Florida Plastic Surgeon
Blog - Dr Clevens

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

Q: What's the best way to plump hollow spots on my face?

A: As we age, the face tends to become more bottom heavy, morphing from a heart or triangular shape to a more square faced appearance. I agree with the remarks of the other doctors who have answered this question. Sculptra is a wondeful filler to address facial hollows and contour deformities as a result of aging. In the hands of an experienced user, Scuptra successfully restores volume to the upper and mid face in just several office treatments over a couple or few months.

Sculptra may last up to 3-5 years, but more commonly, once the desired result is achieved, we suggest that the patient return every 12-18 months for a touch up treatment in order to maintain their result over the long term.

Call our office at 321.727.3223 to schedule an appointment to discuss treatment options.

Ross A. Clevens, MD
Melbourne Florida Facial Plastic Surgeon

Q: When Should Facelift Sutures Be Removed?

How Many Days Post Op from a Facelift Should Sutures in Front of Ears Be Removed, for the best possible chance of limited scarring? Thank you.

Q: Options for Defining a Flat Upper Lip?  I have a problem with my lips. The bottom one is fine but the top lip is pretty flat and has no shape to it. It does not have the youthful/sexy indent or definition. Basically it is almost as flat as my bottom lip. Is there a surgery to permanently change this....I am content with the size of my lips but not the shape. Would I be a candidate for a small lip implant?

A: Your Best Options for Defining a 'Flat' Upper Lip

You can choose either a lip implant OR a surgical lip augmentation.

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 what options are available for you.

Ross A. Clevens, MD
Melbourne Florida Facial Plastic Surgeon

Q: How to tighten nasal skin after rhinoplasty?

A: It is usually not necessary to remove skin from the nose during or after rhinoplasty. The skin generally shrinks to fit the new contour over the year following the procedure. I wonder if you really need skin removed or if you are just not pleased with your new shape -- for example, is the tip droopy.

Nonetheless, I have performed procedures to tighten the nasal skin in some patients; there are numerous laser based skin tightening procedures that may help you in this matter.

Please call our office at 321.727.3223 to schedule your appointment and see what options are available for you.

Ross A. Clevens, MD
Melbourne Florida Facial Plastic Surgeon

Question: Am I a Candidate for Buccal Fat Removal?

I am a 24 year old. I've some fat in my cheeks and for this reason, my appearance isn't as chiseled as I would like. I'd a consult & was told I'd be a good candidate for buccal fat removal. I'd love to do this but after reading so many bad things I'm worried. My cheeks look puffy and can keep biting inside my cheek. I've attached a photo. Please help and let me know. I'm the boy in the pic 1, I would like have my face like the boy in the pic 2. Can I achieve it with this surgery?

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

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