Spare the Knife. Save Time. Restore the Younger You.

Imagine for a minute that you are a facial plastic and cosmetic surgeon. I know, it’s silly; but if you didn’t have some interest in medicine you wouldn’t be reading this feature. On a regular basis, you see a variety of patients with all kinds of needs. Some of these patients present with facial deformities; some have inferior results from improperly executed prior surgery; some are in search of a magical fountain of youth; and others are truly needing little, if any, improvement whatsoever. Each of these patients is a person, with an individual health history, a specific set of goals and correlating budget, and a group of variables in their life such as family, work, and geographic location that when all are combined make their case entirely unique to them. Your job as a cosmetic surgeon is to help them make informed, careful decisions about their bodies and treatment options.

Thank you for taking a moment to imagine doing what I do every day. Whether you’re a practicing surgeon like me, a school teacher, a sales rep, or a home improvement specialist at the end of the day, we’re all helping people and striving to hear them, guide them and improve the quality of their lives. Even the finest training programs in the world cannot prepare you for dealing with people in this capacity. You simply have to want to. The point is that I’m sure it’s important to you as a professional to offer your students, clients or homeowners the best of everything you have to offer with minimal disruption and the greatest value and efficacy. The same is true for me, as a surgeon. And what that often looks like for my patients is non-surgical treatment options.

Early on, I made the decision to advance technologies in my cosmetic surgical practice by investing in the rapidly-developing field of laser, light and sound technology for the purpose of bringing our patients the option of non-surgical cosmetic improvements. As a trained surgeon, more often than not, I send patients down the path of no surgery at all. While cosmetic surgery is a marvelous tool, it isn’t the best choice for everyone financially or for a number of other reasons. Today, with the largest and most diverse laser equipment in Southeast Tennessee, SSA offers patients the ability to regain up to five, or even ten years, of youthful facial appearance, with minimal downtime and investment.

Not surprisingly, of the more than 15 million cosmetic procedures being performed annually, the vast majority are minimally-invasive or non-invasive procedures. Why? The top three reasons cited by patients are as follows:

1. Less downtime.
Some patients do not have the time to invest in recovering from a surgical procedure, yet still desire to look younger or more radiant. Most non-invasive procedures can be performed in-office and normal activities are quickly resumed.

2. Cost. Non-surgical facial rejuvenations are far less expensive than surgical options. They are non-invasive, do not require anesthesia, and are affordable on just about any budget.

3. Fear of surgery.
Some patients are surgery-averse. They simply dislike the idea of stitches and scarring, but feel comfortable with injections and laser treatments.

Thanks to the number
of fillers and laser technologies available, your options for minimally- and non-invasive procedures are endless. Your surgeon will likely offer you a combination of treatment options-for example, Botox injections paired with laser resurfacing to reveal the tightest, smoothest, most youthful-looking skin possible, short of a facelift. There are also laser treatments available that specifically target redness like port wine stains, cherry moles and rosacea.

Thousands of Botox injections are performed each year. Besides being useful in treating migraines and depression, Botox provides effective results in smoothing out wrinkles, crow’s feet and frown lines. Fillers such as Restylane and Juvederm can fill out thin lips, plump hollow places caused by the aging process, and improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. A qualified cosmetic or facial plastic surgeon should have a number of fillers at his or her disposal, and be well-versed in knowing which filler is most appropriate for your needs.

Laser skin rejuvenation is a procedure best performed within a cosmetic surgeon’s office, and can precisely remove damaged layers of skin, effectively erasing blotches, minor scars, pigmented lesions, wrinkles and lines to help your skin look younger, firmer and more radiant. Chemical peels and microdermabrasion work to remove sun damage and age spots, revealing softer, smoother and more beautiful skin.

One of the newest treatment options is Ulthera, the only non-invasive technology that is FDA-approved to lift and tighten skin on the face, neck and decolletage (chest). With Ulthera, your cosmetic or facial plastic surgeon utilizes ultrasound imaging to concentrate sound energy on the areas where it is most needed, stimulating the production of collagen at a deep level.

Below is a quick reference chart that outlines the three main categories of non-surgical facial rejuvenation, The Laser Facelift, The Liquid Facelift and Lights, Lasers and Sound. For more information and a free consultation, visit www.southernsurgicalarts.com or call 423-266-3331.

.Noteworthy:

“Of the more than 15 million cosmetic procedures being performed annually, the vast majority are minimally-invasive or
non-invasive procedures.”

Dr. Carey Nease