beverly hills facelift « Cosmetic, Facial & Eye Plastic Surgery Blog

September 9, 2010

What Is the Best Facelift?

Are you ready for your facelift? Consider how a facelift in Los Angeles with one of the top cosmetic surgeons in California can help you improve your appearance. As the single most powerful facial cosmetic surgery today, a facelift is a beneficial treatment for those with neck cords, deep facial lines, fatty deposits, and sagging features. With so many providers and procedures today, it can be a challenge to decide what facelift and what surgeon is right for you. As you research your options, you will probably find yourself asking, “What is the best facelift?”

Facelift Before and After Photo

We’d like to modify this question slightly. What you should be asking is, “What is the best facelift for me?” What many people do not realize when they see pictures of someone else’s fantastic facelift results is that the name of the specific surgery type is less important than the skill and customization that was put into it. The best facelift is always one that has been planned specifically for your features. This means that for ideal results your doctor cannot simply pull out a blueprint in order to give you natural facelift results. Rather, your facial cosmetic surgeon will need to individualize the most suitable options to your unique features and goals.

Finding the Right Facelift for You

You may be surprised to hear that a top surgeon with specialization in facelifts and the needed education and skill set can create impressive results with just about any facelift method. Types of facelifts include the deep plane lift, the endoscopic facelift, the MACS lift, the superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS) facelift, the S-lift, the short scar facelift, and more. If your surgeon is reputable and specializes in facial cosmetic procedures that emphasize balanced features and natural results, he or she can customize most any of these surgeries on a case-by-case basis.

Your cosmetic surgeon will consider which options best meet your needs and then tailor the facelift for your features and goals. He or she will discuss with you the possibilities and also consider which methods are safest. For example, the deep plane facelift can create excellent results, but the risk of facelift complications are slightly elevated with this procedure. Although overall it is still safe, in most cases there is a safe facelift approach that can improve your facial appearance just as well. Something you should avoid are the so-called facelift creams and home remedies. The naming of these products is misleading because they do not employ facelift techniques at all, and chances are you are being quacked. Feel free to test however many expensive creams you like, but don’t be too disappointed if you find their claims are exaggerated.

Finding the Right Surgeon for You

Your cosmetic surgeon can help you determine whether you are a candidate for the facelift or a different cosmetic procedure like BOTOX, and he or she can help you achieve your desired look by designing a facelift that is unique for you. This will yield the most natural results. Make sure that you seek a reputable facial cosmetic surgeon who specializes in facelifts. Rather than opting for the “blue plate special” and seeking many cosmetic surgeries at once, choose a doctor who emphasizes facial balance and who can understand the best way your facial features can compliment each other.

Please consider a no-risk consultation with Dr. Kenneth D. Steinsapir, M.D., a facelift surgeon based in the Beverly Hills and Los Angeles area. Dr. Steinsapir’s practice focuses on cosmetic facial procedures that help you achieve a natural, balanced appearance for your personal features. In fact, he has been a leader in minimally invasive and small-incision facelifts for more than 20 years. When you need experience and results you can count on, consider how Dr. Steinsapir’s prestigious educational background, forward-thinking and science-based practice, and trustworthy character can help. Contact us today to learn more about the best facelift for you.

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August 29, 2010

Do stem cell facelifts work?

Filed under: facelift, facelift alternative, facelift los angeles, facial cosmetic surgery — Tags: beverly hills facelift, facelift, facelift in los angeles, los angeles cosmetic surgeon, stem cell facelift — admin @ 9:42 pm

“Stem cell facelift” is just a fancy name for fat grafting. Since fat from our body does contain stem cells, a fat transfer to the face for a facelift or other facial cosmetic surgery can technically be said to include stem cells. However, suggesting that these so-called adult stem cells are the reason that a fat transfers work is a huge leap.

Marketing Based on a Grain of Truth

It is said that most good lies are based on a grain of truth. After all, mingling fact with fabrication is an effective, if not questionable, method of convincing an audience. If part of something is true then how is a non-specialist to discern where the truth ends and the exaggerations begin?

Here is what’s true: The “stem cell facelift” being marketed today is the same process that goes by the medically accepted names of fat grafting, fat injections, and fat transfers. This is a process in which fat is harvested from another area of the body such as the thighs or tummy, often improving that area’s shape, and then grafted into a deficient area like a hollow cheek to provide a natural filler. This is a biologically safe procedure because the fat transferred is your 100% match, and it is precisely delivered through a tiny poke in the skin that heals without scarring. The fat transfer in a “stem cell facelift” may be combined with other procedures like a traditional facelift or midface lift, in which case we’d rather be straight forward and say “facelift with fat grafting.” This is a more direct description.

This is also true: The stem cells in our body fat can be separated from the fat and, in a test tube at a research lab, be stimulated to develop into other cell types. There is a lot of impressive research being done in this area so we can learn more about important potential medical uses of stem cells. But do they really play any role in a facelift?

The Real Benefits of Fat Grafting

So, yes, when we transfer fat to the face we do transfer some stem cells with it. However, there just isn’t evidence to suggest that stem cells are what make fat grafting and “stem cell facelifts” work. The reason they work is because much of the transferred fat – about 60-70% – survives, creating long-lasting benefits.

The overall distribution of fat over the body is very important. Too little or too much does not look good. The most common problems with fat distribution is too much in areas like the hips and too little in parts of the face. This means that we may look bottom-heavy while haggard in the face. Fat harvesting can improve an area that is too full, and the harvested fat can then be grafted into tissue-deficient regions. When carefully placed, the added facial volume creates a naturally soft appearance associated with youth, correcting the volume loss many of us experience as we age.

Honest Medicine for Best Results

Our concern with the “stem cell facelift” is not that it’s a bad procedure, but rather that this is not the most accurate description. Some professionals even feel that calling fat grafting a “stem cell facelift” is misleading. When seeking treatment, make sure that your potential cosmetic surgeon relies on science, experience, and skill rather than catchy marketing phrases. Your doctor should be a specialist in facial cosmetic procedures and completely honest about what a treatment does and does not do.

Dr. Steinsapir is among the top cosmetic surgeons in California. He is multi-fellowship-trained in both cosmetic and oculofacial surgery with special emphasis in natural results and fast recovery time. Dr. Steinsapir is straightforward, helping you understand the benefits of treatments you’re considering without any frills or exaggerations. You’ll also find that Dr. Steinsapir is friendly and caring. Because he individualizes each treatment plan based on your personal needs and unique circumstances, you can achieve results that are right for your features. Contact us today to learn more about how fat grafting, a facelift, or another treatment can improve your facial contour.

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February 16, 2010

Which Type of Facelift Should I Get?

Filed under: facelift, facelift alternative, facelift los angeles, facial cosmetic surgery — Tags: beverly hills facelift, facelift, facelift los angeles, facial cosmetic surgery — admin @ 12:23 am

There are a lot of facelift methods you’ve probably heard about and it can be confusing to figure out the best one for your particular needs. Our advice? Don’t try to figure out which type of facelift you need because you’re asking the wrong question. A great facelift is not characterized by type, but by customization. The best way to get disappointing results is by looking for a cookie-cutter procedure. A skilled surgeon can produce amazing results with almost any method if he or she customizes the procedure to your individual circumstances.

facelift before and after photo

The right facelift surgery for you is not a matter of reading about incision methods, dissection planes, or vectors of lift, but about finding a reputable surgeon whose results (unretouched before and after photos) you like. You need to be comfortable in your surgeon’s ability both through your research and through an individual consultation. If your potential surgeon says that every facelift procedure is the same or the focus is on how fast the surgery can be performed, it’s time to worry. The best type of facelift is one tailored to meet your needs. Whether it be the deep plane lift, the superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS) facelift, an endoscopic facelift, S-lift, or a MACS lift, the short scar facelift, or another method, the procedure must be customized to your unique features and goals to obtain natural, satisfying results.

How does the Deep Plane Facelift compare to other methods?

As stated above, most any type of facelift can procure excellent results if customized by an experienced facial cosmetic surgeon. The deep plane facelift can be as effective as other methods, but the problem is that this is a riskier procedure and the benefits usually aren’t worth the risk when there are other options available. With the deep plane facelift, there is an increased chance of injury to a facial nerve that can even happen in the best of hands. The chance of these facelift complications are small but if it happens to you, it was 100%. If this happens to you, some of your facial muscles will cease to work properly. Since properly functioning facial muscles are essential to your appearance, your results will not be good. Since there is no clear advantage to the deep lane facelift, why take the risk, even if it’s small? If you are set on receiving this method, you will probably find someone who will perform it for you if you knock on enough doors and have enough money, but may end up regretting your inflexibility.

Can I use a home remedy?

There are a lot of proclamations about so-called miracle cures, like a non-surgical facelifts at home. A useful rule to follow is this: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If someone tells you they can give you a facelift in a bottle, be skeptical. The truth is that moisturizers, so-called facelift creams, and other concoctions are generally a waste of money. If you think about the hyped claims for these products, you’ll realize they don’t make logical sense. There is certainly nothing stopping you from testing out these promises, but don’t expect much from them.

If what you really want is a facelift alternative, seek a personal consultation with an esteemed and qualified facial cosmetic surgeon. A facelift is usually not indicated without the loose “turkey” neck skin, and in many cases a treatment like BOTOX or safe neck liposuction is a good option.

The Bottom Line

Of all cosmetic facial procedures, a facelift is the most powerful. When it comes to something so important and complex, to obtain the best results it’s critical that you allow your physician the flexibility needed to customize your results.

Dr. Steinsapir is a cosmetic surgeon in Los Angeles who strives for the most natural, youthful results through minimally invasive procedures with the shortest possible recovery times. He has been a leader in the move toward small-incision facelifts since 1990. He is a Clinical Associate Professor of Oculofacial Surgery at UCLA. Your surgery will be in the safety of the Surgery Center at the UCLA Medical Center. Dr. Steinsapir is sought out by individuals both in California and across the nation and world for his expertise in designing individual facelifts and other facial cosmetic procedures. Rather than directing you to a technician, nurse, or assistant, Dr. Steinsapir is personally available to answer your facelift questions, discuss options suitable to your aesthetic needs, and work with you to customize your facelift if your assessment indicates that one is needed. Contact us today for an individual assessment.

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Lidlift Kenneth D. Steinsapir, M.D. Cosmetic, Facial & Eye Plastic Surgery