July 6, 2016

What age is the right time for Plastic Surgery?

July 6, 2016

Patients are often curious when they should have a plastic surgical procedure. There is no magic time frame that is right for everyone, and there is no correct answer to that question. Plastic surgery is highly individualized and depends on a variety of factors, including physical maturity, emotional maturity, readiness, and optimization of overall health.

There is a wide age range for people who undergo elective plastic surgery. From teens who are growing into their bodies to seniors who want to reverse signs of aging, plastic surgery has varying prevalence across age groups. Though many procedures can be performed at any age after puberty, data published by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons reports the following plastic surgery trends by age group:

Rhinoplasty – ages 13 to 19
Breast Augmentation – ages 20 to 29
Liposuction/body sculpting procedures – ages 30 to 39
Eyelid (blepharoplasty)/eyebrow lift – ages 40 to 45
Facelift and necklift – age 55 and older

What does this say about your age group?

RHINOPLASTY (ages 13–19): The nose changes the least out of all of the facial features, and it is often a cause for concern starting in one's teens. I advise patients to wait until the craniofacial skeleton has finished growing (typically around age 15 in girls and age 17 in boys) before thinking about rhinoplasty or nose job surgery. This allows your surgical result to match your facial features without causing any disturbances in facial growth. Surgery in minors always requires the consent of a parent or guardian.

BREAST AUGMENTATION (ages 20-29): Once puberty is complete, a woman can assume her breasts are fully formed. While I have performed breast augmentations in teens as well as women in their 70s, the twenties and thirties seem to be the most popular time for first exploring this procedure.

LIPOSUCTION/ BODY SCULPTING (ages 30-39): Usually by the time both women and men are in their thirties they have begun to go through metabolic changes. When exercise and a healthy diet no longer suffice in getting rid of stubborn body fat, people begin turning to different forms of liposuction and body sculpting techniques. These surgical procedures have proven to safely and successfully remove fat.

EYELID SURGERY/ EYEBROW LIFT (ages 35 to 45): Men and women’s eyes typically begin to show signs of aging in their thirties and forties. The periorbital skin is the thinnest on the body, and genetics, sun damage, time, and stress can reveal themselves in the form of wrinkled skin, excess tissue, puffy bags under the eyes, and dark undereye circles. A subtle way to give aging eyes a renewed look is upper and lower blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery). Blepharoplasty is one of my favorite, signature procedures, and one of the most popular cosmetic surgeries in America.

When skin around the eyes and on the forehead begins to sag, it can also cause eyebrows to droop. Depending on each person’s unique anatomic characteristics as well as their desired look, either a non-surgical or surgical option can be offered to give eyebrows a refined raise.

FACELIFT/ NECKLIFT (ages 50 +): From the forties, fifties, and onward, many people realize that parts of their face and neck are not exactly how they remember them. Sagging skin can cause more prominent nasolabial folds, loss of definition in the jaw line, and loose, hanging skin on the neck. When done correctly, a facelift and necklift are incredibly subtle operations that can have significant and dramatic effects in improving a person's overall appearance.

So what is the best time for plastic surgery?

In my New York City practice, I see patients at all points on the age spectrum, from childhood to older ages. The right time to have surgery is different for every person, and there is no single cookie-cutter mold for every single patient. If you are physically healthy, emotionally stable, and concerned about a particular feature of your face or body, seek the opinion of a board-certified plastic surgeon to learn more about your options and the best time for your potential procedures.

For more information about a given procedure, or the correct timing for you, please call my office at 212-452-2400 or email office@LaraDevganMD.com.

Reference: Malek, Marc. "Some Things Never Change: Popular Plastic Surgery Procedures by Age." Some Things Never Change: Popular Plastic Surgery Procedures by Age. N.p., Web. 29 June 2016

Lara Devgan, MD

July 6, 2016

Dr. Devgan featured in "The Youth Obsession" documentary

Lara Devgan, MD

July 6, 2016

Dr. Devgan is honored to have been featured in the documentary "The Youth Obsession." In the clip included here, she is speaking about her approach to facial rejuvenation, including facelift, eyelift (blepharoplasty), and Botox. These are powerful procedures to gently but dramatically rejuvenate an aging face, allowing patients to age gracefully and beautifully over time.

For more information about facelift, necklift, eyelift (blepharoplasty), and Botox in New York City, contact top NYC plastic surgeon Dr. Lara Devgan at 212-452-2400 or office@LaraDevganMD.com.

Lara Devgan, MD

July 5, 2016

Breast augmentation with internal lift (no scars on the breast)

Lara Devgan, MD

July 5, 2016

Actual patient of Dr. Devgan, before and 2 months after breast augmentation with internal lift. Note the improvement in 1) symmetry, 2) droopiness, and 3) contour of the breasts-- all without scars on the front of the breast.

When I perform a breast lift (mastopexy) in my New York City practice, many patients are concerned about having scars on the front of their breasts. A traditional breast lift requires either a donut (periareolar) scar, a lollipop (vertical) scar, or an anchor (Wise pattern) scar. All of these are effective for different patients, but each of them carries the downside of creating a scar on the front of the breast.

I use a technique for breast augmentation with an internal lift that allows me to give my patients a modest breast lift of about 2 centimeters, without placing any scars on the breast. This technique doesn't work for every patient because if you have a significant amount of droopiness, you will need one of the other techniques. However, for the right patient, this is a great way to get a beautiful result without obvious scarring.

If you are concerned about sagginess, droopiness, asymmetry, or deflation of your breasts, you may be a candidate for a breast augmentation (breast implants), breast lift (mastopexy), breast implants with lift (aug pexy), or another procedure. Please call my office at 212-452-2400 to come in for a consultation, or email office@LaraDevganMD.com with questions.

Actual patient of Dr. Devgan, before and 2 months after breast augmentation with internal lift.

Lara Devgan, MD

June 27, 2016

Achieving perfect symmetry in labiaplasty surgery

Lara Devgan, MD

June 27, 2016

Surgical specimen from a recent labiaplasty patient of Dr. Devgan

Labiaplasty is a popular aspect of my New York City private plastic surgery practice. The reasons women seek labiaplasty are varied and include:

dissatisfaction with the aesthetic appearance of the labia minora, clitoral hood, labia majora, perineum, or some combination of those
discomfort with sports or exercise
difficulty with hygiene
the frequent need to adjust the private parts
self-consciousness when in intimate situations or fitted clothing

Every labiaplasty I perform is uniquely tailored to each patient's specific concerns and one-of-a-kind anatomy. No two labiaplasty patients are the same, and no two operations are the same either.

I am well-versed in the full spectrum of labiaplasty repair techniques, include wedge excision, lazy-S excision, en bloc reduction of labia minora and clitoral hood, and others. The important aesthetic points for each operation include:

matching the pigment borders and lines so that the pink pigmentary line and beige/ brown pigmentary line are continous and aesthetic
ensuring no rippling or puckering of the incision borders
hiding scars as much as possible
achieving the best possible symmetry given a patient's anatomic starting point

The key to achieving the most perfect possible results for a labiaplasty surgery lies in planning, meticulous attention to detail, and stepwise refinement of excised specimens (as pictured above). In this era of gynecologists, general doctors, and high-volume "labiaplasty centers" performing these surgeries, it is important for women to understand that a board-certified plastic surgeon is trained in the delicate tissue handling, aesthetic principles, and surgical anatomy that give you ideal results.

For more information about labiaplasty in New York City, please call my office at 212-452-2400, or email office@LaraDevganMD.com.

Lara Devgan, MD

June 23, 2016

3 approaches to chin augmentation

Lara Devgan, MD

June 23, 2016

Chin augmentation with injectable filler. Actual patient of Dr. Devgan

People rarely think about their chins, but chin projection and proportion are very important in facial aesthetics. Having a chin that is in harmony with your bone structure, jawline, nose, and face shape can mean the difference between having an attractive face and an ordinary one.

Chin augmentation is a general term that describes a range of procedures that includes injectable chin filler, chin implant, and osseous genioplasty. The images in this post are some examples of my actual patients who have undergone these different techniques.

Chin Filler

Injectable chin filler (typically with Juvederm, Voluma, Restylane, or Radiesse) is a minimally invasive, non-surgical procedure that takes about 5 minutes. Under sterile conditions, an FDA-approved product is injected into your menton (chin prominence). Results last 1-2 years, and chin projection and contour can be made very attractive.

Chin Implant

A chin implant is a soft solid silicone or Medpor device that is surgically placed via a tiny incision hidden under your chin crease or inside your mouth. It is typically done with light sedation ("twilight"), although it can be done under local anesthesia with a nerve block. Results are permanent and very attractive. In my opinion, this is the gold standard best technique for chin augmentation.

Osseous Genioplasty

Osseous genioplasty is a surgical technique for repositioning the bony prominence of the chin and holding it place with tiny titanium plates and screws. The incision is hidden inside the mouth, and results are permanent, although the recovery and healing process can be quite involved due to the pain of bony surgery.

Next Steps

If you think you may be interested in chin augmentation (with our without rhinoplasty/ nose job surgery, which frequently goes with it), please contact my office at 212-452-2400 or office@LaraDevganMD.com.