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Call 412-621-0123 to schedule a free consult with Dr. Gillman.
Below are just some of the surgical and nonsurgical cosmetic services we offer at UPMC Facial Plastic Surgery.
If you're thinking about facial plastic surgery, we urge you to schedule a free consult to help decide which procedures meet your needs and concerns.
On This Page: Types of Facial Cosmetic Procedures We Offer
Surgical Cosmetic Procedures
Nonsurgical Cosmetic Procedures
Surgical Cosmetic Procedures at UPMC Facial Plastic Surgery
Brow lift
A brow lift or forehead lift is surgery that lifts the brow and refreshes the areas of the face that are often first to reveal the signs of aging, such as the:
- Brow line
- Forehead
- Upper eyelids
Doctors often perform eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) or facelift surgery at the same time.
At UPMC Facial Plastic Surgery, we perform two types of brow lifts: hairline and endoscopic.
The endoscopic brow lift is a minimally invasive procedure. It uses much smaller cuts than a classic hairline brow lift, but with similar results.
We tailor the approach to best suit the unique variables and anatomy of each patient.
Chin implants
A weak or underdeveloped chin can compromise facial balance. Chin augmentation can have a dramatic effect on facial harmony. A chin implant is often a suitable accent to rhinoplasty, as well as necklift or facelift surgery.
At UPMC Facial Plastic Surgery, we select a chin implant that looks and feels completely natural with your unique facial features.
Depending on the type of implant, chin implant surgery alone will take between 30 minutes and one hour. It may take longer if you're having other facial cosmetic surgery procedures.
Chin implant surgery has a very high satisfaction rate because the incisions are small and well concealed, resulting in minimal:
- Bruising
- Discoloration
- Recovery time
Ear pinning (otoplasty)
Otoplasty, or ear pinning, is a technique that addresses ears that are too prominent or protrude too far from the head. For many people, the positive results of otoplasty have a major impact on their self-esteem.
At UPMC Facial Plastic Surgery, surgical ear correction most often:
- Is an outpatient procedure
- Takes about two hours
- Involves little discomfort
Surgeons make small cuts in the crease behind the ear so they are out of view, and close them with dissolvable sutures.
You will have a light dressing in place for a few days after ear pinning surgery. You should be able to resume normal activity within the week.
Eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty)
In many people, the first signs of aging occur in the area around the eyes. This can make them look tired or heavy around the eyes.
As a result, this is often the first area for which people seek refinement at UPMC Facial Plastic Surgery.
Blepharoplasty, or eyelid surgery, refers to plastic surgery that surgeons can perform on both the upper and lower eyelids. Both methods can take years off of your appearance.
Upper eyelid surgery:
- Corrects a droopy or hooded effect around the eyes.
- Makes the eyes look more open.
- Refreshes and brightens the look of the eyes.
Lower eyelid surgery:
- Addresses the excess fat and tissue under the eye.
- Smooths the junction between the lower eyelids and midface.
- Creates a more youthful look.
Surgeons conceal all incisions, either within the natural creases of the eyelids or behind the eyelid itself.
Eyelid surgery is an outpatient technique, under local anesthesia or intravenous sedation. In most cases, it takes one to two hours.
Facelift (rhytidectomy)
A facelift helps to reduce the visible signs of aging by removing excess skin and sagging tissue in the face, jowls, and neck.
It can help:
- Redrape the facial skin
- Smooth the jaw line in the area of the jowls
- Restore a more youthful neck contour
At UPMC Facial Plastic Surgery, we can combine facelift surgery with other surgical cosmetic procedures such as:
During a facelift, surgeons make small, well-hidden cuts around the ear and at the hairline. This helps preserve the hairline and results in a natural look that lasts a long time.
More people are choosing to have a facelift at a younger age. In many of these cases, surgeons may suggest a “mini-lift.” More limited than a full facelift procedure, a mini-lift is a sensible and effective choice for younger patients.
Depending on the details of your surgery, a facelift takes several hours. You will receive either general anesthesia or intravenous sedation (twilight anesthesia).
With limited treatments like the mini-lift, you can go home the same day. For more extensive treatments, most choose to stay overnight after surgery.
Facial reconstructive surgery
Facial reconstructive surgery can take many forms, depending on the patient's issues and needs.
At UPMC Facial Plastic Surgery, we perform most reconstructive procedures to help those with:
- Injury-induced facial deformities
- Skin cancer
- Post-traumatic scarring
- Botched rhinoplasty (nose) surgery
Reconstructive surgery can improve your appearance and enhance your self-confidence.
Many types of procedures fall within the realm of facial reconstruction. We can tailor a number of these treatments — after a thorough review of your injuries or facial defects — to suit your unique needs.
Rhinoplasty, or cosmetic nasal surgery, reshapes the nose to correct deformities or approve its appearance.
At UPMC Facial Plastic Surgery, we can perform rhinoplasty to:
- Remove a hump
- Refine the tip
- Narrow the nose or reduce the overall size
- Straighten a crooked nose
No matter your reason for rhinoplasty, the result is a softer, more balanced nose that highlights the rest of your face.
We urge you to work with your plastic surgeon to set realistic expectations and create a plan for a natural looking, elegant nose that harmonizes well with the rest of your face.
Depending on how complex, rhinoplasty takes between two and three hours under a general anesthetic.
Most patients can go home the same day. A week after rhinoplasty, your surgeon will remove all splints, casts, or dressings.
You can resume your daily routine within a week to 10 days following surgery.
Revision rhinoplasty
Revision rhinoplasty fixes failed cosmetic or functional (breathing) outcomes from prior nasal surgery.
Revision surgery will vary from person to person. It depends mostly on the changes you desire and the effects of the initial operation.
At UPMC Facial Plastic Surgery, we base revision procedures on a:
- Careful review of your medical records
- Detailed assessment of your individual concerns
- Methodical analysis of what we can do to achieve an ideal outcome
In most cases of revision rhinoplasty, “perfection” may not be achievable but you will see a noticeable improvement.
Like any other revision surgery, revision rhinoplasty can be more complicated than the original operation and may take longer.
Scar revision
While it may be impossible to eliminate scars completely, scar revision can help camouflage an unsightly scar and allow it to better blend into normal facial features.
At UPMC Facial Plastic Surgery, we take into account many factors to find the best way for treating your scar. These include your skin type and the size, shape, and location of your scar.
Scar revision may require a variety of techniques and, in some cases, more than one procedure. But the goal is to make your scar much less distinct and visible.
Scar revision is an outpatient surgery. Depending on the extent of your facial scarring, we will perform the procedure in the office or operating room under local anesthesia or intravenous sedation.
Septoplasty (to enhance nasal breathing)
The nasal septum is the midline partition that divides the two sides of the nasal passages.
A “deviated septum” refers to the condition where the septum is off to one side inside the nose. This causes problems breathing through that side of the nose.
At UPMC Facial Plastic Surgery, we may see a deviated septum on the outside of a crooked nose. But, in many cases, a deviated septum is present without anything being apparent on the outside of the nose.
Septoplasty straightens the nasal septum to correct chronic breathing problems caused by structural abnormalities within the nose.
This outpatient surgery:
- Takes between 45 minutes to an hour
- Involves minimal pain
- Has a recovery time of five to seven days
Often, we also perform revision septoplasty on patients whose prior surgery elsewhere did not provide good results.
Nonsurgical Cosmetic Procedures at UPMC Facial Plastic Surgery
Botox®
Botox is a nonsurgical, doctor-administered treatment we offer at UPMC Facial Plastic Surgery. It can smooth or soften moderate to severe wrinkles and frown lines.
Since its FDA approval in 2002, Botox has become the most common office-based method for facial rejuvenation.
This treatment uses a naturally occurring muscle-relaxing agent to soften and flatten the creases in the overlying skin of the facial muscles.
We can use Botox to treat furrows, wrinkles, and lines:
- Between the eyebrows
- On the forehead
- Around the eyes
- On the upper lip
- Around the neck
Botox treatment is an in-office procedure that:
- Takes about 15 or 20 minutes
- Causes very little discomfort
- Offers results that last between three and four months
Patients can resume their normal routine as soon as they leave the office.
Chemical peels
A chemical peel improves the texture and appearance of facial skin. By using a topically applied solution to remove the damaged outer layers of the skin, chemical peels stimulate the growth of new skin and collagen.
At UPMC Facial Plastic Surgery, we offer chemical peels to help lessen facial:
- Wrinkles
- Blemishes
- Scars
- Uneven pigmentation
They restore a smoother, more youthful appearance with more even skin tone and texture.
In many cases, we can perform superficial and medium depth peels without anesthesia or with oral pain medication alone.
Depending on the depth of the peel, recovery time may range from several days to a week.
Fat transfer
As people age, there is a certain amount of fat loss or atrophy from the face. This can cause a thinner, hollowed look and — diminishing the normal, healthy, full volume of a youthful face.
At UPMC Facial Plastic Surgery, we offer fat transfer volume enhancement to help you achieve a younger, healthier, more rejuvenated look.
During a fat transfer procedure, surgeons:
- Harvest or remove fat cells from one area of the body — most often the abdomen, thighs, flanks, or buttocks.
- Purify the fat cells they removed.
- Use a small needle or cannula to inject the fat cells into facial areas most affected by loss of volume or fullness.
Such areas might include the:
- Cheeks or cheekbones
- Hollow grooves below the eyelids
- Lips
With volume enhancement beneath the skin, the face looks younger and healthier. The appearance of overlying wrinkles and deeper lines will improve.
Often, you may need more than one session, but the final result is natural without looking pulled or stretched.
Depending on how many areas of your face that you're having enhanced, this outpatient procedure:
- Takes one to two hours.
- Might only require a local numbing agent applied to both the fat donor and recipient sites, or intravenous sedation.
Injectable fillers (wrinkle fillers)
Injectable fillers are among the most popular treatment options for facial aging.
We perform these nonsurgical, office-based treatments at UPMC Facial Plastic Surgery to improve the appearance of deep facial wrinkles, folds, and lines.
Injectable fillers are useful for people who have:
The injections are a quick and fairly painless option for filling wrinkle lines and enhancing facial volume.
Many injectable fillers are on the market, such as:
- Restylane®
- Juvederm®
- Radiesse®
- Perlane®
- Sculptra®
Each one provides a different application for various areas of the face.
Injectable fillers cause little down time, discomfort, swelling, or bruising. Results are immediate and natural looking, lasting from four to 18 months or more.
Schedule a Free Facial Plastic Surgery Consult
Since facial plastic surgery is a highly personal decision, Dr. Gillman offers free consultations to help you decide if he's the right surgeon for you.
To schedule your free consult, call 412-621-0123.
Dr. Gillman's office location and directions:
University Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialists (Shadyside)
Shadyside Medical Building
5200 Centre Avenue, Suite 211
Pittsburgh, PA 15232