Women are not the only ones who want to look great as they age. Men, too, want solutions that help them to turn back the clock, while still keeping a natural and masculine appearance. Facelift surgery for men has seen a rise in popularity in recent years as an option for looking younger for longer. However, men have special considerations to take into account when considering a facelift in Vancouver.

For instance, the scars from a facelift can be particularly visible on men, who tend to have short or thinning hair around their faces. Another concern is that surgery, which re-positions the underlying tissue and muscle as well as tightening the skin, may produce results that are too dramatic for most men. Additionally, traditional facelift surgery addresses only the lower third of the face and neck, and many men want to correct signs of aging in the cheek and eye area.

At our office, we believe that nonsurgical options such as BOTOX® Cosmetic, dermal fillers, and laser skin resurfacing can significantly improve the appearance of the aging male face and eliminate or delay the need for a facelift. These treatments can smooth wrinkles, give a subtle lift to a sagging brow, and correct the appearance of sagging cheeks or jowls. For many men, these treatments provide all the improvements they need to look and feel rejuvenated.

A lipoma is a benign, painless tumor composed of fatty tissue. Lipomas are smooth, round, typically movable, and usually range from under 1 centimeter to as large as 6 centimeters in diameter. They are most common in middle aged men and women, who may want them removed for cosmetic purposes.

Removal of a lipoma typically involves excision, or surgery to cut out the mass. Aside from cosmetic reasons, this is typically done in cases where the tumor causes discomfort, restricts movement, or has grown suspiciously large.

Another approach to the treatment of lipomas is lipodissolve therapy. This less invasive alternative to liposuction in Vancouver can also be used treat unsightly lipomas without surgery.

Lipodissolve, or injection lipolysis, involves small injections of a natural soy bean lecithin and enzymes, which work to dissolve fat deposits. Over the course of 3 to 4 weeks, the fat breaks down and is eliminated through the body’s natural metabolic processes. At Vancouver Laser & Skin Care Centre, we use this treatment as a liposuction alternative as well as for the treatment of lipomas.

Acne can be a frustrating and uncomfortable skin condition, and it can affect people at any age. Even when you’ve got your acne under control, you are often left with unsightly scars that can be difficult to treat. When searching for facial rejuvenation for Vancouver patients with acne scars, here are my top three procedure picks:

IPL – Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) therapy delivers pulses of light energy to deeper layers of the skin which stimulates collagen production and targets discoloration and broken blood vessels. We use the Harmony® platform which utilizes Advanced Fluorescent Technology, the next generation of IPL. IPL treatments result in smoother, more evenly pigmented skin that looks brighter and healthier.

Microdermabrasion – This gentle, controlled exfoliation of the skin helps speed cellular turnover, and stimulate the production of new skin cells and collagen. The combination of abrasion and suction helps remove dirt and debris from the pores, and over time and treatments, improve pigmentation and texture.

Pixel® Fractional Resurfacing – Laser skin resurfacing with the Pixel fractional laser is an excellent way to rejuvenate the surface of the skin without the discomfort and downtime associated with traditional laser resurfacing. Fractional resurfacing penetrates the epidermis and upper dermis, creating tiny holes in the skin surrounded by healthy, untreated skin. This stimulates the skin’s natural healing response and the growth of new, healthy tissue without ablating the entire surface of the skin.

When it comes to cosmetic surgery, there’s no such thing as “one procedure fits all.” Each patient will have different anatomy, concerns, expectations and budget, which means what’s right for one patient could be entirely wrong for another. It’s like anything in the medical field; your general practitioner wouldn’t prescribe you medication without taking into concern your individual health, mental state, allergies, etc. Giving a patient the wrong medication or wrong treatment can have serious implications for their health. In a similar light, pushing a patient toward a cosmetic procedure that doesn’t address his or her individual concerns can result in psychological distress, unwarranted pain and discomfort and sometimes more serious side effects.

As a concerned plastic surgeon, I believe each individual patient needs a unique plan to address the cosmetic enhancements he or she envisions. Sitting down with each of my Vancouver cosmetic surgery patients, I take the time to explore and discuss every option, and we work together to plan out their procedure in a way that suits their timeline and budget. I call it their Prescription for Beauty™; like a prescription from a family doctor, it is customized for and conscious of all the patient’s concerns.

I’ve found that spending that extra time and working collaboratively with my patients, whether they’re there for a face lift, liposuction or breast augmentation in Vancouver, leads to a far more satisfying experience. That’s why I believe that finding a surgeon who listens, respects your input and customizes the procedure to meet your needs is so important so you can feel truly happy about your results.

By: Thomas Buonassisi, MD

Full lips give the face a younger and more attractive appearance, so many women (and men) are interested in how they can correct lost volume or improve the shape of their lips through lip enhancement in Vancouver. Here are a few basic facts you need to know in order to compare the options – injectable fillers and lip surgery – and choose the right one for you.

Injectable fillers:

• How they work: Injectable fillers augment the lips’ natural volume using gel-like dermal fillers such as JUVÉDERM® Injectable Gel or Evolence. Fillers differ, but the most common are made of collagen or hyaluronic acid, substances that occur naturally within the body.
• Pros: Because these treatments are not permanent, they also allow the surgeon and the patient more flexibility to adjust the results of the initial lip enhancement in Vancouver. Also, products like JUVÉDERM® Injectable Gel, a top choice for both injectable lip enhancement and correction of naso-labial folds, may actually increase the body’s natural production of collagen, which enhances the volume and firmness of skin tissues.
• Cons: Lip injections may create numbness for one or two days, and most have to be updated periodically as the gel is absorbed by the body.

Lip surgery:

• How it works: There are two main surgical procedures that can create permanent enhancement of the upper lip:
  • With a VY advancement, otherwise known as a “lip roll,” I reconstruct the lip from the inside to create an advancement of the vermillion (the red-tinted area of the lips). With this procedure, I use an intricate stitching technique to effectively “roll” the top lip outward without using any implants or fillers. The final appearance shows more of the soft pink area of the lip.
  • The second option is known as a bullhorn lip lift, in which case I will place a small incision just below the nose and lift the top lip closer to the nose, in the process allowing more of the pink vermillion to show. This technique for lip enhancement is ideal for Vancouver patients who have a longer-than-usual space between their nose and their top lip.
• Pros: Unlike filler treatments which are typically temporary and need to be repeated, surgical options last for years to come.
• Cons: Surgical approaches to lip advancement require more recovery time than do filler treatments:
  • With the VY advancement in particular, swelling and discomfort in some patients may take a few weeks to subside completely. Some patients find the trade-off worthwhile and are willing to endure a longer recovery period in order to enjoy fuller lips without having to receive regular filler treatments.
  • The bullhorn lip lift recovery is typically simple and involves very little discomfort. The patient does have a thin, permanent scar where the nose meets the lip; however, this scar fades significantly over time. When I perform this procedure at my plastic surgery clinic in Vancouver, I take extra care to ensure that it will not be easily noticeable after the patient has recovered.

By: Thomas Buonassisi, MD

Recently The New York Times ran an article about an art exhibit showcasing the work of cosmetic surgeons. As a facial plastic surgeon who performs British Columbia blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) and other facial procedures highlighted in the exhibit, I have dedicated years of training to understand cosmetic surgery as an art, as well as a science.

Cosmetic surgery requires deep familiarity with highly involved aspects of anatomy, and it deals with some technical concepts of balance and proportion. But at the same time, great results require a personal, aesthetic perspective and the sensitivity to understand and create changes that mesh with the patient’s own vision.

Unlike other traditional artists, though, cosmetic surgeons have a few extra challenges that their work needs to take into account to succeed with the audience that matters – the patient:

• Cosmetic surgery is a collaborative art: An excellent surgeon will take an active role in helping a patient create reasonable and positive expectations, but at the same time focus on the patient’s own hopes and goals. This process requires passion and personal commitment on the part of the surgeon, but also active involvement by the patient.
• Cosmetic surgery changes over time: Cosmetic surgery procedures like British Columbia blepharoplasty can help turn back the clock 10 or 20 years, but an excellent facial plastic surgeon will aim to create results that not only look great in the months directly after surgery, but will also “age gracefully” over the years.

What you can do to find a surgeon who values the art (along with the science) of surgery:

• Research your options and your surgeon’s credentials: There is no substitute for accuracy in science or art, and board certification in a related specialty and fellowship training are the first and most important indicators of your surgeon’s skill.
• Ask about your surgeon’s philosophy of care. Most British Columbia blepharoplasty surgeons are more than willing to explain their surgical approach and how they will adjust your surgical plan to retain the characteristics that give your face its individuality.
• Consider whether you see “eye to eye” with your surgeon, or whether you seem to be having trouble making your goals line up. Some patients have unrealistic expectations that they will need to adjust if they are going to be happy with their results, but in some cases it may take time and effort to find a surgeon who genuinely cares about your goals.

By: Thomas Buonassisi, MD

At my plastic surgery clinic in Vancouver, BC, I perform rhinoplasty, face lifts, and a number of other facial procedures for both men and women. While each patient has different goals and challenges that need to be met individually, male patients create some specific challenges. Here are some important questions men need to ask before their Vancouver rhinoplasty to help plan for good results.

Technical Challenges

• What to ask your surgeon: What kind of special considerations do you take to ensure good results in male rhinoplasty, specifically?
• Why: Most men’s noses are naturally larger than women’s and tend to have a higher amount of bone and cartilage that they would like to reduce or reshape. This leads some surgeons to overcompensate surgically for very large or very prominent noses, and in the process reduce the nose far too much. More experienced surgeons will in most cases opt for a more conservative approach that will prevent an “over-aggressive” procedure and help avoid the need for revision surgery. An honest surgeon will also be upfront with you about whether thicker skin or other factors will limit the extent of change you can achieve.

Aesthetic Challenges

• What to ask your surgeon: May I see pictures of past male rhinoplasty patients to evaluate their results?
• Why: At my facial plastic surgery clinic in Vancouver, BC, my personal goal is to make sure each patient’s results are a “good fit” for their natural features. I mentioned already how some surgeons tend to “overcompensate” for larger noses, but some will also tend to narrow the nostrils or nose tip and / or reduce the nasal bridge too far. This can damage the masculinity of the features by softening the nose and creating a more feminized appearance, so when you look at your surgeon’s rhinoplasty photos, take into account how well he or she created a nose structure that matched the patient’s natural facial angles.

Expectations

• What to ask yourself: What specific characteristics about my nose would I like to see changed, and which ones do I think look good already?
• Why: Younger male patients are typically the hardest to please when it comes to rhinoplasty results. Partly, studies suggest that this is because men, and young men in particular, tend to come to their rhinoplasty consultations with a much more general idea of how and why they want to see improvements.

A good Vancouver rhinoplasty surgeon will take the time to help you make your goals and expectations much more specific, and make sure they match up with reasonable and healthy objectives. Before you meet with your surgeon, ask yourself how and why you want to see these changes, look at your nose from multiple angles, and don’t be shy of getting input from other people. Healthy expectations can go a long way to promote a more effective surgical plan and more satisfying results.