woman-eyes-blepharoplasty

The Aesthetic and Health-Related Benefits of Blepharoplasty

Procedure Overviews

It is evident that plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures have aesthetic benefits, but many of these procedures can have impacts on the health of patients, as well. One such procedure is blepharoplasty.

Blepharoplasty, also called eyelid surgery or an eye lift, is a procedure that removes excess skin by removing and relocating soft tissue surrounding the eyes, including fat and even muscle, in order to improve the appearance or resolve health issues. This is a serious procedure that can involve major changes to the eye area, but recovering from the procedure is relatively easy and usually only takes one to two weeks.

Aesthetic Benefits of Blepharoplasty

Cosmetic blepharoplasty is most often thought of as an age-reversing and revitalizing procedure. This procedure reduces under eye bags, sagging upper lids, and puffiness surrounding the eyes. This opens up the appearance of the eyes and gives a more alert, awake, and youthful appearance. It can also sometimes remove wrinkles and creases resulting from bags, sagging, and puffiness, and can remove or minimize the appearance of dark circles under the eyes. However, blepharoplasty cannot remove crow’s feet or improve the appearance of dark circles that are due to thin skin or hyperpigmentation of the skin.

Cosmetic eyelid surgery can be performed alongside other procedures for a more comprehensive revitalization or to address aesthetic issues that blepharoplasty alone cannot resolve. Crow’s feet and other types of wrinkles can be addressed with lifts, such as face lifts and brow lifts, or injected dermal fillers, such as Botox. Skin resurfacing treatments, injected dermal fillers, and custom facial implants and reconstruction can be used to improve the appearance of dark circles due to hyperpigmentation and fill in shadowy hollows under the eyes.

Health Benefits of Blepharoplasty

People don’t typically think of plastic surgery as having health benefits, and blepharoplasty is typically performed for cosmetic reasons. However, blepharoplasty, like many plastic surgery procedures, has health benefits, as well. These benefits extend to both the mental and physical health of patients.

Patients seeking eyelid surgery for health reasons can also have the appearance of the eye area improved at the same time, and may be eligible to have insurance cover the cost of the procedure.

Mental Health Benefits

Many plastic surgeries can benefit patients’ mental health by improving their self-confidence, and eyelid surgery is no exception. Not all patients will see improved self-esteem from plastic surgery, but patients who are highly dissatisfied with a particular aspect of their appearance that can be addressed by the procedure and have realistic expectations can greatly benefit.

People with high self-esteem are less likely to experience mental health issues, such as eating disorders, anxiety, and depression, among others. They are also more likely to have socially healthy and fulfilling lives. They are able to foster healthier relationships, are more comfortable expressing themselves, and form healthy and realistic expectations for themselves and those around them.

Physical Health Benefits

The improvements to mental health can have implications for physical health, as well. Eating disorders take a toll on the body, weakening tissue and making the person more prone to illness. People with high self-esteem are also more likely to take care of themselves, such as by pursuing a healthy exercise routine and making other healthy choices.

However, these are not the only ways that blepharoplasty can improve the physical health of patients. Many people have excess sagging of the upper lid that leads to obstruction of the upper portion of their field of vision. This can be the result of aging, physical trauma, or illness. Eyelid surgery can help correct this vision obstruction by eliminating the excess skin and displaced tissue, clearing the field of vision.

Dr. William J. Binder

Dr. William J. Binder is an experienced plastic surgeon based out of Los Angeles and is considered one of the world’s best plastic surgeons. He is double board certified, extensively published (largely in peer reviewed publications), and has 10 patents on medical devices and pharmaceuticals.

Whatever your reason for choosing blepharoplasty, you deserve the best possible surgeon. Contact Dr. Binder’s office today to schedule your consultation with one of the best.

neck-cancerous-moles

Dealing with Cancerous Moles

Health Basics, Procedure Overviews

It goes by many names: beauty mark, patch, spot, birthmark, etc. But for the sake of clarity, let’s call it what it is: a mole. It could be harmless or it could be the warning sign of something more serious.

Do you have any suspicious moles that you’ve been secretly fretting about? Are you worried that your mole might be cancerous?

Since most skin cancers start in irregular spots, it is important that you check your skin every few months. Ask your partner or physician to help you assess areas of the body that you can’t see yourself.

Know Your Stages 

Let’s start with the good news: the sooner you identify a cancerous mole, the better your chances are to avoid more serious health concerns down the road. For example, patients with a Stage One prognosis have higher odds of beating cancer than those with a Stage Four assessment. Before moving on, let’s define these terms.

STAGE ZERO – This diagnosis means that there are no cancer cells detected yet, but the presence of abnormal pre-cancerous cells that must be monitored.

STAGE ONE – The earliest stage of cancer growth, this phase is typified by the fact that the affected cells are all contained in one finite area of the body.

STAGE TWO – This is when cancer has spread to adjoining regions of the inception point.

STAGE THREE – As cancer spreads further, it could infect your lymph nodes or other sensitive tissue matter.

STAGE FOUR – At this point, cancer has metastasized and branched out to various parts of the body, making its eradication more complicated. 

But complicated doesn’t mean impossible, so let’s focus on the positive and work together to fight cancer before it spreads. Here’s how to determine whether or not your moles may be cancerous.

Types of Moles and How They Look

  • Normal mole—is a harmless spot that develops in childhood and later in life and can be found anywhere. Typically, normal moles are smaller than a pencil eraser and are round and symmetrical with smooth borders and an even color.
  • Dysplastic nevus—is a type of mole that looks different from a common mole. It can have a mixture of several colors, from pink to dark brown, and is usually flat with a smooth, slightly scaly, or pebbly surface, with an irregular edge that may fade into the surrounding skin.
  • Actinic keratosis—is a common precancerous growth often found on your scalp, face, hands, or forearms. They are a rough, flesh-toned pink or red patch that may be itchy or scaly. Actinic keratosis should be removed because five to 10 percent of them can become cancerous.
  • Basal cell carcinoma—is caused by sun damage and typically found on the face. It normally appears as a pinkish or reddish patch that may bleed or scab. This type of cancer is easy to treat if caught early.
  • Squamous cell carcinoma—this type of cancer often appears on the body, legs, or hands and is curable if caught early. It appears as a thick growth that can peel and bleed and may have an irregularly shaped border.
  • Melanoma—this serious form of cancer can spread quickly, but is curable if caught early. Alert your doctor if you see a dark, irregularly shaped growth with an uneven reddish-brown, brown, or black coloring.

Since this last form of a mole is the most potentially hazardous, let’s take a closer look at its symptoms, features, and variations…

What is Melanoma?

Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that begins in melanocytes. It is potentially dangerous because it can invade nearby tissues and spread to other parts of the body, such as the lung, liver, bone, or brain. Since most melanocytes are in the skin, melanoma can occur on any skin surface. It can develop from a common mole or dysplastic nevus, and it can develop in an area of apparently normal skin. In addition, melanoma can also develop in the eye, the digestive tract, and other areas of the body.

Often the first signs of melanoma are a change in the shape, color, size, or feel of an existing mole. Melanoma may also appear as a new colored area on the skin.

The early features of melanoma are:

  • Asymmetry—This is defined as a mole that is off-kilter. In other words, if the shape of one half does not match the other half, then it is asymmetrical.
  • The border is irregular—If the edges of your mole are ragged, notched, or blurred in outline, then it qualifies as irregular. The pigment may spread into its surrounding skin in these cases.
  • A color that is uneven—Shades of black, brown, and tan may be present in some cancerous moles. Areas of white, gray, red, pink, or blue may also be seen.
  • Diameter—Be aware if there is a change in size, usually an increase. Melanomas can be tiny, but most are larger than ¼ inch wide.
  • Evolving—If the mole has changed over the past few weeks or months, then be sure to contact your doctor as soon as possible.

Melanomas can vary greatly in how they look. While many will show all of the above features, some may only show one or two of the above features.

Screening and Prevention

The only way to diagnose melanoma is to remove tissue and check it for cancer cells. Your doctor will remove all or part of the skin that looks abnormal. Usually, this procedure only takes a few minutes and can be done in a doctor’s office, clinic, or hospital. The sample will be sent to a lab and a pathologist will look at the tissue under a microscope to check for melanoma.

If you want to help prevent melanoma, then you need to be sun smart. Here are some tips on how you can be sun smart:

  • Spend time in the shade between 11 am and 3 pm
  • Wear a T-shirt, hat, and sunglasses
  • Use sunscreen with at least SPF 15 (the higher the better), with good UVA protection (the more stars the better)
  • Avoid sunbeds as they are not a safe alternative to tanning outdoors (the intensity of the UV rays can be 10-15 times higher than that of the midday sun)

You may be more at risk of developing skin cancer if you have:

  • Fair skin
  • Lots of moles and freckles
  • Red or fair hair
  • Had skin cancer before
  • A family history of skin cancer

Early Detection Yields Healthy Results 

The stages outlined above give doctors and patients a roadmap of how to maneuver the detection and treatment of potentially cancerous moles. Case in point: one comprehensive study recorded the survival rates of approximately 60,000 patients recovering from melanoma diagnoses. This is what they found:

  • People who identified their affliction during Stage One-A recorded a 97% rate of survival after the five-year mark. That same group boasted a 10-year survival rate of approximately 95%.
  • The numbers dip slightly when we move on to Stage One-B. 92% of that subgroup survived the five-year benchmark while 86% went on to the 10-year milestone.
  • Stage Two saw lower statistics. The five-year survival numbers for 2-A patients were about 81% and the 10-year rate was around 67%. Stage Two-B marked a 70% rate for the five-year study and 57% at the 10-year mark. 
  • Patients in Stage Three saw even lower survival rates on average, although the numbers ticked up for those in Stage 3-A. That may be due to the fact that the initial tumor is smaller than in advanced Stage Two cases and therefore more treatable.
  • If the melanoma advances to Stage Four, the five-year survival range drops to between 15 and 20 percent. The 10-year rate dips even lower to 10-15%.

Don’t be a statistic. Take control of your wellbeing, consult a trusted medical professional, and be on the lookout for suspicious growths.

Getting Your Moles Checked

If you are worried about any mole that you have, please don’t panic. Our skin is varied and complex; it evolves and changes in response to how we age and grow, and it also reacts to environmental conditions such as sun exposure. It may be nothing to worry about, but awareness is always encouraged.

Regardless of your particular physiological situation, knowledge is the best medicine. If you have any questions or concerns, you should schedule an appointment with Dr. Binder. The most effective way to ensure that you don’t have skin cancer is to have your suspicious moles checked out and, if necessary, removed by a qualified doctor. As noted in the statistics above, moles that are diagnosed early can be treated for skin cancer. While the “Big C” is a scary notion to us all, we must work together to minimize its risks, maximize our awareness, and move forward to a healthier tomorrow.

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What is a Multi-Level Facelift?

Face Lifts, Procedure Overviews

Life goes on. It’s a common saying that’s often overused in times of strife or when accepting something outside of our control. However trite it may sound, it’s true when concerning the aging process, we can’t control it. However, that doesn’t mean it’s completely out of our hands. Or rather, in the hands of someone like Dr. Binder.

Years and years of research and procedures have led to tremendous strides in technology along with higher quality results in the facial rejuvenation and cosmetic surgery industry. The multi-level approach to facial surgery is one that provides a personalized procedure to those with specific desires for particular areas of the face.

Facelift Surgery

As we all know, aging is a completely natural and inevitable process. The loss of both superficial and deeper adipose fat tissue is what causes the undesirable sagging of skin, development of deep wrinkles, and thinning of the lips. These results of the aging process can be accelerated by factors such as over-exposure to the sun or drug/alcohol use.

Considering aging is so universal, it’s no wonder some people might be inclined to restore some of the elasticity and youthfulness to their face. This is the primary goal of a facelift procedure. Drooping jowls or eyebrows, bags under the eyes, wrinkles, or a sagging neck are all common areas patients have successfully improved with facelift surgery.

Where old facelift procedures would “pull” the skin tight around the face in an effort to forcibly smooth out wrinkles, this grew ineffective and often resulted in an artificially sleek looking face. This is because of the now-outdated focus on only surface level skin. With newer technology and practices, contemporary facelifts focus on deeper tissues in the face and aim to achieve a longer-lasting and more natural result.

The Multi-Level Approach

The multi-level approach to a face-lifting surgery is a relatively recent approach to the cosmetic surgery industry. No single patient is the same and no single patient should be treated as such. That’s why Dr. Binder and his team adopted this highly-personalized method of surgery. Where one patient may desire a full-scale face and neck lift, another may only require a neck liposuction, double chin correction, or eyelid fat removal. This customizable technique of administering treatment is an ideal way to effectively deliver individualized results for everybody.

The different facelift procedures are:

  • Vertical Midface Lift – Lifts the deep fat tissues, primarily of the jowls, and aims to prevent the unnatural “mask-like” look.
  • Under the Chin Neck Lift – The Bidirectional Neck Lift takes muscle from underneath the chin and repositions it upward, creating a better contoured muscular sling. Results are long-lasting.
  • Submental Neck Lift – Reinforces the platysmal muscle that is responsible for bands over the front of the neck.
  • Neck Lipo – This procedure is aimed at younger patients with an excess of fat around the neck and a substantial amount of skin elasticity.
  • Subperiosteal Midface Lift – Designed for younger patients who desire elevated cheeks. Produces nearly-invisible scars just above the hairline.

When considering such a permanent change with a procedure such as a facelift, it is critical that your treatment and care are personalized specifically for your needs and your needs alone. Along with the state of the art advancements in the plastic surgery space, a multi-level approach ensures you achieve not only facial rejuvenation, but the facial rejuvenation that is right for you.

Find out more about Dr. Binder’s cutting-edge procedures and quality care by contacting us today.

laser-skin-resurfacing

Is Laser Skin Resurfacing Right for You?

Procedure Overviews

Laser skin resurfacing is a safe and effective skin rejuvenation technique that uses a targeted laser, typically a CO2 laser, to remove damaged skin layer by layer; revealing the beautiful, healthy skin underneath. Because it is both convenient and cost effective, especially compared to surgical alternatives, laser skin resurfacing is rapidly gaining popularity. Over half a million patients underwent laser skin resurfacing last year.

Skin Problems Laser Skin Resurfacing Can Treat

Laser skin resurfacing is a versatile, minimally invasive cosmetic procedure that can help remedy a variety of skin problems, including discoloration, fine lines and wrinkles, and acne and other scars.

Laser Resurfacing for Discoloration

Discoloration is something that most of us experience over the course of our lives. This can be because of aging, sun damage or a medical disorder, but can also simply be something you’re born with; such as a port wine stain or other birth mark. Laser skin resurfacing cannot eliminate dramatic discoloration, but it can even out discoloration and blotchiness and make it less eye-catching and easier to cover with cosmetics.

Laser Resurfacing for Fine Lines and Wrinkles

Most people think of injections or surgical lifts as the go-to treatments for fine lines and wrinkles, but laser skin resurfacing can also treat these annoying signs of aging. In fact, many candidates who experience minimal or no results after lifts have great success with laser skin resurfacing. This technique is especially effective for the crow’s feet that develop at the corners of our eyes, as well as wrinkles that develop around the mouth and on the forehead.

Laser Scar Removal

Laser skin resurfacing is unique from other skin resurfacing treatments in that it can improve the appearance of all types of scars, including acne scars, which other skin resurfacing treatments usually cannot treat. Laser scar removal is a method commonly used in scar revision procedures. Laser scar removal can be used to remove or lessen the appearance of scars that result from surgery, injury, and more.

Good Candidates for Laser Skin Resurfacing

Good candidates for laser skin resurfacing will experience one of the above issues to a significant degree. Laser skin resurfacing is not for patients with only minor imperfections. People with dark skin may not be eligible for skin resurfacing because the greater pigmentation in their skin can mean an increased risk of discoloration or skin damage. Your doctor will be able to determine if laser skin resurfacing is right for you by examining your skin and discussing your goals with you during your consultation.

Like with other cosmetic procedures, candidates for laser skin resurfacing should be in good general health, with no conditions that could delay or complicate the healing process. Candidates should be non-smokers or at least not smoke for two weeks before and after the procedure. During your consultation, tell your doctor about all medications you take, including vitamins and supplements, and disclose any allergies you may have.

Dr. William J. Binder

Dr. William J. Binder is a facial and reconstructive plastic surgeon based out of beautiful Los Angeles, and is considered one of the world’s leading plastic surgeons. Dr. Binder has about three decades of experience in the field, is board certified by both the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, and has 10 U.S. and global patents on medical and surgical devices and pharmaceuticals.

Whether you want laser scar removal or laser skin resurfacing for hyperpigmentation or fine lines and wrinkles, contact Dr. Binder’s office today to schedule your consultation.

woman-considering-neck-lift

5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Getting a Neck Lift

Procedure Overviews

Living in Los Angeles can put a lot of pressure on you to look your very best, and while the warm weather is always nice, the blaring Los Angeles sun doesn’t do much to help keep your skin looking young and vibrant.

Most people tend to neglect the appearance of their neck, even though the neck is one of the first places that begin to show signs of aging.

If your neck skin appears to have lost its natural elasticity and sags, then you might be considering a neck lift procedure (referred to as a lower rhytidectomy in cosmetic medicine).

Here are some things that you may want to know about neck lift surgery, and a list of five questions to ask yourself before getting any type of cosmetic procedure done.

What is a Neck Lift?

A neck lift is a surgical procedure that reduces the visible signs of aging in the jawline and neck. Neck lift surgery removes excess skin and fat deposits from the neck area and sometimes restructures the underlying muscles.

This procedure is one of the safest and most reliable in plastic surgery, as modern neck lift surgery can be performed with minimal incisions and scarring while producing exceptionally natural-looking results.

This two to three-hour procedure varies according to the unique needs and goals of the individual patients. Some patients achieve their desired results through a simple liposuction procedure, which involves removal of excess fat deposits from the neck.

More dramatic results can be achieved through the removal of excess skin and fat along with tightening and restructuring the underlying muscles. Neck lift surgery is often performed in conjunction with other facial surgeries, such as facelift, brow lift, and eyelid surgery.

Modern techniques and technology allow surgeons to perform neck lift surgery using extremely small incisions. Through these incisions, excess fat is removed, either through liposuction or through surgical excision.

If desired, slack muscles can be tightened; in some cases, a small section of the platysma muscle may even be removed. Once the work involving the underlying tissues has been completed, the skin is re-draped and pulled taut, and the incisions are sutured closed. Any excess skin is removed.

Am I a Good Candidate for a Neck Lift?

Ideal candidates for a neck lift surgery are men and women, 40 to 80 years of age, who wish to correct:

  • Sun or wind damaged neck skin
  • Double or triple chin (fat under the chin)
  • Turkey wattle neck (loose, slack neck skin)
  • Jowls (fat or too much skin under the jaws)
  • Excess neck fat or neck skin

5 Questions to Ask Yourself

Before fully considering getting any type of cosmetic surgery, you should ask yourself the following questions:

Do the positive benefits exceed the possible complications?

All medical procedures have the potential for complications. You should not undergo surgery unless it is very important to you to rejuvenate the appearance of your neck. Bottom line: your overall health is more important to us (and to you!) than any one bodily aesthetic feature.

However, there are various studies that point to marked improvement in a patient’s mental wellbeing after he or she has undergone cosmetic surgery. Social anxiety decreased, as did rates of depression, and their overall quality of life was reportedly higher. When weighed against the minor risks of neck lift surgery, the potential boost in self-esteem must be taken into hearty consideration (see question #3).

Have you considered alternative approaches?

For many issues with surgical solutions, there are alternatives that are less invasive. Have you exhausted all of the alternative approaches to tightening and improving your neck’s appearance – like diet and exercise – before considering cosmetic surgery?

After all, the skin of the neck is more delicate and vulnerable to dehydration than that on your face. This is due to the lack of emollients that are present in your facial flesh from the benefit of oil-producing glands. This can lead to a loss in elasticity over time, causing your neck to age seemingly faster than your face. This is yet another reason to keep all of your cosmetic options on the table when it comes to neck maintenance and beautification. So, keep your creams and lotions close, but your doctor’s phone number even closer!

Are you considering a neck lift for your self-esteem?

If you are considering a neck lift to increase your confidence, it may work if you are very self-conscious about the appearance of your neck and this distracts you from being fully present and making the most out of your social and professional interactions.

If you suffer from low self-esteem in general, however, you may be happier with how you look after a cosmetic procedure, but improving your appearance won’t solve your overall challenges with self-esteem. This is why it’s important to have an honest and open discussion with your trusted medical team before embarking on any final course of action. We support your quest to be your best, and we will ask the important questions to make sure you don’t step out of your comfort zone to achieve these goals.

What are your expectations?

What do you expect in terms of the surgery itself and the recovery period? What do you think will happen if the surgery is a success? What will change in your life? Think about the end result you desire and share your expectations openly and thoroughly with your cosmetic surgeon during your initial consultation.

Think about it in terms of redecorating your home. You don’t start moving the furniture until you have an overall idea of how the room should flow. Otherwise, you’ll have a couch blocking the door and everyone will be turned away from the TV. That’s why planning ahead is key. Your neck dictates the directionality of your look. When someone gazes upon you, their eyes trail from your hair to your face, then down your neck to your shoulders and beyond. If your expectations for a neck lift are too extreme, the new look won’t blend naturally with your face and shoulders, halting the synergy of your overall look. This is why it’s important to consult early and consult often before any procedure takes place.

Are your expectations realistic?

As mentioned above, extremes are never advisable when it comes to cosmetic surgery, not only because of aesthetics but also due to your bodily capabilities. Some skin should never be pulled tight and some necks need more tenderness than others. Be mindful of these limitations when you formulate a plan of action with your surgeon.

Ask yourself if your expectations are realistic and achievable with plastic surgery. Look at a lot of before and after photos of face and neck lifts on cosmetic surgeons’ websites to get a realistic idea of what is possible with a neck lift. You should be honest and firm with your convictions, but never too inflexible that you won’t listen to the advice of a skilled medical professional. It’s a situation similar to the skin on your neck. You must be pliable yet strong and supportive (and supported – make sure you have a friend or loved one help you with the preparation process as well as the healing period after surgery).

About Dr. William J. Binder

Dr. William J. Binder is a facial plastic surgery specialist with over three decades of experience with facial plastic surgery.

For almost three decades, his individualized philosophy and approach to facial plastic surgery has led him to pioneer new techniques for face and neck lift procedures and earned him international acclaim for his results.
If you want your neck lift performed by one of the world’s leading facial plastic surgeons, contact Dr. Binder’s office today to schedule an initial consultation.

woman-custom-facial-implants

How Custom Implants Achieve a Natural Look

Procedure Overviews

A major concern for many plastic surgery patients is whether or not their plastic surgery results will look natural, especially because of dated stereotypes about plastic surgery results looking artificial and aesthetically unpleasant. However, new plastic surgery techniques, like custom facial implants, allow for gorgeous, natural-looking results.

Custom facial implants are an alternative to traditional standard facial implants. While standard facial implants are cheaper than custom facial implants and there are multiple choices in the shape and size, standard facial implants are unable to match the natural results of facial implants that are customized to the shape, size, and proportions of your unique face.

3 Dimensional Computer Modeling

One of the reasons that custom facial implants are able to get such great results is because of the process that goes into designing them. First, the plastic surgeon takes a three dimensional “CT” scan of the patient’s head. This scan can be explored and manipulated via computer software. Then, the CT scan is transformed into a physical model of the patient’s skull. Finally, the digital scan and the physical model are used together to design an implant that is perfectly sized and shaped for the patient’s facial structure. This combination of CT scans and computer technology is called 3-D Accuscan®.

Custom Implants and Facial Reconstruction

While custom implants are ideal for patients who want modifications to their face for cosmetic reasons, they can be life changing for patients who’ve undergone severe facial trauma and are in need of facial reconstruction. Any properly inserted facial implants restore normal function and appearance to the face, but custom facial implants are unparalleled in their ability to recreate the patient’s appearance before their facial trauma.

Custom facial implants are also far less traumatic than the cutting, moving, and grafting of bone and cartilage associated with the traditional alternative to facial implants, orthographic surgery, which was also prohibitively expensive for many patients.

Choosing the Right Plastic Surgeon

While custom implants have great potential, the implants alone aren’t enough to guarantee great results. Your plastic surgeon will be responsible for the proper creation and application of your custom implants, so having a skilled plastic surgeon who understands what you hope to achieve from your plastic surgery is essential in getting attractive and natural looking results.

Your surgeon should have ample experience in custom facial implants and you should look at before and after images of their results to make sure their surgeries provide results you would enjoy living the rest of your life with. Choosing an experienced reconstructive facial plastic surgery specialist, even if you only want implants for cosmetic reasons, is ideal because a specialist has greater knowledge about custom facial implants and more experience creating and manipulating custom facial implants.

Dr. William J. Binder

Dr. William J. Binder is a Los Angeles based reconstructive facial plastic surgeon with decades of experience in the field. However, Dr. Binder is even more than just an experienced facial reconstructive plastic surgeon. Dr. Binder actually originated the 3-D Accuscan® process, which he presented at major national conventions and published in the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Journal.

Dr. Binder was also awarded the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery’s Outstanding Achievement Award because of the significance of this process in the fields of reconstructive and aesthetic plastic surgery, and is considered one of the world’s leading plastic surgeons.

If you’re interested in having your custom facial implants made and inserted by the world’s expert in 3-D Accuscan®, don’t wait to act. Contact Dr. Binder’s office today to schedule your consultation.

woman-receives-facial-laser-treatments

Facial Laser Treatments: How They Work

Procedure Overviews

You’ve been thinking about getting some sort of facial treatment, whether it’s to get rid of unwanted wrinkles or facial hair, or to just tighten up your skin, but you’re unsure about treatments that use lasers.

While facial laser treatments can help solve a number of problems, feeling concerned about the use of lasers isn’t uncommon. Here’s a quick look at laser facial treatments and how they work.

Laser Skin Resurfacing

Laser skin resurfacing is a treatment that works to reduce facial wrinkles and skin irregularities (blemishes or acne scars) by directing short, concentrated pulsating beams of light at irregular skin, precisely removing skin layer by layer.

The two types of lasers most commonly used in laser skin resurfacing are: carbon dioxide and erbium.

  • Carbon dioxide—uses very short pulsed light energy (ultrapulse) or continuous light beams that are delivered in a scanning pattern to remove thin layers of skin with minimal heat damage
  • Erbium—designed to remove surface level and moderately deep lines and wrinkles, while causing minimal burning to surrounding tissue and less side effects. This type of laser is also more ideal for people with darker skin tones.

Your doctor may treat individual wrinkles around your eyes, mouth, or forehead or treat your entire face. Partial facial treatments can take between 30-45 minutes, while full facial treatments can take up to two hours.

Laser Skin Tightening

Laser skin tightening is a minimally invasive, non-surgical process that uses an infrared laser to tighten skin by heating the collagen under the skin’s surface, causing the skin to contract and tighten.

Facial skin tightening is immediately noticeable after the treatment and your skin will continue to tighten over the next few months. For the best results, you should receive two or three laser skin tightening treatments about a month apart.

During the treatment, your doctor will use a hand piece to apply brief pulses of laser energy to the skin. A continuous burst of cool air from the laser will ensure your comfort. Most laser skin tightening systems require the practitioner to go over the treatment area three times.

Treatment sessions usually last from 30 minutes to one hour, depending on the size of the treatment area. Laser skin tightening treatments require no downtime, which means that you can return to work or play immediately following your treatment session.

Laser Hair Removal

Laser hair removal is a treatment in which highly concentrated light is beamed into hair follicles. Pigment in the follicles absorb the light, causing the hair to be destroyed. Laser hair removal can be useful for removing unwanted hair from the face, leg, arm, underarm, bikini line, and other areas.

Some of the benefits of laser hair removal include:

  • Precision—lasers can selectively target dark, coarse hairs while leaving the surrounding skin undamaged.
  • Speed—each pulse of the laser takes a fraction of a second and can treat many hairs at the same time, treating an area about the size of a quarter every second.
  • Predictability—most patients have permanent hair loss after an average of three to seven sessions.

If you are planning on undergoing laser hair removal, you should limit plucking, waxing, and electrolysis for six weeks before your treatment. This should be done because the laser targets the hairs’ roots, which are temporarily removed by waxing or plucking. You should also plan to avoid sun exposure for six weeks before and after your treatment. Sun exposure makes laser hair removal less effective and makes complications after treatment more likely.

During your treatment, the hair that will be undergoing laser hair removal will be trimmed to a few millimeters above the skin surface. Then a cold gel or special cooling device will be applied to the outer layers of your skin in order to protect your skin and to help the laser light penetrate the skin. After your treatment, you may be given ice packs, anti-inflammatory creams or lotions, or cold water to ease any discomfort. Your next laser hair removal treatment should be scheduled four to six weeks later.

Facial Laser Treatments with Dr. Binder

If you are thinking about receiving any sort of facial laser treatment, you should first consult with Dr. Binder about which treatment options might work best for you. With years of experience in his field, he has the knowledge and knowhow to help answer any questions or alleviate any concerns that you might have about laser treatments.

types-of-facelifts-woman

Choosing the Right Facelift for You

Face Lifts, Procedure Overviews

You’ve recently been thinking about getting a facelift, but you aren’t sure what type of facelift or what facelift technique would work best for you. Before receiving any type of surgery, it is important to consider all of the available options. Here’s a quick look at the different types of facelifts and facelift techniques that you have to choose from.

Types of Facelifts

  • Traditional full facelift—a full or traditional facelift will address your entire face, including your neck and eyebrows. A full facelift may be performed with a neck lift, for more comprehensive results. This type of facelift can address sagging skin in your cheeks, chin, and jaw; reduce creases between your mouth and nose; reduce deep wrinkles under your eyes; and reduce displaced fat deposits. Because it targets a larger area, the treatment requires a longer incision (usually running along the temple, around the ear, and down to the neck. Full facelifts can address more dramatic signs of aging, therefore making them popular among patients in their 50’s and 60’s.
  • Mini facelift—a mini facelift primarily addresses the middle of the face, and is typically recommended for younger patients and for patients who desire only moderate change. This procedure requires smaller incisions (usually made just below the earlobes) as it addresses a smaller portion of the face. This type of facelift is also referred to as a weekend facelift due to its much shorter recovery time.
  • Mid-face lift—a mid-face lift works to restore a smooth, youthful look to the lower eyelids and cheeks, getting rid of that tired and haggard look. During this procedure, your doctor will create incisions similar to a traditional facelift, only deeper. This will allow for your doctor to lift the muscles that are normally untouched during a traditional facelift. Since this procedure only addresses some of the signs of aging, it is more suitable for patients in their 30s and 40s. Dr. Binder commonly performs what is known as a mid-face lift, which you can learn more about here.
  • Thread facelift—during this type of facelift, special threads are use to discreetly hold repositioned skin and facial tissue in place after surgery. This treatment tends to be most suitable for patients in their 30’s and 40’s who want to make minor adjustments to their appearance. How noticeable the results are depends from patient to patient, and it was one type of facelift surgery not utilized that often by Dr. Binder. You can find out more as to why here.

Facelift Techniques

The different types of facelifts can be performed using several different surgical tools and incision patterns. Each technique has its advantages and disadvantages, and will work differently for each person. The different facelift techniques include:

  • Endoscopic facelift—this technique can be used on all types of facelifts, and uses an endoscope (a microscopic camera attached to a small, handheld wand) to obtain a clear view of the underlying facial structure. This technique is usually best for patients who want to address drooping muscles and misplaced fat, but don’t have a large amount of excess skin. The same method can be used to achieve an endoscopic forehead lift.
  • Cutaneous facelift—this is the oldest facelift technique for addressing only sagging and excess skin. This technique carries a reduced risk of nerve damage and other complications, but the results don’t last as long, and may not look as natural.
  • S–lift—this technique is most suitable for treating the jaw and lower face, as it doesn’t offer as dramatic of a result as traditional facelift techniques.
  • Deep plane lift—this technique is especially effective in treating the mid face, including deep nasolabial folds. However, this technique does involve more risks, especially to the facial nerves.
  • Subperiosteal facelift—this technique goes even deeper than the deep plane lift in order to address sagging in the mid face by targeting tissues just over the facial bone.

Make an Appointment

Before choosing which type of facelift and technique will work best for you, you should consult with a qualified doctor. Book a consultation with Dr. Binder today, so that he can answer any questions or concerns that you might have about getting a facelift.

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How Rhinoplasty Can Help Alleviate Breathing Issues

rhinoplasty, Procedure Overviews

Rhinoplasty is often thought of as a purely cosmetic procedure, but this surgical procedure can also provide medical benefits for some people. To be fair, rhinoplasty is usually performed for cosmetic reasons and is the third most popular cosmetic surgery after breast augmentation and liposuction respectively, with over 217,979 cosmetic rhinoplasties performed in 2015 and 217,124 performed in 2014.

Corrective rhinoplasty is usually performed to correct a deviated septum, decrease the size of turbinates, or remove nasal polyps, though it can also be performed on patients who had a previous rhinoplasty surgery that interfered with their breathing.

What is a Deviated Septum?

The nasal septum is simply the wall between the two air passages (nostrils) in the nose. When the septum is deviated (to one side or the other, rather than straight), it can block one of the air passages, which obstructs breathing.

What are Overgrown Turbinates?

The tissues that line the nasal passage are called turbinates. Most people experience some sort of blockage from swollen turbinates at some point in their lives due to ailments like allergies and respiratory infections, but some people experience long-term overgrowth that causes chronic breathing issues.

What are Nasal Polyps?

Nasal polyps are small benign and painless growths that occur on the inside of the nasal passages in response to chronic inflammation, usually as a result of respiratory issues like allergies, asthma, or chronic infection. While one or two polyps generally do not cause problems, large polyps or groups of many polyps can obstruct breathing.

About Rhinoplasty Surgery

Each rhinoplasty is different, because each patient’s obstruction and goals are different. Depending on the cause and location of the breathing obstruction, a rhinoplasty may revise the bony top portion of the nose, the cartilaginous bottom part, or both; as well as the skin on the outside of the nose. Incisions may be made inside the air passages or at the base of the nose, in the septum. Either way, incisions are barely or not at all visible. Rhinoplasty may be performed using general anesthesia or local anesthesia alongside a sedative. Your surgeon should be able to determine which option is right for you, taking into account your surgery and your health history. Be sure to disclose any prior negative reactions to anesthetics during your consultation.

Corrective rhinoplasty can be performed alongside cosmetic rhinoplasty, though insurance typically only covers costs related to corrective techniques. Your surgeon’s staff should be able to work with your insurance provider to determine how much your insurance will cover and how much you’ll be responsible for paying.

Choosing the Right Plastic Surgeon for Your Rhinoplasty

Choosing the right plastic surgeon is imperative to ensure that your rhinoplasty sufficiently corrects your breathing problems, leaves an aesthetically pleasing appearance, and does not require revision rhinoplasty later on.

An experienced facial and reconstructive plastic surgery specialist, like Dr. William J. Binder, is able to give patients far better results than their more generalized peers. Dr. Binder, whose office is conveniently located in the Los Angeles area, stands apart from other facial and reconstructive plastic surgery specialists, however. Dr. Binder is one of the world’s leading plastic surgeons. He regularly travels around both the United States and the world to train and educate other plastic surgeons, has 10 U.S. and global patents on medical and surgical devices and pharmaceuticals, and has had his research and findings extensively published in various academic journals.

Dr. Binder’s skills have been recognized by both the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, both of which have granted Dr. Binder with board certifications. If these endorsements from other leaders in his field aren’t enough, Dr. Binder also has glowing reviews from his patients due to his passion for both helping patients achieve their goals and educating them about the process.

Don’t wait to act if you want your rhinoplasty, or any other cosmetic surgery procedure, performed by one of the best. Dr. Binder is taking consultations now, so contact his office today to schedule your appointment and begin to breathe easy.

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Malar and Submalar Implants: An Overview

Procedure Overviews

Do you have flat, deflated looking cheeks or cheeks with lines and wrinkles? Are you tired of under-eye bags and hollow looking cheeks? Then you might be a good candidate for cheek augmentation surgery.

However, just like with every other type of surgery, there are some things that you need to know about cheek augmentation and the different types of implants available before you run off to book your appointment.

What is Cheek Augmentation?

Cheek augmentation is a surgical treatment that works to restore plumpness, volume, and definition to the midface, recreating youthful contours that have become flat and saggy with age. Cheek implants are ideal for people with narrow or flat faces, or those who have lost cheek contour due to congenital deficiency, facial trauma, or the aging process.

Malar and Submalar Implants

Cheek implants come in a variety of shapes and sizes and can be custom shaped to augment weak facial structure and combat the effects of aging to remove a gaunt appearance. There are also many different types of implant materials that can be used—from synthetic silicone, rigid polyethylene that needs to be screwed into place, and a synthetic material called ePTFE (a white rubbery material molded for medical use).

Cheek implants that are made of hydroxyapatite can integrate with natural bone tissue in the face and therefore become part of the cheek structure, while cheek implants that are made from silicone can be removed at a later date because they don’t integrate with the facial tissue.

There are three general shapes to cheek implants: malar, submalar, and combined.

  • Malar—are meant to correct a deficiency of the cheekbone itself by placing the implant directly on the cheekbones. Augmentation of this area gives the patient higher-arched cheekbones and a more attractive facial profile.
  • Submalar—are meant to correct a deficiency of the fleshy portion of the cheek and are placed directly below the most prominent portion of the cheekbone. By filling this area, the cheeks are restored a fullness that eliminates the sunken look that is associated with age and illness.
  • Combined—corrects deficiencies of both the cheekbone and the fleshy portion below the cheekbone.

While cheek implants come in various shapes and sizes, most can be custom shaped to a particular facial structure.

Recovery

After the surgery, there will be some swelling and mild bruising, and it is likely that your doctor will prescribe you pain medication for a couple of days after the surgery. While the amount of recovery time depends on the procedure and the extent of the bruising and swelling, you can expect to need two to seven days of recovery time. You will also need to limit some activities for a few weeks, but you should be able to return to work and normal activities within the first week of your recovery.

Complications from cheek implant surgery are very rare, although there are still some risks involved, such as:

  • Anaesthetic complications
  • Infection
  • Implant shifting

Cheek Implants from Dr. Binder

Before fully considering whether or not getting cheek implants is the right move for you, you should book a consultation with a highly skilled and experienced physician. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Binder today, so that he can answer any questions or concerns that you might have about cheek augmentation and the types of implants available to you.

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