BLOG

Question:
I’m 55 and the corners of my mouth have begun to droop. Can this be improved with a facelift without making me look like the Joker from Batman?

Answer:
Having the corners of the mouth begin to droop is a fairly common occurrence as we begin to age. In my office, I am able to inject dermal fillers and use Botox or Dysport to elevate the corners of the mouth, which is only temporary. A face lift which also addresses the descending cheek will also help to correct the drooping corners of the mouth, the melolabial folds. Elongation and descent of the muscles of facial expression and facial fat pads is what is primarily responsible for this particular occurrence. I think that like all face lift procedures, a conservative approach to rejuvenation of the face is always the best approach. It leaves the patient with a refreshed facial appearance and avoids the well known sequela of the face lift look.

Posted by Dr. Philip Schoenfeld

No Comments »

Question:
What is a J-lift type of facelift?

Answer:
A J-lift type of face lift is what is considered a short scar or minimal incision face lift. These face lifts are more commonly known as MACS (minimal access cranial suspension) lifts and have been coined the “weekend face lift”. All of these face lifts are designed to moderately improve the jowls and neck while enabling the patient to return to moderate activity levels in about half the time as a normal face lift. I do use the MACS face lift procedure in many individuals and the results are terrific and the patients have been very pleased with their relatively easy recovery.

Posted by Dr. Philip Schoenfeld

No Comments »

Question:
I want the mildest chemical peel that you offer. I can’t take much time off work right now but I hate to wait any longer. What sort of benefits will I get from your mildest peel?

Answer:
Numerous benefits can be realized from even the mildest of chemical peels. These chemical peels can remove a significant amount of dead skin on the outer most layer of your skin and this will give your skin a very nice new “glow”. Even mild chemical peels can help to stimulate collagen in the more superficial aspects of the skin and this can help to decrease fine lines and wrinkles, help with some of the discoloration of the skin, and even slightly tighten the skin with no downtime.

Posted by Dr. Philip Schoenfeld

2 Comments »

Question:
I have read that brow lifts may cause alopecia around the brow line. Is this temporary, and is there any way to fix the hair loss?

Answer:
One of the potential risks and complications of brow lift surgery is alopecia around the incision sites. Depending upon the surgical approach used to perform the brow lift, the incision size will vary, and the risk of alopecia will increase with larger incisions. I tend to make my brow lift and face lift incisions in such a fashion that when the incisions which are in the hair line begin to heal, hair will actually grow through the incision lines, helping to camouflage the incisions. Total alopecia after brow lift would be quite uncommon, but, hair transplant surgery could be performed for larger areas of hair loss.

Posted by Dr. Philip Schoenfeld

No Comments »

Question:
When I raise my eyebrows, I get deep horizontal wrinkles on my forehead. Most of the time they are not quite as deep but are still very noticeable. Can Botox be used to smooth these wrinkles or is a browlift recommended?

Answer:
If you are concerned with horizontal forehead wrinkling then I would suggest Botox or Dysport injections. I would caution you however, that, although injecting the upper horizontal forehead area with Botox and Dysport is relatively straight forward, injecting too much into the lower forehead horizontal lines can result in brow drop and the appearance of narrowing of your eyes.

Posted by Dr. Philip Schoenfeld

No Comments »

Question:
I’m wondering if Botox can be used to even out my eyebrows as one is slightly higher than the other since my browlift.

Answer:
Botox can be used for many different purposes. I do not inject all of my patients in the same facial locations or with the same amount of Botox. In order to even out the height of your eyebrows following a browlift, you may either need to use Botox to help elevate the lower eyebrow, or use Botox to lower the higher eyebrow. Needless to say, the injection sites that these Botox procedures will take place will vary from individual to individual.

Posted by Dr. Philip Schoenfeld

No Comments »

Question:
I am interested in Transconjunctival Blepharoplasty. Is the recovery time for this procedure less than traditional blepharoplasty?

Answer:
For lower lid blepharoplasty surgery, the transconjunctival approach tends to have a quicker recovery period than a skin and muscle excision lower lid blepharoplasty. The transconjunctival blepharoplasty is great when there is lower lid fat herniation. If there is only mild amounts of excess skin, then a pinch excision of skin can be performed at the same time as the transconjunctival lower lid blepharoplasty. Patients who have significant excess lower lid skin, muscle and fat, and those individuals with marked lower eyelid laxity will need a more involved procedure where the recovery period will be slightly longer.

Posted by Dr. Philip Schoenfeld

No Comments »

Question:
I’ve always had problems with dry eyes. Will this affect my ability to get an eyelid lift?

Answer:
One of the questions that I always ask my patients prior to undertaking any eyelid surgery is whether they have a history of dry eyes. A history of dry eyes does not necessarily prevent an individual from having eyelid surgery but, your surgeon will need to be very cognizant of your history. I tend to perform a slightly more conservative eyelid lift for those patients with a history of dry eyes. The results are still terrific, but, I am more confident that there will not be any problems post operatively.

Posted by Dr. Philip Schoenfeld

No Comments »