Category Archives: General Plastic Surgery

General Concepts about Facelift Surgery and Facial Rejuvenation

An important point to understand and to help us see the “Real-Reality” is to be able to get past the misinformation and false advertising that we are so constantly bombarded by in the media. It’s hard to pick up a magazine or watch television without being exposed to this misinformation. The new facelift cream that’s going to make us look 20 years younger was just discovered by Dr.” X.” It’s been proven to work through a scientific discovery. If a doctor says it is so, it must work, right? No! Absolutely not! The cream may very well not work as described. How about the new cellulite cream or the new facelift procedure that was just developed or “invented?” “Don’t they work?” “I saw it on TV.” “It was highlighted on a television show.” “I’ve heard respected Hollywood personalities have done it.” “It must work, right?” The first part of the education process and one of the first concepts that we must learn is that the great majority of these new inventions or procedures in cosmetic surgery do not work as described. Someone or some company is trying to make money, and it’s your money. They are misrepresenting the facts to take advantage of you. Have you ever heard of the expression, “there’s a sucker born every minute?” We all can be suckers if we’re not careful. The misinformation is typically presented as fact. The misinformation is typically based on “scientific evidence” or “discovery.” One of the first key concepts we must learn is the following, you can not believe everything you read in print. You cannot believe everything you hear on TV. It is not complex. You have heard this advice before. When you see advertisements related to cosmetic surgery, you should be very skeptical. Beware of the “used-car” sales pitch. Just like the proverbial used-car salesman, who tells you that the old car he is selling is great and will last for years. Maybe you should not believe him. You might be skeptical, because you realize he wants to make a buck on you. But many people are misled by the advertising and the television shows discussing the newest cosmetic surgery creams that they claim, “really work.” We must filter through this misinformation. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If it sounds hard to believe, it probably is.

Here is an overall guiding concept. Most of the time the best cosmetic results, cosmetic rejuvenation, or facial rejuvenation require an investment of time, energy, money, and recovery. Simple, easy things, such as creams or small office procedures, never give the results of big surgical procedures. Simple, easy cosmetic things tend to give small or minimal improvement. Cosmetic operations and surgery, with the expected longer recovery and downtime, give the rejuvenation or cosmetic improvement that is typically desired. It is not hard to understand this. Small and easy cosmetic procedures tend to give a small degree of improvement. These easy cosmetic procedures usually have minimal downtime and quick recovery. Bigger, more elaborate, and harder cosmetic operations or procedures tend to give more substantial cosmetic improvement. These bigger procedures, however, always require significant downtime and recovery. It is this principal concept that is frequently broken by false and misleading advertising. The claims are often the simple cream that will give you a facelift. The claims are often for the easy operation or procedure that will give you a facelift, with no downtime and no typical facelift recovery. You can not get a facelift without surgery. Although we may wish it were true, it just does not work this way. It is hard to pick up a magazine or other news outlet without being exposed to potentially wrong or misleading information about cosmetic surgery. Once we understand this misinformation, we can avoid being misled by false or inaccurate advertising. We can understand the truth more clearly. Once we are not misled by the “smoke and mirrors” of television shows, or the Internet, we can understand completely how real surgery has realistic results and realistic expectations. It is through this type of understanding that we will be able to see clearly the “Real-Reality” of cosmetic surgery.

Dr. Saunders is a board certified plastic surgeon who practices exclusively cosmetic surgery. Delaware cosmetic surgery, West Chester cosmetic surgery, and Media cosmetic surgery patients are encouraged to come in for a complimentary consultation and to check out Dr. Saunders’ deluxe state licensed surgi center.
If you are interested in facelift surgery, facelift cost, facelift recovery, or any aspects of facial rejuvenation please call for a complimentary consultation. Please also see the facelift before and after photos on our web site!

Is Oprah an unintentional used-car salesman? Understanding Cosmetic Surgery

-the “Real-Reality” of cosmetic surgery.

All too often people look for the magic pill or the magic cream. They want space-age laser treatment to make them look young again. This is a natural feeling. Who wouldn’t want this? Other patients might want a breast lift, asking for incisions only in the armpit. “I saw it on the internet,” they might say. Maybe they saw it in a book or a magazine. What do you mean, “It’s not done that way.” What about the facelift? I’ve heard about the puppet-string facelift, and the one-day face-lift. I want to get rid of 20 years of sun damage and aging, with a 20 minute procedure. Also, I want instantaneous recovery, please. With all the hype seen in the media, many people have extremely unrealistic expectations. Because of the television, the Internet and news media, many people have a very poor understanding of cosmetic surgery and cosmetic procedures. People have a poor understanding of the recovery process following operations. People have poor understanding of the options available to them partly caused by misinformation published in the media about cosmetic surgery. People have unrealistic expectations about the benefits, recovery, and risks associated with cosmetic operations. But it does not have to be this way. With the proper knowledge and proper education it is easy to learn and understand almost everything related to cosmetic surgery.

Cosmetic surgery and cosmetic procedures can be fantastic. The results from surgery can be phenomenal. Marvelous changes can help women reverse the aging process and look much younger. Other procedures can help them look thinner or more attractive. Cosmetic and plastic surgery is very safe and tremendously successful for most women. But we must remember: this is not TV. This is not the movies. This is reality. The “Real-Reality”. Plastic surgeons cannot do everything that people wish for. There are limitations. What can be done, and what can’t be done must be understood. By discussing and teaching concepts, education and key features, I will help people considering cosmetic surgery to learn the truth. Education is critical and central to understanding the complete story or “Real-Reality” about cosmetic surgery. The education and the concepts we must learn are really not complex. Some doctors might want you to believe that they are too difficult to understand. They are not. The average person can easily learn the facts about cosmetic surgery. This book will help provide you with the critical information. This book will help you understand cosmetic surgery and procedures. It will help you learn realistic options, realistic results and realistic risks. It’s actually not hard, but easy. If we focus on education, explanations, and concepts we learn to see through false advertising and sales pitches. This book will filter through misinformation, commonly seen on the Internet, magazines and television. It will instead focus on basic and easy concepts. By doing this we can learn the “Real-Reality” of cosmetic surgery.

Why “Real-Reality”? We already have reality TV shows. This includes Survivor, Extreme Makeover, I Want a Famous Face, and other television programs. We call this reality TV, but when was the last time you were stranded on a desert island with 20 strangers. Reality TV has focused extensively on cosmetic surgery procedures, but is this reality? Or is this a weird version of reality. “Real-Reality” is the honest truth. The “Real-Reality” of cosmetic surgery is seeing past the used-car “sales pitch” and the false advertising. The “Real-Reality” is being able to identify the doctor who just wants to make a buck. It is identifying the new cream or cosmetic procedure that does not work the way described. The “Real-Reality” helps a person identify the new procedure that seems to be “too good to be true”. It helps you see past the “smoke and mirrors” so commonly seen in advertising. The “Real-Reality” of cosmetic surgery focuses on realistic expectations, realistic results, and realistic risks. The good news is that the “Real-Reality” of cosmetic surgery is fantastic and upbeat. When magazines, advertising and TV shows present the latest cosmetic surgery procedure, it often sounds too good to be true. The “Real-Reality” is it probably doesn’t work that way. It probably is “too good to be true.” The latest “scientific discovery” and the “newest” cosmetic procedure often have limitations not properly described in the media. They typically don’t work in the manner presented. It is important to understand that cosmetic surgery and cosmetic procedures can make fantastic changes for lots of people. The results can be phenomenal. However, we don’t want to be misled by the person who wants to make money off of our misunderstanding. By learning the “Real-Reality” of cosmetic surgery, we understand what works and what does not work. In this way we can have a better understanding of the truth.

Dr. Saunders is a board certified plastic surgeon practicing exclusively cosmetic surgery. West Chester plastic surgery patients and Media plastic surgery patients are extremely close to his deluxe state licensed cosmetic surgery center. Delaware plastic surgery patients are only 20 minutes away.

Please check out the face lift before and after photos and the mini face lift before and after photos. Face lift cost and facelift recovery are discussed in detail in Dr. Saunders complementary consultations.

Please call the office today for a visit.

Do your homework! – Plastic Surgery Delaware

Dr. Chris Saunders uses this phrase for different important concepts related to cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery. For example, he will use this expression to help Delaware cosmetic surgery patients or Pennsylvania cosmetic surgery patients choose breast implant size before cosmetic breast enlargement. It involves looking at breast photos and doing the “Rice Test” to give a person a better understanding of breast sizes before cosmetic breast augmentation. (Please see the section under “procedures” and also the blog on choosing breast implants for extensive discussion.) Dr. Saunders also talks about how to “Do Your Homework” in reference to learning different choices or options about abdominal plastic surgery. For example, the choice of doing cosmetic liposuction or a cosmetic tummy tuck should be learned. Or should a mini tummy tuck be done? A thorough discussion of the operations will give the patient a better understanding about the plastic surgery procedures. This will enable them to pick the correct procedure for them.

But Dr. Saunders, also wants his patients to “Do Your Homework” when it comes to learning about different doctors who do cosmetic surgery and their different training. Not all doctors are trained equally! Did you know that a doctor can advertise about cosmetic liposuction surgery or cosmetic face lift surgery and be board certified in Family Medicine or Dermatology? Most people want a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon! Did you know that cosmetic surgery is not a recognized specialty by the American Board of Medical Specialties? Cosmetic surgery is a specialty “within” Plastic Surgery and is not a separate board. Confused?

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons had a recent national advertising campaign to educate people about the facts. It helps people learn about different surgeons who do cosmetic surgery. The focus is on the advantages and safety of board certified Plastic Surgeons. Some doctors (not plastic surgeons) actually learn how to do liposuction at a weekend course! Yes, this is true. They take a coarse that might be called Liposuction 101. They are board certified in some other specialty and then advertise as a cosmetic surgeon. This is legal! It can be horribly misleading. A major medical study showed this type of poor training can definitely be associated with higher complications. Many patients do not understand how different medical specialties are trying to do cosmetic surgery or open a cosmetic med spa to make money. Most patients actually want a board certified plastic surgeon to be their surgeon and do not like being mislead.

Dr Saunders encourages his patients to learn about their doctors. To “Do Your Homework”!!  Did you know that Dr. Saunders went to school and surgery training for 16 years starting with undergraduate at Duke University!  That is a long time! His training in plastic surgery was extensive, and he trained for almost a decade at the University of California, Davis Medical Center. That’s a lot more than a weekend coarse. He is considered an expert in cosmetic surgery, which he exclusively practices.

When looking for a cosmetic surgeon, a patient should specifically ask is the doctor board certified in plastic surgery. If he is, then the patient knows and can trust that he has extensive and thorough knowledge of plastic and cosmetic surgery!

Dr. Saunders is a board certified plastic surgeon who practices exclusively cosmetic surgery in Delaware and Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. Please check out the before and after photos on our web site. Also, please come in for a complimentary consultation to learn about your choices and options!