Everything you wanted to know about facial plastic surgery: Part 1

An important part of what doctors do is to provide information to our patients and the public at large so that they can be educated consumers. I hope that these blog posts have helped my readers make more informed decisions about facial plastic surgery and beauty products. In conversations with family, friends, and clients, I hear a lot of the same questions over and over. Today we’re starting a series where I give answers to common questions. If you have a question for me, feel free to shoot us an e-mail, contact us through Facebook, or fill out the contact form on this page!

Is it helpful to bring in pictures of celebrities?

This question comes up commonly in discussions about rhinoplasty. While I can’t give you Jennifer Aniston’s nose, it can be a helpful way of guiding our discussion if you’re having difficulty talking about what you dislike about your nose. When you come to me to talk about a rhinoplasty, we’ll talk about what you see and about what I see and what we can do about it. For more about what’s possible in a rhinoplasty, check out this post from my archives.

Does insurance ever cover the cost of facial plastic surgery?

Yes! But not always. Health insurance won’t cover cosmetic procedures like face lifts and rhinoplasties to improve the appearance of your nose. However, most insurance plans will cover reconstructive surgery after you have had skin cancer or an accident. For more about how we hide scars during facial reconstruction, check out this post and this post from my archives. This patient had reconstructive surgery for skin cancer by her nose.

Most insurance plans will cover rhinoplasties if you had a nasal fracture and you have persistent problems related to it- a new deformity or breathing problems, for instance. For upper eyelid surgery, most insurance plans will cover it if you have problems seeing because of excessive eyelid skin. An examination by an eye doctor will determine if you’d qualify for this benefit. This gentleman had limited vision in his left eye because of excessive skin.

Who gets facial plastic surgery and why do they get it?

Lots of different kinds of people get facial plastic surgery! As we’ve discussed, facial plastic surgery includes cosmetic and reconstructive procedures. Skin cancer can happen to anyone, especially if you have had a lot of sun exposure. Unfortunately, facial injuries can happen to anyone as well.

For cosmetic procedures, people have many reasons for wanting to look different. Some want to be more competitive in their work place and feel that looking younger will help them accomplish that. Some need a fresh start after a big life change. Some people feel younger than they look and want to look as good as they feel.

That’s it for today! I have a lot of questions stored up, but if you have a question for me, shoot me an e-mail, visit our Facebook page, or fill out the form to the right. I’d love to hear from you!