While a few character lines and wrinkles make you appear rustic and trust worthy, looking mad or concerned all the time can be a hindrance.  Who wants to approach a salesman or boss that looks cross?  A resting frown-line really can change the way the world views you – and not always in a good way.

Women have grown up with the awareness that a few beauty secrets can really make a difference in your appearance – whether it is cosmetic surgery, laser procedures or just a small amount of lipstick.  Men often discover cosmetic enhancements later in life – and often are brought into the clinic for the first time by their wives, girlfriends or partners.  However, once the improvement is achieved, men enjoy the benefits of looking friendly, energetic and attractive just as much as women.  And while they might not share their “beauty secrets” in the locker room or on the golf course, most view their treatments as a worthwhile competitive advantage in an ever more competitive social and economic climate.  Maybe a good haircut and a little BOTOX Cosmetic are the new keys to a man’s success!

Ok, I give up.  BOTOX Cosmetic is truly like hair dye. 

And yes, that makes part of my job the equivalent to working as a hair stylist.  The argument goes like this.

1. BOTOX Cosmetic and hair dye are not permanent, so you can always change the way you do it to get the look you want.  If you hate it, you can stop doing it with no long term affects.
2. If it is done right by a skilled professional it looks natural and no one has to know you are doing it.  However, you can also brag to your girlfriends and celebrate your new look.
3. If you keep up a regular schedule, the roots/wrinkles never return – so book your next appointment before you leave.
4. It really is the most reliable and affordable options to seriously take years off your appearance.
5. It is one of the most common beauty secrets among women, and a growing procedure among men.  How many natural blonds with no wrinkles do you know?

The good news is most women love their hair stylist, and that feeling seems to transfer to the doctor providing their BOTOX Cosmetic treatments.   Providing BOTOX Cosmetic treatments between surgeries is rewarding.  It is good to be loved!

(As a side note, Dysport and BOTOX Cosmetic are used interchangeably in our clinic.  Both work very well for smoothing out wrinkles and lines.  I liken the choice to deciding between Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi.  Cheers.)

People visit our clinic to look better – rested, relaxed, happy, youthful.  Relaxing muscles with BOTOX Cosmetic or Dyport gets rid of frown lines, forehead creases, crowsfeet creases around the eyes and even lines around the mouth.  The injections are almost painless and give reliable results if performed by a well trained practitioner.  In our clinic I perform all the injections.  As a surgeon I am confident that I know the anatomy – and it is fun to take credit for something that brings patients joy.   These are the number one cosmetic procedures in the world for a reason.

The Academy Awards is near to our hearts at Portland Laser & Cosmetic Surgery Center.  Last year Restrepo was up for an award for the best documentary of 2010.  The film was by Sebastian Junger and featured a troop of solders in Afganistan.  Misha Pemble-Belkin was one of the main soldiers featured, and is the son-in-law of Karen McConnell – our own patient care coordinator.  It was very exciting in the office, as Misha and Amanda (Karen’s daughter) got to attend the awards and the after parties.  What a great experience for a young couple from Oregon to walk the red carpet and socialize with celebrities.  This year Sebastian Junger was speaking in Portland at the Schnitzer concert hall the week before the awards, and I personally got to meet him.  He is truly an amazing man with a passion for helping those affected by war.

Dr. Magilke, Karen and Sebastian Junger

It is interesting to reflect that many of the advances in plastic surgery were the result of wars.  When faced with devastating injuries, surgeons developed new techniques to restore form and function to the young victims.  Many of these same techniques were the principle on which modern cosmetic procedures were developed.  We really do owe so much to those that serve in times of war.  Hopefully we will always let the veterans in our lives know our gratitude.

“I hate my neck, but I don’t want surgery.  The last thing I want is a facelift that makes me look pulled!”

I hear this every day and usually end up recommending a facelift anyway, and patients that choose surgery are not disappointed.  On the contrary, they are usually pleasantly surprised when their neck does disappear, while their face stays the same.  So why is everyone so afraid of facelifts?

The center part of your face is what your friends recognize as “you”.  The shape of your mouth, the position of your nose and the shape of your eyes are your trademark.  If these areas are not distorted with surgery, you continue to look like you – just without your mother’s neck!  Where the problem comes is when surgery attempts to “stretch out” the lines around the mouth or “pick up” the corners of the eyes.  This is something that can technically be accomplished, but the results often look artificial.  If you keep tension away from these key areas, the results of surgery appear natural. 

I am very proud to say that most of my facelift patients in Portland, Oregon love their new necks and jawlines, and are surprised that most of their friends never know they had surgery.  They just look like they lost weight or “toned up”.  And if the lines around your mouth are a concern, addressing them separately with fillers such as Radiesse, Restylane or Juvederm gives a much more natural result then “pulling” them out with surgery. Like most things in life, addressing specific concerns with specific solutions works much better. Rarely does one procedure address all concerns, and we are fortunate to have several tools that can be used in combination to give the most natural appearing results you deserve.  So if you hate your neck, have no fear.  Facelifts are your friend.

So while you wait and plan for larger procedures you can still do little things that make you comfortable and proud of your appearance.

I often hear people say “When I do something, I am going to do everything.  Until then I am saving my money.”  While this sounds like great advice, it really doesn’t make sense for most people who like to look their best.  If you are planning to re-landscape your home in two years, do you stop mowing the lawn and watering the garden?  If you value a beautiful yard, are you going to tolerate a weed patch while you wait for the big make-over?  Not likely.  So while you wait and plan for larger procedures you can still do little things that make you comfortable and proud of your appearance.

Winter is the ideal time to do “maintenance” on your face.  Sun-damaged skin can be improved with IPL and laser treatments (Clear and Brilliant and/or Fractionated CO2 laser treatments), and avoiding the sun during recovery is easy in Oregon during the rainy season.  Injections can smooth out frown-lines and fill wrinkles, providing a wonderful temporary fix if you can’t commit to a more permanent solution.  And even after a well done surgery, skincare and aesthetic treatments protect your investment. 

“Doing everything” can be a very rewarding experience, and facelift patients remain among the most grateful patients I see.  But maintaining your appearance before and after a surgical procedure also keeps a smile on your face.  Doesn’t your car seem a little better after it is washed, or the yard a little more inviting after it is freshly mowed?  Experience that same joy when you look in the mirror following a cosmetic treatment that gives you that little boost.  It is well worth it!

Dr. Magilke is a board certified Facial Plastic Surgeon with over 15 years of private practice experience  He is available for personal consultations by calling 503-297-6511.

No more monthly specials – just fair prices for great results from procedures performed by trained professions.  New prices are: 

• 20% off BOTOX Cosmetic/Dysport – no donations required.  The new price will be $12.50/unit for BOTOX Cosmetic and $4/unit for Dysport.  If you purchase 100 units of BOTOX Cosmetic at one time, the price decreases to $11/unit.  For Dysport the price decreases to $3.50/unit if you purchace 300 units at one time. 
• 20% off Radiesse.  The new price will be $599 for the first syringe and $399 for each additional syringe used during the same appointment.
• $550 for the first syringe of Restylane/Juvederm, and $400 for each additional syringe used during the same appointment.
• $1999 for full face Thermage.
• $299 for Clear and Brilliant.
• $100 surgical consultation fee, which is applies to a surgery if you schedule.
• $50 aesthetic consultation fee, which is applies to products or procedures that you purchase that day.

Before and 2 weeks After Facelift

The myth clearly still exists – surgery takes months to recover from, and you need to hide out for the whole summer!

I hear it nearly every day.  “I would love to have a facelift and get rid of my neck, but I cannot take a month off work.”  Or, “My daughter is getting married in 6 weeks, I don’t have time to recover.”

In reality, recovery from surgery is actually pretty quick.  By 2 weeks, nearly everyone is back to their normal routine.  True, some of the final swelling may take months to go away, but you look “normal” at 2 weeks, and often even sooner.  And the best part is you have real results at 2 weeks – your neck is gone!

If you have been considering surgery and worry about time away from the activities you like to do, it is worth coming in for a complimentary consultation to evaluate your options.  Chances are you can make the improvements you desire and be back to your life faster than you ever imagined.  Like many medical myths, the need to hide out for months after cosmetic surgery is no longer true.  And since facelift results today achieve such a natural appearance, reclaiming your jawline is something that can be done discretely without disrupting your lifestyle.

So what is the most important thing about sunscreen?  It needs to be something you will actually wear – EVERY DAY, RAIN OR SHINE!

Ok, we maybe have had 10 days of sun in Oregon in 2011, but summer is coming.  Really.  So do you have your sun screen?  Have you been wearing it all winter long?  Or are you hiding a bikini under your rain coat for the rare chance that you could actually feel the warmth of sunshine on your naked skin.

If you live in a state where it tends to be cloudy and rain frequently, sun protection seems like a waste of time.  Heck, I need some Vitamin D!  However, the true statistics show that Oregon is now among the top six states in the nation in the incidence of the most deadly form of skin cancer – melanoma!  Washington, Idaho, Utah, Vermont and New Hampshire have 50% higher rates of melanoma then the nation as a whole.  Could it be that the sunny states have the good sense to protect themselves, while us mushrooms in the Northwest forget that the sun shines even through the clouds?

In addition to cancers, sun exposure prematurely ages skin.  It increases brown spots, red spots, fine lines and wrinkles.  The “shoe leather” skin you see on retirees by the pool in Palm Springs is the result of years of leaving the sunscreen at home.  Sun damage is one of the main reasons cosmetic procedures for the face are so popular.  Years of tanning can make you look 60 years old when you have not even turned 50 – and that is a big motivator for choosing surgical procedures and laser treatments.  Some people want to look younger, but nobody wants to look older!

So what is the most important thing about sunscreen?  It needs to be something you will actually wear – EVERY DAY, RAIN OR SHINE!  Ideally it will contain a physical barrier like 7% or greater micronized Zinc Oxide.  At Portland Laser and Surgery Center we recommend Epionce Ultra Shield SPF 50+ or Active Shield SPR 30+.  It is available in our clinic, and established patients can also order it online from Epionce.  Whatever your choice, wearing sun protection can delay your need for cosmetic procedures and protect your investment if you have had a procedure.  So bring on the sun – and the sun screen, please!

Which twin is the smoker?

 Cigarette smoking is a major factor in many disease processes, but did you realize how much it affects your appearance?  Smoking ages you!

Every day people come into my office – or pull me aside at a party – and ask “What can I do to look better?”  Since I am a cosmetic surgeon, they are often looking for the inside scoop on the newest procedure or product to reverse the effects of time.  And for many people, surgeries, injections, lasers and products can make a big difference in appearance.  However the advice I give to my friends and family is PREVENTION.  The number one recommendation – Don’t smoke.

While looking on the internet recently I came across a great article on WebMD (click here for link)  It shows photos of identical twins – one who smoked and one who did not.  The differences are not subtle.  The non-smokers have less wrinkles, fewer eyelid bags, better skin, … They no longer look identical, and the smokers often look like older sisters.  These are the photos to show teenagers who are experimenting with smoking – smoking is clearly not glamorous.

So while it is very rewarding for me as a surgeon to help patients look their best now, I know that lifestyle ultimately effects your overall appearance.  Making good health decisions help you live longer and look better – and the evidence is very clear.