Surefire Signs of Plastic Surgery

Patients who undergo facial plastic surgery procedures have a common goal: to achieve a youthful, enhanced look without displaying telltale signs of surgery. Because the most successful plastic surgery outcome is the one that no one else can see.

Double board-certified facial plastic surgeon, Philip J. Miller, MD, FACS, knows the best, most innovative techniques to produce natural, beautiful results. Dr. Miller specializes in cosmetic facial procedures and is one of the country’s leading experts in rhinoplasty and facial rejuvenation. By creating comprehensive and customized procedure plans and delivering the highest level of care at his plastic surgery clinic in Manhattan, New York, Dr. Miller can help you achieve your aesthetic goals without leaving behind the following clues that you’ve had anything done.

Facelift Tip-Offs 

A facelift is a powerful procedure that can tackle severe wrinkles, droopy jowls, and restore more youthful contours, producing dramatic results. However, it is a complex surgery, and mistakes can happen.

Noticeable Incisions 

Visible scars are glaring signs of plastic surgery. Generally, facelift incisions run from the hairline at the temple and continue in front of and behind the ears and extend to the lower scalp. If a surgeon does not strategically position the incisions, that is, if they’re not within the highlights and shadows to blend in on the face, even the thinnest, flattest scar will become conspicuous.

Pixie Ear 

When a surgeon secures a facelift only to the skin instead of the ear’s cartilage, and if the skin is pulled too tightly, the earlobes may begin to droop over time, resulting in an elongated look. To learn more about pixie ear, please visit pubmed.gov. 

Unnatural Facial Expressions 

Have you met someone with a permanently surprised look on their face? Are they showing a severely “pulled” look that prevents them from shifting facial expressions? Especially if they’re over 60 and sporting wide-awake eyes and a windswept look, they most likely underwent a facelift with an inexperienced surgeon.

Rhinoplasty Fizzles

Rhinoplasty is a highly challenging procedure that is very difficult to master. The nose itself is a complex structure, making missteps a common occurrence when an inexperienced surgeon is involved. 

Pollybeak Deformity 

When a surgeon does not remove enough cartilage above the nose’s tip or when the tip falls because of lack of support, undesired results in the form of a “pollybeak deformity” can occur. Resembling a parrot’s beak, a pollybeak deformity is characterized by showing an unnatural fullness at the nasal tip.

Over-Rotated Tip

Overrotation of the nasal tip takes place when the surgeon attempts to correct a droopy tip by shaving off cartilage or septum too aggressively which ends up shortening the nose’s length and causing an upturned look.

Bridge Abnormalities 

When the surgeon removes a bump incorrectly and the cartilage is not supported, or when they shave off too much dorsum, an inverted-V deformity or scooped-out appearance of the nose on the profile view can occur.

Blepharoplasty Flops 

When performing blepharoplasty, the surgeon’s goal is to modify the configuration and contours of the eyelids by removing excess fat, skin, and muscle. Due to the intricate nature of the eye’s anatomy, errors can happen.

Unnatural Crease Above the Eye

A scar can easily hide within the natural crease on the upper eyelids, but when surgeons misplace the incision, the eyelid’s shape can change, resulting in an asymmetrical and unattractive look.

Lower Lid Hangs Too Low

Lower lid surgery is an extremely delicate procedure where every micro-centimeter counts. Positioning the lower lid incorrectly can dramatically alter the eyes’ shape and make them appear to be different sizes.

Visible Scarring 

Eyelid scars are more noticeable when they are depressed, and they typically result from excessive removal of muscle or connective tissue.

Liposuction Fails

While liposuction is clinically proven to safely and effectively minimize unwanted fat, results may still look all wrong when not performed properly.

Visible Scarring

Liposuction scars are typically 2mm in length and should be barely visible. When significant scarring occurs, it can be due to poor incision placement during the procedure.

Irregular Contours 

A successful liposuction procedure should be able to smooth away isolated pockets of fat to form a more desirable shape. Uneven fat removal will result in lumpy, irregular contours.

Sagging Skin 

Experienced plastic surgeons should be well aware of the impact the skin elasticity has on overall results. Knowledge of certain liposuction techniques would also help encourage the skin to tighten back up. If a surgeon removes too much fat, performs the procedure on patients who already have loose skin, or does not comply with the weight limit associated with the liposuction procedure, visible laxity may become more pronounced after surgery.

Botox Gone Wrong 

While Botox® Cosmetic injections do a wonderful job at non-surgically rejuvenating the face, the procedure is more of an art form. Without a trained aesthetic eye, wrong placement or incorrect dosing of Botox or another neuromodulator like Xeomin, Dysport, or Jeuveau can occur and produce unnatural-looking results. 

Altered Brow Line 

When performed incorrectly, Botox Cosmetic injections to the forehead can distort the eyebrows, giving the patient a super arched or “sinister” look. In other cases, a slight miscalculation during the procedure can cause Botox to migrate over to the eyelid muscles, causing a drooping effect. This, however, is uncommon in experienced hands.

Frozen Forehead

The real art of Botox Cosmetic injections lies in making the results subtle. So, when the surgeon incorrectly calculates the dosage and injects too much Botox in the forehead or other areas, the patient can end up with an unnatural appearance or what many describe as the “frozen look.”

Unnatural Facial Expressions

Having a frozen look will result in an expressionless face. And a face that can’t move is unattractive. We want to be able to show how we are feeling, right?

It is crucial to look for a surgeon who has your best interests at heart and won’t continue to add more Botox when you really don’t need it. This is the reason behind Dr. Miller’s NatraLook approach. The process expands the typical procedure experience for patients by creating the opportunity to explore their Aesthetic Confidence® in a supportive and positive environment. By allowing patients to become active participants in their journey, they can create a unified vision of their desired results. 

Trust Your Skin to Manhattan’s #1 Plastic Surgery Clinic

By recognizing the telltale signs of plastic surgery, you can better select your surgeon and achieve overall satisfaction with your results. For more than two decades, Dr. Miller has dedicated his career to providing patients with customized treatments with the most advanced techniques. Combining his expertise and skill with an artistic eye, Dr. Miller achieves impeccable results that can be life-changing. To schedule a consultation, contact Dr. Miller’s Manhattan, New York plastic surgery clinic.