|
|
The New New Face
(Interview with Dr. Gregory Wiener continued)
|
(F) What makes some women go too far?
(W) It is definitely media driven on some level. Procedures have become more accessible, easier to perform, and the patient heals quickly. So they just want to keep going.
(F) Any new trends to reduce belly fat?
(W) There's laser-assisted
liposuction which uses a laser beam under the skin to heat the fat and
destroy it.
Ultrasonic assisted liposuction uses a tip that vibrates at high
frequency to break up the fat. Basically both liquefy fat. Results are
usually nice and smooth. Some procedures are more invasive than others.
(F) What are realistic healing times?
(W) For a facelift it takes about 3 months. The eye area needs the most time to heal. A breast lift takes about 4-6 weeks and a tummy tuck a minimum of 6 weeks.
If you combine things like a facelift and tummy tuck for instance, I recommend 8 weeks for recovery.
(F) Is there anything to curb bruising?
(W) We routinely start patients on Arnica, a natural anti-inflammatory, 1-2 days before the procedure and they continue it for at least 3 days after. No Ibuprofen- it thins the blood. Green tea, herbal supplements and vitamin E cause bleeding and decrease your body's ability to form a clot. And no smoking.
(F) What is the threading technique?
(W) I'm not a big fan. It's mainly marketed to non-surgeons like dermatologists, and doctors who do minor procedures. The face is numbed with local anesthesia to lift up the skin and hook it to barbed sutures that are placed beneath the tissue. Threading doesn't really reposition the tissues in a significant or predictable way. There is a high relapse rate. The tissues fall but the sutures are there permanently and sometimes you can feel and even see the sutures beneath the skin!
(F) What's in the future?
(W) Stem cells. We'll be looking at breast augmentation or volumizing the face with stem cells by injecting the fat cells in those areas with the patients' own stem cells. The stem cells will stimulate the fat to survive.
(F) When?
(W) We'll see some really predictable procedures within the next 10 years.
F) Is there anything else you would like to add?
(W) A lot of people call themselves plastic surgeons but aren't. Look for someone who is a member of the ASPS, the only Plastic Surgery Board recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties. There are a lot of groups out there that call themselves Cosmetic Boards, because a bunch of people got together and formed a board so they could call themselves board certified.
As far as injectables, there are lots of dermatologists and ear nose & throat doctors that are qualified for that. But plastic surgery is a different story. If you are considering surgery, do your homework and find an ASPS Certified Plastic Surgeon.
|
|
