Florida Plastic Surgeon
Blog - Dr Clevens

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

Martha Speaks About Her Facelift, Browlift and Chin Implant Performed By Dr. Ross Clevens from Ross Clevens on Vimeo.

Martha Shares Her Patient Experience with Dr. Ross Clevens from Ross Clevens on Vimeo.

Q: Post Blepharoplasty Swelling?

What a Man Wants: Dr. Ross A. Clevens Discusses Male Cosmetic Surgery with Cosmetic Surgery Times
Cosmetic surgery procedures are far less frequently performed on men, so knowing what they want is imperative in working with male patients.

Dr. Ross A. Clevens MD, FACS, Melbourne Florida’s only Board Certified Specialist in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, was recently interviewed by Cosmetic Surgery Times in an article titled, “What a Man Wants.”

Dr. Clevens talks about how men need to be treated differently as patients by plastic surgeons. Men tend to be less comfortable with the idea of facial procedures and plastic surgery in general. “It’s a big step for anybody to come into a plastic surgeon’s office. It’s a bigger step for a man to walk in the door,” says Dr. Clevens. It is also important to help the patient become comfortable, and one of the ways that the Clevens Center for Facial Cosmetic Surgery achieves this is by assigning the same nurse to him for all of his visits. Understanding the differences between male and female clients is one of several reasons why the Clevens Centers’ percentage of male clients is nearly twice as high as most cosmetic surgery centers.

During home improvement projects, the male mentality is to measure twice and cut once. It is important to discover what he is looking for, what’s motivating him and how he wants to get there. “I always tell patients, my goal is to have you happy with the outcome. What do we need to accomplish in order for you to be pleased?” Dr. Clevens said. “Once their concerns have been addressed, men make their decision to proceed very quickly.”

The Clevens Center for Facial Cosmetic Surgery provides state-of-the-art facial plastic surgery, and has two offices in Florida, Melbourne and Suntree. Dr. Clevens is the only board-certified facial plastic surgeon from Stuart to Daytona Beach.

Q: How do I get full lips permanently?   Lip implants ? if so ,which are the best lip implants ?A: Options for lip fullnessYou can choose either a lip implant or a surgical lip lift.If you choose a "permanent" implant, there are numerous substances that I commonly use as a graft or implant material in the lips. Each option has its own advantages and disadvantages.

• AlloDerm is a popular human-donor grafting material that is FDA approved and proven safe in lip augmentation and facial reconstruction. Under a local anesthesia, the material is inserted through tiny incisions made in the inside corners of the mouth. Delicate absorbable stitches that dissolve are used. The material is often absorbed, so that the results are only temporary, lasting from 12-18 months. This procedure takes about 15 minutes in the office under local anesthesia.
• Advanta and Gore-Tex have been shown to produce reliable and predictable results with few complications. These materials do not shrink and are never absorbed into the body making the procedure permanent. It also remains in place because scar tissue forms on both ends holding it in place. To insert Advanta and Gore-Tex, a small incision is made in the inside of the lip. The material is then made into the shape of a small tube and it is inserted with a needle.
• Fat grafting produces lasting results in most of the people who try it. Although it is possible that the body will reabsorb it, many people choose fat grafting because they are most comfortable with using the fat from their own body to enhance their lips. The fat is harvested from another area of the body, often the abdomen. It is then prepared and inserted with a needle into the lip from more than one point.
• SurgiSil is new to the market but promises a safe, definitive solution for permanent tissue augmentation.Surgisil is a patented, FDA approved device designed for tissue augmentation of the lips and has undergone extensive clinical testing to ensure its safety and efficacy. It is made of a soft, solid silicone elastomer using an injection molding process to produce a naturally contoured implant with a smooth, non-porous surface. The implant cannot rupture or deflate, and may be removed at any time. I have see great results with this product.

If you opt for Lip Augmentation through a Surgical Solution, you will certainly have a permanent result.

• Surgical enhancement of the lips provides a permanent alternative to injections and implants.
• Surgical enhancement usually takes less than one hour to perform in office under local anesthesia.
• Careful and fine incisions are created to shape the lips into their desired shape and form.
• Direct Lip Lifting creates a fuller upper and/or lower lip with imperceptible incisions. This precise procedure allows the patient to state just how full you want your lip and that is where I can place the new lip line.
• As the lip ages, the corner of the mouth tends to droop. Other procedures such as the Corner of the Lip Lift enable the lip to be reshaped so that the frown can be improved and a youthful upturned lip can be achieved.
• Local flaps bring material from inside the mouth outside to enhance the lips. Results are permanent. An incision may be made inside the mouth to push the tissue inside the mouth upward, and outward, into the lip, sometimes in conjunction with grafting. Or, an incision may be along the upper lip line. In this case, skin above the lip is removed, and the lip is then stitched along the line of the incision.

Please call our office at 321.727.3223 to schedule your appointment and see if you are a good candidate for lip enhancement.Ross A. Clevens, MD Melbourne Florida Facial Plastic Surgeon

Q: How do I fix my small, thin lips?  
My lips are very thin, and my top lip is almost nonexistent. My top lip is also rather pointed at the top, and seems to curl under on one side too. What would be the best way to plump my lips up and give them a more feminine, rounded appearance?

A: Permanent Options for thin lips
You can choose either a lip implant or a surgical lip lift.If you choose a "permanent" implant, there are numerous substances that I commonly use as a graft or implant material in the lips. Each option has its own advantages and disadvantages.

• AlloDerm is a popular human-donor grafting material that is FDA approved and proven safe in lip augmentation and facial reconstruction. Under a local anesthesia, the material is inserted through tiny incisions made in the inside corners of the mouth. Delicate absorbable stitches that dissolve are used. The material is often absorbed, so that the results are only temporary, lasting from 12-18 months. This procedure takes about 15 minutes in the office under local anesthesia.
• Advanta and Gore-Tex have been shown to produce reliable and predictable results with few complications. These materials do not shrink and are never absorbed into the body making the procedure permanent. It also remains in place because scar tissue forms on both ends holding it in place. To insert Advanta and Gore-Tex, a small incision is made in the inside of the lip. The material is then made into the shape of a small tube and it is inserted with a needle.
• Fat grafting produces lasting results in most of the people who try it. Although it is possible that the body will reabsorb it, many people choose fat grafting because they are most comfortable with using the fat from their own body to enhance their lips. The fat is harvested from another area of the body, often the abdomen. It is then prepared and inserted with a needle into the lip from more than one point.
• SurgiSil is new to the market but promises a safe, definitive solution for permanent tissue augmentation.Surgisil is a patented, FDA approved device designed for tissue augmentation of the lips and has undergone extensive clinical testing to ensure its safety and efficacy. It is made of a soft, solid silicone elastomer using an injection molding process to produce a naturally contoured implant with a smooth, non-porous surface. The implant cannot rupture or deflate, and may be removed at any time. I have see great results with this product.

If you opt for Lip Augmentation through a Surgical Solution, you will certainly have a permanent result.

• Surgical enhancement of the lips provides a permanent alternative to injections and implants.
• Surgical enhancement usually takes less than one hour to perform in office under local anesthesia.
• Careful and fine incisions are created to shape the lips into their desired shape and form.
• Direct Lip Lifting creates a fuller upper and/or lower lip with imperceptible incisions. This precise procedure allows the patient to state just how full you want your lip and that is where I can place the new lip line.
• As the lip ages, the corner of the mouth tends to droop. Other procedures such as the Corner of the Lip Lift enable the lip to be reshaped so that the frown can be improved and a youthful upturned lip can be achieved.
• Local flaps bring material from inside the mouth outside to enhance the lips. Results are permanent. An incision may be made inside the mouth to push the tissue inside the mouth upward, and outward, into the lip, sometimes in conjunction with grafting. Or, an incision may be along the upper lip line. In this case, skin above the lip is removed, and the lip is then stitched along the line of the incision.

Please call our office at 321.727.3223 to schedule your appointment and see if you are a good candidate for lip augmentation.

Ross A. Clevens, MD
Melbourne Florida Facial Plastic Surgeon

Q: What Treatments Exist to Make Stretch Marks Less Noticeable?

Having olive skin, i don't notice when they appear because they don't come pink as i've seen in other peoples pictures, and so when i tan ,i see this white wrinkled lines through my body. I have mostly on the end of my back, breasts, hips and inner thighs.

A: Artisan 1540 to treat strech marks on darker skin

In my pratice, we utilize the Artisan 1540™: Fractional non-ablative laser to treat stretch marks that are fully developed and are white or light in color.

Fractional resurfacing is a selective treatment, that leaves the surface of the skin unharmed. Instead, the laser damages tiny columns of skin, creating hundreds of microscopic wounds that boost collagen production and help the body heal stretch marks.

Fractional non-ablative lasers boast a short recovery time – the skin will just be pink in the treated region for about a week.

Treatment of the lower abdomen takes about an hour and half, but it takes five to six treatments to see results. Sessions should be spaced three to four weeks apart.Fractional lasers cannot remove stretch marks completely. After six treatments, the stretch marks should fade by about 50%. 

Please call our office at 321.727.3223 to schedule your appointment and see if you are a good candidate for Artisan Skin Resurfacing.

Ross A. Clevens, MD
Melbourne Florida Facial Plastic Surgeon

Jill Speaks of Her Laser Facial Resurfacing Procedure with Dr. Clevens from Ross Clevens on Vimeo.

Q: Coronal Brow Lift Vs. Endoscopic Brow Lift? Is this safe and successful compared to an endoscopic brow lift?

A: Comparing Browlifts

The decision you and your surgeon make about which forehead lift is best for you depends on numerous variables.  Without photos, it is difficult to give you an accurate answer.  The forehead lift that will ultimately be best for you, depends on your concerns with your hairline position, placement of incisions, and desired outcome.

There are many methods for performing a browlift or forehead lift including an endoscopic browlift (through tiny incisions with the assistance of microscopes), bicoronal forehead lift (extensive incision from ear to ear across the top of the head) and a tricophytic or hairline browlift. (hidden along the hairline) Each of these techniques achieves a similar result through the brow and the forehead in terms of smoothing of lines and gentle elevation of the brows.

The key difference is in how they affect your hairline. The Bicoronal (ear to ear) browlift elevates or pulls your hairline back, raising the frontal hairline by up to one inch. The Endoscopic lift has minimal effect of the position of the hairline. The tricophytic or hairline browlift can be used to adjust the hairline, usually lowering it to address a receding hairline or widow's peaks in the temporal hairline.

Please call our office at 321.727.3223 to schedule your appointment and see if you are a good candidate for a browlift.

Ross A. Clevens, MD
Melbourne Florida Facial Plastic Surgeon