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7 10, 2021

A Personal Story on Breast Cancer

2021-10-07T00:55:33+00:00

In March, 2017, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.   You’ve seen that moment in movies or heard stories from friends or family about someone who had just received the news. No matter what you’ve seen or heard, you are never prepared to hear those words.  The first thoughts you think are, ‘ I’m going to die.’ The nurse assures you this is not the case and gives you the folder with the contact info for breast surgeons, oncologists, therapists, nutritionists and plastic surgeons. It is overwhelming! You don’t know any of these doctors, because up to this point, you didn’t know anyone who had breast cancer.  You ask around, get referrals, set up appointments, and the first order of business is to select a breast surgeon who will decipher the report and outline the next steps.  In all of this uncertainty, the one thing I was certain of was my plastic surgeon. I knew exactly who I was going to see - Dr. Cynthia Goodman. Two years ago, I met Dr. Goodman after [...]

A Personal Story on Breast Cancer2021-10-07T00:55:33+00:00
15 09, 2021

Micro-needling Newly Defined

2021-09-17T19:28:23+00:00

Any of you who know us, know we are ALWAYS looking for ways to add effective, proven treatments to offer you. We are excited to introduce SkinPen by Crown Aesthetics — the only FDA cleared medical grade micro-needling device that treats sun damage, age and brown spots, fine lines and wrinkles, stretch marks, acne scarring, enlarged pores and uneven skin tone. How can this one device address so many common skin concerns? SkinPen creates thousands of precise micro-injuries or “micro-channels” in the dermis, which stimulates new collagen synthesis without causing scar tissue formation. What it’s actually doing is taking advantage of the skin’s natural healing process, producing new collagen and elastin in the treatment areas, leading to a fresher skin appearance.The SkinPen actually “stamps” the skin, creating tiny channels along the surface. While it’s safe for all skin types and all ages, SkinPen is primarily for patients aged 22 years old or older. We start with a topical numbing cream, which is allowed to do its work for about 15-30 minutes prior to the [...]

Micro-needling Newly Defined2021-09-17T19:28:23+00:00
25 05, 2021

Sun Protection: What Do You Really Need to Know?

2021-05-25T19:48:42+00:00

As the days continue to get longer, we often get questions from our patients about what type of sun protection they should use. Of course, sun damage is stealth -- no laughing matter. You often don’t know you have it until you’re older, and all those days out on the water, the golf course or the beach have taken their toll. Navigating the world of sun protection is getting more confusing than ever, however. Long gone are the days when a simple application of zinc-oxide on your nose or an application of Bullfrog will do the job. The beauty industry, however, has made sun protection WAY more complicated than it needs to be, blurring lines between mineral, chemical and physical applications. Which is safer, which is most effective, and how do any of these apply to you? We can classify sunscreens into two categories based on the type of UV filters contained within them. The first is organic (strangely, enough, referred to as “chemical”) and the second is inorganic (“mineral”). Chemical filters contain [...]

Sun Protection: What Do You Really Need to Know?2021-05-25T19:48:42+00:00
26 04, 2021

Chin Up! Brilliant Non-surgical Approaches to Achieving a Beautiful Jawline

2021-04-26T21:42:09+00:00

Times were when the ONLY way you could improve the look of your chin and neck were surgically -- with a face or neck lift. But the world has changed, and we have lots of news to share. A strong chin and a defined, sculpted lower face are important for presenting symmetry to your looks no matter what your age, even though aging is usually the cause of the most scrutiny in this part of the face. I often have requests to sit down with clients to assess just how I can make an aging, dimpled or double chin, a wavy jawline, or a hereditary “weak” chin look more angled or streamlined without going under the knife. There are a number of ways to do this, while introducing you to the products that make anything from subtle to dramatic facial sculpting possible. Chin and jawline issues usually revolve around what we call “jowls” -- those little puffs/pads of skin that begin to hang down on either side of the chin itself. They [...]

Chin Up! Brilliant Non-surgical Approaches to Achieving a Beautiful Jawline2021-04-26T21:42:09+00:00
26 02, 2021

The eye opening beauty of an eyelid lift

2021-02-26T18:41:53+00:00

Your eyes... the windows to your soul. If your eyes are partially covered by drooping skin, however, you are robbed of seeing their true shape and their potential for expression. And sometimes that skin can even rob you of peripheral vision. A blepharoplasty (BLEH-far-oh-plasty), but more commonly referred to as an eyelid lift or shortened to “bleph,” is performed to uncover the shape and beauty of your eyes, and it can be life-changing. An eyelid lift is done to remove excess skin from the upper eyelids and reduce bagginess from the lower eyelids. Often done for cosmetic reasons, it's also an effective way to improve sight in older people whose sagging upper eyelids get in the way of their vision. While a bleph doesn’t eliminate dark circles under the eyes, crow’s feet or laugh lines, it is often done in conjunction with other procedures such as laser resurfacing, filler injections, or brow lifts — all to combat a lack of elasticity as well as the forces of gravity that cause excess skin to [...]

The eye opening beauty of an eyelid lift2021-02-26T18:41:53+00:00
30 12, 2020

Reflections, Lessons, and a Message of Appreciation

2020-12-30T17:52:50+00:00

Over the course of a “normal” year, my team and I perform a huge array of surgeries and procedures. But 2020 was different.  In addition to our work schedule, we observed some tough and ever-changing health protocols to keep our patients (as well as ourselves) safe from COVID-19. As a result, we have come to appreciate all of you even more -- the care you took in following directions, the positive attitude you exuded when arriving in our office or at the hospital, and the gratefulness you expressed for the results of our labors. You have impressed and inspired us in so many ways that are hard to express. As we close out the holiday season, we wish you a great 2021 while pushing boundaries and continuing to adapt to the changes the past year imposed on us. We know we will never be the same. But because of your resilience and especially that of the greater medical community, who has worked so hard to save as many lives as possible, we also [...]

Reflections, Lessons, and a Message of Appreciation2020-12-30T17:52:50+00:00
4 12, 2020

Dermal fillers: the secret to a more youthful appearance

2020-12-04T19:24:16+00:00

Like everything else in life, skin changes. As we age, fine lines, wrinkles and other facial issues begin to cause us to wonder how they occurred — sometimes seemingly overnight.   Because of a gradual loss of skin hydration and fat loss, tissue can begin to sag. Enter dermal fillers — something I heartily believe in to keep you looking great or even improve the way you look. Dermal fillers are essentially small injections of gel (typically made up of hyaluronic acid) that fill in wrinkles, add volume to soft tissue, or stimulate your own body to rebuild collagen. In addition to plumping up lips , I use dermal fillers in the jaw line to camouflage the jowls, correct the downturned corners of the mouth, fill in hollowed eyes, and even correct acne scarring. Fillers do more than fill in lines; they also lift by volumizing and when applied artfully can restore the effects of gravity on the soft tissue as you age. Judicious amounts of filler in key areas can also recontour the [...]

Dermal fillers: the secret to a more youthful appearance2020-12-04T19:24:16+00:00
17 11, 2020

The miracles of muscle-relaxing injectables

2020-11-17T16:53:47+00:00

Botox. For those who have had appropriately dosed injections, it can work miracles within a few days. For those just considering it, reason for concern is understandable, since I think we’ve all seen examples of overdone Botox and/or med spa procedures not being applied properly. These are the patients I must take by the hand and explain how conservative I am about using it to give natural, refreshed results. First, a bit of history. Botulinum toxin was approved by the FDA for treatment of children’s crossed eyes and twitching eyelids in 1989.  Since then there have been myriad other safe and effective uses discovered for it, including the treatment of chronic migraines, overactive bladder, severe neck spasms, and excessive underarm sweating.   Botox cosmetic injectables were first approved by the FDA in 2002 and have become a household word for relaxing wrinkles; a brand name virtually interchangeable with the category itself. Here in the U.S., the most common cosmetic procedure is a form of botulinum toxin type A which, injected in small doses into [...]

The miracles of muscle-relaxing injectables2020-11-17T16:53:47+00:00
6 11, 2020

Beauty Without Guilt

2020-11-06T16:56:10+00:00

If watching your diet and exercising to promote good health is a given, how is beauty care so radically different? We work hard to take care of our insides as well as our bodies, but is paying attention to your looks such a narcissistic endeavor? I don’t think so. Plastic surgeons see people across the age spectrum walk through their doors. Some are trying to fix something that has bothered them, some are worried about how age is treating them, and others just want to look as good as they can. Whether it’s injectables, non-invasive skin-tightening procedures or surgery, I enjoy addressing all of it.  Some patients will not breathe a word about having come to me, as if spending money on themselves is the ultimate in self-centeredness. In other words, plastic surgery tends to be a deep, dark secret except, perhaps, between BFFs.  While I understand the need to keep this private, I also don’t see the need for shame. If you remodeled parts of your house it would be no big [...]

Beauty Without Guilt2020-11-06T16:56:10+00:00
20 10, 2020

The Miracle of Feeling Whole Again

2020-10-22T19:49:17+00:00

While every day stands for something, today is an especially important one for women. October 21st is Breast Reconstruction Awareness (BRA) Day. Plastic surgeons, their patients and their former patients everywhere celebrate the miracle of being able to make women feel whole again following breast cancer surgery.  It wasn’t that long ago that women routinely lived with the results of a mastectomy using only a prosthetic bra after surgery. For women, losing a breast was like losing a limb, robbing them of a precious part of their body. One can only imagine what it was like to lose one or both breasts at the time, even though eradicating the cancer itself gave them a new lease on life. Over the past few decades we have made great strides in breast reconstruction, making breast cancer survivors feel both feminine as well as complete once again.  Having studied and conducted research at one of the top cancer hospitals, MD Anderson Cancer Center, I learned the cutting edge techniques of breast reconstruction. Their depth of experience [...]

The Miracle of Feeling Whole Again2020-10-22T19:49:17+00:00
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