Face Procedures

Our face changes as we age, losing elasticity, volume and sagging, while the shape seems to get heavier. Dr. Stein can help reduce the effects of aging and restore your youthful appearance.

Our procedures can elevate your cheeks, reduce folds, eliminate jowls, tighten the neck, and while removing excess skin. Dr. Stein is highly skilled in refining areas of the face and neck safely and with minimal down time.

Face Lift

Aging, gravity, exposure to the sun, day-to-day stresses all impact our appearance. Nasolabial folds form between the nose and mouth, the jawline grows slack creating jowls, folds and fat appear under the neck.

A face lift can restore a firm contour giving you a more youthful, fresh appearance. This is accomplished by removing excess fat, tightening underlying muscles and “re-draping” the skin of your face and neck.

Face lifts are individualized procedures that usually take 2-3 hours. Incisions begin at the hairline of the temples and extend in a natural line in front of the ear (or just inside the cartilage at the front of the ear), then continue under the earlobe. Neck work sometimes necessitate a small incision under the chin. When necessary, fat may be trimmed or suctioned from around the neck, jawline and chin to improve the contour. Underlying muscle and SMAS membrane is tightened, the skin is re-draped, and excess removed without a “pulled” look. Stitches secure the layers of tissue and close the incisions

After a Face Lift

Prepare to pamper yourself after your surgery. Everyone heals at a different pace, and Dr. Stein will provide more specific guidelines for resuming daily activities.

All patients should plan on avoiding strenuous activity for at least two weeks (walking and mild stretching are fine). We also recommend restraining from steam baths and saunas for several weeks. Plenty of rest is important to allow yourself to heal comfortably.

Most patients return to work about 10 days after surgery.
Face lifts may turn back the clock, but they don’t stop it. Your face will continue to age, and on average our patients repeat the procedure in 12 years. The effects of just one face lift are lasting, and you’ll continue to look younger than if you never had one!

Blepharoplasty (Eyelids)

Aging causes your structure to weaken leading to excess fat around your eyes, sagging eyebrows, droopy upper lids, bags and dark circles under your eyes. Droopy skin (dermachacholoisis) can impair your vision making you look and feel older.

Cosmetic eyelid surgery (or blepharoplasty), removes excess skin, muscle and fat to repair eyelids.

Incisions are made following the natural lines of your eyelids, in the creases of your upper lids and just below the lower lash line. The incisions may extend into laugh lines in the corner of your eyes. The incisions separate skin from underlying fatty tissue and muscle, remove excess fat and often trims sagging skin and muscle.

After Surgery

After surgery, it should take about two or three days before you can read fine print and work on a laptop. You will not be able to wear contact lenses for about two weeks, and possibly longer as they may feel uncomfortable for a while. Most people feel ready to go out in public (and back to work) in a week to 10 days.

Depending on your rate of healing and Dr. Stein’s instructions, you may be able to wear makeup to conceal any bruising that remains. Most people are able to wear makeup and hide bruising around day 6 and are usually back to work in 7-10 days.

Before and After a lower Blepharoplasty

Endoscopic Brow Lift

A brow lift releases the muscles and tissues that cause drooping, smoothing the forehead, raising the eyebrows improving shape and minimizing frown lines. Dr. Stein uses an endoscope, a viewing instrument that allows the procedure to be performed with minimal incisions. A brow lift is commonly performed to correct brow height, shape and heaviness in the upper eyelids.

Dr. Stein makes two small incisions on each side of the scalp (no hair is shaved). An endoscope is inserted through one of the incisions, allowing Dr. Stein to have a clear view of the muscles and tissues beneath the skin. Using another instrument inserted through a different incision, the forehead skin is lifted, and the muscles and underlying tissues are released or altered to produce a smoother appearance. Unlike a traditional browlift, your hairline is not altered.

After an Endoscopic Brow Lift

You will have your stitches or staples removed 6-10 days later. Swelling and bruising can last for about a week and is very common. At least two days after surgery, you should keep your head elevated to help the swelling.

Avoid heavy lifting, vigorous exercise or other activity for the first few weeks after surgery. Itching may be a side effect but is milder than a traditional brow lift surgery. You may also experience numbness or tingling, which will subside over time. Most patients can return to work in 10 days or sooner, depending on individual rate of recovery.

Ear Surgery | Otoplasty | Ear Pinning

Ear surgery, or otoplasty, is usually done to set prominent ears back closer to the head or to reduce the size of large ears. This operation is mostly done on children between the ages of 4 and 14. Ears are almost fully grown by age four. The earlier the surgery is done, the less teasing the child will have to endure.

Ear surgery is available for adults, and there are minimal risks associated with being an older patient. Ear surgery can treat a variety of ear problmes including:

  • Loop ear – the tip seems to fold down and forward
  • Cupped ear – usually a very small ear
  • Shell ear-the curve in the outer rim, or the natural folds and creases are missing
  • Large or stretched earlobes
  • Lobes with large creases and wrinkles

Cosmetic ear surgery usually takes about two to three hours, though complicated procedures can take longer. For prominent ears, it is common for Dr. Stein to make a small incision in the back of the ear to expose the ear cartilage. He will then sculpt the cartilage and bend it back toward the head. Non-removable stitches may be used to help maintain the new shape. Occasionally, a larger piece of cartilage will be removed to provide a more natural looking fold when the surgery is complete.

Another technique involves a similar incision in the back of the ear. Skin is removed and stitches are used to fold the cartilage back on itself to reshape the ear without removing the cartilage. In most cases, patients will have a faint scar on the back of the ear that fades over time. Even if only one ear appears to protrude, surgery is performed on both ears to ensure a better balance.

After an Ear Surgery

Patients are usually up and around within a few hours after surgery. However, you may choose to stay overnight with a child until all of the anesthesia wears off. A bulky bandage will be wrapped around the patient’s head immediately after surgery to promote molding and healing. Patients may experience slight throbbing or aching in the ears for a few days, but this can be relieved with medication.
After a few days, we can replace the bulky bandages with lighter head dressing, similar to a headband. Follow your doctor’s directions for wearing this, especially at night. Stitches are removed, or will dissolve, in about a week. You should avoid any activity that can bend your ear for a month or so. Most adults go back to work about five days after surgery, and children can go back to school about seven days after surgery if they’re careful about playground activity. You may want to ask your child’s teacher to keep an eye on the child for a few weeks.

Rhinoplasty | Nose Surgery

Rhinoplasty, or nose reshaping, is one of the most common plastic surgery procedures. Rhinoplasty can reduce or increase the size of your nose or change the size or shape of the tip, bridge or nostrils. It can also correct nose-related breathing problems as well as disfigurement of the nose caused by trauma or birth defects.

Rhinoplasty usually takes about an hour or two, though complicated procedures can take longer. During surgery, the nose is separated from its supporting framework of bone and cartilage and then sculpted into the desired shape.

A splint is applied after the procedure to help your nose maintain its new shape. Nasal packs or soft plastic splints may also be placed in the nostrils to stabilize the septum, the dividing wall between the air passages.

After Nose Surgery

If your nose is being reduced in size, a splint will have been applied and the nose will be packed with a medicated gauze. Sometimes only tape is used to support the nose. The stitches are self absorbing and do not require removal. If an incision is made across the columnella, or vertical strip of tissue separating the nostrils, skin stitches are placed which require removal in 3-5 days. The need to do this is usually identified and discussed fully prior to the procedure, and is usually necessary in only about 5-10% of people.

You will see some swelling and stuffiness for several weeks, but most patients resume normal light activity after a few days.

It takes several weeks for the nose to completely heal for patients to return to full physical activity.

Many people blossom with positive personality changes after a nose-reshaping procedure. A new sense of confidence is the most frequently observed change. It’s important to remember: (1) results can take up to one year to be evident after surgery and (2) rhinoplasty changes the appearance that you and your loved ones have grown accustomed to.

Chin Implant Surgery (Mentoplasty)

Chin implant surgery (or mentoplasty) reshapes the chin either by enhancement with an implant or reduction surgery on the bone. This improves the underlying structure of the face, providing a more harmonious, attractive appearance.

Many times, a plastic surgeon may recommend chin surgery to a patient who is also having nose surgery to achieve facial proportion because the size of the chin may magnify or minimize the perceived size of the nose. Chin surgery provides a harmonious balance to your features.

Chin implants are made out of both solid and semi-solid materials. The implantation method must be tailored to the individual patient.

A pocket is created at the chin and an implant is placed into the pocket. The incision may be placed in the crease lines under the chin or in the mouth. Some patients need more extensive surgery to re-position the bone of the chin.

After Surgery

Some swelling and bruising can occur, but this can be treated by applying tape or other material. The tape is removed about a week after surgery. Pain and discomfort lasts for several days post surgery, but can be eased with oral pain medication. Some facial movements, such as talking and smiling, may be difficult for several days following the surgery, depending upon your personal recovery time.