New York Plastic Surgery Blog - Dr. Kenneth Rose » Facelift

Is it a Real Facelift?

admin — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 00:40:59 +0000

There is a great article in the New York Times about the “quickie” facelift. I confess I don’t know how it’s done or who the people are who do them, but I do know it took me nine years of surgical training and several more years in practice to learn how to do a good one. I also know that we never discuss “their” methods of performing a facelift at our annual meetings. And finally, I notice from this article that there are no plastic surgeons performing them at these centers. So what does it all mean?

I suppose it means that there is no free lunch. If what they were doing was so great we’d all be doing it. Conformity in plastic surgery is a beautiful thing. If everyone is doing it, then it probably works, if only a handful of people are doing it it probably doesn’t. As I said before, I am quite ignorant when it comes to the “quickie” facelift, and I intend to keep it that way.

Facelift vs. Necklift Manhattan Style

Kenneth M. Rose MD — Sat, 09 May 2009 23:19:03 +0000

So you think you want a facelift. Your neck is hanging, the laugh lines are getting deeper and overall you look older. You should know that facelift surgery will fix these problems because a facelift not only pulls back the skin on the face, it also tightens the neck as well. It is a big procedure but it does the job.

However before considering such an undertaking, think about a necklift instead. Sometimes it’s all some people need. A necklift just tightens the neck and leaves the face essentially unchanged. To me, the sign of a youthful face is how well the jawline is defined. Try it yourself, pull back the skin on your neck and see if you look younger. If you do, a necklift is probably the procedure for you. Normally, I can reserve a full facelift for an older person with deep facial wrinkles. The necklift alone works for many people ages 40 to 55 or 60.

So if you’re thinking about a younger look, make sure to ask your surgeon about the necklift procedure. It maybe all you need.

Do You Really Need a Tummy Tuck?

Kenneth M. Rose MD — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 14:09:18 +0000

This is a good article from The New York Times about Gerald Pittman a plastic surgeon here in Manhattan. It makes a strong case of how to avoid plastic surgery. I think it’s a little exaggerated, like surgery is the absolute last resort (after all he makes his living by operating), but there is a lot of truth to it.

Believe it or not most good plastic surgeons turn down a large percentage of their prospective patients. Some are just not candidates for surgery. That could be because they are not psychologically realistic about the results, they are poor candidates for the particular surgery they want (i.e. an obese person wants a tummy tuck or a heavy smoker wants a facelift) or the surgeon’s personality and the patient’s just don’t mesh.

The best thing you can do as a patient is be realistic about the results (liposuction and tummy tucks are not dieting substitutes) and try to be in the best physical shape before the procedure. This combination of positive attitutde, good surgical judgement on the part of your surgeon and prime physical condition, is the best way to insure a a great result.

Some People Might Actually Want Fake Looking Breasts

Kenneth M. Rose MD — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 17:54:46 +0000

This article in the Los Angeles Times illustrates an interesting point. We all have seen, whether on TV or on the street, terrible facelifts and the like. Yes, some is just terrible surgery. It doesn’t necessarily mean the surgeon is bad, there may have been a complication or maybe the surgeon just had a bad day. (Everyone gets those and surgeons, unfortunately are not exempt.) However another possibility is the patient wanted to look like that.

I have many patients who come to the office and demand, “I want my breasts really big and really fake looking.” Although you might find this a little unbelievable, it happens all the time. Few people ever consider that some patients, and celebrities in particular, crave attention. An outlandish breast augmentation is one way to get it. In my practice, celebrities definitely make the most extreme requests.

So next time you see “bad plastic surgery” don’t be so quick to judge. Maybe that’s just what the patient wanted.

Smoking and Plastic Surgery

Kenneth M. Rose MD — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:12:42 +0000

This article concerning facelift and smokers that was recently in the New York Times is extremely important for those considering a facelift. I know many surgeons who will turn down a potential facelift patient if he finds out that he or she is even an occasional smoker.The same can be said other cosmetic procedures such as tummy tucks . Smokers normally function using less oxygen in the blood than non-smokers. Smoking deprives the skin of oxygen which is a crucial part of the healing process therefore terrible scarring can result. This video From CNN, Smoking and Plastic Surgery, show what happened to a liposucrion, breast augmentation patient. patient. Something many patients fail to consider is that cessation of smoking is just as important after the surgery is over. Although surgery can be stressful for many people, reaching for a cigarette to calm your nerves (even weeks after the procedure) will ruin your esults. So once you quit, you must quit for good.

As a patient, being less than truthful about your smoking history, sneaking a cigarette either before or after the surgery (even one) can have disastrous results. The best thing about having a facelift and being a smoker is that it can potentially prolong your life. In order to have the procedure you will need to quit for a least a year (no cheating!). Hopefully that will be the end of your smoking habit. A younger look and a longer life will be yours!