Contact Us  |  Locations

“Life Expectancy” of Plastic Surgery

Tag Archives: face lift

Often times in my Louisville Plastic Surgery office I get questions about how long the results of an operation will last. The answer is there really isn’t an answer so here’s how I answer the question.

Be it a Louisville Facelift, a Louisville Breast Lift or a Louisville Tummy Tuck, all of which are lifting/tightening procedures, some diminution of results is to be expected. The reasons are varied but all are based around the fact that our skin is a living breathing ever-changing tissue. So, with continued aging, health changes, sun exposure things will change. Now, what I also tell my patients is that though the results do fade over time, it isn’t like all of a sudden everything goes to “heck in a handbasket” at a certain point in time. You will always see an improvement vs. doing nothing at all.

Some patients do come back in 10-20 years for a redo lift, be it face, breast, brow, etc… but many do not.

Lee Corbett, MD

www.CorbettCosmeticSurgery.com

All posts on this blog are presented by Louisville Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Lee Corbett

A mini facelift is a scaled down version of a standard Louisville Facelift.

With a mini facelift, and there are several versions out there, what you are looking at is a shorter incision, less undermining of the skin, and less work on the deeper tissues compared to a typical facelift.

The incisions are usually run just under the side burn to the top of the ear and then down to the bottom of the ear. We then tunnel out in front of the ear for about 5 to 6 cm. Then a series of purse string sutures are used to tighten the deeper tissue that actually give the lift.

These procedures also a quicker and take about an hour.

The procedures are great but are ideally suited for younger patients with less facial aging. Remember, you can’t have a mini operation with a mini price, mini scar, mini cost but still get a maximum result. So, talk to your surgeon and make sure the operation is right for you!

Lee Corbett

www.CorbettCosmeticSurgery.com

All posts on this blog are presented by Louisville, KY Cosmetic Surgeon, Dr. Lee Corbett.

This is a pretty common question I  hear in my office. Women will come in with come concerns about their facial aging and want to know their options.

After eleven years of doing Face Lifts in Louisville, I have come to realize that there are a lot of women who want to look as good as they can, without surgery. In response, I have come up with a treatment plan that you through your options from least to most.

The ‘least’ end of the spectrum is better skin care products. I have a blog on prescription strength skin care products and I recommend you take a look at it. In brief, whatever you are buying at the cosmetic counters can’t compare to the skin care you can get from your plastic surgeon. Why? Because, by law, we can sell you products that are much stronger and thus much more effective. And, some component, like Retin-A, aren’t available without a presciption. So step 1 is to start on some good skin care.

After skin care, you are looking at deeper chemical peels and lasers. Though the methods by which they work are different, they have a common endpoint. That being that they wound your skin and when it heals it is better than it was before. Now these treatments carry a bit more downside on the recovery arena, particularly with the lasers. I deep peel or laser treatment can put you out of commission for 3 to 5 days.

If you have tried all of the above, and still aren’t seeing the improvement you would like, fillers and botox are options. Fillers and botox are office treatments that are quick, easy, and very effective. They are not permanent options but the cost has gotten low enough that many can afford to re-treat when necessary.

Last but not least is surgery. On the face we offer brow lifts, face lifts, eyelid tucks (blepharoplasty), and rhinoplasty (nose reshaping). For some, surgery is just never going to be an option, and that’s fine. But, there are a lot of possibilities and significant improvements are achievable. Of course the cost and downtime are greater, but the flip side is you do get what you pay for.

You can’t have a mini procedure, with a mini cost and a mini recovery and expect a maximum result. Sounds good but like most things in life, it doesn’t work that way…except for botox. That stuff is magic!

Lee Corbett, MD

www. CorbettCosmeticSurgery.com

502.721.0330

All posts on this blog are authored by Louisville cosmetic plastic surgeon Dr. Lee Corbett. Dr. Corbett specializes in cosmetic plastic surgery including facelifts, browlifts, blepharoplasy, Louisville Botox, Juvederm, Restylane, breast augmentation, breast lifts, breast reductions, body lifts, liposuction,  and tummy tucks.

Here comes a smoking lecture that is a little different than any you’ve endured before. There will be no mention of lung disease. The culprits are vasospasm and carbon monoxide.

I realize you probably don’t know what Vasospasm is, so I will explain what it is and why it affects plastic surgery procedures. When you smoke a cigarette the nicotine absorbs into your bloodstream. When it hits the very small vessels just under your skin, it makes them spasm closed. Well,  the problem is, for a lot of our operations, like facelifts and tummy tucks, we depend on those vessels for you to heal and for your skin not to die. So if you are smoking, you run the risk of segments of your skin dying. I don’t mean being numb, I mean dying and falling off! Trust me, this is not a good thing. Especially if it is on your face or breasts!

Carbon monoxide plays into things because when this gets into your lungs it gets distributed to your tissues instead of oxygen. The problem is, your tissues don’t need carbon monoxide to heal, they need oxygen. So when you smoke you are effectively starving your tissues and this can lead to your wound falling apart. Smoking is horrible for wound healing. Period. That is why Plastic Surgeons are so adamant you quit. I don’t want your result to be ruined and I know you don’t either.

Lee Corbett, MD

www.CorbettCosmeticSurgery.com

502.721.0330

All posts on this blog are authored by Louisville Plastic Surgery physician, Dr. Lee Corbett.

Cosmeceuticals” are prescription strength skin care products. A few of the more popular ones are Obagi, Glytone, and Skin Medica. These products are sold exclusively from a physician’s office, usually a Plastic Surgeon or a Dermatologist. In many ways these products are similar to what you are able to purchase at any upscale cosmetics counter. But, there are some very real and important differences.

First, most effective skin care lines contain some form of acid, be it glycolic, trichloractetic etc… The advantage of the products sold at your doctor’s office is that they are stronger. Basically, we can offer more concentrated products which will give you a more noticeable result. For instance, the max concentration of glycolic acid is 2.5% in an over the counter product. The Cosmeceutical lines start at 5% and go up to 12.5%.

Some components of prescription lines are simply not available over the counter. Hydroquinone and Retin-A are examples. Hydroquinone is a fade cream that is commonly used to fade sun spots and help blend and smooth your complexion. Retin-A is a vitamin A derivative that is used on the fine lines, especially around the eyes. It promotes a gentle exfoliation of the skin and a firming and tightening.

So, while they are more expensive, prescription grade skin care product lines are definitely more effective. Basically, like many things in life, you get what you pay for.

Lee Corbett, MD

https://www.corbettcosmeticsurgery.com/

502.721.0330

All posts on this blog are authored by Louisville skin care plastic surgeon Dr. Lee Corbett. Dr. Corbett specializes in cosmetic plastic surgery including facelifts, browlifts, blepharoplasy, Botox, Juvederm, Restylane, breast augmentation, breast lifts, breast reductions, body lifts, liposuction,  and tummy tucks.