Hi Dr. Bienstock. Rejuvenate my Face, Please!

New innovations are being made in the medical world EVERY DAY….we see it all over the boob tube with stars getting nipped and tucked at every age, on every area of the body.

As far as I see it though… you can be lucky enough to have a bootylicious curvacious sex-asourus rex bod…but if your FACE is lacking in the youth department…you will have no such luck in looking youthful.

That is where Dr. Alan Bienstock comes in. This Celeb-Go-To-Nip-Tuck Guru has been taking Hollywood and the world of FACIAL REJUVENATION by storm.  (Read here about his expertise and thoughts on  Restylane)

Dr. Alan Bienstock and Stephanie at Ottavia et Emma NYFW Party

Dr. Bienstock isn’t just performing hum-drum facelifts, ladies and gents. Facial Rejuvenation has made such a drastic difference in the way men and women- who are concerned with facial aging- look at Plastic Surgery.

Dr. Bienstock was kind enough to answer some of my die-hard facial rejuvenating inquiries…Here’s the dirt:

We know that you have a loyal following of patients and fans of your skills with such non-invasive injecatables as Botox, Restylane & Juvaderm. Have you noticed a change in the frequency of office visits from these loyal customers since the economy has become such a pain in the wallet? I always wonder if even those with supposedly endless disposable incomes might be spending their dollars on, if they are forced to cut back… even just a little!
There has definitely been an ebb in procedures both invasive and non-invasive even amongst my loyal and devoted patients. Some patients who were coming in 3-4 x per year have cut back to twice. Even wealthy patients have curtailed this discretionary and disposable income in regards to plastic surgery.

Do you feel that more of your patients are delving into facial rejuvenation to feel better about themselves? Or to look younger to others—perhaps in competition with societies obsession with Hollywood’s Hot Young Things ( Hey, we even hear Jessica Simpson is plumping her pout!)  Or are they rejuvenating their OWN self-esteem.
Most men and women are pursuing facial rejuvenation with either fillers and Botox or surgical procedures such as face lifts and Rhinoplasties to regain some their youth and confidence.  I don’t think New Yorkers are emulating the stars. I believe that my patients want to look refreshed and more vivified.

Good for New Yorkers! We know how to live!  Anyway….How do you feel about the new ‘findings’ that Facial Acupuncture delivers similar youthful results to the Facial Rejuvenation procedures that a physician such as yourself would administer?
I don’t have any scientific opinion on facial acupuncture in terms of rejuvenation. The design of acupuncture is to address pain and to achieve equanimity. There has been no scientific data to support its use to supplant surgical procedures. My hunch is that it is a gimmick employed by  western practitioners to market acupuncture.

I am starting to see wee little lines around my eyes…most likely due to overexposing myself to my mortal frenemy….the SUN. Would you recommend- in their early 20’s – to come in to get procedures done as a preventative measure?
I would NOT recommend Botox and fillers until later 20’s but there is no absolute indications or contraindications. I would first espouse a policy and philosophy of good nutrition, smoking cessation, moisturizer and skin care, as well as diminished sun exposure.

As I mentioned…Hollywood is a sess-pool of confidence sinking bronzed beauties (spray-tan much?)  Who possesses Hollywood’s most wanted facial features?
I am generally not obsessed and awe struck with celebrity beauties since they have artifices like airbrush and endless make-up artists and stylists as their disposal in conjunction with inexorable financial incentives and budgets. The media and Hollywood presents an unrealistic vision of what beauty should be.

In any event, in  terms of facial features, women are coveting Scarlett Johansson and Angelina Jolie’s lips, Salma Hayek, Keira Knightley and Jessica Alba’s cheek bones.

Finally, can you tell me about some of the more interesting and worthwhile innovations in the world of Plastic Surgery?  Which procedures would you recommend for those of us who want to keep a youthful look?

Fat grafting is really good for restoring volume to the face and to sculpt the face ; the face generally loses volume during aging.During the aging process, men and women BOTH lose volume in their face. Fat grafting is a technique and strategy to combat this progression and to restore fullness to the face. A patient’s own fat can be injected and sculpted to smooth out contour deficiencies, scars, and aging to help create a more youthful appearance by restoring elasticity to the skin.

In rhinoplasty [nose jobs], the trend is more SUBTLE differences meaning less is more. Surgeons should avoid doing the same thing for every patient and should not have every nose look the same. The nose has to match the face.

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Thanks for the info Dr. Bienstock!

Visit his website www.drbienstock.com for more information on his services- and to contact email him at info@drbienstock.com