Florida Plastic Surgeon - Dr Clevens

Anyone considering blepharoplasty or "lower eye lid surgery" because they aren't happy with they way they look or feel because of sageness of the eyelids, bulging skin or bags around the eyes cause a tired or sad appearance, may be a great candidate for the procedure.

Blepharoplasty has other benefits that aren't purely cosmetic as well.  In some situations, the patients field of vision may be improved.  If they upper eye lids are heavy that they obstruct vision, blepharoplasty can make dramatic improvements.  The patient often experience an increase in comfort of their eyelids after healing from the procedure.

Blepharoplasty is often performed on its own, however I generally recommend a brow lift, facelift or skin surfacing to help achieve the best results.  It is very important to seek out a highly recommended professional and meet with them to discuss your goals and what you would like to accomplish with your procedure.

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: Am I too old to get a facelift?

A: It is not a question of how old a person is, rather how healthy a person is.  A physically healthy person at any age can receive great results from a facelift.  Patients of all ages should be realistic in their expectations as it pertains to loose facial and neck skin. Many healthy people over the age of 80 have enjoyed the benefits of a facelift.

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

Ross A. Clevens, MD
Melbourne Florida Facial Plastic Surgeon

How Can I Prevent Age Spots?

To avoid getting age spots that occur due to sun exposure, simply follow these 3 simple steps;

1. Use a UVB/UVA sunscreen DAILY - apply after moisturizer as part of your morning routine
2. Avoid direct sun exposure as much as possible- especially during this midday
3. Shield your face when out during the day for long periods of time with a hat  

If you are already noticing age spots and discoloration, treating with an IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) is a quick easy way to erase the spots and using hydroquinone daily keeps them at bay.

Call our office at 321.727.3223 to schedule an appointment or 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?

Q: How Long Should a Pelleve Treatment Take? How long should a Pelleve treatment take? I think my technician spent about 20 minutes total for face and neck in the first of three treatments. From what I've read, it should last 45 min to an hour. I'm going tomorrow for the 2nd of three sessions, should I insist on a full hour? no results to speak of from the first treatment, and at $1800 for the 3 sessions, it's a heavy hit and I want my money's worth.

A: Favorable Results from Pelleve Treatments It is true that the company that manufactures the Pelleve advises that a full facial treatment typically takes about 45 minutes to an hour. You will know if you are getting an effective treatment if the area being treated becomes very warm before the technician moves to the next area. The treatment should never be painful, but the more heat that you can tolerate the more effective the treatment will ultimately be.

You should have mild swelling and redness that usually goes away within a few hours to a day.Many people see the result immediately after just one treatment, with lasting improvement for up to six months as the skin produces new collagen. If you are concerned with the length or effectiveness of your treatments you should discuss them with the supervising physician. We have seen remarkable results with the Pelleve in my practice.

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

Ross A. Clevens, MD
Melbourne Florida Facial Plastic Surgeon

There are many methods for performing a browlift or forehead lift including an endoscopic browlift (through tiny incisions with the assistance of telescopes) , 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.   The forehead procedure that is the best for you will ultimately depend on how much skin laxity you have, the  hairline position that you desire, and the types of incisions/scarring that is acceptable to you.

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

Q: Radiesse Vs. Sculptra, Which is Best for Cheek Enhancement?

A: I prefer Sculptra for cheeks. Both Sculptra and Radiesse work exceptionally well for augmentation of the cheeks in the hands of an experienced surgeon.

The key advantage to Sculptra is its longer duration of action. After a series of three Sculptra treatments resulting in a full correction, many patients will have results that last 2-3 years whereas Radiesse generally lasts about one year. The Sculptra results can be maintained over the long term with annual touch up treatments.

An advantage to Radiesse, though, is the immediate results while the outcome with Sculptra takes months to evolve.

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

Ross A. Clevens, MD
Melbourne Florida Facial Plastic Surgeon