Facial Surgery Procedures
It is natural to want to look your best. Our practice can help you achieve that goal by addressing the facial areas that you deem need improvement. Some of the procedures we perform, such as facelift and blepharoplasty, address the inevitable changes that occur as a result of the aging process. Other procedures, including chin implants and otoplasty, recontour the face to accentuate or play down facial features. Whether it is a subtle or dramatic change you desire, we can help you realize your goal. Emphasis is always placed on safety and a natural-looking result.
Anti-Aging Procedures
Facial Recontouring Procedures
Skin and Hair Procedures
Anti-Aging Procedures
Facelift
As part of the natural aging process, the elasticity of the skin on the face and neck subtly decreases over time. Wrinkles begin to appear, and facial creases develop and gradually deepen. If no preventive measures are taken, the skin around the jawline can begin to sag. In performing a facelift, Dr. Smullen removes excess skin and tightens the face’s underlying muscle structure to erase signs of aging and create a rejuvenated appearance. Patients are encouraged to communicate openly about their facelift surgery expectations so that Dr. Smullen can customize the procedure or suggest supplementary procedures to achieve each patient's desired outcome. Because a facelift focuses more on improving overall facial appearance than addressing minor skin imperfections such as fine lines and superficial wrinkles, many patients combine the facelift procedure with a laser skin resurfacing treatment.
Blepharoplasty
Eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) involves the removal of excess fat and skin from the upper and/or lower eyelids. Sagging and weakened lid muscles can also be trimmed and tightened. The result is a refreshed, rejuvenated, and revitalized facial appearance. A major factor in how other people perceive your physical health, emotional state, and even your age is the appearance of your eyes. Perpetually puffy eyes that result from sun damage, smoking, heredity, or aging can make even the most rested individual look constantly tired and out of sorts. Blepharoplasty can help you to look more energetic and refreshed. For even more dramatic results, you can augment the eyelid surgery procedure with a light or medium chemical peel to lighten dark circles under the eyes and soften eyelid wrinkles.
Brow Lift
Patients with deep worry lines across the forehead, sagging brows, and drooping upper eyelids may benefit from a brow lift, also known as a forehead lift. A brow lift is a relatively simple procedure that can dramatically restore a refreshed and more youthful appearance to the face. The brow lift procedure is usually performed on patients who are between 40 and 60 years old. As with any plastic surgery procedure, it is important to select a surgeon with extensive experience and qualifications to perform your brow lift. A poorly performed brow lift can result in a stretched and unnatural appearance. A well performed lift can make you appear younger, fresher, and brighter.
Neck Liposuction
Stubborn fat deposits around the neck caused by aging, genetics, or other factors can make you look heavier and older than you actually are. Fat deposits around the neck often do not respond to even the most dedicated efforts at dieting and exercise. Previously obese patients who have lost substantial weight often find that fat in the neck area is resistant to all weight loss efforts. Dr. Sean Smullen offers neck liposuction for patients who want to refine the contours of the neck to achieve a slimmer, tighter, more youthful look. This minimally invasive procedure can quickly remove excess fat on the neck and eliminate a baggy, double-chin appearance. Dr. Smullen often performs neck liposuction in conjunction with a facelift procedure to help patients achieve a completely rejuvenated facial appearance.
Reshaping Facial Features
Chin implants
During the safe and simple chin implant procedure, also called chin augmentation, biocompatible synthetic materials are skillfully placed and anchored in the area below the lips. Chin implants can strengthen a weak chin, enhance the definition of the jaw line, and create a more balanced facial appearance. Chin augmentation can also improve the appearance of the neck and make an overly prominent nose seem less so. Chin implants are always selected and fitted to complement the patient’s existing facial bone structure. With Dr. Smullen’s assistance, a patient can choose from a wide selection of chin implants.
Cheek Implants
Cheek augmentation using implants is available for people who do not have strong cheek bones. They want to achieve the slim, delicate facial structure that is revealed when the cheeks are higher and more prominent. Cheek implants can create a more pleasing facial contour that enhances the patient’s other facial features. In performing the cheek implant procedure, Dr. Smullen makes two small incisions on either side of the face inside the mouth, at the top of the upper lip, or just beneath the lower eyelid. Scarring is minimal and is usually well-concealed. The initial healing process for the procedure is about 10 days, though it may take a couple of months for all of the side effects of the surgery, such as swelling and bruising, to fully dissipate.
Otoplasty
Children who have especially prominent ears may face teasing from other children. Otoplasty, or plastic surgery of the ear, can correct the appearance of protruding or misshapen ears for children and adults. Otoplasty is most frequently performed on children age four or older. Many parents have their children undergo ear-correction surgery just before the start of elementary school. This allows children to avoid teasing so that they can concentrate on schoolwork and integrate well with peers. Otoplasty usually requires just an incision behind each ear. Dr. Smullen then sculpts the cartilage that connects the ears to each side of the face, angling each ear closer to the head. Otoplasty can also be used to augment overly small ears, correct developmental defects, and repair damage to the ears caused by injury.
Skin and Hair Procedures
Mole/Skin Cancer Treatment
There are different methods to remove a mole or skin cancer depending on the type of mole and on the individual needs of the patient. Sometimes it is easy to tell a mole is benign and sometimes it is not. Depending on the appearance of the mole it may be excised in one step or a biopsy may be done first. In the event you may have skin cancer, this can be removed in such a manner as to promote inconspicuous healing of the surrounding skin. Suspicious moles can sometimes be recognized as cancerous because they have changed or grown. Irregular borders and variations in the pigmentation of the mole can also be a cause for concern. If you have a mole that you are bothered by or concerned about, contact our office for a consultation.
Hair Replacement Surgery
Hair loss is a condition that can afflict both men and women. Hair replacement surgery involves the transplanting of hair follicles from healthy hair growth areas, usually on the back and sides of the head, to the site where hair is thinning. Men and women generally have different patterns of hair loss. Male pattern baldness tends to begin as a receding forehead or a widening patch of bare skin at the crown where the hair naturally parts. Female hair loss tends to be less localized. Often a woman experiencing hair loss will observe a widespread thinning of hair across her scalp. Multiple small hair grafts strategically placed can restore the appearance of hair volume and fullness. Hair replacement surgery is not an appropriate choice for everyone. To learn if hair replacement surgery can help you, it is important to attend a one-on-one patient consultation with Dr. Smullen to discuss the specifics of how your hair’s color, texture, and follicle thickness will affect the outcome of your hair replacement surgery.
For more information on facial surgical procedures, contact Dr. Sean Smullen’s office for a complete patient consultation.
