Dr. Bray's Plastic Surgery Blog

Eyes are considered by many to be a window into a person's soul, and it's true that many unconscious movements of the eye can betray a person's true feelings about a situation or another person. However, as we age, sagging upper lids and puffy lower ones can give a completely false impression of how we are feeling. They can make us seem tired or disinterested, bored or angry. Giving a false impression like this can lead to many personal and professional difficulties.

A perpetually disinterested look can make our spouses or partners believe we are bored with the relationship, leading to or contributing to friction in the relationship. In our professional lives, so much is riding on first impressions. Whether you're going for a job interview, trying to make a sale, or meeting a client face-to-face for the first time, droopy, puffy eyes can make you seem sluggish, dull, or, even worse, shifty.

If you have noticed that people are saying you look tired or angry, even when you're happy. If sales don't seem to be closing the way they used to. If your resume is getting you interviews, but you just can't land that great new job or promotion, it may be your sagging eyelids are to blame. A blepharoplasty or eyelid lift can rejuvenate the appearance of your eyes, making you look as sharp as ever and letting your real feelings show. Contact Dr. Bray today to learn more about blepharoplasty and what it can do for you.

For the last five years, the FDA-approved injectable filler known as Radiesse has been used to fill deep wrinkles. Using calcium-based microspheres in a water-based gel, Radiesse has been giving people a more youthful appearance.

Now Radiesse can be used to augment cheeks to fill in face volume lost through aging. As we age, we begin to lose the fat content in our cheeks causing our faces to sag. Using Radiesse in this new and exciting way helps to reverse this effect, giving you fuller cheeks and adding volume to avoid that “hollow” look.

Using Radiesse in this way has several advantages. Silicone cheek implants were the answer in the past, but these tended to shift or appear like apples in shape. Fat injections were also used, but this fat needed to come from other areas of the body. With Radiesse injections, the procedure is over in 15 minutes with minimal discomfort. The results often last for a year or more and leave a natural, younger looking cheek.

If you are interested in fuller and more youthful cheeks, please contact Dr. Bray at the Bray Plastic Surgery Center in Torrance, California.

The decision to get a facelift is a complicated one and it involves a lot of variables. The only way to know for sure if a facelift will be a good treatment option for you is to consult with a skilled plastic surgeon who can assess your appearance, consult your medical records, and discuss your aesthetic goals to determine if a facelift is your best option. In general, a facelift is indicated for men and women who have:

• Loose, sagging skin around the cheeks and jaw
• General loss of skin elasticity in the face
• Deep wrinkles around the nose and mouth
• Permanently sad or dour expression

Most facelift patients are over age 40, and about two-thirds of them are over 55. If you are younger than that, but are experiencing the negative effects of aging, you might be an option for a mini-lift, which is a subtler procedure with a shorter recovery time. In addition, fine wrinkles can be reduced over the short-term with the use of injectable fillers.

A cosmetic surgery expert at Boston University who specializes in revising the work of other surgeons predicts the upcoming year will see many changes in the industry. The professor has seen many examples of the failings of cosmetic surgery fads, like the thread lift. Not only did these procedures not give the same results as a facelift, but often the thread was visible through the skin and in some cases, the barbs on the thread caused patients lasting pain. He predicts thread lifts will pass out of fashion, with people returning to more reliable methods such as facelifts and mini-lifts.

A second major trend will be the continuing improvement of injectable fillers. We have seen the lifespan of injectable fillers increase already, as Radiesse has a longer lifespan than Restylane, which lasts longer than collagen injections. Now it appears that there is the possibility of a permanent filler on the horizon.

Finally, 2008 will see new and innovative Laser Treatments that will continue to improve upon current results.