Face Surgery Procedures on Long Island

Facelift (Rhytidectomy)

A facelift is a wonderful way to take years off your appearance by reshaping or contouring your face and neck. As you age, your skin naturally loses elasticity and eventually may begin to sag. There are many areas of the face that may be tweaked by a facelift. Our patients typically have:

• Sagging in the mid-face
• Deep creases below the lower eyelids
• Deep creases along the nose extending to the corner of the mouth
• Fat that has fallen or is displaced
• Jowls created by loss of muscle tone in the lower face
• Loose skin under the jaw or chin

During a facelift, the skin and muscles are tightened to improve the appearance of your eyes, cheeks, jowl and neck. The incisions start inside the hairline at the temple, in front of the ear, and then extend around the earlobe and behind the ear, ending at the scalp area. Because these small incisions are “hidden”, rhytidectomy patients usually experience minimal scarring.

Neck Lift

The purpose of neck lift surgery is to give better definition to the neck and under the jaw line, lessening wrinkles and diminishing unsightly “banding”. You may be a good candidate for a neck lift if you have:

The program will begin with painless, daily mini injections of hCG. We will teach you how to administer the injection to yourself. The duration of the treatment will depend on how much weight you’d like to lose. Patients who need to lose 15 pounds or less require 23 daily injections. You should never exceed 36 injections.

• Premature aging because of loose, sagging skin
• Visible jowls
• “Turkey wattle” or wobbly neck skin

For the mini neck lift, a small incision is made under the chin. Excess fat is removed, and the neck muscle is tightened. If there are any bands, these are dividied. The complete neck lift adds incisions behind the ear. The skin is then elevated and tightened, and excess skin is removed. The procedure is relatively painless and a neck garment is worn for the next few days to maintain good contour of the neckline.

Rhinoplasty (Nose Surgery)

Rhinoplasty, or nose surgery, helps to enhance your appearance by correcting a nose that is too large, crooked or misshaped. The slightest alteration can make a dramatic difference. Rhinoplasty also corrects birth defects, helps to relieve breathing problems due to a deviated septum. Many of the complaints are patience come to us with are:

• Too thin
• Too thick
• Too pointed
• Upturned tip
• Wide nostrils
• Bump on the bridge

Incisions are made inside the nostrils and sometimes on the thin piece of skin separating the nostrils. The bone in the nose is re-set, and the cartilage is sculpted to achieve the desired appearance. Implants may be used to increase the volume of tissue. Once the sculpting is done and the incisions are closed and the skin over the nose is held together with a splint to support it’s new shape as it heals.

Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty)

Eyelid Surgery, or blepharoplasty, is a simple way to achieve a younger looking face by firming the skin around the eyes, removing bags and correcting drooping eyelids. Common concerns for eyelid surgery patients include:

• Loose or droopy skin that creates folds or disturbs the natural contour of the upper eyelid
• Impaired vision from sagging upper eyelids
• Excess fat that makes the upper eyelids look puffy
• Bags under the eyes
• Sagging of the lower eyelids, revealing the white below the iris
• Extraneous skin and fine wrinkles of the lower eyelid

Dr. Gallagher performs both upper and lower eyelid surgery. For upper eyelid surgery, the incision is made in the creases of the upper lids, and fat underneath the muscle is removed. For lower eyelid surgery, the incision is made just below the lashes, either inside or outside of the eyelid, to remove fat and excess skin. If you have laughter lines, or “crow’s feet”, that you would also like removed, the incision may extend to the outer corners of your eyes.

Brow Lift (Forehead Lift)

A brow lift is a great way to raise naturally low or heavy brows. Excess skin and deep set “frown lines” around the eyes and brows can give you a tired, angry expression. As we age, these lines become more significant and harder to ignore. Our patients interested in brow lift surgery are typically between the ages of 40 and 60. However, younger adults may be suitable for the procedure if they have developed furrows as a result of stress, muscle activity or inherited conditions. Some common reasons for this surgery include:

• Sagging brow
• Forehead wrinkling
• Deep creases between the eyebrows and on the bridge of the nose
• Deep furrows between the eyes

Depending on the extent of correction, there are several options for a brow lift. An endoscopic brow lift uses a surgical video device called an endoscope and other instruments. These are inserted into small incisions within the hairline. The tissue and muscle beneath the skin is manipulated, correcting the source of visible creases.

To fix a low-positioned or sagging brow, an endoscope may or may not be used. Incisions are typically made at the temple and in the scalp. Sometimes, this method may also require incisions hiding in the natural crease of the upper eyelids to eliminate frown lines between the brows.

Another technique is the coronal brow lift, which targets specific regions to correct. For this method, the incision is made from ear to ear. The forehead will be lifted, and excess skin will be removed from the scalp.

Ear Surgery (Otoplasty)

Ear Surgery helps to set prominent ears back closer to the head or reduce large ears. Although the degree of improvement varies, patients undergoing Otoplasty experience significant enhancement in their appearance. Dr. Gallagher performs ear surgery on men, women and children. Otoplasty is typically performed on children at the age of 5 or 6 when ear growth is nearly complete. For children with severe disfigurement, earlier repair may be performed to eliminate the emotional stress they may experience as they enter school. Most of our patients have one or more of the following conditions:

• Larger than normal ear lobes
• Non-symmetrical ears
• Ears that “stick out” disproportionately

Skin and cartilage is removed from behind the ears. The ears are then sculpted so they bend back toward the head. Stitches may be used to help maintain the new shape, with the incision marks concealed in the natural creases behind the ear.

An alternative technique is where no cartilage is removed and stitches fold the exposed cartilage back on itself. The ear is reshaped and the stitched are once again concealed in the natural creases behind the ear.

Facial Fat Grafting

Facial Fat Grafting provides a natural solution for reshaping your face. The procedure gives your face to a fuller more youthful appearance. The procedure works by taking fat from another part of your body (usually the abdomen, thighs, or buttocks) and injecting it into the area of your face that you want to enhance.

One of the benefits of facial fat grafting is its versatility. It can be used on various parts of your face to improve contour and overall symmetry. Some of the more common concerns for our patients include:

• Thin or gaunt face
• Long face
• Mid-face flatness
• Plump face
• Bottom-heavy or jowly face
• Asymmetrical face