FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Not always. After consultation with a patient, the physician decides if a diet is necessary.

Absolutely not. Many patients achieve their desired results through the diet alone.

10 years or more.

7 days after surgery.

Eyelid surgery will not correct the wrinkles around the eyes, commonly called crow's feet. There are several other ways to handle crow's feet. Botox, a chemical peel, or laser therapy can be effective.

Dark circles under the eyes may improve a bit if this is related to large bags, but most often the dark appearance of the lower eyelid skin remains. Chemical peels or other types of skin resurfacing can lighten the dark circles in some cases.

Vision more than likely will improve with eyelid surgery. However, postoperative hemorrhage could lead to serious vision problems. This is an extremely rare condition and is completely preventable with good postoperative care.

Eyelids may not close tightly for a few weeks after surgery. This condition will subside as healing progresses and the swelling subsides.

Gravity, sun, heredity and life stresses can cause the eyelid to sag and puff below the eye.

Result vary among different individuals. However, 10 years later you will still look better than if you had never had the surgery. Many patients never have a second facelift.

Hair coloring and perming of the hair may be done 10 days prior to a facelift. The patient will need to wait 4 weeks after the facelift for subsequent coloring or perming.

Tisseel is a surgical tissue "glue" made out of natural materials that helps stop bleeding and seals tissues. Tisseel is made out of two substances naturally found in the human body, fibrinogen and thrombin. Tisseel is applied as a liquid to coat the area under the skin that the doctor is working on. It sets within seconds to form a natural fibrin clot or "patch" over the wound. In time, the fibrin clot is naturally absorbed and, eventually, the patient's own wound tissue heals underneath the fibrin clot. With the use of Tisseel the healing process has been dramatically shortened and bruising minimized.

The surgery should be performed on a child that is of school age.

The pain associated with ear surgery is easily treated and is not severe.

There are 4 tiny incisions hidden in the hairline.

No. The incisions are placed in the hairline, but no hair is shaved.

While this was true 20 years ago, today preventive medication is used to prevent this from occurring.

The procedure is performed in such a way as to maintain proportion.  A hairline or "pretrichial" incision is used to maintain the forehead height while raising the brows.

A skilled surgeon will create a nose that is proportionate to the patient's face for a natural look.

No. A simple splint will be applied to the nose, which will be worn for approximately a week. No packing is required.

A deviated septum is corrected by a procedure called a septoplasty, which improves breathing. This is a separate procedure, but can be done at the same time a cosmetic rhinoplasty is performed.

Some patients experience minor bruising and swelling. Cold compresses applied to the area often reduce the swelling. Sleeping with the head elevated after surgery also decreases the swelling.

Patients are advised to refrain from blowing their nose for about a week.

This depends on the patient's skin type and the depth of peel needed. Most patients can undergo multiple peels several years apart.

Acne scars are very difficult to remove. Most patients can expect up to 50% improvement in their acne scarring. The skin will always have scars; the goal is to make them less noticeable.

During the first 12-24 hours after the peel, patients usually feel a moderate burning sensation, similar to a sunburn. This sensation is usually well-tolerated with the post-operative pain medications provided.

The risks of chemical peels have dramatically decreased with the use of the Hetter Peel formulation. Some risks include prolonged redness or erythema, risk of hyperpigmentation (increased pigment in the skin), hypopigmentation (loss of pigment in the skin), and scarring.

The recovery time varies based on the depth of the peel. The recovery time usually ranges from 7-10 days.

Patients who are still suffering from severe cystic acne are not candidates for laser resurfacing. Once a patient's acne is under control, resurfacing can be performed. Individuals who have taken Accutane in the past 12-18 months or are prone to abnormal scarring may not be the appropriate candidate for this type of procedure.

The epidermis is removed when the surgeon applies the chemical to the face. For laser surgery, the laser vaporizes the top layer of skin instantly.

Patients with lighter skin types and depressed acne scars are excellent candidates for laser skin resurfacing.

Immediately following a chemical peel, the face will swell and "crust." Ointments are applied to keep the skin supple for 7 to 10 days following the procedure.

This varies from patient to patient. Skin type and color, ethnic background, and age are important factors and should be discussed prior to surgery.