Dr. Godin uses a new generation of filler materials which are safer and longer lasting than collagen. He is a nationally known expert in the use of both Radiesse and Restylane, and has published a scientific article about the combined use of both materials. Juvederm™, a new filler from the makers of BOTOX®, is also used. The fillers vary in where in the face they can most safely be placed and how long they last. The most popular areas for improvement are the folds between the mouth and cheeks and the “lipstick lines” around the mouth. These fillers may also be used to enhance the size or change the shape of the lips. These 30-minute treatments are performed in the office under both topical and local anesthesia for comfort. We consider it an advantage to have an expert in facial plastic surgery performing your nerve blocks so that you tolerate the filler injections well, especially in the lip area.

Dr. Godin is also proficient in using facial fillers such as Radiesse, Restylane, and Juvederm, as well as muscle relaxants such as Botox, to not only reduce wrinkles, but also lift and contour sagging facial features. This revolutionary approach, known as a “liquid facelift,” can be used to treat the entire face or specific areas, and offers long lasting results with little or no down time.

Dr. Godin is a Distinguished Member Physician of the Liquid Facelift Association and has contributed patient examples (with permission) to the association Web site for the education of other doctors. Learn more at www.liquidfacelift.com.

While liposuction is actually a surgical procedure, it is listed in the non-surgical category because of its minimally invasive nature. Small suction instruments are inserted through a very small incision in the skin crease under the chin, in order to remove accumulations of excessive fat. Dr. Godin reserves liposuction for the chin and neck areas only. This precise and minimally invasive procedure can be done by itself in younger patients, or as a part of the facelift procedure in many of our patients who are undergoing facial rejuvenation.

Botox® and Dysport® are FDA-approved, highly refined medications used in very small amounts to smooth deep wrinkles, and relax overactive frown lines. BOTOX® and DYSPORT® treatments improve “crow’s feet” around the eyes, wrinkles across the forehead, and vertical furrows between the eyebrows. Highly purified muscle-relaxing agents, Botox® or Dysport® are injected in small amounts to relax selected facial muscles. After these five-minute treatments, patients often enjoy a more pleasant and relaxed appearance. There is virtually no “down-time,” and the effect of the treatments usually lasts 3-6 months and may be repeated.

Tuck-ups are small-incision procedures that target specific problems such as sagging of the neck, a jowl in the middle of the jawline, or sagging in the temple area near the outside corners of the eyes. Tuck-ups are generally performed for younger patients who have an area that seems to be aging more quickly than the rest of the face, or for patients who have had more extensive procedures such as facelifts and forehead lifts and require a “tune-up” of the original work. They have the advantage of being smaller surgeries so there is generally less swelling, bruising and downtime.

Patients can undergo tuck-ups and sometimes return to work in as little as four or five days. With strategic scheduling, this can lead to only two or three work days missed. Tuck-ups have become popular for our “on the go patients” and are recommended when appropriate. If a larger degree of improvement is needed to achieve the patient’s goals, then a more extensive procedure, such as a facelift or forehead lift is planned.

Sagging of the eyebrows and deep lines in the forehead can give one a tired, even angry appearance. The forehead/eyebrow lift is designed to restore the eyebrows to a higher, more youthful postion, and soften the wrinkles so often seen in the forehead. The surgeon is careful to strive for a natural-looking result which does not make the patient look permanently surprised.

The eyebrow lift may be performed through an incision at or behind the hairline, depending upon the patient’s specific hair pattern. A recently developed technique involves using much smaller incisions and lighted retractors to perform the procedure, and is applicable to some, but not all patients.

One point that patients sometimes find surprising is that lifting the brow can often dramatically improve the appearance of the upper eyelids and allow the surgeon to perform a more conservative upper eyelid blepharoplasty, while still realizing a beneficial effect.

Blepharoplasty is performed to correct deformities of the eyelids. Like other face and neck areas, the eyelids may develop wrinkles and bulges due to either heredity or aging. Pouches, both at the inner part of the upper lids and in the lower lids, are generally due to forward pressure caused by accumulations of fat above and below the eyes. Such excess fat and excess skin are removed in the eyelid procedure. Upper lid correction is done at the same time as the lower lid surgery. Dr. Godin frequently performs the transconjunctival type of lower eyelid blepharoplasty, in which fat can be removed from behind the eyelid without making an incision in the skin.

The operation takes about one to two hours and may be performed under local anesthesia or light sedation in our office surgical suite. Patients generally experience an early return to routine living.

There is usually little or no pain in the post-operative period. Each operation is followed by varying degrees of swelling and discoloration, which usually subside within 10 days. By this time, too, the thin scars can be camouflaged by make-up. These scars gradually blend in well with the surrounding skin and, after several months, are usually visible only on close scrutiny.

Corrective surgery of aging eyelids is frequently performed in combination with facelift or eyebrow surgery.

Otoplasty is the procedure used to reposition protruding ears closer to the head. Ear deformity can cause deeper emotional trauma than is generally realized, even by the parents of children who have the condition. Because the physical and psychological improvement following the operation is usually dramatic, it is most rewarding to the patient and gratifying to the doctor. Surgery is usually recommended before school age, approximately six years or younger, to avoid classroom teasing. Surgery for older children, teenagers, and adults may also be performed.Local anesthetic with sedation is usually used in the office operating room for adults and teenagers, while a general anesthetic given in the outpatient surgery center is preferred for youngsters. The Otoplasty procedure lasts approximately one hour per ear, and patients go home the same day, usually with very little post-operative pain.The dressing is removed the day after surgery, and a lighter dressing is placed to help maintain the new position and shape of the ears. Afterwards, a headband is worn, especially while sleeping at night, to help protect the surgical result

The array of available synthetic facial implants is continually changing. Dr. Godin is a nationally recognized researcher into the uses and safety of one of the most widely used implant materials: medical-grade Gore-Tex. Synthetic implants are most commonly used to build up the bridge of the nose in rhinoplasty, to improve a receding chin, and to give fullness to the cheekbone or malar area.

The smaller incisions of a Micro-Mini Lift® make it a minimally invasive facelift. Contact us today if you are interested in Micro-Mini Facelift in Richmond, Virginia.

Through years of work, I have developed a modification of the facelift, which I call the Micro-Mini Lift®. This is most appropriate for patients with a small amount of excess skin in the jaw line and/or minor looseness of the neck. The incisions are small and recovery time is usually a week or less. I perform this lift mainly for patients in their forties and early fifties who are beginning to see some loosening of the tissues but are not ready for a larger lift. I believe it is crucial to do the right procedure at the right time for my patients and so the Micro-Mini Lift® is a great addition to my face and neck lift line up.

A Conversation with Dr. Michael Godin about the Micro-Mini Lift® minimally invasive facelift

Q: What is the Micro-Mini Lift®?
A: A small-incision procedure to firm the jawline and improve drooping in the neck.

Q: Who can benefit from it?
A: Patients with early jowling and looseness in the neck. Generally, they are in their 40’s or early 50’s.

Q: Why is it called the Micro-Mini Lift®?
A: Because the incisions are smaller than a standard facelift or even a facial or neck tuck-up, it is a mini-lift. “Micro” describes the surgeon’s mindset – an almost microscopic attention to detail.

Q: Can the Micro-Mini Lift® be customized?
A: Yes, it is individualized in every case. For example, the deeper layer (SMAS) may simply be tightened or partially removed and repositioned, depending on tissue looseness and thickness.

Q: If I have a Micro-Mini Lift® now, can I have a more traditional lift when I’m older?
A: Yes, this procedure complements having a more extensive lift later in life. In fact, by creating a firm layer of healing, it can be used to enhance future results.

Are you interested in a Micro Mini Facelift?

Give us a call, 804.285.8578, or schedule your appointment online!

We also offer the Micro-Mini Lift® at our La Jolla and Beverly Hills offices.