Florida Plastic Surgeon
Blog - Dr Clevens

If you are worried your chin and neck looking old and tired then chin implant surgery may be the solution for you. This procedure, along with necklift surgery, can last a lifetime and improve your cosmetic appearance.

A well-defined chin gives balance to your face. Many patients are unaware of how they look from the side, because of mirrors and photos we mainly view ourselves straight on. Patients seeking chin augmentation are motivated when they just happen to see a picture, which caught them in profile.

This is a relatively straightforward procedure that can make a major difference in your appearance. During the chin implant, solid silicone is used for long lasting results. Solid silicone does not reabsorb, and because it is solid, there is no concern with it leaking. This procedure is able to improve facial balance and harmony for the rest of your life. As we age, our faces are likely to drop and it causes us to lose our youthful facial appearance. However, with cheek augmentation we are able to create prominent cheekbones that will give you the youthful look you have been wanting.

Facial augmentation or implant surgery is one of facial plastic surgery's most gratifying procedures. It provides immediate and effective results that can last a lifetime while dramatically improving facial harmony.

Call our office at 321.727.3223 to schedule an appointment. We would love to meet with you and discuss the best treatment options available to you.

Ross A. Clevens, MD
Melbourne Florida Facial Plastic Surgeon

One procedure many people are interested in learning more about is Sculptra. Sculptra works by replacing lost collagen and fills in shallow to deep facial folds and wrinkles. The results of Sculptra are subtle and it gives you a natural and youthful look. We recommend that you have three injectable sessions over a few months. These injections will give you a gradual result that can last up to two years.

Some clients wonder if it is possible to have sterile water injections to remove Sculptra if you have lumps afterward. We do not believe that injecting sterile water will help. In most cases, with our proper injection technique, lumps and bumps are avoidable. Re-injecting Sculptra in this area may be helpful in smoothing the contour of this area so the bumps are not perceptible. Massage or steroid injections may help if for some reason you are unhappy with your results.

Good candidates for these injections are people who are physically healthy and are realistic in their expectations to improve the appearance of facial fat loss. These injections can take anywhere from fifteen to forty minutes to complete depending on the number and size of areas being treated.

Call our office at 321.727.3223 to schedule an appointment. We would love to meet with you and discuss the best treatment options available to you.

Ross A. Clevens, MD
Melbourne Florida Facial Plastic Surgeon

Many patients are curious of how a fat transfer procedure is done and how it is used during a facial implant. The fat transfer procedure uses fat from one part of the body where there is excess and places it in another part of the body.

A fat transfer, also known as fat grafting or microlipoinjections, is used in facial plastic surgery to restore volume that has been lost to the face. A youthful face is round, full, and heart shaped whereas the aged face becomes more gaunt, deflated, square shaped, and bottom heavy. The fat grafting procedure helps achieve a more youthful face through volumization. It may be performed alone of with other traditional procedures such as a facelift.

There is no question that fat is the ideal material for soft tissue augmentation, and that the results obtained with fat grafting are the most natural-appearing. This procedure is not too difficult and will only take a few hours. During a fat transfer, we will remove the fat cells from the abdomen, thighs, or buttocks. Then we must isolate the fat cells from the other fluids that were initially collected by centrifuging (spinning very quickly) the collected tissue. Now we will use the isolated fat cells and inject them under the facial skin. This creates the desired younger looking face.

Call our office at 321.727.3223 to schedule an appointment. We would love to meet with you and discuss the best treatment options available to you.

Ross A. Clevens, MD

Melbourne Florida Facial Plastic Surgeon 

If you are experiencing any symptoms leading you to believe you have Rhinophyma, then the combination of dermabrasion, Co2 laser techniques, and excision may help you. To better understand Rhinophyma, it is important to be familiar with Rosacea, a chronic disease that affects the skin. It is indicated by redness, pimples, and thickened skin in an advanced stage. When Rosacea reaches a progressive stage, it’s possible that Rhinophyma may develop.

Rhinophyma is illustrated by an enlarged, bulbous, and red nose that has resulted from an enlargement of the sebaceous (oil-producing) glands underneath the surface of the skin. Treatment options for this advanced stage of Rosacea include medications as well as surgery. Rhinophyma that does not respond to medications may be treated with electrosurgery, laser treatment, dermabrasion, and resculpturing.

Lasers are used to remove the excess tissue that accumulates on the nose in patients with rhinophyma. The tissue can also be removed with a scalpel or a rapidly rotating wire brush known as dermabrasion. Although the nose will look red for a year or so following tissue removal, the nose will assume a normal skin color after about a year.  We often combine dermabrasion, excision, and the use of a Co2 laser for the most effective treatment of Rhinophyma.

Call our office at 321.727.3223 to schedule an appointment. We would love to meet with you and discuss the best treatment options available to you.

Ross A. Clevens, MD
Melbourne Florida Facial Plastic Surgeon

For someone who is considering a photo treatment for your acne, it is best to understand the differences between Photo Facial and Intense Pulsed Light. This way you can be sure which treatment will be the most effective for you.

Photo Facial and Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) are very similar procedures. They both use a low energy laser that aids in removing red and brown imperfections from the skin such as spider veins and age spots and smooth fine lines. The downtime after IPL is usually minimal and most patients will return to work right away. IPL is often performed in a series of treatments.

However, Photo Facial is a sequence of intense pulsed light treatments that improve the appearance of Rosacea, flushing, sun damaged skin, age spots, skin texture, and photo aging. This procedure is similar to a supercharged version of IPL. During a Photo Facial treatment a chemical is applied to the skin that increases the sensitivity of the skin to light. After this chemical soaks into the skin for about one hour, a light source is used on the skin similar to IPL. The skin turns bright red, like a sunburn for 2-3 days afterwards. There may be some peeling. This is very effective in treating pre-cancerous lesions on the skin, spider veins and brown spots. The results after the Photo Facial are often more dramatic than the results after IPL alone.

Call our office at 321.727.3223 to schedule an appointment. We would love to meet with you and discuss the best treatment options available to you.

Ross A. Clevens, MD
Melbourne Florida Facial Plastic Surgeon

Some patients wonder if there can be any slight nose-straightening done during Septoplasty, or if that is strictly Rhinoplasty. Septoplasty refers to a surgery that addresses both cosmetic refinement and a deviated septum. If the septum is not straight, then the nose will never be straight. Unfortunately, the converse is not always true. If you just have your spetum straightened, it is unlikely that a crooked nose will become straight. If you have a crooked nose, the first step is to straighten the septum in order to achieve a straight nose as part of a rhinoplasty or 'nose job.'

During a septoplasty, we attempt to create balanced facial appearance while bettering your breathing as well as your sinus function. An important part of our evaluation includes the shape and prominence of your chin. Surprisingly, the shape of your chin plays an important role in the appearance of your face. A shorter chin can make your nose appear more noticeable. At our office we construct a computerized image to preview that will help you get a look at what the facial appearance will look like post-surgery.

Call our office at 321.727.3223 to schedule an appointment. We would love to meet with you and discuss the best treatment options available to you.

Ross A. Clevens, MD
Melbourne Florida Facial Plastic Surgeon

If you are contemplating having a Vitalize Peel or any other Chemical Peel you should be aware of the peeling and flaking that occurs after. It is always helpful after you have a procedure done to carefully take note of how your skin is reacting. Peeling and flaking is a normal occurrence after a Vitalize Peel. It will usually last 2 to 5 days with flaking occurring after 48 hours. There are some Chemical Peels that contain more than one ingredient and can cause another phase of peeling, which is completely normal depending on the type of Peel you have had.

Most flaking can be controlled with moisturizers. It is also imperative that you use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 20 and avoid direct sunlight for at least another week. Use a gentle cleanser such as SkinMedica Sensitive Skin Cleanser or any other cleanser that does not contain soap.

Chemical peels can help reduce expression lines, wrinkles, complexion abnormalities, and acne scarring. Dr. Clevens at the Center for Facial Cosmetic Surgery is exceptionally proficient in reversing the effects of sun damaged skin. If you want to schedule a Chemical Peel and reduce wrinkles as well as textual irregularities, then Dr. Clevens can help you achieve the results you are looking for.

Call our office at 321.727.3223 to schedule an appointment. We would love to meet with you and discuss the best treatment options available to you.                                      

Ross A. Clevens, MD

Melbourne Florida Facial Plastic Surgeon

When picking the best doctor to conduct your Mohs surgery in Melbourne, Florida, what should you be looking for? Finding the best doctor to conduct your surgery is a key factor when you are looking to book your appointment. It can be nerve-wracking to think about the removal of cancerous cells from your face. However, Dr. Clevens is expertly qualified to remove tumors while still keeping intact your cosmetic appearance. This is an important consideration when choosing your surgeon. By preserving your cosmetic appearance, Dr. Clevens can spare the majority of the healthy tissue. This results in a less obvious removal of the cancerous cells.

Mohs surgery is the most precise method for the removal of cancerous tissue. It may result in a significantly smaller surgical defect and less noticeable scarring, as compared to other methods of skin cancer treatment.

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States and in Florida where the sun is almost always shining you might be at risk. When you are choosing a surgeon to perform your Mohs surgery, trust your face to a Board Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon specialist who is uniquely trained and expertly qualified to perform the Mohs Surgery. 

Please call our office at 321.727.3223 to schedule an appointment. We would love to meet with you and discuss the best treatment options available to you.

Ross A. Clevens, MD
Melbourne Florida Facial Plastic Surgeon

I am frequently asked about the effects of Perlane injections. Questions such as:

• Why does Perlane cause lumps?
• Is it possible I needed Restylane instead of Perlane?
• How long should the side effects last?
• How long do the effects of Perlane last? 

Perlane is designed and should instantly fill out your depressed areas, leaving a smooth appearance on the skin. Some swelling and redness may occur as well as some associated pain. This typically does not last longer than a week. Allergy or granuloma formations are rare. The lump you feel may have been an area that was overfilled. There is a solution; Hyaluronidase can simply be injected into the area dissolving the product immediately. The wrinkle free effects of Perlane last for about 6-8 months after your injection. This is a much longer period than any of the currently available temporary dermal fillers.

Please call our office at 321.727.3223 to schedule an appointment. We would live to meet with you an discuss the best treatment options available to you.

Ross A. Clevens, MD
Melbourne Florida Facial Plastic Surgeon

Q: Rhinoplasty Recovery Time and Downtime

What is the average rhinoplasty recovery time? When should I expect to be able to go out in public after a nose job, and when will the bandages come off?

A: Healing from Rhinoplasty surgery

My patients are advised to take off one to two weeks of work after their rhinoplasty procedure.I have an experienced team of medical aestheticians on staff available to instruct patients how to conceal any bruising and swelling that may remain when they are ready to return to their normal routine.  

Even though patients may feel ready to resume normal physical activities and grow restless within a few days, to achieve the best results from a rhinoplasty, it is very important that patients give their body it's very best chance to recuperate and take it easy. The healing process is a delicate time, and patients should cease their exercise regimen and avoid other strenuous activities for several weeks after the procedure.

Patients should limit sun exposure for eight weeks after rhinoplasty as the tissues are still very vulnerable in this time. Patients should also avoid alcohol consumption before the procedure and during recovery.

Some unnoticeable swelling can remain for as long as a year, and your nasal contour may continue to change and final results may not be seen until that year mark.

Please call our office at 321.727.3223 to schedule an appointment. We would live to meet with you an discuss the best treatment options available to you.

Ross A. Clevens, MD
Melbourne Florida Facial Plastic Surgeon