Recent Blog Posts from Rowley Plastic Surgery

Deciding Between Breast Augmentation and a Breast Lift in Lubbock

Looking in the mirror and loving what we see does not come easily for most of us. Most of the time women know exactly what things they would like to improve but they are not always sure about how to go about achieving those goals. If you have decided you want to make changes to your appearance but are uncertain which procedure is right for you, Dr. Jane Rowley can help you find the right fit.

If it’s your breasts that bother you the most when you see your reflection, you are not alone. Many women feel unsatisfied with the appearance of their breasts, especially after pregnancy and breastfeeding. Dr. Rowley can evaluate your breasts and inform you as to which procedure would be the most beneficial. There are several plastic surgery options for breast enhancement that address different needs. Whether you want breast augmentation in Lubbock, a breast lift, or a combination of breast procedures, the choice you make depends on your personal needs and cosmetic goals.

Breast Lift

Mastopexy, or a breast lift, is for women with breasts that show a significant amount of sagging. If you can place a pencil horizontally under the crease of your breast and it stays put, you may have enough sagging to warrant the procedure. A good candidate for a breast lift in Lubbock will be able to answer yes to most or all of the following questions:

  • Do my nipples point downward?
  • Are my breasts flat or elongated?
  • Do I have pendulous or tubular breasts?
  • Are my areolas stretched or enlarged?
  • Am I unhappy with how much my breasts droop or sag?

During a breast lift in Lubbock, the skin is tightened and excess skin is removed to reshape the contour of your breasts. Your surgeon will also reposition your nipples to a higher position with more forward projection. Stretched or enlarged areolas can be reduced in size to look more proportionate. It is important to note that while the procedure provides a more youthful look and shape, it is not meant to increase the size of your breasts.

Breast Augmentation in Lubbock

If you lack fullness in your breasts or want to add volume for any reason, breast augmentation may be the right procedure for you. Breast implants are used to increase the size of your breasts. You can choose from a variety of implant sizes, shapes, and materials to get the particular look that fits your expectations. The surgery itself is done with a small incision only about 2 inches long, and recovery can vary from a few days to a week or so. Some of the reasons women consider breast augmentation in Lubbock include the following:

  • A desire to return to pre-pregnancy size and appearance: After pregnancy and breastfeeding, breasts can get droopy and have a deflated look. Breast augmentation can restore that lost volume. With so many implant options, you can regain a natural, pre-pregnancy look for your breasts.
  • Concern over breast asymmetry: If one breast is visibly smaller in appearance than the other, implants can correct the imbalance. This makes both breasts equal in size and creates a balanced figure.
  • Lack of breast tissue: Some women simply do not have as much natural breast tissue as others. Breast augmentation can give you the larger breasts that nature didn’t. For some women, even just a little extra volume can make a big difference in the way they feel about their physical appearance.

Having implants adds volume to sagging breasts but also adds more weight to stretched skin that may already struggle to support breast tissue well. If you have only mild sagging, implants will provide somewhat of a lift to your breasts. If your breasts sag with more severity, you can discuss the option of combining implants with a breast lift with your doctor.

Combination of Breast Procedures

Some women choose to have a combination of breast procedures. If your breasts have lost volume and show significant sagging, a breast lift can work together with implants to better help you improve your appearance. You can enjoy the benefits of a lift with repositioned nipples and excised extra skin while you also add volume to your breast size with breast augmentation. Lubbock patients should discuss their goals with a board-certified plastic surgeon to decide which procedure or combination is the right fit.

Be on the Same Page as Your Doctor

Communicating your expectations clearly with your doctor is one of the most critical things you can do. If your surgeon does not understand the results you want, you could end up unhappy with the outcome of your procedure. It is also important to have realistic expectations. No plastic surgery can make you look exactly like someone else. When it comes to breast procedures, Dr. Rowley has said that “a skilled surgeon can make your breasts larger, but we cannot make your breasts look like someone else’s breasts.” If you are considering breast augmentation or a breast lift in Lubbock, you need to formulate a clear expectation of what you want your body to look like.

Explore Your Breast Procedure Options With Confidence

Dr. Jane Rowley is one of the most trusted and experienced plastic surgeons to offer breast procedures. An individual consultation is important along with clear communication with your doctor. Dr. Rowley feels the more you know about your procedure and the better she understands your goals, the better your experience will be. Schedule your no-obligation consultation today to see what plastic surgery options are best for you.  

Get the Most Out of Plastic Surgery With the Best Plastic Surgeon in Lubbock

If you are serious about having plastic surgery, you have probably already given the decision a lot of thought. Online research, talking to friends and family, and some personal reflection should all play a part in helping you make the right choices for your cosmetic goals. Educating yourself will go a long way toward getting the results you want from plastic surgery. The more you know about your procedure, the better your overall experience will be. Learning about what to expect after the surgery and during your recovery will also help you have the right mindset about your results.

Even with the best plastic surgeon in Lubbock, some of the responsibility rests in the hands of the patient when it comes to increasing the odds for the best possible experience. Consider some of the key facts you need to know about the most commonly requested plastic surgery procedures:

Breast Augmentation

  • Outpatient surgery
  • Takes about an hour
  • Back to work in 2-3 days
  • 4-6 weeks before returning to full physical activity

Face Lift

  • Takes 2-3 hours
  • Patient awakens from anesthesia with a dressing and a small drain for 24 hours
  • Sutures are removed in about a week
  • Back to work in 10-14 days
  • Swelling can last 6-8 weeks, often very minimal after the first 2-3 weeks

Liposuction

  • The incisions are small
  • Back to work in 3 days
  • Minor to moderate pain
  • Swelling for up to 4-6 weeks
  • Compression garments typically worn for 2-4 weeks

Tummy Tuck

  • Outpatient surgery
  • Takes 2 hours
  • Back to work in 2-3 weeks
  • Full activity is typically resumed at 6-8 weeks postoperatively

Consider Your Personal Situation

If you have a job that requires physical labor or you regularly participate in strenuous exercise, you may need to schedule more time off work so you can gradually resume your normal schedule. It is never a good idea to jump back into a demanding work environment before you are properly rested and fully recovered. During your consultation, your surgeon should explain each procedure and what you can expect in terms of results and recovery.

The Importance of Realistic Expectations

Even the very best plastic surgeon in Lubbock wants to make sure patients have realistic expectations for the outcome of their surgery. It’s perfectly fine to have high expectations; after all, the procedure costs money and will require some downtime during recovery. However, if your goal is to come out of surgery with the perfect body, you may experience disappointment. The same goes if your hope is to end up looking exactly like your favorite celebrity. Plastic surgery is not meant to change everything about who you are or the way you look, it is an artistic tool to help beautify and enhance your appearance. The best plastic surgeon in Lubbock will tell you that when you have realistic goals for the outcome of your procedure, you are much more likely to be happy with the results.

Reducing the Appearance of Plastic Surgery Scars

When you start thinking about how plastic surgery might look on you, it can be easy to forget that scarring might be part of the end result. Scars are a natural result of surgical incisions and are often unavoidable, but there are things you can do to help minimize their appearance.

Select the Best Plastic Surgeon in Lubbock

All patients want to feel like they are in the hands of the best plastic surgeon. Lubbock plastic surgery performed by a board-certified surgeon like Dr. Jane Rowley will not only give you confidence in the quality of the surgery but also in the care taken to avoid extensive scarring. Although MDs can perform cosmetic procedures, they are not necessarily trained in the aesthetic aspects of plastic surgery. Board-certified plastic surgeons have the training and techniques to minimize scarring. These qualifications also allow them to ensure that the procedure is not only medically correct and safe, but that the results also look as natural and appealing as possible after they heal.

Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle

Your diet and lifestyle choices can have an effect on how well your skin heals after plastic surgery. There is no special diet that specifically promotes healing, but eating balanced meals with full of vitamins and nutrients will help your body recover and heal better after surgery. One of the lifestyle choices that determines how you will heal after your procedure is whether or not you smoke. We are all familiar with the health warnings about smoking and the fact that it leads to cancer and lung disease. But smoking also causes problems with the circulation in your skin and can slow down the healing process after surgery as well as increase your risk for complications. If you want the best possible results with the best plastic surgeon in Lubbock, it’s best to stick to a healthy diet and quit smoking before and after your procedure.

Plastic Surgery Experience You Can Trust

There’s a lot that goes into the decision to have plastic surgery. If you are ready to begin your cosmetic journey, Rowley Plastic Surgery can guide you through the entire process with compassion and care. With over 20 years of experience, Dr. Jane Rowley is the best plastic surgeon in Lubbock. Her patients feel at ease knowing she has a thorough medical education and extensive plastic surgery experience. She always carefully consults with her patients and handles all of their questions with honesty. Dr. Rowley thoroughly explains each procedure and addresses any concerns her patients may have about the surgery. Call today to schedule your no-obligation consultation.

With Otoplasty, Lubbock Patients of All Ages Can Have Natural Ears

Plastic surgery isn’t just about improving your appearance. It’s about building your self-confidence. Most patients seek plastic surgery to enhance areas of their bodies to achieve personal cosmetic goals. Some patients want to make changes because they are tired of being the butt of so many jokes about their physical imperfections. Even when friends mean no harm with their teasings, their message can still cause hurt. If you have been teased about some aspect of your body, like a large nose or ears that stick out, you’re not alone. Luckily there are many plastic surgery procedures that can adjust or correct unwanted body characteristics, such as otoplasty. Lubbock patients seek otoplasty to correct ear prominence or asymmetry.

Otoplasty: Plastic Surgery with Benefits for Younger Patients

When it comes to plastic surgery, we don’t often think about children coming in to see the surgeon. But plastic surgery can benefit children and youth in ways that some of us take for granted. Young people want to like what they see in the mirror, just like adults do. A board-certified plastic surgeon can remove excess skin and cartilage to reshape or pin ears to a more natural position. Parents can learn from their doctor how their child’s ears will look after surgery.

Growing up with misshapen or prominent ears that attract teasing is never easy. Children can be born with ear deformities or have damage due to accidents or injuries. With ear plastic surgery, Lubbock youth can have cosmetic issues corrected so they no longer have to worry about problems such as cauliflower ears, or ears that are overly prominent, too big, folded, or cupped.

The Right Age for Otoplasty in Lubbock

Dr. Jane Rowley has the experience and expertise to correct ear shape with otoplasty. Dr. Rowley recommends that kids who are being teased at school due to large ears wait to have otoplasty until they are old enough to discuss and understand the procedure and what it entails with their parents. If your child’s ears have cosmetic issues and your child has expressed the desire to surgically fix the problem, it may be time to talk to a well-qualified plastic surgeon.

One of the many advantages of otoplasty is that it can be performed at any age, whether you’re seven years-old or fifty-seven. Patients of any age can see positive results with the procedure. So if you have already suffered through your school years at the mercy of the ridicule of your peers, it’s not too late to improve your self-confidence with otoplasty in Lubbock.

How Does Otoplasty Work?

During ear plastic surgery in Lubbock, an incision is made behind each ear. Internal sutures are placed to reshape the contour of the ear cartilage and to bring the ears closer to the head. The pain associated with the surgery is minimal. Aside from a head dressing for a the first week following otoplasty, the recovery is fairly straightforward with little to no complications. There will be a thin scar behind the ear that is not noticeable as it is usually in the natural crease of the ear. Otoplasty results are visible immediately after surgery.

Is the Surgery Safe?  

While there is some level of risk associated with any type of surgery, otoplasty is one of the safest surgical procedures. Patients need to follow post-surgery instructions to minimize the possibility of infection. Children should be mature enough to understand the importance of following the doctor’s orders. The incision sites may begin to itch as they heal and it is important that the bandages not be removed until the time appointed by your doctor.

Complications can happen with otoplasty in Lubbock, although occurrences are rare. It is possible for the ears to revert back to their original shape or position. This problem is more likely to happen with adult patients than children. After ear plastic surgery, Lubbock patients run a slight risk of developing a blot clot in the ear, which can either be treated with a simple drain or it will resolve on its own. Talk with your surgeon about all of your concerns to gain a full understanding of otoplasty before you undergo the procedure.  

Decades of Experience With Ear Plastic Surgery in Lubbock  

The true benefits of otoplasty are evident in the smiles on the faces of Dr. Jane Rowley’s satisfied patients. Children experience an increase in their confidence when they don’t have to worry about being teased by their peers. Parents experience satisfaction when their child no longer has to endure ridicule. With over two decades of experience, Dr. Jane Rowley is the leading board-certified plastic surgeon in Lubbock who cares about her patients and carefully consults with each one individually. She is the only surgeon with the expertise, knowledge, and honesty who can give you the cosmetic results you are looking for. Schedule your no-obligation consultation today to learn more about your plastic surgery possibilities.