. Robert Grant a board certified plastic surgeon says when men get a little older into their 30’s and 40’s they should start thinking about the use of fillers and neurotoxins like Botox and Dysport to keep them looking their best.  Grant says, “These can help very subtly restore some of the age related changes in volume of the face and the lines and wrinkles that make us look older before our time.

Dr. Glicksman says the ideal candidate is someone who wants to see how much better they can look without having surgery and taking time away from work. She states, neurotoxin injections have no down or recovery time, are inexpensive compared to surgical alternatives and are relatively low-risk.

However, Glicksman warns that “men should take Botox injections seriously and be evaluated by a board certified doctor before getting the procedure.”

Facelift! Facial expert Dr. Patrick Sullivan, board-certified plastic surgeon at Brown University in Providence, RI, and Chairman of the Facial Rejuvenation Committee of the Plastic Surgery Channel Medical Advisory Board tells you important pearls about  facelifts in the PSC 101 video exclusive.

What type of person wants a facelift?

Do you want to look as energetic and happy on the outside as you feel on the inside?  Are people telling you that you look “sad” or “upset” when you are not?

The face and neck often portray some of the first visible signs of aging.  This appearance can lead some people to get the wrong impression when they look at you.  This can be an issue both at work and at home.

You may want to get rid of your jowls, or maybe it’s the wrinkles and laxity in your facial area that are a problem.  A facelift can help address issues such as gravity, loss of volume and deflation, and the collection of fat in certain areas. It is an extremely common procedure among both women and men in the United States.

Here’s what happens during a consultation: Your face is carefully evaluated after you tell us exactly what bothers you.  We then target those areas, addressing them with plastic surgery techniques that can remove jowls and fill in deflated facial areas (i.e., fat injections).  We can lift and contour the tissue in the facial area that has become lax over time and fallen forward and down.  We can also remove fatty deposits in the neck and take care of the neck bands, often referred to by patients as “turkey necks.”

We feel it is important to contour and sculpt these areas in a way that gives a very natural appearance.  (We never want this to look overdone or stretched.) We have special techniques to make sure your result appears natural. We take the time necessary and make great efforts to camouflage and hide the incisions to try to ensure that post-operative scarring is not an issue. This is particularly important for patients with short hair and those who like to wear their hair up.

What should you know about facelifts?

It’s important to know that there are no quick fixes with face lifts.  We feel it is important to do it right the first time because it is your face and there is NO way to cover it up.   It is not like a flat screen TV that you can take back if it doesn’t work.

Understandably, facelifting can be very confusing for patients.  They often times get pulled into fancy advertisements from corporations boasting great claims of “success” with quick procedures.  We feel it is incredibly important to:

1. Do your homework and seek out a qualified plastic surgeon, making sure that he or she is board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery
2. Also, make sure you check references for the individual surgeon
3. Ask to see many pictures of the surgeon’s patients before and after surgery

Please look through our website on the Plastic Surgery Channel, as it provides a wealth of information on facelift, facial contouring and many other plastic surgery procedures.

In another PSC mediawire exclusive Plastic Surgery Channel expert Dr. Paul Lorenc discusses the  “Vampire Facelift.”

Vampire facelift

One of the  newest facial treatment to hit the shelves – the Vampire Facelift. This isn’t really a traditional facelift but is a variation of a dermal filler. It is the latest permutation of new filler which is essentially the patient’s own blood that is used for the treatment. In this procedure, the plasma or a portion of the blood is extracted and drawn out and then processed. The result is plasma with a lot of platelets and this plasma is then injected back into the skin of the patients. This product injected back into the skin stimulates collagen growth in the body.

Is the Vampire Facelift legitimate?

This procedure, however, is in its early stages and hasn’t been tested much. Sometimes, the media gets ahead of itself and publicizes techniques that haven’t been properly researched. At the moment, there isn’t much scientific research on the Vampire Facelift, but it certainly looks like a promising technique that should be investigated.

Dr. Lorenc specializes in facial rejuvenation and continues to be closely involved in research and development of new advances in aesthetic surgery. He is considered a pioneer in the development of the new generation of dermal fillers (including the one touted for vampire facelift) and is a leading authority in facial anatomy.

Dr. Keyes is heavily involved in research and studies related to data collection and patient safety. He is double board certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery and The American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. Dr. Keyes is a renowned international lecturer on safety during surgery.

Rhinoplasty is one of the most difficult surgeries to perform in cosmetic surgery. There are some plastic surgeons that specialize in Rhinoplasty more than any other surgery. One thing to make sure when undergoing a Rhinoplasty is to choose a surgeon who does this procedure frequently and is well versed with all the possibilities and techniques in the procedure. The surgeon must have a great deal of skill specific to Rhinoplasty. Rhinoplasty can be life changing surgery as it really does change the appearance of the face dramatically. Having said that, this is exactly why patients must be cautious in choosing the right surgeon since their entire facial appearance is at stake. The look arrived at after the rhinoplasty must have harmony with the rest of the patient’s face. It is therefore very important to understand the credentials of the plastic surgeon before undergoing the surgery.

Facelift

What should you expect from a Facelift?

Current, modern-day Face-lifting options and techniques can be confusing for patients as there are many new options for both surgical and non-surgical facelift procedures. Although more and more minimally invasive and non-invasive procedures are being developed for rejuvenating the aging face, there are still times when surgery is needed to achieve the result that you want. Face lifting today, in the hands of well-trained, up-to-date surgeons, should reliable treat the advanced signs of aging and do so with minimal scarring. You should be able to obtain a refreshed, younger, and more importantly, natural result and not have what is traditionally thought of as a “facelifted” look.

Will a Facelift look natural?

Dr. Thornton says he is still surprised when he sees patients who have had a facelift by someone they considered to be an expert who, while maybe having their wrinkles removed, clearly have an unnatural look in the mouth, cheek and eye area and in some ways look like a different person. A skilled surgeon using modern techniques and carefully analyzing and individualizing facelift techniques to each patient avoids this type of result.

Make sure to find board-certified plastic surgeon that has particular interest and expertise in facelift techniques. Be sure to scrutinize any marketing claims of no recovery or seemingly simple office procedures, as they may not produce the result you desire.

Some important questions you should check with before you pick a surgeon include:

1. Is the surgeon Board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery?
   
2. Make sure your potential surgeon has particular expertise in facelift procedure. Has he/she published peer-reviewed articles on the topic? Has he/she presented on the topic at national meeting.
   
3. Ask to talk to some existing patients who have had the same procedure you are interested in.
   

By carefully choosing your surgeon and educating yourself by reviewing the wealth of information found here on theplasticsurgerychannel.com, you can help yourself get the result that you want for your facelift.

Facelifts and Facial Rejuvenation.  Jacksonville Plastic Surgery Channel expert Dr. Paul Scioscia discusses a  simple  way  for  potential patients to make  decisions when considering facelifts and facial rejuvenation.

Why are  facelifts and facial rejuvenation so confusing?

Facelifts and facial rejuvenation procedures are topics that cause a lot of confusion amongst patients and there are a lot of options including   both surgical and nonsurgical  from browlifts, rhinoplasty, botox and other options. Patients often do not know which procedures to seriously consider and which to avoid.

What  should patients considering  facelifts and facial rejuvenation know?

Dr. Paul Scioscia advices patients about the right approach to surgical facial rejuvenation. A lot of patients come in for facial rejuvenations and the suggested approach is for the surgeon to first start with an evaluation of the face and skin in general as this is important in order to develop a real comprehensive plan for the patient. This is an important step as it helps determine the procedures or steps to be included. In some cases, non-surgical options are better and surgery may be avoided.
Dr. Scioscia breaks this examination into four modalities for taking care of facial lines:

• Surgery.  In case there are issues of skin laxity, then surgical options might be a good solution

• Dermal fillers are another option to fill in grooves and valleys created in the face. These would include fillers such as Juvederm, Restylane, Collagen or fat.

• Skin Resurfacing. One approach is sanding from above or dermabrasion. This falls into three categories the first of which being laser of light sourced energy or lasers.  Another resurfacing option is to use a chemical peel and dermabrasion which involves mechanically doing the skin tightening and remodeliing.
• Botox – which is unique in that it addresses dynamic lines which are created when one animates or moves their facial features.

Using this general breakdown patient may better understand the options to  choose from for facial rejuvenation or  facelifts.

Dr  Paul Scioscia is board certified by practices at  Ponta Vedra Plastic Surgery in Jacksonville Florida and has  particular expertise in facelifts and  facial rejuvenation.