Dr. Jeffrey Spiegel, M.D. FACS is a world renowned facial plastic surgeon specializing in advanced facial plastic surgery. Headquartered in Boston, Dr. Spiegel sees patients from around the world who come for the most safe, effective, and beautiful facial plastic surgery available anywhere.
Dr. Jeffry Spiegel, Chief of the Division of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Boston University Medical Center, offers a full spectrum of cosmetic and reconstructive treatments including facelift, eyelift, nose surgery, facial surgery, and more.
Dr. Spiegel is double board certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. He is the director of an academy accredited facial plastic surgery fellowship and professor at Boston University School of Medicine.
Some people are blessed with perfect appearance. OK, so maybe no one really is, but some of us have specific parts of our faces that we feel detract from our best possible self. Sometimes, these things can be readily and easily improved. We all know that looking good helps us to feel confident, so sometimes, plastic surgery can be seen as a way to maximize your self confidence. In other words, for many, facial plastic surgery can be seen an investment in self-esteem, self-confidence, and overall happiness.
Looking good helps you at all times of life, and it’s certainly no exception for people in their 20s. No doubt it’s advantageous to be beautiful. Likely you’re dating and trying to climb the ladder of success at work, so it’s a great time to invest in what makes you feel your best. When you feel attractive, it comes through to others and you’ll be able to reap the benefits.
These are the most popular procedures that people get in their 20s.
Rhinoplasty: “Nose Job”
The nose is a very prominent feature and one of the first things people notice about you, which is why rhinoplasty is one of the most commonly performed procedures. Sometimes people have nasal obstruction and difficulty breathing, which can be caused by a deviated septum in the nose. In these situations, it can be convenient to change the appearance of the nose as you desire while you are undergoing correction to improve your breathing.
Who is a good candidate for rhinoplasty? Those with asymmetrical/crooked noses, over flaring nostrils, a large bump, or a nose they feel is too large. Those who have trouble with breathing or sinus issues often get rhinoplasty to correct these issues. People who have suffered accidents that resulted in a broken nose should also consider rhinoplasty.
When you go to your consultation for rhinoplasty, you want to make sure that you point out exactly what results you’d like achieved from surgery. It’s helpful to discuss what you do and do not like about your nose, and sometimes bringing pictures of noses you find attractive can be a good way to start a consultation with the facial plastic surgeon. If you’re going for purely medical reasons, you might still consider the cosmetic side of things, as this is the perfect time to get the nose you’ve always wanted. An expert facial plastic surgeon can help you get the nose that fits the best with your face.
Surgery is relatively brief in most cases, but you’ll have to wear a splint on the outside of your nose for a week and it can take more than a year, sometimes even two or longer, before everything settles perfectly into place. However, you’ll be looking good in just about 10 days after surgery and only you and your doctor are likely to notice the little areas that keep settling into shape.
Lip Augmentation
If you want pillowy soft lips, there are a plethora of options to increase the fullness of your pout. In your 20s, your biggest concern is likely fullness, rather than the length of the upper lip, which increases as you age. To make lips fuller, there are several implant options.
If you’re having another surgery done, such as a facelift, brow lift, or forehead contouring, the surgeon can take tissue to create a dermal fat graft. This is a mixture of fat, skin, and soft tissue and is different from a fat graft, which can appear and feel bumpy and inconsistent at first but quickly becomes a natural and long lasting way to improve your lips. This living tissue is made from your own body, so the risk of allergy or infection is much lower. However, this option is only available if you’re already having another procedure done that will allow the removal of tissue. If you don’t do these, you can inject Restylane®, Perlane®, Juvederm®, or some other available materials.
Lips will be swollen after the procedure, particularly if you get an implant put in place, for about two weeks. The injectables are not permanent, and you’ll have to get them done every six to 18 months to maintain the fuller effect. However, this is still a great way to see how you like the appearance before doing something longer lasting like a tissue graft, implant, or fat grafts.
Otoplasty: Ear Reshaping and Reconstruction
There are several kinds of otoplasty or ear reconstructive surgery.
Ear Reshaping
This procedure has been one of the most popular among teens and young adults in recent years. One of the most common reasons that people have otoplasty done is because they feel their ears stick out too far. But there are other reasons, like a missing curve or other subtle detail.
When you’re looking to get this procedure, you need to speak to your doctor about the type of reshaping you want. The surgeon will make a small incision behind the ear and reshape the cartilage using stitches to ensure that the new shape is maintained. This incision is stitched up and the area will be covered with soft bandages that the patient will continue to wear during healing. In my office, we sometimes do this procedure without any incisions. This “incisionless otoplasty” can be a quick and easy way to get your ears the shape you want — and is done in the office with just local anesthetic.
Patients can quickly return to their normal activities, though I advise holding off on strenuous activity for about a month after the procedure. I’ve found that this procedure really brightens up a patient and adds greatly to their self confidence.
Ear Reconstruction
One of the most common procedures for 20-somethings is fixing the fashion statements they made in their youth. Stretching earlobes has been done for centuries, but in recent years it’s become a fashion statement for young people, and many later regret it. Gauging earlobes is stretching the skin repeatedly to allow for larger and larger jewelry.
It often takes years for someone to expand their earlobes to allow sizable jewelry. But for those who want to reverse the process, surgery only takes up to 30 minutes per earlobe. Before getting surgery, I advise patients to remove jewelry and let their earlobes shrink naturally. For patients with small holes, this can potentially save them from requiring surgical intervention. Unfortunately, when holes are larger than 6 mm, it’s said that they are unable to heal naturally.
This procedure is done under local anesthetic in the office. The surgeon will repair the large hole and stitch it back together, reconstructing the earlobe back to its original shape. Patients should expect that there will be a scar running from the middle of the earlobe down to the bottom, and surgeons warn that earlobes should not be stretched again, as this could split the earlobe in two. However, piercing the ear is certainly doable and the scar should heal very well, becoming almost imperceptible over time.
Dimple Creation Surgery
If you’ve dreamed of having Miranda Kerr’s cute, dimpled smile, you can have it. Dimple creation is easy and considered a routine, in-office procedure. Once healed, dimples will appear very natural and subtle.
You don’t need anesthesia for dimple creation surgery. The procedure only involves numbing the cheeks. Then, a small incision is made on the inside of the cheek and sutures are used to create the dimples’ dents and stitch them into place.
After the procedure, dimples are visible when smiling or not smiling and can be slightly exaggerated. This is because the sutures on the cheek help the tissue around the dimple heal in place. Within a few weeks, the dimples will soften. If the patient asked the doctor for dimples present only when smiling, they will continue to soften and become barely or not at all visible when the patient is not smiling. If the patient desired them to always be present, the doctor will make sure that they are. A good physician will make the dimples look very natural.
The recovery period for this procedure is mild. Some patients experience bruising and swelling, but most side effects go away after 48 hours. It’s normal to experience a feeling of tightness around the dimples. This generally goes away after 2-3 weeks.
Botox™
At one time, people thought of Botox™ as something for someone in his or her 40s or 50s, but now we realize that if you get Botox™ in your 20s and 30s, you prevent wrinkling from occurring. You want to discuss your desired results in detail with your facial plastic surgeon to ensure you get what you want. Don’t be concerned about looking “frozen” or not being able to make expressions. In the hands of an expert surgeon, you’ll end up with a natural and subtle look.
Bottom Line
During your 20s, you’re young and you can easily look and feel beautiful. Just remember when you’re considering plastic surgery that it’s important to see a board-certified doctor, look at his or her before and after photos, and discuss your desired results. An expert facial plastic surgeon can help you look your best in a way that’s natural and subtle. If you have an area that makes you feel self-conscious, your 20s is a great time to consider the look you desire and see a facial plastic surgeon to find out how she or he can help you to achieve your goals.