Facelift is a surgical procedure to undo the effects of the aging process of the face. Over time, gravity, genetics, and environmental exposure can cause drooping of skin around the jawline that forms jowls, facial folds, lines, and wrinkles. The goal of a facelift is to naturally “lift” the areas of the face and neck that have excess skin and fat, to give you a youthful, well-defined neck and jawline.
A facelift procedure is accomplished under general anesthesia, although local anesthesia may be used in certain cases. A precise incision starts in front of the ear and continues behind the earlobe. Soft tissue along with the skin is elevated and gently lifted in a diagonal direction. Appropriate amounts of excess skin, fat, and soft tissue are removed and the skin is closed using sutures. Dr. Park strategically places the sutures so they may be hidden to the naked eye.
Ideal candidates for facelift surgery are generally healthy patients. The recovery from facelift surgery may vary but is usually 1 to 3 weeks following surgery. There may be slight swelling and bruising so physical activity is discouraged. Most bandages are removed after one week. To improve recovery and speed up downtime, Dr. Sunny Park may prescribe her patients oral vitamins and topical minerals before and after surgery. Dr. Park recommends patients sleep in a reclined position for a week or two following facelift surgery.
Chin Augmentation
Chin augmentation is a facial plastic surgery procedure popular among both men and women. The contour of the chin and jawline are the most important features to an attractive, balanced face. An under-projected or “weak” chin and jawline greatly alter the natural beauty and balance of once appearance. A weak chin can cause a woman’s neck to look older and a man to look less masculine. A man with a weak chin, who invests in this procedure, statistically sees a dramatic increase in his annual salary.
This procedure is targeted to men and women with underdeveloped chin. Patients who perceive they have a large nose could in fact have a chin that is disproportionately small, thereby making their nose look even bigger than it naturally is. Chin augmentation is performed when a natural and safe implant, customized to fit your features, is surgically placed into the chin. This procedure may be performed under local or general anesthesia. A small incision is hidden either inside of the mouth or under the chin. Different implant sizes are available depending on a patient’s needs.
The recovery period for a chin augmentation procedure is normally one week. There will be mild bruising and swelling. Patients can expect to return to normal physical activities one week after the procedure. To improve recovery and speed up downtime, Dr. Sunny Park may prescribe her patients oral vitamins and topical minerals before and after surgery.
Neck Lift
Neck lift and neck liposuction are most commonly performed in conjunction with a facelift. If there is moderate to significant amount of fat around the chin and neck, neck liposuction may be necessary for optimal results.
Ideal patients for neck lift surgery are generally healthy men and women who have excess fat, sagging skin, wrinkles, and lines. To be a candidate for neck lift surgery one must be able to maintain a stable weight.
Several small incisions are made at the neckline and special liposuction cannulas are used to gently remove small amounts of fat. The goal is for the body to naturally and safely eliminate the fat from the body. The recovery from neck lift is about 2 weeks. Bruising and swelling may be expected. Physical activity is discouraged during this period. To improve recovery and speed up downtime, Dr. Sunny Park may prescribe her patients oral vitamins and topical minerals before and after surgery.
Otoplasty
Otoplasty, ear reshaping, or “ear pinning” is a procedure to correct one’s ears, which are damaged or too large. The protruding or “floppy” ear is caused by either the lack of one of the folds on the ear (called the antihelix) or over growth of the bowl area (conchal cartilage) of the ear.
Candidates are young children, aged 5 or 6 years old, or adults who may be unhappy with their “outstanding” ears. Depending on the cause, a fold may need to be recreated or excess cartilage may need to be removed to correct the ear appropriately. This procedure must be performed under general anesthesia for children. Local anesthesia, in-office, may be used for some adults.
The recovery period from ear surgery is about one week. All sutures are removed 5-7 days following surgery. Dr. Park reminds her patients of the importance of wearing a headband during the recovery process, to keep the ears pinned back so they heal properly. To improve recovery and speed up downtime, Dr. Sunny Park may prescribe her patients oral vitamins and topical minerals before and after surgery.
Rhinoplasty / Revision Rhinoplasty
Rhinoplasty, nose reshaping, or “nose job” refers to the surgical changes to the nose that balance the external appearance of the nose and/or improve the breathing function of the nasal airway. Rhinoplasty is more commonly known as a “nose job”. Any changes to the nose will impact the function (the ability to breathe) and appearance of the nose. Dr. Sunny Park has performed numermous rhinoplasty surgeries. Rhinoplasty, ethnic rhinoplasty, and revision rhinoplasty are what Dr. Park specializes in.
Revision rhinoplasty, or revision “nose job”, refers to surgical changes to a nose that has already undergone surgery in the past. Revision rhinoplasty is much more difficult, complex, and less predictable compared to a primary rhinoplasty (having a nose job for the first time).
Dr. Park believes it is the utmost importance for a patient to choose a surgeon who has a keen understanding of balancing both the function and the aesthetics of the nose. Too many patients come to see Dr. Park for revision rhinoplasty, to help fix the mistakes of other plastic surgeons, who did not keep breathing function in mind when performing the initial rhinoplasty procedure. Good candidates for rhinoplasty are generally healthy people who wish to change the appearance of his or her nose. A patient may also want to alleviate breathing problems caused by an anatomical obstruction.
General anesthesia is common for a rhinoplasty procedure. Dr. Park has a wide range of state-of-the-art techniques that she uses to fit each patient’s personalized needs. Recovery depends on each patient and what type of nasal surgery is performed. Swelling and bruising may be visible but will subside in 2-3 weeks. Patients can return to normal physical activity within 1-2 weeks following surgery. To improve recovery and speed up downtime, Dr. Sunny Park may prescribe her patients oral vitamins and topical minerals before and after surgery.
Septoplasty
The septum is the cartilaginous wall that divides the nose from the right to left, and is a very important supporting structure of the nose. If crooked, a septum can cause nasal obstruction (can cause breathing problems) and a crooked looking appearance of the nose. A septoplasty refers to the surgical procedure in which the septum is straightened to either repair the “crooked” appearance of one’s nose or alleviate breathing problems.
General anesthesia is common for a septoplasty procedure. Dr. Park has a wide range of state-of-the-art techniques that she uses to fit each patient’s personalized needs. Recovery depends on each patient and what type of nasal surgery is performed. Swelling and bruising may be visible but will subside in 2-3 weeks. Patients can return to normal physical activity within 1-2 weeks following surgery. To improve recovery and speed up downtime, Dr. Sunny Park may prescribe her patients oral vitamins and topical minerals before and after surgery.
Rhinophyma
Rhinophyma is a condition caused by overgrowth of oil glands of the nose. It occurs most frequently in older Caucasian males, but can be seen in other races. This condition can result in nasal deformity and problems breathing through the nose, when severe. Surgery is required.
Good candidates are healthy individuals who wish to normalize the appearance of their nose and/or want to alleviate problems breathing caused by the abnormal rhinophyma tissue. Patients are put under “twilight” sedation for this procedure. The nose is anesthetized and then is very carefully shaped into its normal form. If the rhinophyma is severe, a second surgery at a later time may be necessary to repair the collapsed area of the nose.
Recovery after surgery takes several weeks. The wound needs to be cleaned a few times daily and the patient is encouraged to avoid any exposure to sunlight and debris. To improve recovery and speed up downtime, Dr. Sunny Park may prescribe her patients oral vitamins and topical minerals before and after surgery.
Upper and Lower Eyelid Lift / Blepharoplasty
Blepharoplasty, or eyelid lift, is a procedure to surgically remove excess skin and fat above and below the eyes, causing a tired, old, “hooded” look around the eyes. Having limited peripheral vision is also a side effect of the aging process, as the loose skin around the eyes may begin to obstruct one’s vision.
Good candidates for eyelid surgery are generally healthy men and women, who wish to rejuvenate the look of their eyes. Upper blepharoplasty can be performed under local anesthesia in the office and takes about 90 minutes. Lower blepharoplasty is usually done under “twilight” sedation but can also be done under local anesthesia in certain cases; and it takes about 2 hours.
Recovery after surgery takes about 1-3 weeks. All stitches are removed 5-7 days following surgery. All normal physical activity may be resumed in 1 week. To improve recovery and speed up downtime, Dr. Sunny Park may prescribe her patients oral vitamins and topical minerals before and after surgery.
Facial Fat Transfer
Facial revolumizing fat transfer is a popular technique where natural fat tissue is harvested from the patients own body (most commonly from the abdomen or buttock) and transferred to an area of volume depletion on the face. This procedure may be used for cosmetic purposes to look younger and rejuvenated, or to normalize a defective area caused by trauma, illness, or genetics.
There are 2 types of candidates for facial fat transfer:
- Older patients who safely want to use their own body fat to naturally fill in the areas of volume depletion on their face, mainly due to bone resorption and thinning soft tissue and skin, both of which result from the aging process.
- Patients who have facial defects from trauma, illness, or congenital causes.
The procedure consists of harvesting fat cells from the abdomen with special instruments. These instruments are similar to liposuction but are very different in two ways: the technique and instruments used are far less traumatic than liposuction, and a relatively small amount (less than 100 cc) of fat cells are harvested.
These cells are then processed by Dr. Sunny Park to get rid of enzymes and unwanted extracts that can cause fat degradation. The harvested fat cells are then transferred into sites that need volume. This procedure may be performed under general sedation or local anesthesia. Recovery from this procedure is about 1-2 weeks. Patients can return to normal physical activities one week following the procedure.