In plastic surgery, some procedures are referred to as being “complementary” to one another. Just like colors stand out more when paired with opposite hues, certain procedures have the ability to amplify the results of others. When used together, they create more balanced proportions and make the patient’s features more striking. In particular, Dr. Gilpin recommends combining brow lift surgery with eyelid surgery. He also frequently pairs rhinoplasty with chin implant surgery.

Brow Lift and Eyelid Surgery: Revitalizing Your Gaze

The forehead and eye area tend to age in a fairly uniform fashion. As we get older, the pads of fat that help to support our eyelids and brows gradually move downwards. This creates folds of loose skin around the brows (making us look angry or sad) and contributes to poor eyelid contours. Hollows appear beneath the eyes, and both the upper and lower lids start to “droop,” creating a number of uncomfortable symptoms.

Collagen loss also contributes to changes in the eye and forehead region; as collagen levels decline, the skin becomes weaker and more susceptible to the effects of gravity and repeated movement. Though collagen depletion causes a widespread loss of skin firmness, the eyelids are especially prone to damage because they’re already quite delicate.

Patients with drooping eyelids often experience chronically dry or watery eyes, along with reductions in their field of vision. These issues can make it difficult to drive safely. Many patients, therefore, choose to have eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) for medical as well as aesthetic reasons.

Combining eyelid and brow lift surgery is strongly recommended because it’s the best way to ensure congruous results. If only the patient’s brows are lifted, his or her eyelids may still display distinct sagging (which will be more apparent after the brow has been smoothed and raised). Conversely, if just the lids are lifted, the angle of the patient’s eyes may not align correctly with the angle of his or her brows.

Chin Implants and Rhinoplasty: Why They Make a Good Match

Many rhinoplasty patients are so focused on correcting a protruding nasal tip or bridge that they’re not even thinking about the shape of their chin. While this is perfectly understandable, it’s important to remember that rhinoplasty surgery should, ideally, be used to create a more striking, attractive profile.

Though rhinoplasty surgery can do a lot to improve the shape of the nose, no operation can change the nose completely. In other words, if you have a large, hooked nose, you cannot use surgery to obtain a tiny button nose. Rhinoplasty can make your nose straighter and less prominent, but your plastic surgeon must still work within the limits of your bone structure. (Altering the bones and cartilage within the nose too extensively has the potential to create functional problems, like restricted breathing.)

In patients who have a strong nose and a weak chin, chin implants are used to make the chin more defined. Doing this balances the patient’s facial features so that they work in harmony with one another (by making the nose and chin ideally proportional). It’s possible to perform rhinoplasty and chin implant surgery at the same time, so the patient won’t have to undergo multiple operations to reap these rewards. He or she can recover from rhinoplasty and chin implant surgery at the same time.

Putting the Finishing Touches on Your Procedures

Sometimes, additional steps are taken to enhance the results of these combined procedures even more. Dr. Gilpin may suggest using dermal fillers to replace lost volume around your eyes after your eyelid and brow lift, for example. He may also use fillers to improve cheek volume after placing a chin implant.

Schedule a Consultation

Gilpin Facial Plastics & Aesthetics, located in Nashville, TN, offers a variety of services that will support all your surgical needs. To discover which combination of procedures will flatter your features, contact Gilpin Facial Plastics to arrange a personal consultation. Dr. Gilpin, our board-certified plastic surgeon, will be happy to create a fully personalized treatment plan for you!