Benefits of a Nose Job Extend Beyond Cosmetic Purposes

From makeup, to skincare products, to plastic surgery, patients go to great lengths to enhance their facial beauty. As the demand for cosmetic treatments continues to increase, nose jobs are consistently among the most popular plastic surgery procedures performed on the face.   

Because the nose is the centerpiece of the face, feeling uncomfortable about the size, shape, or any other minor issues can make a patient feel less confident about his or her appearance. Fortunately, a rhinoplasty procedure can correct any flaws of the nose and, in turn, boost a patient's confidence.  

During initial consultation appointments, I always mention to prospective patients that rhinoplasty produces additional benefits beyond the cosmetic ones. Nose surgery can be performed to open airways and improve breathing, which can add oxygen to the blood stream and increase energy. Opening the airways of the nasal cavity also assists in enhancing breathing while sleeping, allowing for a full night’s sleep that increases overall health and improves a patient’s mood.   

When it comes to the actual procedure, I inform my patients of the 2 main approaches: open or closed nose surgery. Open rhinoplasty approaches the base of the nose through an incision, whereas closed rhinoplasty reshapes the nose from inside. Then, we trim and reshape the cartilage inside the nose to achieve the desired shape and size.  

I feel it is also important to highlight that a rhinoplasty procedure is performed within a couple of hours, yet requires a recovery process that lasts up to 6 weeks. However, I have found the swelling reduces between 2-3 weeks, which allows my patients to see the results sooner. The additional weeks of recovery are reserved for the internal healing of the reshaped areas.   

I also advise telling patients what they can expect following the procedure. Many experience some bruising after a nose job, which can appear in the form of darkened eyes and welts in the operated area. As I mentioned before, the swelling will be present initially, but it will subside within a couple of weeks.   Regardless of whether a patient is considering rhinoplasty to correct a breathing problem or for aesthetic purposes, a nose job can significantly improve a patient’s self-esteem, and that is something one cannot put a price tag on. As healthcare professionals, it is our job to ensure every patient has the necessary education and tools to make an appropriate decision regarding rhinoplasty. 

By Robert T. Grant, MD, MSc, FACS, www.hcplive.com

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Historical plastic surgery becomes modern beauty

by Maritza Rodriguez 

Wake Forest University professor David Lubin discussed reconstructive surgery from World War I and modern-day cosmetic surgery. | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

A distinguished visual scholar visited the University and lectured on the development of reconstructive plastic surgery during World War I and its impact on public standards and perceptions of beauty in a classroom packed with students, colleagues, and faculty members.

“The Great War was the first and last major conflict in which trench warfare played a defining role,” said Wake Forest University Charlotte C. Weber Professor of Art David M. Lubin.

While the trenches protected men’s bodies, their heads were left exposed.

“A sniper’s bullet could shear off the jaw or tear away the nose of any man who had the misfortune to raise his head at the wrong moment,” Lubin said. “Advances in battlefield medicine and transport services were vital in saving the lives of people who, in previous wars, would have died immediately or within days.”

I have seen survivors without faces, Lubin said, quoting a British WWI nurse.

It was in the aftermath of this war that reconstructive plastic surgery truly began. Military surgeons often did operations in extreme conditions, and they developed this line of surgery as a result of those men without faces, Lubin said.

Eventually, he said, the public started to see cosmetic surgery as acceptable as reconstructive plastic surgery.

“Cosmetic surgery, loftily renamed aesthetic surgery, was a subset of plastic surgery,” Lubin said. “As cosmetic surgery gained credibility, so too did the use of cosmetic makeup.”

Previously, makeup was associated with dishonesty, and women who wore makeup were called “painted women,” Lubin said.

“It was socially wrong for a woman to appear in public with makeup,” Lubin said. “After WWI, it was socially inappropriate for a woman to appear in public without makeup.”

People’s new acceptance of cosmetics was associated with their acceptance of the mask aesthetic, which permeated everyday life. When a woman applies mascara, she’s putting on a mask, Lubin said.

“That’s the Italian word for mask,” Lubin said, referring to mascara.

After WWI, the “mask aesthetic” was relevant to those disfigured men as well. The Red Cross set up a studio in Paris run by Anna Coleman Ladd, an American sculptor. She and her team made masks for disfigured soldiers; they sought to make their creations as lifelike as possible, to accomplish what surgery could not and restore their old faces.

“Previously, when these broken-faced men had gone on supervised forays into the city accompanied by their nurses, onlookers gawked at them and sometimes even fainted,” Lubin said. “The men called this the ‘Medusa effect.’ Supplied now with tin and copper masks, they could, in theory at least, walk down the Parisian boulevard without eliciting stares.”

Ladd thought these masks would help them slip back into society and find happiness.

“I can’t help but wonder if she was overly optimistic about their chances for physical reintegration,” Lubin said.

Throughout the lecture, he mentioned Greta Garbo, an actress who was considered one of the most beautiful women in world. Her face, he said, was seen as unattainable perfection, a lovely mask.

“Garbo’s exceptional beauty, it should be noted, was carefully constructed at the behest of her studio, MGM,” Lubin said. “Her appearance was manufactured; she secretly had numerous cosmetic surgeries. Garbo was brought into line with the existing ideal of beauty. In and of itself, the First World War was not the cause of the modern beauty revolution — that was already underway when it began — but the war accelerated the transformation.”

At the conclusion of the event, Lubin was loudly applauded by his audience members.

“It was really interesting,” English sophomore Kathryn Weems said. “It opened up a lot of new ideas about WWI for me.”

arts@thedailycougar.com

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What is Rhinoplasty and How can it Benefit You?

Rhinoplasty is sometimes referred to as "nose reshaping." It can improve the appearance and proportion of your nose, or correct a breathing problem associate with the nose.

Rhinoplasty enhances facial harmony and the proportions of your nose. It can also correct impaired breathing caused by structural defects in the nose.

Rhinoplasty surgery can change:

• Nose size in relation to facial balance
• Nose width at the bridge or in the size and position of the nostrils
• Nose profile with visible humps or depressions on the bridge
• Nasal tip that is enlarged or bulbous, drooping, upturned or hooked
• Nostrils that are large, wide, or upturned
• Nasal asymmetry

If you desire a more symmetrical nose, keep in mind that everyone’s face is asymmetric to some degree. Results may not be completely symmetric, although the goal is to create facial balance and correct proportion.

Rhinoplasty to correct a deviated septum

Nose surgery that’s done to improve an obstructed airway requires careful evaluation of the nasal structure as it relates to airflow and breathing.

Correction of a deviated septum, one of the most common causes of breathing impairment, is achieved by adjusting the nasal structure to produce better alignment.

Reference: American Society of Plastic Surgeons

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Take Shape Plastic Surgery offers 3D Imaging of Patients

When communicating with your Plastic Surgeon, you want to make sure that they understand the exact vision of yourself you want to see, especially when it comes to your final outcome. While many plastic surgeon's offices do their best to come close, Take Shape Plastic Surgery takes it a step further. We now do this, by 3D imaging each patients body or face. This allows for one of our skilled surgeons to edit with the patient their look on computer, and then bring their vision to life in the operating room.  

Take Shape uses the Axis Three, the gold standard is 3D patient Imaging. The Axis Three redefines the aesthetic consultation experience by providing precise, easy-to-use, 3D patient simulation tools that generate anatomically-accurate images.  While assisting surgeons in the planning process, ultimately, these tools enable patients to visualize in 3D, using their own bodies, how they will look after surgery. 

Axis Three products combine scientifically proven, Tissue Behavior Simulation (TBSTM) engine with patented Color Coded Triangulation (CCTTM), 3D imaging technology to deliver unprecedented patient confidence.  Take Shape Plastic Surgery is dedicated to understanding patient's needs and exceeding expectations.

10 Bodily Functions That Change With Age

Like it or not, some inevitable signs of aging are hearing loss (what?), memory lapses (who?), and increased Acid Reflux, thanks to the valve at the lower end of the esophagus that begins to relax on the job, allowing stomach acid to reflux, or flow backwards. Ouch. Inconvenient? Yes. But completely normal. Here are 10 bodily functions that change with age.

1. Eyes. "Can I have a light with that menu?" Once you reach age 40, you'll notice it's more difficult to focus on objects up close because of presbyopia -- a hardening of the lens inside your eye. When you first notice presbyopia you may be able to compensate by holding your reading material farther away or holding a light to it. Eventually you will need reading glasses, multifocal contact lenses, or multifocal eyeglasses.

2. Ears. "Say what?" Age-related hearing loss, or presbycusis, is the slow loss of hearing that occurs as people get older. Tiny hairs inside your ear help you hear and hearing loss occurs when the tiny hairs inside the ear are damaged or die. About half of all people over age 75 have some amount of age-related hearing loss.

3. Sclera. The whites, well the "off whites" of your eyes. The color of the sclera changes with age from bluish (in babies) to yellowish. This is likely because of accumulation of fat in the scleral tissue.

4. Skin, especially on the neck. Wrinkles on the neck show your age, no matter how many creams you've slathered on; the neck contains thinner skin, which is more sensitive to sun damage. The muscles and skin tissue supporting the neck area are also weaker, making neck skin more vulnerable to gravity over time.

5. Knees and Hips. Degenerative joint disease affects up to 80 percent of the elderly and can be debilitating. The only good news here is that some people who have knee and hip arthritis won't have any symptoms. Oh, and there is also the option of knee and hip replacement.

6. Talk to the thumb. Arthritis of the thumb occurs at the joint found at the base of the thumb, where the thumb meets the wrist. This joint, the carpometacarpal (CMC) joint, is important when trying to grip or pinch. Thumb arthritis is more common in women than men, and increases in frequency over the age of 40 years. Anti-inflammatories, splints and cortisone injections may help, and surgery only as a last resort.

7. Memory. "What was his name again?" Normal age-related memory loss doesn't prevent you from living a full and productive life. You might misplace your glasses or find that you need to make lists more often than in the past in order to remember appointments or tasks. That, my friends, is "normal" with aging.

8. The breasts. In your 50s and 60s, hormonal changes will cause the amount of fat in your breasts to decline, which will shrink your breasts. As women go through menopause, fat will replace most of the breast tissue and cause the breast to lose elasticity.

9. The valve at the end of your esophagus. "Why can't I eat Thai food anymore?" Reflux disease (GERD) is more common once you reach middle age and causes heartburn with spicy foods. As mentioned, the valve designed to keep acid in the stomach lets it flow backward, causing the pain and burning sensation you feel as the acid comes into contact with the delicate lining of the esophagus.

10. The pelvic floor. Ladies, do your Kegels. The pelvic floor is the muscles and ligaments that support the bladder, uterus, vagina and rectum, and it starts to fail as we get older. Symptoms include problems with urinary incontinence, and prolapse of the bladder or uterus. Counter these symptoms with Kegels.

Fat Grafting with Concentrated Stem Cells Vs. The Traditional Facelift

Before

After

Dr. Sassani states that he has been achieving significant and natural looking results with the addition of fat grafting with concentrated stem-cells to the list of services that he provides. The ideal candidate for this new innovative procedure has suffered a loss of volume of the face, which compromises skin texture. The skin may appear thinner lacking its once youthful volume.

Though injectables have their place in anti-aging, there is a significant difference between fat grafting with concentrated stem cells and all other injectible procedures. All injectables such as, Botox, Juvederm and Radiesse are composed of synthetic materials. In contrast, fat grafting with concentrated stem cell is completely natural because it is composed 100% of the individual’s own fat cells. Fat grafting with concentrated stem cells offers something no other injectable can; use of the patient’s own tissue.

The fat is harvested from the lower abdomen and/or inner thighs to provide the volume necessary to correct the deficiency in the face. As an added bonus, the stem-cells that are transported along with the fat grafts are believed to improve overall skin color, texture and pore size. Stem cells are the repair cells of the body as they morph to become whatever cells they come in contact with. The harvested fat is spun in a centrifuge to concentrate these stem-cells for injection.

When should one have a facelift and when should you consider fat grafting with concentrated stem cells?

This procedure can be done either alone or in conjunction with facial aesthetic procedures. For patients exhibiting a loss of facial volume only, fat grafting with concentrated stem-cells done alone can be the ideal solution.

As the name suggests, facelifts lift sagging skin, tone the face and neck muscles, and remove the wrinkles. The ideal candidate for a facelift has suffered a loss of skin elasticity and muscle tone of the face and neck. Often the candidate will appear tired.

For candidates desiring a lift and tone of the face and neck with volume restoration, a facelift in combination with fat grafting may be the best solution. This candidate will have suffered a loss of skin elasticity, muscle tone and noticeable depletion of volume to the face.

The recovery time for all the procedures is approximately two weeks. After this time, the patient may comfortably return to normal social activities and interaction. A patient’s skin quality, texture, and tone will continue to improve as the stem-cells integrate. The end result is a tailored and youthful appearance with volume restoration and the skin noticeably improved overall. Patients will appreciate that the rejuvenative effects are enduring.

Take Shape Plastic Surgery, PA offers free consultations. They welcome you to visit their Medicare-certified, state-licensed, nationally-accredited, ambulatory surgical center in Fort Lauderdale, FL. You can check out their website at http://www.takeshape.info or call (954)585-3800 to schedule an appointment

Modern Facial Implants Offer Beautiful Results

Today, thanks to modern technology, there is a safe, permanent method to correct a weak chin and to provide those high cheekbones sought after by men and women worldwide.

Beauty may only be skin deep. But, for centuries, well-defined facial features have been considered traits of physical beauty.  Prominent cheek bones and a strong chin provide balance and definition to the face.  Strong chins are associated with leadership, masculinity, and honesty which is the reason why some men say it gives them more confidence at job interviews and top level management. The same goes for high, prominent cheek bones which are associated with beauty, femininity, and supermodel sex appeal in women.  Thanks to modern technology, there is a safe, permanent method to correct a weak chin and provide those high cheekbones sought after worldwide.

Facial implant procedures are often performed along with other procedures. It’s not uncommon for rhinoplasty to be combined with chin augmentation because a weak chin may make the nose appear larger and adding definition to the chin can help to correct this. The incisions made during facial implant surgery are typically small. For chin augmentation, the incision may be located on the inside of the mouth along the lower lip or on the skin just beneath the chin. For check augmentation, the incision may be located on the inside of the mouth on the upper lip or on the lower eyelid.

Three-dimensional computer technology currently produces a new generation of more accurate anatomic facial implants that permit more effective, long-lasting and pleasing results in facial augmentation. A major step in the evolution of facial aesthetic surgery, which merges plastic surgical techniques with custom implant designs to improve the relative balance of facial features. Facial implants not only aesthetically improve bone structure, but can also be used to help reverse the signs of aging. Contemporary facial implants are contoured to imitate the natural bone structure and youthful form of the overlying soft tissues.

Chin implant surgery increased more than breast augmentation, Botox and liposuction combined last year with both men and women opting for the procedure in nearly equal numbers, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Thanks to modern facial implants, tens of thousands of Americans are achieving the shapely chins and cheeks that bring balance and contour to their face.


Dr. Russell Sassani is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgeons. He is university trained in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and has additional specialized fellowship training.

After graduating with Highest Honors from Rutgers University, he obtained his medical degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, where he was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society.

His residency training in General Surgery and Plastic Surgery was at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He then went on to complete post-residency fellowships. These included a Hand Surgery Fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania, a Craniomaxillofacial Surgery Fellowship at the University of Miami, and a Cosmetic Surgery Fellowship with the renowned Drs. Baker, Gordon and Stuzin in Miami.

Dr. Sassani's particular areas of interest and expertise are cosmetic surgery of the face, plastic surgery of the breast (enlargement, reduction and reconstruction) body contour surgery (liposuction and tummy tucks) and laser skin resurfacing. His reconstructive interests and expertise include reconstruction after facial trauma, reconstruction after cancer surgery, burn reconstruction, and hand surgery.

For more information on Dr. Sassani visit the Take Shape Plastic Surgery website.