Welcome to our FAQ area. Here, you will find answers to commonly asked questions. While this section is not to be used in place of a consultation, it does provide valuable information. We invite you to read through the FAQ sections below and contact us for your consultation.
- Top Ten Most Commonly Asked Questions About Plastic Surgery
- What Separates One Doctor From Another in Performing Cosmetic Procedures?
- Breast Implants & Pregnancy: 5 Things You Should Know
- What is a Contemporary Facelift?
- What Should One Know About Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Of The Face?
- Facts about BOTOX™ Cosmetic & Restylane®
- Men & Plastic Surgery
The Top Ten Most Commonly Asked Questions About Plastic Surgery
Will it hurt?
During the procedure, you’re comfortable and will feel no pain. After surgery, pain and discomfort can usually be controlled with medication and subside in a matter of days.
How soon can I get back to work?
It depends on the procedure and your job. Most plastic surgery patients are back to work in 7 to 10 days.
Will everyone know?
Usually not. Good plastic surgery doesn’t leave you looking plastic. It enhances your looks naturally, and the improvement is often attributed to a vacation, new diet, or exercise regime.
How long will it last?
Rejuvenation procedures can’t stop the clock, but they can resist it. The benefits from a facelift, eyelid surgery, brow lift, and facial peels can last 5 to 15 years. Alteration procedures that reshape or correct an imbalance, such as surgery of the nose (rhinoplasty), chin augmentation, breast augmentation, and breast reduction, offer permanent benefits that last a lifetime.
Will there be scars?
Yes. Will they be noticeable? Probably not. Plastic surgeons make every effort to minimize scars and hide them in natural lines and creases. For the majority of procedures, scars fade over time, becoming barely noticeable.
How long does it take?
Not as long as you would think. Most procedures are performed as an outpatient, require no overnight stay, and take only a few hours.
Is it expensive?
Not really. Unlike most things, the prices of plastic surgery have gone down over the years while the quality has gone up. In fact, almost half of the people who undergo plastic surgery make less than $25,000 a year.
Will insurance cover it?
Usually not. But there are occasionally exceptions when a procedure is medically necessary. Often, this involves coverage for a portion of the expenses.
Can I finance it?
In most cases, yes. Financing is now a readily available, accepted form of payment. Low monthly payments make virtually every procedure instantly affordable.
What do I do next?
A consultation with a qualified surgeon is a quick, easy, no obligation way to find out what plastic surgery can do for you.
What separates one doctor from another in performing cosmetic procedures?
There are four critical factors to achieving extraordinary results.
- Training: Board Certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery denotes a background and commitment you want in your plastic surgeon.
- Technique: You want a surgeon with a focus to their practice. Additional training beyond the “bare minimum” reflects commitment, experience, and expertise in your area of concern. I attained advanced training with one of the masters in Cosmetic Plastic Surgery because I love helping people look their best. I have a focus and dedication to Facial Rejuvenation and Cosmetic Plastic Surgery of the breast and body. From cleft lip patients on medical missions to my aesthetic/cosmetic surgery patients, this is my focus and my goal.
- Artistry: As Michaelangelo said, “Details are no Trifle.” Many surgeons are technically adept, but artistically lacking. Their patients heal, but do not look their best. Other surgeons have an “eye” for aesthetics, balance, and beauty. The patient and surgeon must agree on what looks good! If they do not agree, they are healed in different directions and the chance of mutual satisfaction is slim.
- Compassion: Francis Peabody, a physician and philosopher, said, “The secret to care of the patient is caring for the patient.” In order to achieve excellence, we have to care enough to do our very best.
Breast Implants & Pregnancy: 5 Things You Should Know
Implants do not interfere with pregnancy.
Most breast implants are made of a soft silicone shell filled with saline water. Many implanted medical devices are made from this same nonreactive material. Breast implants do not harm or pose a risk to normal pregnancy in any way.
Pregnancy does not interfere with the implants.
While pregnancy does not remove the possibility of rare events such as deflation or hardening, there are no unusual implant complications during pregnancy. While the breasts will usually increase in size during pregnancy (engorgement), this process does not involve or affect the implants themselves.
Most women can breast feed following breast augmentation.
While some may supplement with formula, this is common in women without implants as well. None of the incisions available prevent breast feeding. Implant placement under the muscle allows for an extra layer of protection between the implants and the milk ducts, better mammograms, and a more natural look and feel.
Augmented breasts are more resistant to the loss of volume and shape that often accompany pregnancy and breast feeding.
In these cases, the skin can be stretched while the breast tissue volume is diminished. The result is sagging with a loss of shape, as well as volume. Because the augmented breasts maintain more of their volume (the implant volume does not decrease), women with implants are less likely to see such drastic changes.
You need a qualified plastic surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery who has the knowledge, judgment, and experience to obtain the best possible result for your individual body type and lifestyle.
While a standard augmentation may be all that is necessary, many women need adjustments in shape as well as size. Some even require lifting (mini, moderate, or full). Only a surgeon with training and experience in all aspects of surgery of the breast is qualified to assess and treat this need. Often, unqualified surgeons who are unaware or incapable of all options perform augmentation only, with no lift in sagging or poorly-supported breasts. This results in low breasts with a heavy appearance, which are both cosmetically objectable and leave most women disappointed. Your plastic surgeon should listen to your concerns and develop an individualized plan to avoid such problems and increase the likelihood of an outstanding result.
Please contact Dr. Scott Miller with any questions you may have.
What is a Contemporary Facelift?
The word “facelift” conjures up the image of someone looking tight and unnatural. However, under the care of the right surgeon, today’s facelift can be more effective and natural-looking than ever. Patients look refreshed, rested, healthy, and younger. By tightening up the underlying tissue as well as removing excess skin, facelifts now last longer than ever before without looking tight or pulled.
After a facelift, most of our patients have minimal discomfort and very little swelling and bruising. Most of them feel that they can return to a relatively normal routine very quickly and begin all activities, including exercise, four weeks after surgery. The results are dramatic, but very natural-looking. The scars are usually difficult to see and, typically, there are no significant alterations in the hairline.
With the new, deeper lifts, the patient undergoing a facelift should be able to achieve a striking result that will last for many years. We welcome prospective patients to see the appealing results that our physician has been able to accomplish.
In just a few years, lasers have become more precise, more comfortable, and less invasive. Lasers have revolutionized skin resurfacing and have become one of the mainstays in improving, reducing, and sometimes eliminating fine lines and wrinkles that appear on the cheeks, forehead, around the eyes, and lips. Beautiful, youthful, and healthy skin is available with shorter recovery time, less redness, and fewer complications.
Using the UltraPulse Co2 Laser, Dr. Miller removes the outer layers of damaged skin and allows newer, smoother skin to appear.
What Should One Know About Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Of The Face?
- My biggest concern is about having a facelift look natural. What should I know?
Not all surgeons are created equal. You need to be aware of the surgeon’s technique and artistic sense. See examples of their work, not computer art. I prefer a composite facelift approach with double-layer support. The same as double-layer stitching on a quality shirt, it will look better and last longer. This deep-layer approach allows preservation of the hairline and reshaping of the tissues in the appropriate direction; both are critical in achieving an outstanding, natural-looking result. - What is the recovery time for a complete facelift and is there a preferred age?
There are two stages of recovery. Two weeks for reliable social commitments (although many patients are very comfortable being out and about within one week), and three to 6 months for more full settling and final results. With regard to when is the right time, I treat the face, not the clock. There are forty year-olds who could benefit, and sixty year-olds who don’t need a facelift. We are treating the high cheeks, smile creases, marionette lines, jowls, and neck; these are the areas that make the difference. The composite face and necklift addresses each of these areas in natural balance with the other. - How long does a facelift usually last until I have to have another one done?
A composite facelift procedure is a permanent change. You will always look better than you otherwise would. While you do continue to age, this occurs slower because of the double-layer support. Whether or not someone seeks further treatment in the future is a personal preference. When you feel healthy and vital, you want to continue to reflect that in your appearance. While a well done facelift will stand the test of time, there are several lesser refinements that can complement your improved look short of a repeat facelift.
Facts about BOTOX® Cosmetic & Restylane®
- I know people who love the way BOTOX® Cosmetic takes away the frown wrinkles between their eyes, but the cost and inconvenience of repeated treatments is a problem. What are the alternatives?
An exciting alternative to repeated BOTOX® Cosmetic treatments is SEWS (Selective Endoscopic Wrinkle Treatment). Here, we use a scope as in knee cartilage surgery to visualize the over-active muscles and thin them out. This can soften the appearance of glabella (between the eyes) lines and bulges with minimal downtime (7-10 days). The result can last 5-15 years. How you use BOTOX® Cosmetic depends on your goals. While some people seek treatment every 3-4 months to maintain immobility of certain facial areas, others prefer a more subtle weakening of expression wrinkles. The visual improvement of BOTOX® Cosmetic can last long after its weakening has worn off. Thus, some people treat every 6-9 months. Using BOTOX® Cosmetic is like hitting the reset button. This way, we can hold aging at bay. - What is Restylane®?
Restylane® is a safe and natural cosmetic dermal filler that restores volume and fullness to the skin to correct moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds. - What is Restylane® made of?
Restylane® is the first cosmetic dermal filler made of non-animal-based hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is a natural substance that already exists in the human body and is used to provide volume and fullness to the skin. - Is Restylane® safe?
Yes. Restylane has been used safely by dermatologists and plastic surgeons since 1996 worldwide. Because Restylane® is non-animal-based and fully biocompatible, allergy testing is not required. There is virtually no risk of animal-based disease transmission or allergic reaction. The most commonly reported side effects were temporary redness and swelling at the injection sites. These effects typically resolve within two to three days.
Men and Plastic Surgery
- More men than ever are interested in cosmetic surgery. What about men with thinning hair who are nevertheless concerned with aging of their eyes and forehead. What are their options?
Yes, many men are staying fit, and it is not a sin to want to look your best. For these patients, I developed the SMART LIFT (simplified muscle access, release, and temporal lift). This approach allows me to naturally rejuvenate the eyes, brow, and forehead through a discreet upper eyelid incision.