Birmingham Facelift doctors
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Melanie L. Petro, MD
Alabama Facial Plastic Surgeon
700 Montgomery Highway Suite 230, Vestavia Hills |
13 answers | |
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Paul S. Howard, MD
Birmingham Plastic Surgeon
3401 Independence Drive, Suite 211 Suite 211, Birmingham |
6 answers | |
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Christopher J. Schaffer, MD
Birmingham Plastic Surgeon
140 Village Street Suite 100, Birmingham |
4 answers | |
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Daniel E. Rousso, MD
Birmingham Facial Plastic Surgeon
2700 Highway 280 S Ste 300W, Birmingham |
1 answer | |
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William J. Hedden, MD
Birmingham Plastic Surgeon
140 Village Street Greystone Cosmetic Center, Suite 100, Birmingham |
Recent Answers
I'm considering face lift surgery, and I want to talk with a few different surgeons. What should I look for in facelift before and after pictures? How will I know what is good?
Your question is a very good one as there are a number of photographic techniques that can make the results of a facelift look better than it actually looks. The important things to look out for are changes in lighting, make-up or no make-up and whether or the patient is smiling. It is truly amazing how much younger a patient looks when smiling versus frowning. It is important that the surgeon have a gallery of photos of both male and femalr patients of various ages so that it can be determined what the surgeon thinks looks good as most surgeons only show their best results. There are no rules for what "looks good". Looking at the photos will usually give you a general idea of what the surgeon likes to do and you will get a feel for how good it looks to you.
I have recently had a partial facelift that unfortunately did not correct my marionette folds. I have had filler in the past which also did not adequately reduce/correct these. I am considering having these folds excised. I realize that there is much controversy surrounding this procedure due to the issue of scarring. In my mind I would trade a small likely imperceptible scar for obvious and glaring marionette folds. I would appreciate any input. Thanks so much.
The socalled Marionette lines are an integral result of facial aging. Their presense usually indicates that aging has progressed to the point that surgical intervention is necessary. I'm not quite sure what a "partial" facelift is but it must provide a "partial" result. All facelifts regardless of variety make an attempt to improve both nasolabial and Marionnette lines. Fillers give additional improvement. Resorting to direct excision of these lines is to admit utter defeat in using the standard techniques and in addition to the obvious need for an unhappy scar, there is no guarantee that the fold will be totally gone. There may be indications to use this technique such as in the case of a unilateral facial paralysis, most accomplished Plastic Surgeons do not believe in leaving scars in such awkward places for cosmetic improvement.
How does the longevity of results for a facelift using stem cells compared to traditional procedures? Which method requires less surgical procedures overall to preserve the results of a facelift indefinitely?
The first thing to understand is that there is no such entity as a "stem cell facelift." The proper term should be Stem Cell Augmented Facelift as stem cells do not lift anything but they do provide, when added to fat for transfer, a demonstrable improvement in the take of the grafted fat and when the fat- stem cell combination is injected adjacent to the dermis of the skin, the skin responds to the stem cell release of a myriad of well known growth factors by becoming more youthful in appearance. The fat cells provide volume which causes a further youthfulness in facial appearance. The length of time that these effects last is the only unknown at this time. Given what we know about the aging process, the effects of fat and stem cells should last for years.
