Your nasolabial folds are the indentations that span from the sides of your nose down to the corners of your lips. These folds have been given an adorable nickname — “smile lines” — because when you are younger, they only appear when you smile. However, as your skin becomes laxer, these lines can eventually become a permanent fixture on your face, indicating that you have gotten older. Below, Dr. Min Ahn, a top facial plastic surgeon, discusses treatments that can minimize the appearance of smile lines.

Dermal Fillers

Injectable treatments can restore volume to your skin and minimize lines and wrinkles, including the nasolabial folds. The hyaluronic acid in many types of dermal fillers like Juvéderm and Restylane fills the fold so that it appears plumper and diminishes the prominence of these smile lines.

Facelift

For the most dramatic facial rejuvenation, you may want a surgical procedure to achieve this transformation. By performing an extended deep plane lower facelift, Dr. Ahn can diminish the appearance of smile lines. This surgery simultaneously addresses jowls, neck laxity, and other assorted lines on the lower portion of the face for the most thorough transformation.

Discuss Treatment Options with Dr. Ahn

If deep smile lines have left you feeling unhappy, you can rejuvenate your skin with one of several cosmetic treatments so that these lines only appear when you are actually smiling. When you schedule a consultation with Dr. Ahn, he can assess the condition of your skin and the severity of the folds to recommend the best possible treatment for achieving your desired results. Call (508) 366-2020 to make an appointment. 

Most people think about having plastic surgery for a long time before scheduling a consultation. Part of the reason for this hesitation is because they are not sure whether it is too soon for them to address signs of aging. In this blog, double-board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Ahn reviews some of the age-related factors to consider when choosing plastic surgery. If you think you may have facelift surgery someday but worry that you are too young for the procedure now, please read on. 

When Do Most People Have Facelift?

Most of Dr. Ahn’s facelift patients are between the ages of 40 and 60. Around middle age, the body’s production of collagen has decreased to the point that your skin is no longer taut. This laxity can create a rounded, jowly jawline while wrinkles settle on your lower face. Facelift can improve both imperfections.

Consider Mini Facelift

Another factor to consider is that Dr. Ahn can make cosmetic improvements to the lower face without requiring full facelift surgery. In fact, Dr. Ahn regularly recommends mini facelift to his patients in their 40s with earlier signs of aging. Mini lift addresses the jowls and is a good choice for patient who do not also have neck concerns. It is a less invasive method of facial rejuvenation that produces more natural-looking results as well as a briefer recovery period.

Mini facelift is great if your primary cosmetic complaint is skin laxity near your chin. With mini lift, Dr. Ahn can lift the underlying tissue and musculature to restore definition to the jawline.

Remove Age from the Equation

If you are considering facelift, the question you ask yourself should not be, “Am I old enough to have facelift?” but rather “Do I have discernable signs of aging that can be improved with surgery?”

You do not have to wait until your skin is fully sagging with deeper-set wrinkles to make cosmetic improvements. If you find mild to moderate aging unsatisfactory, Dr. Ahn can help you to choose a treatment that gives your face a better shape and smoother skin. With facelift or mini lift, you can better project the age you feel on the inside.

To meet with one of the top facial surgeons in the country, please schedule a consultation with Dr. Ahn at the Aesthetic Wellness Center by calling (508) 366-2020.

Patients consider many factors when contemplating plastic surgery, including the length of time the results last. With a mini facelift in particular, many people are attracted to the less invasive nature of this surgery, but also have concerns over how long it can rejuvenate the face. Double board-certified facial plastic surgeon Min Ahn explains the timeline patients can expect, as well as how to extend those results.

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Min S. Ahn, MD, FACS, has earned a reputation as New England’s best facial plastic surgeon by consistently achieving great results for his patients. Through decades of experience, he has gained a thorough understanding of what patients should do to attain the best possible outcomes from a facelift. If you are considering having a facelift, read on for his expert tips.

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Aging is an inescapable part of life. Your body will undergo many changes as you get older, but few will stand out as much as those that occur on your face. From his perspective as an internationally recognized facial plastic surgeon, Dr. Min Ahn shares some of the most common changes you are likely to encounter as the years progress so that you know what to expect:

Loss of Volume

The number one trait that distinguishes a young face from an old one is the presence of volume. An even distribution of fat beneath the skin provides “padding” that contributes to a more youthful appearance. Over time, however, facial fat erodes, which can create sunken cheeks, hollows beneath the eyes and an overall more skeletal appearance.

Skin Gets Less Firm and Tight

As you get older, your body produces less collagen and elastin, two proteins responsible for keeping your skin elastic-like and tight. Without elastin, your skin starts to hang more loosely, which causes a sagging appearance. That often means losing definition along your jaw, and an accumulation of fat beneath the chin, creating the appearance of a double chin.

Wrinkles and Lines Set In

At any age, facial expressions and movements put lines and indentations on your face. When your skin is young enough, these lines vanish instantaneously, but these lines will remain on less robust skin for longer stretches of time until they reach a point where they are so deep set that they are essentially permanent.

Nasal Tip Droops

You are likely to find that over time your nose starts to point downward. This nasal ptosis occurs because the cartilage framework that once held your nose position firmly in place weakens.

Ears Get Larger

By the time you have finished puberty, most parts of your body stop growing. One of the notable exceptions to that rule is your ears — those will actually continue to get bigger throughout your entire life. The cartilage in your ears expands, causing the ears to appear larger and sometimes throwing off the proportions of your face.

If You Are Unhappy with These Changes, You Can Do Something about It

While no one can dodge aging completely, there are cosmetic solutions to help you recapture a more youthful appearance. A facelift/neck lift can address sagging skin; eyelid surgery and brow lift can minimize the lines around the eyes; fat grafting can address the loss of volume around the cheeks; and rhinoplasty can correct the projection of the nasal tip. Minimally invasive procedures like injectables, Fraxel Dual laser and Morpheus8 can improve the appearance and texture of your facial skin without requiring surgery.

To discuss which procedures can best help rejuvenate the face with Boston’s finest facial plastic surgeon, please arrange a consultation at the Aesthetic Wellness Center by calling (508) 366-2020.

As a nationally recognized facial plastic surgeon, Dr. Min S. Ahn has had the pleasure of meeting with thousands of patients who want to make improvements to their faces. Many of them are curious about the mini facelift procedure but are unsure whether it would be a good choice for them. Below is some information to help identify the best candidates for a mini facelift.

Mild to Moderate Signs of Aging

Many people assume that “mini” refers to lesser results when in fact the term refers to minimal incisions. The results are just as effective, yet there are some differences between a mini facelift and a lower facelift. Both the mini facelift and lower facelift effectively lift the jowls using the “Deep Plane” technique. The difference is that the minilift is done through a shorter incision. A patient who needs a lower facelift tends to have more skin that needs to be tailored.

For most patients, a mini facelift is most typically performed in their late 40s and early 50s. However, the aging process can vary greatly from one individual to the next. Factors such as genetics, overall health, sun exposure and many other things can determine how quickly one ages.

Having Jowls and Not Much Excess Skin

A mini facelift is most successful — particularly when done in the hands of Dr. Ahn — at restoring definition to your jawline and eliminating the appearance of jowls, or round pouches of skin and soft tissue that sag just underneath the sides of the face. A mini facelift is ideal for a person who has minimal “jowling” without a significant amount of excess skin.

A Desire or Need for a Quicker Recovery

A mini facelift is less invasive than a lower facelift, as it relies on shorter incisions. As a result, patients may have a shorter recovery period.

Ask Dr. Ahn

Dr. Ahn is one of Boston’s most well-known facial plastic surgeons. During a consultation, Dr. Ahn can offer his expert opinion on whether a mini facelift will adequately reverse the signs of aging present on your face or if another procedure may be necessary. To speak with him, please contact us at the Aesthetic Wellness Center to discuss scheduling a consultation.

Facelift is a time-tested procedure that changes not just the way the world sees you, but also the way you feel about yourself.

Feelings of satisfaction and confidence are the ultimate result, but first come the weeks of healing and expectation as you await that moment, at the end of recovery, when you greet your breathtaking new look in the mirror. Here, experienced Boston plastic surgeon Dr. Min S. Ahn of The Aesthetic Wellness Center provides a timeline for the recovery process.

First Days

The first post-surgical minutes are similar to what any patient would experience after a procedure using general or “twilight” anesthesia. You will feel somewhat groggy and perhaps a little cold. Your face will feel swollen. Swelling is an expected side effect of a facial surgical procedure, and it will gradually increase in the next few days.

You will also notice bruising and feel a certain amount of discomfort. This low level of pain can be successfully managed by medications that will be prescribed for you by Dr. Ahn. After two weeks, most of your swelling and bruising should be gone.

Home Healing

At home, the key to a rapid and successful recovery is patience. Clear your schedule so that you can remain home for two weeks. Follow the recovery plan Dr. Ahn has outlined for you, and avoid vigorous physical activity, including lifting, straining and excessive bending. Not surprisingly, you will need to protect your face at night by sleeping on your back, preferably with the head elevated.

This is not a time to indulge in junk food and late-night hours. The food you eat should be nutritious and low in sodium, as excessive salt will aggravate swelling. After one month, you will be able to resume most of your usual activities.

Patience is also recommended in judging your final result. Although you will notice immediate improvement, your face will continue to heal for as long as a year. Within several months you will have a good sense of your new, revitalized facial appearance.

To learn more about facelift, or to schedule an in-office or online appointment, call or email Dr. Min S. Ahn of The Aesthetic Wellness Center today.

Neck lift targets excess fat, loose skin, vertical “turkey bands,” and wrinkles on the neck, in the area below the jawline. It is often performed in conjunction with facelift or mini lift, ensuring that the skin and muscle tone of the neck match the newly revitalized facial appearance.

Below, experienced Boston plastic surgeon Dr. Min S. Ahn of The Aesthetic Wellness Center explores the benefits of neck lift, as well as the remarkable new generation of noninvasive solutions.

Neck Rejuvenation

Patients choose neck lift to restore a youthful appearance to the neck, tighten skin, smooth folds, eliminate visible muscle bands, improve the profile view and address the dreaded “turkey wattle” by removing loose skin under the chin.

Over time, neck skin may at some point begin to sag, fold or hang loosely. This is especially true in the case of patients who have lost a great deal of weight: Skin that lacks elasticity will not shrink sufficiently to conform to the reduced volume of a slimmer neck.

Surgical Options

Neck lift may involve removing fat, skin and performing a corset platysmaplasty. The fat is removed directly, not with just random liposuction. Excess skin is removed after the corset platysmaplasty is performed that tightens the neck muscles..

Platysmaplasty is indicated when sagging neck muscles create a “banded” appearance. During this surgery, Dr. Ahn will tighten, realign and sometimes remove a portion of the neck muscles that have lost integrity.

Noninvasive Choices

There are several popular non-surgical techniques used in place of neck lift, or sometimes to complement it. CoolSculpting and Kybella can be effective ways to thin the subcutaneous fat layer in the neck, and fractional laser resurfacing and targeted radiofrequency energy can noticeably tighten neck skin for some patients.

To learn more about ways to improve the appearance of the neck, or to schedule an in-office or online appointment, call or email Dr. Min S. Ahn of The Aesthetic Wellness Center today.

The term “mini facelift” suggests that the procedure is dramatically different and much less expensive than a full facelift. This is typically not true. Although a common characteristic of the surgery is smaller incisions and often quicker recovery times, the definition of mini facelift is not set in stone, and the procedure may be performed in different ways by different surgeons.

Experienced Boston plastic surgeon Dr. Min S. Ahn often recommends mini facelift for patients who have loose jowls but relatively good skin integrity in other areas of the face and neck.

For such patients, he makes a small incision along the contour of the ear and tightens the jawline by pulling tissue upward through the cheeks. Unlike full facelift, the procedure does not target the neck, nor include brow lift or eyelid lift.

Distinctions and Similarities

A traditional facelift trims years from a patient’s appearance by tightening facial skin and muscles, while sometimes also removing skin and fat. The procedure targets displaced fat and sagging tissue on the cheeks, creases beneath the lower eyelids, excess skin and fat along the jawline, and furrows between the nose and corners of the mouth.

Facelift performed by a skilled plastic surgeon will typically last about 10 years. Mini facelift will last 8-10 years. For both facelift and mini facelift, recovery is measured in weeks, not days. Both are major surgical procedures.

Swelling is a key aspect of healing for each procedure. Swelling builds during the first three to four days after surgery. It is accompanied by bruising and some pain, which can be managed with prescribed medication. 

Whether you choose to have facelift or mini facelift, plan to stay home for one to two weeks after surgery. You should be able to resume most normal activities in a month, although your face will continue to heal for up to a year. 

To learn more about facelift or mini facelift, or to schedule an appointment, call or email Dr. Min S. Ahn of The Aesthetic Wellness Center today.

Facelift is a facial rejuvenation procedure that is tailored to each patient’s unique needs. There are different techniques that a plastic surgeon can use, including the Deep Plane Facelift. Considered to be the gold standard in facelift techniques, the deep plane facelift offers the most long-lasting and comprehensive results.

The Aesthetic Wellness Center’s Dr. Min S. Ahn answers frequently asked questions about the deep plane facelift technique in this blog post.

How does Deep Plane Facelift differ from traditional facelift?

The Deep Plane Facelift is more effective than a traditional facelift in lifting the jowls, defining the jawline, improving the nasolabial fold (laugh lines) and repositioning the cheek pad to improve the midface. A traditional facelift relies on tightening the skin with limited lifting of the underlying muscle layer (SMAS layer).  The Deep Plane Facelift goes further by releasing 4 small ligaments that are “tethering” the SMAS layer. When the surgeon releases these ligaments, the SMAS/muscle layer, the jowls, and cheek pad move much more freely. Even after the surgeon removes the extra skin, there is NO tension on the skin edges and therefore NO “pulled” look.

Who is a candidate for Deep Plane Facelift?

The best candidates for Deep Plane Facelift are individuals with sagging jowls and midface with loose neck skin who desire longer-lasting results.

How is Deep Plane Facelift performed?

The Deep Plane Facelift is performed as an outpatient procedure. At the Aesthetic Surgery Center, all surgeries are performed under safe, gentle IV sedation (similar to a colonoscopy). During the procedure, the surgeon creates discreet, small, curved incisions starting at the temple hairline, extending inside the ear canal, and ending in the hair behind the ear. The surgeon separates the skin from the SMAS layer and releases the deep layers of muscle and tissue underneath the SMAS. The SMAS, jowls and cheek pad are then lifted and repositioned. The excess skin is removed and the remaining skin is redraped for a youthful and tension-free appearance. The incisions are closed with fine sutures.

What should I expect during recovery?

Recovery from deep plane facelift typically requires 2 weeks of “social” downtime. Swelling and bruising are normal and are largely resolved by 2 weeks. Patients should rest with their head elevated as much as possible.

Ultimately, Dr. Ahn will advise you on when you can return to work and resume normal activities based on your personal healing progress.

How can I learn more about facelift?

Dr. Ahn will gladly meet with you to answer all of your questions about facelift. During your consultation, Dr. Ahn will discuss your aesthetic needs and goals with you to determine whether deep plane facelift is right for you.

To schedule a consultation, please call (508) 366-2020 today.