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Keep yourself informed with educational updates for plastic surgery from Dr. Franklyn Elliott with Atlanta Plastic Surgery, P.C.

Ask Dr. Elliott: Can Rhinoplasty Give Me My Favorite Celebrity’s Nose?

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As a board-certified plastic surgeon, I’m constantly reminded of how unique each person’s sense of beauty is. Two patients with similar appearances can come in for consultations and request the exact opposite procedures. It all depends on their aesthetic vision and what bothers them about their appearance, and this is extremely true for rhinoplasty, or nose surgery. For this reason, it’s important for patients to come in with a specific idea of what they want to change, and many do this by bringing in pictures of celebrities or public figures with noses they like. But, many ask, can plastic surgery really “give me so-and-so’s nose”?

Can Rhinoplasty Give Me My Favorite Celebrity’s NoseIn short, the answer is no – while rhinoplasty can help the nose better complement the face, it cannot make one person’s nose look like an exact copy of someone else’s. The details of your nose are actually rather complex, from slope angles to the size and shape of the tip to the contours of the nostrils. All of this is affected by your natural skin and bone structure, so replicating another person’s nose perfectly is not realistic.

What nose surgery can do, however, is emulate the balance that the nose you like gives to the person’s face. As a prominent feature of the face, your nose plays a large role in giving your appearance desirable proportions, so the goal of rhinoplasty is to sculpt your nose to complement and bring out the beauty in your other facial features. Bringing in pictures of people whose noses you consider attractive can be a helpful way for me to understand your aesthetic goals and for us to discuss what I can do to give you a nose that makes you feel more confident.

The bottom line is that cosmetic surgery is not intended to make you look like someone else – it’s meant to make you look like an enhanced version of yourself, and to give you an appearance which adds to your day-to-day confidence, rather than subtracting from it. To discuss whether rhinoplasty or another cosmetic procedure may be right for you, schedule a plastic surgery consultation. Or, for more insights into cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

Tips for Breast Augmentation Patients

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It’s intriguing how unique each person’s aesthetic sense is, and how many of us place more emphasis on one or two of our physical features, whether it’s our waistline, our skin, or our hair. But one common priority among women is having breasts that help them feel feminine and well-proportioned. If you’re one of the millions of women in the US who will undergo breast augmentation this year, below are a few tips to help you along each stage of the process.

Procedures for Common Signs of AgingLook specifically for a board-certified plastic surgeon who specializes in breast surgery.

While any physician can call themselves a “plastic surgeon” or “cosmetic surgeon,” look specifically for the words, “board-certified plastic surgeon,” because this designation requires extensive education, specialized experience, and rigorous testing. It’s also important to ensure your surgeon has significant experience in breast augmentation, as different physicians may specialize in treating different areas of the body.

Be clear about your expected results from your first consultation.

It’s important to be specific about your expectations from the beginning, as this can affect your surgical plan. For instance, if you want your breasts to be not only larger but also raised to a higher, more youthful position, you may be able to combine your implants with a breast lift. Or, if you’re concerned about scarring, we can discuss techniques that will minimize your scars or limit them to more discrete locations on your body.

Choose your implant size carefully.

Opting for an overly small or overly large implant may leave you unsatisfied with your results. As a plastic surgeon who has specialized in cosmetic and reconstructive breast surgery for over 30 years, I can help to recommend a fitting size for your natural body structure, as well as help you gauge how you will look with various implant sizes.

Know your implant options.

Breast implants vary based on the material they use. The two primary options are saline (a silicone shell filled with a saline liquid) or silicone (a silicone shell filled with a thick silicone gel). Each have their pros and cons (for instance, a saline implant typically allows for a smaller incision while most patients feel that silicone offers a more natural look and feel), so you can evaluate your priorities and select the best breast implants for your needs.

Don’t rush your recovery.

One of the most crucial factors in your final breast augmentation results is the healing process. Follow all your post-surgical instructions (including follow-up appointments, incision care, and more) closely and allow your body plenty of time to heal. Rushing to get back to work or back to the gym too soon can strain your body and prolong the recovery process or even cause dangerous complications.

Having a smooth breast augmentation process with a result that makes you feel more confident for decades to come starts with the first steps you take. To schedule a pre-surgical consultation or ask additional questions about plastic surgery, contact me, Dr. Franklyn Elliott. Or, for more health tips and plastic surgery news, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

Myths & Facts about Post-Weight Loss Plastic Surgery

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Dramatic weight loss can be an intense experience, from the stress of changing your lifestyle to the excitement of looking forward to feeling more confident in your health and your appearance. For many patients who lose significant amounts of weight, this includes an extra step after the weight loss itself – surgery to remove sagging skin that has been left behind. If you or a loved one is considering post-weight loss plastic surgery, it’s important to have accurate information, so as a double board-certified plastic surgeon who’s been working with weight loss patients for over thirty years, I’ve identified some of the most common myths about cosmetic surgery for excess skin.

Myths and Facts about Post-Weight Loss SurgeryMyth #1: There is a specific surgery for patients who have lost dramatic amounts of weight.

Post-bariatric or post weight loss plastic surgery is not one specific procedure, but rather a group of procedures designed to remove sagging skin, including a tummy tuck, lower body lift, panniculectomy, upper arm lift, and thigh lift, as well as male breast reduction for some men and a breast lift for some women. Depending on where the excess skin appears on the body, a patient often has a combination of a few of these procedures.

Myth #2: Post-weight loss plastic surgery is only for those who had bariatric surgery.

While people who lose weight using bariatric surgery are the most likely ones to be left with excess skin simply because they lose weight very quickly, those who use methods like diet and exercise often find themselves with sagging skin as well. Both types of patients have achieved highly successful results with cosmetic surgery.

Myth #3: Cosmetic surgery after weight loss will get rid of stretch marks.

Stretch marks are defects within the skin itself, and plastic surgery simply removes excess skin and reshapes the remaining skin. As a result, the only stretch marks your surgery will affect are those that are on the skin that is being removed.

Myth #4: Post-weight loss plastic surgery is purely cosmetic.

Hanging skin can cause a variety of problems, from rashes and discomfort to even mobility issues in severe cases. For patients who have successfully lost weight, staying motivated to maintain their weight loss is crucial, and excess skin removal can make a powerful difference by making exercise easier and more comfortable while also allowing patients to finally enjoy the appearance they’ve been working toward.

Myth #5: Excess skin removal after weight loss is only for the body.

Sagging skin due to weight loss is typically the most significant on the areas that have seen the largest change, like the abdomen. However, most patients also lose weight in their necks and faces, which sometimes results in lax skin that makes them look older than they are. Surgeries like neck lifts and facelifts (or even facial filler injections like Restylane® and Juvéderm®) can restore a more youthful look to these areas.

Myth #6: Plastic surgery will make you look the way you did before the weight gain.

It’s important to go into surgery with realistic expectations, and while procedures like a tummy tuck or lower body lift can create a dramatic improvement in your appearance, they do result in scarring and they do have their limits, so be aware that your body will not necessarily look the way it did before weight fluctuations, aging, and in some cases, pregnancy.

Myth #7: You can have post-weight loss plastic surgery as soon as you hit your goal weight.

In order to achieve and maintain the best possible results, you should ensure that you have reached a stable weight before pursuing surgery. Future weight fluctuations can diminish your aesthetic results, so while you may be understandably eager to have excess skin removed, you’re more likely to be happier in the long run if you wait until you’re sure your weight is stable.

Myth #8: You’ll be able to see the results right away.

Plastic surgery is a process, and it can take as long as three months or sometimes longer for your body to fully heal and eliminate swelling so that you can see your final results. It can take even longer before your scars fade into their final appearance. So as excited as you may be to see your newly slimmer figure, it’s important to be patient and give your body time to recover.

Educating yourself is one of the most important steps you can take toward having a successful plastic surgery with results you can enjoy for decades to come. Resources like this blog can be a great start, but to learn more about your specific case and whether you’re a candidate for post-weight loss cosmetic surgery, schedule a consultation with me, Dr. Franklyn Elliott. Or, for more helpful tips, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

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