WINTER NEWSLETTER 2005

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Dear Dr. Schafer:

At what age should I start to consider having a face-lift?

It is not so much of an age factor as a skin condition factor. I always advise against a full traditional facelift at almost any age, as the result you obtain is more of the "wind-tunnel" pulled-back look. Not to mention that there can be scarring and the recovery can take up to several weeks and is painful. There are several other procedures that are available in this day and age that are less invasive (smaller and limited incisions = less scarring, bruising, swelling, etc...), easier on the patient, achieves a more natural looking result and has a much quicker recovery time.

Deciding on when to have facial rejuvenation can depend on the "age" of your skin. You may be 25 years old and hereditarily or with weight gain/loss, have a "turkey neck" or have fat around the neck and jawline that you want removed. Or you may be in your 30's - 40's and have excess skin and wrinkles on your face caused by sun damage. In your 40's - 60's you may also notice a lot of sagginess on your upper eye lids and puffy bags under your eyes. We perform procedures such as a LazerLift - for the neck and jawline, a Forehead Lift and a Brow Lift - for the upper part of the face. Blepharoplasty for the eyes. All of these procedures can safely be done at any age and has a recovery time from 3 days up to 7 days. If you combine smaller procedures such as these, you can achieve a very natural look.

Dear Dr. Schafer:

How should I be taking care of my skin during the Winter months?

Since the Fall and Winter months tend to be colder and drier (yes, even in sunny San Diego), your skin can loose a lot of it's moisture, feel dried out and look "flaky", so you need to be sure to apply a good moisturizer during the day and also at night.

And don't be fooled into thinking that if the sun isn't out, that you don't need to use a sunscreen on your face. The effects of the sun are just as bad and sometimes worse when it is cloudy and overcast. You can still receive sun damage to your skin during these times if you are not wearing sunscreen.

*** Also - many people forget to place sunscreen on other parts of their body where they receive a lot of sun. Not only the face, but the neck, decolatage (chest area) and back of the hands are all areas where the skin is delicate, thin and susceptible to sun damage. If sun damage is not prevented, you will begin to notice as you get older, the effects of sun damage on these areas by means of sun spots, freckles, age spots and crinkling of the skin. Sunscreen should be applied all year long to any parts of our body that receives a lot of sun exposure. An SPF of at least 30 should be used all year round on these areas as well as the facial area.