Dr. Steven Davis

Davis Cosmetic Plastic Surgery

Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Articles

3 Ways to Combine Plastic Surgery Procedures

by

We’ve covered this topic before, but finding ways to combine plastic surgery procedures has become increasingly popular. When you come in for a cosmetic treatment, why wait weeks to scheduale your next visit? Our modern approach to plastic surgery has allowed our practice to master combining therapies.

Today, Dr. Steven Davis breaks down the various possibilities of multiple procedure visits. Starting with injectables, Dr. D then covers laser therapies as well as combining liposuction and a tummy tuck.

As you may know, the world of plastic surgery continues to evolve. We’re excited to share with our patients the possibilities behind a combination of cosmetic procedures. Tune in below to learn more!

[Transcript]

Hi everyone, Dr. Steven Davis at Davis Cosmetic Plastic Surgery. The hottest thing to think about going in to 2020 is combination therapy. And we’ve been doing combination plastic surgery type treatments for a very long time, but it’s becoming more and more of a thing to do.

And I wanna give you a couple examples of how you can use it in getting the best results. The first way is just injectables. When we’re doing Botox or any kind of a neuromuscular injection, like Botox, Dysport, Jeuveau, those things are gonna put muscles to rest for a period of time, usually about four to six months.

But, if at the same time, you can also inject a little bit of filler in that same general vicinity, you’re gonna potentiate the effects of both the neuromodulator, like the Botox, and the filler. Perfect example is the area right in here. A lot of people call those frown lines or the 11 lines.

When we make that animation, we’re actually causing the muscles to form a certain kind of depression of the eyebrows and causing those furrows to happen.

When we use Botox, we’re gonna stop those muscles from making that situation occur, but at the same time, if we could also put a little bit of filler in the area that may already have a little grooving there, you’re gonna potentiate the effects of both and you’re gonna allow the filler to have a longer lasting result because the metabolic rate of that area of constantly being squeezed is gonna be diminished.

Think about this again. Somebody that comes in that has, it could be you, come in, you have some furrows there that you see all the time over a lot of years. Just putting a little bit of Botox in that area will make things less aggressive in that squeeze, but it’s not gonna eliminate the lines that are already there.

What we wanna do is put a little bit of filler in there and use a little bit of Botox simultaneously. The filler that you could use in there is something like Restylane or Juvederm. It works great. Another idea about combination therapy that works terrific is talking about laser resurfacing and getting rid of fine lines and wrinkles or just acne scars, things like that.

We’ve been using lasers for years to try to resurface the skin, and when we resurface the skin, it makes the overall look of the skin much better.

But what if I told you that by stimulating deeper into the skin, closer to the dermis and below, that we’re gonna get some of your own body juices, some of that plasma-rich things that we always talk about and some of the stem cells and growth factors that are inherent in your body to actually fortify the skin and actually make it healthier from below, not just trying to resurface from above.

That’s another great combination therapy that we’ve been using and it’s a combination of using a resurfacing tool, like the CO2 laser resurfacing, and then using something like radio frequency micro-needling that’s gonna go below the skin and stimulate some of those growth factors from below.

The third example I want to give you is something like liposuctioning and a tummy tuck.

A lot of people have lost weight in getting into better and better shape or they’ve had multiple pregnancies, let’s say, and there’s a lot of skin laxity.

We can do a tummy tuck to make that extra skin go away, but what if, in addition to that, you have some love handles or areas of fat around your bra line or back, and even by just removing the extra skin, you’re really not gonna get that shape of that 360 reduction that you’re looking for.

That’s the perfect combination that we’ve been using for a while, but now even more so by doing some liposuctioning into the love handles, into the back and at the same time, reducing the extra amount of skin laxity. That’s the combination I’m talking about.

When you’re going to see your plastic surgeon or if you come to see us at Davis Cosmetic Plastic Surgery, we’re gonna talk to you about combination therapy ’cause I think in the end, it’s gonna give you the best overall result.

Thanks very much for listening. This is Davis Cosmetic Plastic Surgery.

Dr. Steven Davis of Davis Cosmetic Plastic Surgery in Cherry Hill, New Jersey wants to ensure the comfort of all patients, which begins with education. We hope our video series can provide useful information for those with upcoming appointments or interested in the behind-the-scenes action of plastic surgery.

Thank you for watching Dr. Steven Davis discuss 3 ways to combine plastic surgery procedures. If you want more content in audio format, please check out The Plastic Surgery Revolution. Also, check out Dr. Steven Davis on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter!

A Guide to Commonly Used Cosmetic-Injection Terms

by

As cosmetic injections have penetrated the mainstream in recent years, there’s been an increasing tendency by media outlets, bloggers, social media influencers, even some board-certified* plastic surgeons to use certain cosmetic-injection terms as though they’ve been part of our vocabulary all along. By doing so, the best-case scenario is you’re left in the dark. Worst-case, you’re misled. Whether you’re preparing for your next treatment or your first, think about taking a moment to brush up on your cosmetic-injection terms.

*Board Certification

Indicates that the injector has not only graduated from medical school and is a licensed physician but they’ve also completed a three-year residency program in plastic surgery. When you’re considering any sort of cosmetic injection, you want a board-certified plastic surgeon because they have extensive knowledge of the musculature of the face.

Botulinum Toxin

A drug made from a purified protein derived from a strain of protein called Clostridium botulinum. With 7.4 million procedures performed last year, it’s the most popular type of injectable by far. It works by preventing nerves from releasing the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which triggers muscles to contract. In doing so, overactive, wrinkle-causing muscles become relaxed and lines they’ve etched become less pronounced. In 2002, Botox became the first brand under which botulinum toxin was available for cosmetic injections. Jeuveau, Dysport, and Xeomin are newer versions of the drug.

Filler

Refers to any substance that can be injected into the skin or underneath it to create a physical change. There are currently 15 different kinds of fillers approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for cosmetic use. In recent years, plastic surgeons have gradually drifted away from permanent and semi-permanent fillers, which can last up to five years, in favor of hyaluronic acid fillers, whose results can last up to two years but are reversible.

Hyaluronidase

Used to reverse poorly done procedures (overly plumped lips) or the bumps that can occur as a side effect of bad injection technique or when an injection is too shallow. Hyaluronidase is comprised of a group of enzymes that break down hyaluronic acid fillers within hours without compromising the hyaluronic acid that’s found naturally in your skin. (It cannot be used on permanent or semi-permanent fillers.)

Poly-L-Lactic Acid

A sugar with medical and cosmetic applications—it’s in the filler Sculptra, which is approved by the FDA to plump nasolabial folds for up to two years. But unlike the sugar that makes up hyaluronic acid fillers, this one doesn’t occur naturally in the body, and it can’t be reversed.

Hyaluronic Acid

A naturally-occurring sugar that plumps the skin by holding 1,000 times its weight in water. With more than 2.1 million injections done in 2018, hyaluronic acid-based fillers are the most popular types of fillers today. Different brands and types offer the sugar in different concentrations and particle sizes. Small particles, such as those in Juvéderm Volbella and Restylane Silk, are often used to fill in shallow lines and delicate areas, like the lips, while larger ones, such as those in Juvéderm Voluma XC and Restylane Lyft, are most appropriate for adding volume to the cheeks and smoothing nasolabial folds.

Getting the Best Results By Combining Plastic Surgery Therapies

by

When it comes to perfecting the results of plastic surgery therapies, there are a lot of factors to consider. If you take into account the different ways procedures can affect your body; it’s not always easy to go forward with a surgery. Fortunately, as the plastic surgery world continues to evolve, we’ve found ways to ensure operations complement each other to achieve that natural look so many seek.

Combining different plastic surgery therapies if one of the most efficient ways to begin your plastic surgery journey. Not only does this allow a board-certified plastic surgeon to assess a complete set of procedures accurately, but it also allows our patients to achieve a more cohesive experience.

We are excited to offer our patients the ability to combine a variety of therapies. Tune in to this week’s podcast episode to learn more!

Thank you for tuning in to The Plastic Surgery Revolution on combining plastic surgery therapies. If you would like more content with Dr. Steven Davis, check out our Youtube channel. Please give us a follow on social media to keep up: Instagram / Twitter.

More Podcasts From Dr. Davis

[display-posts category_id=”10″ posts_per_page=”5″]

The Changing Face of Pain Management Following Plastic Surgery

by

Until recently, many plastic surgeons didn’t hesitate to prescribe the likes of Vicodin, Percocet, and oxycodone to address a patient’s discomfort that could follow a procedure. But an opioid epidemic that claimed tens of thousands of lives last year alone has prompted the field to take a closer look at pain management.

Narcotics are often necessary for controlling pain after major operations, like large-volume liposuction and tummy tucks. But more and more plastic surgeons are finding alternatives and using anti-inflammatories, local anesthetics, and numbing medications to attack different pain pathways.

And, increasingly, patients are asking their surgeons not to prescribe them any pain medication.

The Changing Face of Pain Management Following Plastic Surgery; Experal / Celebrex

Redefining recovery with Experal & Celebrex

As reducing narcotics use becomes a greater priority, innovations like Experal are becoming commonplace and changing the recovery experience. Experal is a drug that contains bupivacaine, a longer-acting numbing agent. Injected at the site of the incision, it binds to fat molecules in a microscopic honeycomb. In some cases, an ultrasound is used to place it precisely where the nerves are.

Experal dissolves over the course of 72 hours, which enables plastic surgeons to significantly decrease the narcotic requirements for a number of procedures and get patients off of them a lot sooner.

Similarly, some doctors are incorporating Celebrex, an anti-inflammatory arthritis medication and pain reliever, and a nerve medication called Lyrica into their pre-surgery pain-management plan. The first is taken the day before surgery, the second, several hours before and four to five days afterward. The combination is able to cover a lot of a patient’s discomfort for certain cosmetic procedures.

And, believe it or not, Tylenol has garnered some renewed interest as an alternative. It’s been found to be particularly effective at blunting pain when it’s taken in frequent doses.

Voice your concern

Well before that point, doctors are also being more vigilant about screening patients for a history of substance use disorder. But medical records aren’t always a reliable reference for such a condition. Not to mention, there’s no way to take into account those who have a genetic predisposition for addiction.

Plenty of people are able to take opioids as they were prescribed and never use them again. But then there are others who aren’t able to stop taking them. Until you’re in that position, you can’t know for sure what you’ll be inclined to do.

If you have any concern about being prescribed a narcotic before or after your procedure, discuss it with your board-certified plastic surgeon. If an alternative isn’t readily available, your surgeon may be able to refer you to a pain management therapist, who can at least monitor your behavior when taking a small, controlled prescription.