Truth be told, this can be the case at any age. According to Dr. Christopher Zachary, chairman of the UCI Department of Dermatology, said that, “For the teenager reaching the age of majority, for the 20- to 39-year-olds finding a compatible mate and a job that they enjoy, for the 40- to 60-year-olds who can see their waning years approaching with the fear of losing their employment and of being alone and irrelevant, everyone wants to look their best.”

In other words, physical improvement – with our without cosmetic surgery – can be a lifelong process. And despite what some say, there is no shame in that. Looking your best can be an asset that helps one find a partner, move forward in a career, and feel good inside. It’s a healthy, worthwhile journey.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) and the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) released separate poll results that reveal the most popular cosmetic surgeries among age groups, as follows:

Teenagers
ASPS: Rhinoplasty (“nose job”)
ASAPS: Otoplasty (“ear pinning surgery”)

Young Adults
ASPS: Breast augmentation (for ages 20-39)
ASAPS: Breast augmentation (for ages 19-34)

Middle Age
Both polls: Liposuction (for ages 35-50)

The age groups known as “upper middle age” (40 and up) and those approaching senior status (51 and older) were also polled. The ASPS reported that the top plastic surgery procedure among those 40 and up was eyelid surgery – the same procedure we addressed earlier. At Magnolia Plastic Surgery, Dr. Carli has treated countless Inland Empire eyelid surgery patients – so we can attest to this statistic. Per the ASAPS, facelift surgery is reportedly the top procedure among those 51 and over, with eyelid surgery at a close second.

If any of the above procedures interest you, contact our Inland Empire eyelid surgery, facelift, breast augmentation, and body contouring surgeon today. Dr. Carli will be glad to meet with you.

Healing - The surgery you chose to undergo causes trauma to the nasal tissues. It is normal to expect one side of the nose to heal faster than the other. At Magnolia Plastic Surgery, we tell patients that bruising and swelling are to be expected and may last a minimum of two weeks.

Swelling - Cartilage swelling, caused by scar tissue build-up, may cause the nose to look larger than it actually is, and should not be regarded as part of the final result. Keep your activity to a minimum for the first two to three weeks to ensure optimal healing of scar tissue. After six weeks, you can resume most normal activities.

Habits - Smoking and improper care of your treatment area can prolong the recovery process and lead you to believe your surgeon made a mistake, when in fact your own habits are at least partially to blame. Quitting smoking at least two weeks before and after rhinoplasty can ensure better results and faster healing. Following your surgeon’s post-operative instructions is also imperative if you wish to avoid revision rhinoplasty.

If all else fails, most surgeons recommend waiting a period of at least one year before requesting a revision rhinoplasty procedure. This will help you be more certain of your decision and ensure that the results of your first procedure are final.

Some of the tell-tale signs that your breasts could be disproportionate to your body to the point of needing reduction are skin deep – literally. Check your shoulders. Are there grooves there from pressure created by your bra strap? Also, is there any kind of rash or skin irritation under the breasts?

There are other simple but important factors that you can consider. Check your posture. If your shoulders stoop forward regularly, this could be to compensate for too heavy of a chest. Additionally, consider where you feel pain. If pain is chronic in your shoulder, back, and neck, this is another sign that you may need a reduction.

Other factors have to do with considering how difficult it is to find fitting clothes, assessing how active you are, and considering whether your self-esteem is affected by having disproportionate-sized breasts.

If you answered yes to one or more of the above questions, you could consider undergoing breast reduction surgery. It is important to know ahead of time that changes in your appearance could take some getting used to once the surgery is complete. Understanding the risks, which are higher if you are overweight, and the recovery time, which takes about a week or two on average, are also important factors to weigh in on to determine if this is the right procedure for you.

Inland Empire breast reduction surgeon Dr. Carli is happy to answer any questions you may have. Call his office today to schedule a consultation.

Popular both for its ease of recovery time as well its effectiveness, Botox is especially sought after by women and men 35 years and older. However, there is another trend growing towards younger patients opting to undergo Botox injections. According to the Aesthetic Medicine News, patients between the ages of 19 and 34 accounted for 14 percent of the total Botox treatments performed in 2010.

This is an interesting statistic that shows that those who are already young are seeking treatment to make them look, frankly, younger. Doctors and plastic surgeons today debate the efficacy of Botox on younger patients; so far, there is no concrete evidence regarding just how young is too young. There are concerns among some in cosmetic medical circles that excessive Botox treatment too early could lead to muscle atrophy, thus speeding up the aging process rather than fighting it.

If you are interested in getting Botox treatments but do not know if you are the right age for it, the most important thing you can ask yourself is why you want the treatment in the first place. Botox is incredibly effective at smoothing the skin and flattening wrinkles because it temporarily semi-paralyzes the muscle contractions in facial areas. However, if you are a younger patient, just how deep are your wrinkles? In the mad dash to stay young forever amongst contemporary phobias about aging, we can sometimes distort just how severe our perceived flaws can be. So it is important to be honest with yourself, as well as to seek the opinion of your primary health care provider.

Another factor that is important to consider is that young faces are still developing. It is typically not advisable to seek cosmetic work on any area of our body that is still maturing, so if you are just barely leaving your teen years this is another thing to consider.

Again, while the damaging effects of Botox on too-young of patients is still only speculation, it is important that anyone considering the treatment seriously thinks about why he/she wants it done and just how deep the wrinkles and lines really are. If you are interested in Botox treatments but teetering in your decision due to questions regarding your age, Dr. Carli would be happy to assess your situation through a consultation in his Inland Empire office. Call today to schedule a time to speak with him.

However, it is important to note that in some of the more serious cases that have been reported, Botox was not administered in a cosmetic application. For example, reports of Botox deaths in 2009 were linked to the injections being administered to children as a remedy for muscle spasms.

Incidents of Botox health problems after the injection was given for cosmetic reasons do occur, but they are often temporary. Most commonly, this includes a slight lowering of one eyelid, also known as “ptosis.” Complications may even be so minor that they are not noticeable by the patient.

And, even when Botox is used for non-cosmetic reasons, it is normally a safe, effective treatment. Since 1980, Botox has been used for the treatment of strabismus (cross-eyed or wall-eyed) and blepharospasm (uncontrolled eyelid twitching). Sweaty palms and migraine headaches are also ailments that may be safely addressed with Botox.

Botox was first used to treat forehead lines and wrinkles in 1989. In April 2002, it was FDA approved to temporarily improve the appearance of moderate-to-severe frown lines between the eyebrows. In the vast majority of cases, it has been safe and successful. However, there are some Botox health risks that all patients should be made a ware of. They include the aforementioned ptosis, as well as temporary (seven to 10 days) loss of other facial muscle functions.

Other Botox health problems that have been reported after cosmetic use include headaches, flu-like symptoms, blurred vision, dry mouth, fatigue, allergic reactions, and swelling or redness at the injection site. Again, these are rare and temporary.

During a consultation appointment at Magnolia Plastic Surgery, we can explain these risks in detail and answer any questions you may have in determining if Botox is the right treatment for you. We understand your need to be 100 percent comfortable with your decision to receive Botox injections, and will help become better-informed.

Our practice takes the needs of the whole face into account. We believe that in many cases, a facelift is necessary; and in others, less extensive procedures can be combined to attain the result the patient is seeking. For example, some patients are better suited for minimally invasive anti-aging facial rejuvenation, such as facial fillers (i.e., Alloderm®, fat injections, collagen), Botox®, skin resurfacing thread lifts, or PhotoFacial treatment.

It is estimated that facelift surgery has a 90 percent success rate; so using that statistic as a guide, it is logical to conclude that it is safer today than it was in the past. However, only a skilled plastic surgeon can assess whether facelift surgery is the right option for you at this point in the aging process. During a two-part consultation series with Dr. Carli, you can receive a personalized skin analysis and a complete skin care program, and all questions regarding facelift surgery and/or facial rejuvenation can be answered. We look forward to meeting with you for this appointment. Please contact Magnolia Plastic Surgery to schedule your consultation today.

First, it is important to be aware of what Botox does and how it works. Doctors inject Botox into facial muscles to block nerve impulses. This results in a temporary semi-paralysis of muscle contractions, which then smoothes the skin and flattens wrinkles. The treatment is effective and lasts several weeks to a few months. The potential side effects are mild and resolve within days.

Now to determining if you are a good candidate. Consider where your wrinkles are. If they are in the brow, around the eyes, or in the forehead, these are prime areas for Botox. These are incredibly active facial areas and the muscles here are used countless times a day without our even knowing it.

If your wrinkles are around your mouth, you have bags under your eyes, or you would like to have fuller lips, then a dermal filler such as Juvederm ™ or Restylane ® would be a better bet.

The other criteria to consider if Botox is right for you are the same factors that you should consider before any treatment of any kind. Do you have significant sun damage? Do you have any disorders that affect your nerves or muscles? And if you are a woman, are you breastfeeding or planning on becoming pregnant soon? If you answered yes to any of these questions, be sure to talk to your doctor to get his/her advice on whether Botox would be safe for you. And as with all procedures, ideal candidates are in good, stable health and do not smoke.

If you have further questions regarding whether you would be a good candidate for Botox treatments, or would like to schedule a consultation, call Dr. Carli’s office today.

The real question doesn’t have to do with if your friends notice or not, because if they don’t, then what’s the point anyway? The question has to do with any type of stigma that could possibly be attached to the treatment. The truth is that these days, there really isn’t one. Botox remains one of the top cosmetic treatments sought today. In fact, there were 2,437,165 Botox treatments performed in 2010 alone. If you get Botox done, you’re not exactly in rare company.

Botox is so popular because it is safe and effective. While side effects are a risk with any treatment, those associated with Botox are typically very mild and disappear quickly.

Botox works by temporarily paralyzing the more mobile muscles in the face around your eyes and forehead. This prevents wrinkles from forming and gives patients a more youthful, smoother face for several weeks at a time.

Botox treatments are widely available and only becoming more popular today. So if you are shy about what your friends might think, you really have nothing to worry about at all. You can call Dr. Carli’s office today and he will be happy to further explain Botox treatments during an appointment.

Botox is ideal for targeting frown lines (a furrowed brow), which are caused by the action of a muscle called the corrugator. When you intentionally make yourself frown, you can feel this as a thickening just below the inside of your eyebrows.

Injecting Botox directly into this corrugator muscle stops your ability to draw your eyebrows together when you frown. Once the muscle is “paralyzed,” it cannot contract, and the frown line gradually fades away. Although the results of Botox will typically last three to five months, it may be a better option for you than a facelift if frown lines are your primary complaint. In order to maintain a youthful-looking appearance, repeat treatment sessions will be necessary.

Botox may also be a better option than facelift surgery if your signs of facial aging are limited to:

• Crows’ feet
• Forehead wrinkles
• Neck folds

So, when is facelift surgery a better option than Botox? When the effects of time and gravity lead to facial sagging, Botox is not an effective remedy. Botox merely addresses facial lines – not sagging skin. Only facelift surgery can reverse the appearance of sagging facial skin. The results of a facelift may last up to several years, but the specific number of years depends on the amount of elasticity the skin still has prior to surgery. For that reason, Dr. Carli recommends considering a facelift procedure at the onset of facial sagging, rather than waiting until you reach a specific age.

Whether you believe your best option is Botox or facelift surgery, we have the solution at Magnolia Plastic Surgery. Contact our office today to request more information.

At Magnolia Plastic Surgery, we’ve found that the most common way men cosmetically enhance their facial appearance is with Botox®. Dr. Carli is an experienced Inland Empire Botox provider, and he has helped countless men obtain a more rejuvenated facial appearance with this injectable.

As of 2010, there were about 750,000 American men obtaining Botox treatments. True, males are just a small portion of all Botox patients, and statistics gathered by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) show that men made up eight percent of all cosmetic procedures in 2010. But the bigger picture is this: The same report revealed that the number of cosmetic procedures for men has increased more than 88 percent since 1997.

Why are more men drawn to Botox? Dr. Carli’s patients express interest in the non-invasive option for various reasons; it requires no surgery and results appear quite natural almost immediately. It’s a subtle rejuvenation that can help men move ahead professionally in an increasingly youth-oriented business culture. For some, this discreet rejuvenation may even enhance their personal or romantic endeavors.

It makes sense to them, and it makes sense to us. For that reason, Magnolia Plastic Surgery is proud to service male patients. For more information, please contact our office today. Dr. Carli will be glad to answer your questions during a consultation appointment.