I am always both amazed and simultaneously upset when I see patients who have had plastic surgery that was overdone. What is even more disconcerting is that some of these procedures have been performed by some of the most reputable physicians. Many of my Ann Arbor plastic surgery patients inquire how some of the famous stars on the coasts, who must have seen the best surgeons, could end up looking so overdone . There are a couple reasons for this.
There are a group of patients that wants every wrinkle (think Joan Rivers), every millimeter of loose skin above their eyelids, and every once of fat removed from their face. It is easy for patients to focus on one area, identify loose skin, and think that all of this should be removed and they will look younger since they did not have this loose skin in their youth. Every change that can be made in a cosmetic surgery procedure should be interpreted in the total aesthetic presentation of that persons face. A good example is upper eyelid surgery in men. In men, if all the skin is removed from the upper eyelids or the eyelid crease is set too high, it can feminize a males eyes. You will see this in your community in men who have had upper eyelid surgery and don’t have any natural overhang above their eyelid crease or have a completely smooth surface from eyelashes to their eyebrows with a very long eyelid.
Many examples abound in Hollywood plastic surgery patients as well. Five years ago, patients were having brow lifts that were overdone and patients looked surprised. Three years ago it was upper lip injections that were overdone causing duck lips. Now, it is over injection of fillers and fat into cheeks which can look great at rest but in smiling the cheeks look to full giving a “chipmunk cheek” look. A seasoned plastic surgeon with a good eye can avoid all of these situations.
How can patients avoid these issues with their practioner? It is not enough just to pick a michigan board certified plastic surgeon. When you meet with your cosmetic surgeon, try and assess his aesthetic sense. Does that person seem to have a very refined sense of beauty and aesthetics. Bring a list of questions of your concerns which will flesh out the cosmetic surgeons interpretations of beauty . Be wary of the newest fad. We choose technologies that have a very patient high satisfaction rate for our practice, and we insist on personally talking with several colleagues that are using new technologies before bringing new services to our patients.
Dr. M
