Indy Plastic Surgeon Reveals the Top Three Treatments for Ageless Skin
Bruce W. Van Natta, MD
Women in their late 30’s and on into their 50’s aren’t normally ready for a face lift, but that’s not to say they aren’t seeing signs of facial aging! The Plastic Surgery Channel recently caught up with Dr. Bruce Van Natta, a board certified plastic surgeon from Indianapolis, Indiana at the 47th Annual Baker Gordon Symposium held in Miami, Florida. The Symposium is an event for plastic surgeons to learn the latest techniques and procedures in plastic surgery from their peers. We asked Dr. Van Natta about the most exciting procedure happening in plastic surgery today.
“The biggest innovation right now in plastic surgery is fat grafting. We’re using it in the face, breast, hands and buttocks; sometimes to correct deformities, but more often as a cosmetic enhancement.”“One of the most exciting things I’ve seen is the ability to restore lost volume with fat. As we age we tend to hollow out or lose some of the volume in our faces. Our faces actually deflate.” Sometimes we also see lax skin, says Van Natta. “In the past, it was typical for plastic surgeons to do a face lift, but now plastic surgeons are learning that deflation allows the laxity to occur and the real correction many times should be restoring volume.”
Reversing Sun Damage with Lasers
“To treat the surface of the skin you need a laser and there are some really exciting new laser treatments available.” Van Natta says plastic surgeons can resurface the skin with the use of lasers by extracting small plugs of skin. This procedure produces new collagen that will tighten the skin and make the appearance of the skin look better.
Getting rid of lines on the forehead and small lines, called crow’s feet will help reduce the signs of aging as well. Toxins such as Botox and Dysport are just two of the many neurotoxins available on the market today. Van Natta says you can even put an injection of Botox directly under the eyebrow to get a slight lift.
The “Tri-Fecta” Treatment for Facial Rejuvenation
Van Natta calls the three procedures when done together, the “Tri-Fecta” treatment. “This combination of procedures is done in the OR (Operating Room) with about 10 days of downtime; but the difference that it makes is incredible! What we are finding is that it’s buying time for those patients, making them look younger and pushing back the clock.” A few years down the road Van Natta says patients may need a face lift to tighten the face and neck. “With the three options—fat grafting, laser, and toxins, we are able to produce a truly rejuvenated look.”
