Nip This Tuck That

OK Magazine this month has a section on Extreme Celebrity Makeovers.

It’s no surprise that Hollywood celebrities have plastic and cosmetic surgery procedures like Breast Augmentation with Implants as OK Magazine suspects might be the case for Pamela Anderson, Heidi Montag and Kate Hudson.

OK magazine has what they say are pictures of the starlets before their Breast Augmentations and photos of them after supposedly having their Breasts Augmented. You take a look but it appears that their Breasts are larger and fuller….this certainly does and would occur after Breast Augmentation with Breast Implants.
Heidi’s nose appears thinner which could be a result of a Rhinoplasty and her lips appear more full and plump that may be an indication of a lip plumping filler like Restylane or Juvederm or even a Lip Implant made of Alloderm, soft silastic or one that’s saline filled. On the same note, there’s a set of photos that suggest Jessica Simpson may also have had Lip Augmentation using fillers or lip implants. Take a look at the article and you decide.

More interesting are photos of Angelina Jolie that appear to show string like protrusions in her neck below the ears. This may indicate that Angelina Jolie may have had a thread type Face Lift where threads are placed under the skin and used to hook and then lift and pull back the skin and tissues of the face and or neck. In some cases, these threads, can begin to erode through the tissues and become visible just under the skin. If that occurs, the threads must be removed before they puncture through the skin creating an opening and scar formation. I used these years ago when they first came out and was unhappy with the results and possible complications. Thread Lifts are used when someone is attempting to avoid any incisions in or around the ears when attempting to lift and tighten the skin. Instead of the Thread Lift, I created The Palmer Celebrity Lift in contrast is what I believe is the best Face Lift in the US and the World because it uses minimal incisions (required when removing excess skin), limited tissue dissection and a very rapid recovery. In my opinion, a better way to go than using sutures or threads to try and lift tissue at the risk of the sutures and or threads coming through the skin or becoming visible.

Dr Francis Palmer
Beverly Hills Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery
“What’s Your Number..the palmer code.”

***Disclaimer: This information is provided for entertainment and educational purposes only and is not intended to prove that any of the above mentioned person(s) has, had, or will ever have any type of plastic surgery treatment or procedure or any affiliation with Dr Francis Palmer.

You can shape the cheeks to a fuller, more youthful shape in minutes using fillers like Radiesse, Perlane or Juvederm Ultra Plus. There’s no magic in the fillers themselves so you must be certain to find a plastic and cosmetic surgeon that is able to aesthetically see what shape your cheeks should be…and use the filler to achieve that goal.

The benefits of fillers to shape the face is that in a few minutes you can have the cheeks you’ve always wanted. In 8-12 months, the fillers would need to be repeated as the effects are temporary.

Dr Francis Palmer
Beverly Hills Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery
“What’s Your Number..the palmer code.”

The best Face Lift in the US and the World must, in my opinion, not only lift and tighten tissues while removing excess fat and skin but must also shape the cheeks in order to achieve a more aesthetically, attractive face. Our Palmer Celebrity Facelift is designed to all of the above. Shaping the Cheeks can be done in minutes using either Radiesse, Perlane or Juvederm Ultra Plus.

Before the Palmer Celebrity Face Lift begins, the cheek area is marked outlining where the filler will be injected. Once the patient is asleep and the Palmer Celebrity Lift has removed the excess fatty tissue, trimmed the SMAS muscle layer, lifted and trimmed the excess skin…the fillers are injected and massaged into the proper shape.

Based on the filler that’s used, the results last between 8 and 12 months at which time the filler can be repeated as an office visit. You can think of this as a yearly maintenance in order for you to maintain a soft, natural and attractive look. Men, the filler can be used in the Cheeks, Chin and Jawline to create angularity and a more ruggedly handsome look.
Of course, Cheek Implants can be used as a permanent method of enhancing the shape of the cheeks.

Botox to decrease unwanted wrinkles, Restylane or Juvederm to enhance the lips or additional plastic and cosmetic surgery procedures like Breast Augmentation with Implants, Eyelid Surgery, Rhinoplasty, Chin Implants, Lip Implants, Tummy Tucks, Thigh Lifts and Buttock Lifts can be performed at the same time.

The take home message when it comes to Face Lifts is to be sure that the Facelift addresses the SMAS layer through elevation, trimming and suturing and not merely folding upon itself or suspension with sutures as these may come apart. The Face Lift should also have the ability to create a soft and naturally feminine face for a woman or a ruggedly handsome face in a man. The Face Lift should NOT create an overly pulled, distorted, stretched mouth or eyebrow distortion as these are not aesthetically pleasing facial characteristics. The best Facelift surgeons may not be in your area and you may need to travel to reach the top Facelift surgeons but the trip will be less expensive than the cost of a revision Face Lift. Read what the print media what the media says about Dr Francis Palmer and his face Lifts. Watch Dr Palmer on TV presenting his face Lift procedures.

Dr Francis Palmer
Beverly Hills Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery
“What’s Your Number..the palmer code.”

Lip Augmentation and Enhancement can be done to achieve fuller, more aesthetically shaped lips with fillers or lip implants depending on your desires and the existing size/shape of your lips. There are ideally shaped lips that are full, plump and perfectly proportioned as outlined in my new book on beauty and aesthetics “What’s Your Number…the palmer code.”

Lip Augmentation… Lip Enhancement… If you are looking to Enhance the size and shape of your lips with Procedures or Surgery you should first understand what makes aesthetically beautiful, full, plump lips.

lip chin groove illustrated

Ideally proportioned Lips

Men and women’s lips are aesthetically very similar. Both look the best when they’re lips are full and plump. This gives the mouth and entire lower face a soft, balanced and attractive appearance. Fuller lips are perceived as soft and gentle-in stark contrast to the thin or asymmetric lips that exude a sense of being stern, mean or untrustworthy.

As I mention in my book, ‘What’s Your Number…the palmer code”, ideal lips have a certain size and shape. On profile, the lips should have a gentle S-shaped curve between the lips and chin-with a 4mm depression existing between these two structures. The illustration, on the left, shows this relationship. Although, the nose and chin typically set the strength of your profile, Lip Augmentation does have the ability to add balance to this area. Enhancing the size and shape of the lips may aesthetically improve the entire lower 1/3 of the face.

In the same illustration, the arrow indicates the 4mm groove that should exist between the lips and the chin on profile. Lip Augmentation/Enhancement/Enlargement Surgery may help achieve a better balanced more aesthetic profile.

In the illustration on the right, imaginary vertical lines drawn down from the inner colored portion of the eyes delineate the overall size of the lips. The upper lip should be no more than 75% the size of the lower lip as illustrated by the horizontal lines in the same illustration. This assures that there is an overall pout to the lips-no matter how plump or full they are. In my opinion, this aesthetic ratio should not be violated because if it is, the lips look out unbalanced and of proportion making the entire mouth appear oddly shaped.

As we age, it’s common to loose mass in the lips and even in the bones, of the face, giving the illusion that the upper lip, or more precisely the space between the upper lip and the nasal tip, has become elongated. This makes the lower face look aged and stern which is not attractive or aesthetically pleasing. The sole purpose of Lip Augmentation, Lip Enhancement or Lip Enlargement Procedures is to add volume and mass to the lips that otherwise appear to small and thin. However, if done improperly…the lips can be distorted, contorted and mis-shapen. Sadly, we’ve all seen celebrity photos of that very thing portrayed in magazines or on TV.

Ideally shaped lips have other characteristics according to the “Palmer Beauty Principles” , which I developed. These should be the cornerstone for planning Lip Augmentation and Enhancement Procedures or Surgery. If these Aesthetic principles are violated, the lips may appear to large, distorted or out of balance with the your face.

Once you understand these points, you are ready to compare your lips to ideally shaped, beautiful lips…some pictures of which are included below.

Beautiful Lips

If you don’t have perfectly shaped lips-don’t despair. There are several methods to augment and create fuller lips. These can be organized into two types of Lip Augmentation Procedures, ones using injectable filler materials and those requiring a surgical procedure to Enhance the size and shape of the Lips. Let’s look at each of these Lip Augmentation Methods:

1. Fillers.

Juvederm Ultra and Restylane are what we currently use to fill the borders of the lips. These injections are done as an office treatment and take about 10-15 minutes. Most often a topical numbing cream is applied to the lips prior to the treatment. The plumping effects last about 4-6 months.

2. Lip Implants

There are several types of material that are currently available as lip implants. Alloderm, solid Silicone and a saline filled implant that has an outer gortex-like shell. Although the latter two are permanent, I believe they each have significant drawbacks including the ability to move after being placed within the lips. For that reason, I prefer to use Alloderm as an implant. Alloderm being softer than the other two lip implants can be placed just under the red portion of the outer lips. Alloderm is placed below that layer and above the lip muscle through a small incision in each corner of the mouth. This allows all of the augmentation to remain in the front of the lips and mouth where it is needed the most…unlike the other two implants that cause lip augmentation in a 360 degree manner, including the portion of your lips that’s on the inside your mouth. Alloderm lasts about 7 years and can be re-done at that time.

Dr Francis Palmer
Beverly Hills Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery
“What’s Your Number..the palmer code.”

***pictures are of models and are included for educational purposes only. No claim is made that these models are patients of Dr Francis Palmer, nor that they have had any plastic and cosmetic surgery treatments or procedures.

Face Lifts have evolved. The Palmer Celebrity Face Lift is an evolved Face Lift with smaller incisions, less tissue dissection and disruption…which means there is less bruising and swelling. This minimum incision Face Lift allows patients to fly home in as little as 3 days after the procedure.

Below is a picture of how aging effects the face. Arrows are used to show the direction of facial tissue sag.

Aging face and Neck

The Palmer Celebrity Face Lift uses much smaller incisions, than traditional Face Lifts, that are contoured around the front and inside of the ear. Unlike traditional Face Lifts or Mid Face Lifts, no incisions are placed inside the hairline, in front or in back of the head, thereby eliminating the risk of hair loss or unsightly scars inside the hair.

The Palmer Celebrity Face Lift does elevate, trim and lift the SMAS muscle layer along with trimming excess skin which may not be done with a thread lift or suture lift procedure. The Palmer Celebrity Lift goes a step farther still by shaping the cheek area into a more naturally, youthful appearance by adjusting facial fat and using fillers like Perlane and Radiesse. Cheek Implants can also be used when a permanent augmentation is desired.

In the picture below, arrows on the face represent the direction of lift.

Arrows show direction of tightening

The result is a naturally more youthful and attractive face….the antithesis of the old “wind swept”, “over pulled” faces where the tissues are just pulled and distorted. The Palmer Celebrity Face Lift is evolved and in my opinion represents the Face Lift of the future…right now, today. I’m sure that the top Celebrities know the best plastic surgeons are the ones who’s techniques evolve and continue to provide the very best with the least amount of scarring, swelling, bruising and recovery time. Watch Dr Francis Palmer present his ground breaking Palmer Celebrity Lift on ABC’s hit TV show “The View”.

Dr Francis Palmer
Beverly Hills Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery
“What’s Your Number..the palmer code.”

Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery “Tip of the Day” from Beverly Hills Plastic and Cosmetic Surgeon, Dr Francis Palmer.

The Wall Street Journal had a story about Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery today….Breast Augmentation with Breast Implants is now the most popular plastic surgery procedure or at least it was in 2009. This is from data collected by one of the three organizations of surgeons who perform plastic and/or cosmetic surgery procedures like Breast Enhancement/Augmentation , Face Lifts and the like.

Liposuction was dethroned as the most popular, most commonly performed, plastic surgery procedure and was actually down about 17% from the previous year. The article also noted, which we have discussed here numerous times in the past, the increasing trend towards less invasive procedures. This was my motivation behind creating our minimum incision Face Lift the “Palmer Celebrity Face Lift” which was featured on ABC’s hit TV show “The View”. Botox and fillers like Restylane, Radiesse and Perlane remained popular.

Rhinoplasty was mentioned only in passing but according to my calculations, of published data from all three surgical groups who perform plastic and cosmetic surgery, remains the top or one of the top plastic surgery procedures performed year after year.

It is true that Breast Augmentation is popular and Silicone Breast Implants have gained popularity since the FDA lifted their restrictions some time back. I have seen two sets of patients that are interested in Breast Augmentation with Breast Implants. The first group are young women who have small breasts and would like the size and or shape improved. Silicone Breast Implants are available for women 22 years of age or older. Younger women would need to use Saline Breast Implants.

The second group of women interested in Breast Augmentation are those who have had children, or are older and wish to regain a more aesthetic breast size and shape using Breast Implants. These women may also need some form of Breast Lift along with the Breast Implants. I believe that all Breast Implants should be placed below the muscle which offers an additional layer of tissue above the Breast Implant.

Dr Francis Palmer
Beverly Hills Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery
“What’s Your Number..the palmer code.”

Here’s Today’s Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery Tip:

The day after the Academy Awards with all the gorgeous and handsome celebrities on the red carpet it’s natural for our thoughts to turn towards our own self improvement through plastic and cosmetic surgery treatments and surgical procedures.

If you are looking to make yourself more attractive, be sure that you understand what facial features are the most important from an aesthetic point of view. According to my new book that defines and identifies beauty, there are three top facial features in a beautiful or handsome face. The Cheeks, Eye Area and the Lips.

Of these three features, the Cheeks are the most aesthetically important and should be considered in all cases of facial rejuvenation, where the goal is to look naturally youthful, as well as younger faces where the goal is a more beautiful face. This should be the main focus of any plastic and cosmetic surgery procedures, treatments or surgery. From Botox, Restylane, Perlane, Radiesse, Cheek Implants, Face Lifts, Eyelid Surgery or Lip Enhancement/Augmentation.

Face Lift techniques that overlook shaping the cheeks to a naturally, youthful shape miss the mark, in my opinion, as they leave the face over-pulled, windswept or otherwise unnatural in appearance. I have found in over 20 years of performing Face Lifts, that tightening and removing just the right amount from the face combined with shaping of the cheeks either with fillers like Perlane and Radiesse or with Cheek Implants gives the face a youthful, natural beauty that is otherwise not achievable. This was my inspiration for creating our “Palmer Celebrity Face Lift”.

Dr Francis Palmer
Beverly Hills Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery
“What’s Your Number..the palmer code.”

The Palmer “Celebrity Lift” is a minimum incision Face Lift that’s combined with aesthetic shaping of the face. This 90 minute, minimum invasive, procedure has the SMAS lifting of the much more invasive, older types of Face Lifts but can be performed with or without anesthesia. The recovery time is measured in hours…not days, weeks or months because the procedure is less invasive. In fact, most patients travel back home to Asia, Europe or across the US in as little as 3 days following the Face Lift procedure.

The Celebrity Face Lift is often combined with a reduction of the fatty tissue within the nasolabial fold (NLF) the accumulation of which occurs with facial aging. Further facial refinements are accomplished by improving the cheek’s volume and shape. Male cheeks are made to be more angular, while women’s cheeks are converted to a softer, more rounded shape in the front of the face. The shape of the chin and jawline may also be addressed. Facial shaping can be accomplished using Fillers like Radiesse or Perlane and/or with Cheek and/or Chin Implants. The Lips can be made fuller using Restylane, Juvederm or my favorite lip implant (Alloderm Sheets). Botox can be used to soften lines of the forehead, Crow’s Feet or around the mouth for the finishing touches.

The result is a face that appears youthful, more attractive and the opposite of the dreaded over pulled, wind swept appearance.

Dr Francis Palmer
Beverly Hills Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery
“What’s Your Number..the palmer code.”

Hollywood Stars Beauty Fantasy by Dr Francis Palmer

Photo Credit: Steve Granitz Wireimage

Grammy’s 2010 Taylor Swift: Taylor looks beautiful in this blue dress but what if we had a magic wand and could change her appearance to make it a perfect face, what would we consider doing?
1. The eyebrows are low, so perhaps some Botox to the eyebrows or a Brow Lift.

2. The left cheek is a bit more flat than the right so a little soft tissue filler to shape and contour the cheek using either Radiesse

3. The upper lip is thin compared to the lower lip, so perhaps either a soft tissue filler to the lip borders using Restylane or Juvederm or a semi-permanent lip implant like Alloderm that seems to last about 7 years.

4. The nose is a little thick and a Rhinoplasty (nose job) could thin and refine both the nasal bridge and tip.

This is, of course fantasy, and a make believe exercise but still fun and exciting to imagine. So what’s her “Face Number” now: 86 Fantasy Makeover Face Number: 99 with 100 being perfect.

Dr Francis Palmer
Beverly Hills Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery
What’s Your Number…the palmer code book

***Disclaimer: This information is provided for entertainment and educational purposes only and is not intended to imply the above mentioned person has had, or will ever have any type of plastic surgery treatment or procedure or any affiliation with Dr Francis Palmer.

What could be easier than a 10 minute, in office, treatment that has the ability to decrease unwanted lines and wrinkles, fill in folds, plump the lips and create more aesthetically shaped cheeks, chin or jawline. These popular plastic and cosmetic treatments can do just that. Here in Beverly Hills, the greater Los Angeles area of Southern California, we have for over 20 years used these quick and easy treatments as a way to improve the appearance of our clients.

Restylane, Juvederm: Plump the lips, fill in nasolabial folds

Perlane, Radiesse: Create shape to the cheeks, chin and jaw line

Botox; soften unwanted lines and wrinkles and shape the face where over-active muscles create bulges or enlargements.

Dr Francis Palmer
Beverly Hills Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery
What’s Your Number…the palmer code book