Facial Rejuvenation: Look and Feel Younger

c y n t h i a M . G r e gg , M D , F a cs
Dr. Gregg
with her
very grateful
patient.
“As we age,
our chin
tends to look
separate from
the rest of
our jaw line
because we
sink in a little
bit in front of
each jowl.”
I
~
Facial Rejuvenation:
Look and Feel Younger
sometimes taken to be her daughter’s
sister. (see before-after photos) “Dr.
Gregg, with her amazing caring and
expertise, simply wiped away 20 years
from my appearance,” says this grateful
patient. “People around me who have
known me for a long time are simply
astonished by my new look. I’m also
amazed. It took me ten years to decide
to do this, and a lot of courage, but
without question this is the greatest gift
I’ve ever given myself. It’s impossible to
fully describe how this has changed my
life—but it has been entirely positive,
personally, socially, in every way.”
A Very N e w Lo o k
Originally published in Health & Healing in the Triangle, Vol. 11, No. 5, Health & Healing, Inc., Chapel Hill, NC, publishers. Reprinted with permission.
For more information about the
practice, contact:
CYNTHIA GREGG, MD, FACS
3550 NW Cary Parkway, Suite 100
Cary, NC 27513
Telephone: (919) 297-0097
www.cynthiagreggmd.com
Number 5
Notes Dr. Gregg, “When Barbara
first came to us, she was 60 and in
good health. We talked at length about
what she wanted to change about
her appearance, and about realistic
expectations. My question to Barbara,
as it is to most new patients, was: ‘What
bothers you the most?’
“She said she thought she looked
tired, and old beyond her years. The
excess skin on her upper eyelids was
giving her a tired look. A facelift and
pre-jowl implant helped overcome the
aging of the face. Laser resurfacing was
important because of sun damage and
wrinkling. Taken together, it was a full
facial rejuvenation. When the healing
was done, both she and I were absolutely
delighted with the outcome.
“There are advantages in doing all
of these procedures at one time. It is, of
course, a more complete rejuvenation of
the face, and there’s only one anesthesia,
one down-time, one recovery period—
and there are financial advantages, as
well. So for the patient who is in good
health, without contraindications,
and we are doing medical procedures
that we can do safely together, I may
recommend this approach.
“Barbara also wanted to do
a rhinoplasty to correct her nasal
appearance, and we did that as an
important finishing touch eight
months after completing these other
procedures.”
In considering the overall
rejuvenation plan, Dr. Gregg’s
suggestion of a chin implant came as
a surprise to the patient. “In doing a
facelift,” she explains, “it’s the same
incision to do the chin implant—you’re
already there. Our concern is about
balance. Barbara’s nose was overprojected and her chin was underprojected. Also, as we get older, there is
some bone remodeling and bone loss,
particularly in this area we call the prejowl.
“As we age, our chin tends to look
separate from the rest of our jaw line
because we sink in a little bit in front of
each jowl. This implant—called a prejowl implant—allows us to augment and
increase the area where the patient has
lost bone on either side of the chin. The
result is a nice youthful jaw line.
“When Barbara first came to me, it
was important to get her on a good skin
care regimen. Aging of the skin includes
four main factors: genetic history, sun
exposure up to the age of 20 to 25, any
smoking history, and stress. Barbara
had sun damage to her skin, and a lot of
stress in her life, especially related to her
husband’s health—which is now much
better.
“For this patient and all of my
patients, I constantly stress the need
to be sun-smart. It’s important to
understand that what people start seeing
in their appearance in their 30s and 40s
may be the result of the sun exposure
they accumulated in their teens and 20s.
Certainly everyone that has youngsters in
the family needs to have them faithfully
wearing sunscreen—along with a hat and
protective clothing.
“But there’s still hope for those of
us who went through these earlier times
without taking those wise precautions.
We have many products now that we can
use to reverse sun damage and protect
the skin. Sunscreens are better, and we
have exceptional skin care products with
antioxidants and retinols and retinoids
that are very beneficial. While over-thecounter products may be fine, products
available though a doctor’s office are of
higher concentration and more targeted
to specific problems, and are not
necessarily more expensive.
“We’re always pleased to provide
free consultations, and samples
of products for people to try that
specifically relate to the condition of
their skin.” h&h
health&healing • Volume 11
f your image in the mirror frowns
or scowls at you more often than it
smiles, you may want to consider the
Four Rs program offered by Dr. Cynthia Gregg, one of the Triangle’s leading
facial plastic surgeons.
Before opening her private
practice in Cary in 1999, she was an
Assistant Professor of Facial Plastic
and Reconstructive Surgery at Duke
University Medical Center.
“Rejuvenation of the face is of
paramount concern to the patients who
come to me,” she says, “and I often
talk to them about the Four Rs: Relax,
Resurface, Refill, and Redrape. Relax is
relevant for those in their 30s and 40s
who are starting to get wrinkles in their
skin from repetitive facial movements
and sun damage. Botox is often
highly effective in the Relax phase of
rejuvenation.
“Refill works for those in their
30s, 40s, and 50s who are starting to
lose volume in their face, which we can
effectively counter—often with dramatic
improvement—with fillers such as
Restylane. Resurface is the application of
laser skin resurfacing, chemical peels, and
dermabrasion to counter skin damage
from the sun. And Redrape is the use of
surgical approaches to make significant
and long-lasting improvements in
appearance. There are many choices to
consider with great care to produce the
best possible outcome for patients.”
Barbara Marquis is a patient who
has become intimately familiar with
these possibilities. At age 62, she is now
Barbara Marquis, before and after facial rejuvenation.
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