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Cosmetic Surgery

Cosmetic procedures offer a way to help us achieve a more youthful and rejuvenated appearance. With reduced recovery times, and affordability, cosmetic surgery continues to be a booming industry and today's healthy lifestyles allow us to feel better and live longer. Sun damage to skin, frown lines, crows feet, droopy or baggy eyelids are all side effects of time, stress, and environmental exposures depriving us of a younger appearance.

We have combined a team of experts who work together to develop a program designed specifically for you and your needs. It may include a skin care program, laser, and Botox treatments, or it may involve surgery. Our goal is to provide you with the highest standard medical care and to deliver it in a conscientious and compassionate manner. We take great pride in the reputations of our staff, and their abilities to demonstrate knowledge, skill, integrity, and compassion.

We believe that together, we can develop a treatment plan that meets the individual needs of each patient.

Cosmetic Browlift:
A cosmetic brow lift is also known as a forehead lift. This outpatient procedure improves the appearance of drooping brows that obstruct vision as well as removal of lines across the forehead and crow's feet area. This is often done in combination with eyelid surgery or blepharoplasty to minimize sagging skin found in the upper eyelids.

Different approaches can be performed depending on the need and what is appropriate for the patient.

Direct brow lift – Is intended for older patients or for men with thick eyebrow hair and male pattern baldness. An ellipse of skin and muscle just above the eyebrows will be removed and the incision is hidden within the brow hair. This does not address wrinkles within the forehead and scars may be visible.
Mid-forehead lift – Ideal for patients older than 65 with heavy sagging eyebrows and deep wrinkles in the forehead. Incisions to remove excessive fat and muscles is done deep within the forehead wrinkles so that the scars will not be noticeable.
Coronal forehead lift – Accomplished by creating ear to ear incisions within the hairline and raises the entire forehead and brows and is one of the more common approaches.
Endoscopic forehead lift – This technique uses a surgical telescope to elevate the brows and small incisions are made behind the hairline to smooth forehead wrinkles.

Swelling and bruises may occur in the forehead or eyelid areas but will disappear within a few weeks. Excessive pain, bleeding, infection, or visual loss are extremely rare. As with any medical procedure, there may be other inherent risks that should be discussed with Dr. Cowen during your consultation. Hair loss, nerve injury or numbness of the scalp are rare but can occur.

Browlift

Cosmetic Upper & Lower Eyelid Surgery:
A blepharoplasty, or eyelid lift, is the delicate, surgical modification of the eyelids. This can be done for aesthetic, or cosmetic reasons but can sometimes be performed for functional reasons. An upper or lower blepharoplasty can give a more youthful and refreshed look to the eyes as puffiness and bags are removed. During this outpatient surgery, Dr. Cowen will remove any excess skin and fatty tissues around the eye area due to genetics, environmental factors for a more youthful appearance.

When done for cosmetic reasons, it is used to remove excess skin, and/or fat that makes the upper and lower lids puffy and to reduce wrinkling of the skin. It also improves baggy skin under the eyes, sinking upper lids or dropping eyelashes that impair vision.

Sometimes a upper eyelid blepharoplasty is performed for functional or medical reasons. When an a large amount of upper eyelid skin is present, the skin may protrude over the lashes that causes the eyelid to droop due to poor muscle tone or nerve damage. The condition is called ptosis. It causes the eyelids to hang very low and will block vision and make activities such as driving or reading difficult. This surgery is sometimes covered by your medical insurance and will be determined during your initial consultation.

The blepharoplasty procedure generally takes approximately 30-45 minutes for completion. Incisions are made in the crease of the upper lids and directly below the lashes of the lower lids. Dr. Cowen may also perform a transconjuctival lower blepharoplasty in which the incisions are made inside the eyelids to remove fat deposits leaving no scar visible. This procedure is recommended for patients who have fat deposits but not excessive skin to remove. In some cases, Dr. Cowen will recommend laser resurfacing to tighten the lower eyelids after surgery.

Excessive pain, bleeding, infection, or visual loss are extremely rare. As with any surgical procedure, there may be other inherent risks that should be discussed with Dr. Cowen. Bruising and swelling are common but should be minimal after 2-3 weeks.

Cosmetic Eyelid Surgery