Skip to main content

Cosmetic Reconstructive Surgery

While some cosmetic issues are present from birth, other troublesome issues develop over time. Whether from age, lifestyle, or life events (such as pregnancy or weight loss), many men and women notice undesirable changes in their bodies. These changes occur from head to toe, but as the face and neck are often exposed, they receive the most attention.

These changes can be embarrassing, causing men and women to hide their faces behind hairstyles, sunglasses, scarves, or hats. Expert cosmetic and reconstructive surgery can help definitively correct these issues.

Butler Facial Plastic Surgery is pleased to offer a wide range of facial enhancement and reconstructive services.

Model

Facelift

Middle aged woman holding her face in her hands

As we age, our facial bone and soft tissue structure diminishes resulting in loss of volume and definition. The effects of genetic wear and tear, gravity and climatic stresses conspire, and tissues lose elasticity. When this happens, our skin begins to sag, and folds and wrinkles develop. These skin changes can make us appear much older than we feel.

Facelift surgery helps support and reposition sagging skin and soft tissues. Lifting enhances the relaxed, pleasant and youthful appearance. The upper, mid and lower face can each be addressed, depending on the needs of an individual. Since the lower face and neck are confluent (part of the same structure), it is almost always the case that they are treated simultaneously. .

Dr. Butler will make incisions behind the hairline to hide scars. Through these incisions, fat, muscles, facial tissue, and excess skin will be repositioned, tightened, and reduced (when necessary).

After your facelift, you will experience some bruising, swelling and tightness. Sharp pain is unusual and can be alleviated with prescription or over-the-counter medications. Though the recovery time varies, most facelift recoveries require two to three weeks off work.

Learn More

Rhinoplasty

Young adult man in a black suit

Rhinoplasty (corrective nose surgery) helps correct cosmetic and functional issues with the nose. Rhinoplasty can be used to create balance to the face by restructuring long or wide noses as well as treating crooked noses, issues with the nasal tip and bridge (including hooked or drooping nasal tips or depressed nasal bridges), and breathing issues associated with a deviated septum.

Dr. Butler performs both open and closed rhinoplasty. Depending on the correction needed, Dr. Butler will restructure the nose by shaving bone and cartilage, repositioning cartilage, or using cartilage grafts.

Rhinoplasty recovery generally takes 10-14 days before return to work or social activities; the major refinements are evident by six weeks. Swelling, bruising, and some discomfort during the first week are typical, but minimized as Dr. Butler does not “pack the nose”. An external layer of molded plastic helps maintain the nose’s form and shape and minimizes swelling during the first postoperative week.

Learn More

Revision Rhinoplasty

Young adult woman in a brim hat and stripped shirt

For patients who have previously undergone rhinoplasty but are unsatisfied with the results, revision rhinoplasty can often make major improvements. While it is unfortunate to undergo a plastic surgery procedure only to be upset with the way your nose looks or functions, Dr. Butler is very sensitive to the needs of patients who consult him, and guide them to an understanding of contributing factors, and what may be done to correct the issues.

It is not necessary to just accept things as they are. Whether too much cartilage was removed during your previous procedure, or healing interfered with proper nasal function, or you are simply unhappy with the overall appearance of your nose, Dr. Butler can often give you the nose you’ve always wanted.

Revision rhinoplasty requires expertise and experience. In many cases, additional cartilage is required (grafted) to replace excessively reduced bone and cartilage, or to open a collapsed airway. The recovery period is usually similar to that of your initial rhinoplasty. Depending on the existing condition or prior scarring of the nose which Dr. Butler encounters, essential healing occurs within the first few weeks. It will take some months for the finished results of revision surgery to be evident.

Learn More

Neck Lift

Middle aged woman holding her chin up

Neck lift surgery tightens the skin and superficial (platysma) muscle of  the neck and along the jawline to give you a more contoured appearance. This can be  performed as an isolated procedure in the younger patient through a small incision under the chin.

In more mature patients, it is done  in combination with facelift surgery to ensure smooth and consistent lifting over the lower face and neck. In such cases incisions are hidden infolds of and behind the ears. Subcutaneous fat is removed or redistributed, and tissues are tightened. Excess skin is trimmed and the repaired without tension.

Neck lift recovery generally takes two to three weeks, with patients being able to return to work after one week.

Learn More

Otoplasty

Otoplasty

Many men, women, and children are embarrassed by their ears. If your ears are too large, stick out too far from the side of the head, or are deformed in any way, otoplasty (ear surgery or “ear pinning”) can help correct these issues.

An incision is usually made in the back of the ear or within the folds of the ear. From this incision, cartilage is manipulated to give the ear a more aesthetically pleasing appearance and form. Skin and cartilage may be removed, and dissolvable sutures are used for closure.  In some cases, remodeling of the ear is maintained with permanent internal sutures.

Recovery from an otoplasty procedure requires a compressive dressing for one week, then a supportive elastic band over the ears at night for several weeks. Discomfort is managed with medication.

Learn More

Lip Augmentation

Young adult woman brushing her hair behind her ear

Whether genetically determined, or as a consequence of aging, many people are frustrated with the thin appearance of their lips. Lip augmentation procedures help to give patients fuller, attractively shaped lips.

Dr. Butler offers several options for lip augmentation, including injectable treatments (such as Restylane®, Juvederm and Hylaform), fat transfer, collagen injections, and lip implants.

Your lip augmentation recovery will depend on the method used. With injectable treatments, swelling recedes after one to two days.  Bruising is usually minimal, but occasionally can be substantial. It is always temporary, in any case.

With lip implantation or surgical augmentation a recovery time of one to two weeks is generally expected.

Learn More

Forehead Lift

Forehead Lift

A forehead lift (also known as a brow lift) helps to correct signs of aging on the upper portion of the face (from the eyes to the hairline). The forehead, along with the areas between the eyes, is often among the first parts of the face to show the effects of age.

Dr. Butler is proud to offer two of the most effective brow lift methods: the endoscopic brow lift and transblepharoplasty brow lift. With an endoscopic brow lift, an endoscope (a fiber-optic camera) is used to help guide Dr. Butler as he tightens forehead tissue to help lift sagging skin and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. With a transblepharoplasty brow lift, an incision will be made in the upper eyelid to tighten forehead tissue and improve sagging skin in the eyebrows. If necessary, an incision can be made in the hairline, where excess skin will be removed and the remaining skin tightened.

Swelling, bruising, and discomfort is to be expected after your forehead lift. Forehead lift recovery time is generally about two weeks, though this varies for each patient.

Learn More

Eyelid Surgery / Blepharoplasty

Blonde woman leaning over a garden wall

Many men and women appear tired and much older than they are because of sagging and puffy eyelids. With eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty), excess fat, muscle, and skin in the eyelids are repositioned or removed to give you a youthful and more vibrant appearance.

Upper blepharoplasty can be performed to correct the upper eyelids, lower blepharoplasty can be performed to treat the lower eyelids, or a combination of both can be performed to give a more overall correction to your eyelids.

The location of eyelid surgery incisions is dependent on the technique and type of surgery you are undergoing. After the incisions are made, excess fat is removed and/or repositioned, and excess skin is trimmed away. After your eyelid surgery, you will have a more youthful and aware appearance to your eyes. Eyelid surgery recovery generally takes about two weeks.

Learn More

Chin Augmentation

Lower face and shoulders of a female model framing her face

An imbalanced chin (too large or too thin and small) can distort the entire appearance of the face. Whether you are upset because your chin makes you look too masculine or your chin too weak, chin augmentation (mentoplasty) can help correct the size and projection of your chin to give you the balanced look you desire.

The methods for chin augmentation surgery vary depending on the correction needed. Dr. Butler may reposition and shave the bone (if the chin is too large) or place a silicone chin implant in a pocket adjacent to the chin bone (if the chin is too small).

Depending on the procedure, chin augmentation recovery generally takes about six weeks. You will experience swelling and bruising in the area, though these will dissipate over time.

Learn More

Cheek Enhancement

Cheek Enhancement

One of the many effects of aging on our face is volume loss. This volume loss, added to a decrease in the skin’s elasticity, can be especially noticeable on our cheeks, causing them to look hollow. Cheek enhancement treatments can restore cheek volume to give your face a more youthful and healthy appearance.

Dermal fillers, such as JUVÉDERM®, RADIESSE®, Sculptra® Aesthetic, and Restylan®, are often used to fill in lost volume. These minimally invasive, non-surgical treatments can be customized to give you the best results possible. Dr. Butler also offers other options for cheek augmentation (such as lasers, radio frequency, and thread lifting), though these options will be discussed at your consultation.

Learn More

Facial and Neck Liposculpture

Face Neck LipoSculpture

Liposculpture surgery is one of the most effective plastic surgery procedures available and gives dramatic and transformative results each and every time. Liposculpture of the face and neck can reduce excess fat on the face and neck — commonly beneath the chin. This procedure can also be used for fat grafting (fat transfer).

Here, unwanted subcutaneous fat is loosened and permanently removed from the body through a cannula (a thin tube). Liposculpture, however, is more than just liposuction. With liposculpture, Dr. Butler can perform fat grafting, where fat is taken from one area and inserted into areas where volume loss has occurred.

Because liposculpture procedures are tailored to each individual patient, there is no consistent recovery time.

Learn More

Reconstructive Surgery

Woman with defined cheekbones looking over her shoulder

Illness, injury, or a previous surgery can negatively affect the aesthetics of your face, and can have life-altering consequences. Some people are so bothered by their facial appearance that they stay away from social gatherings or hide their faces under clothing, hats, or thick makeup. Reconstructive surgery can make a world of difference.

Depending on the type of correction needed, Dr. Butler may use laser treatments, perform scar revisions, use skin grafts and/or  skin flaps to restore lost tissue, or treat unsightly scarring. Reconstructive surgery recovery time varies depending on several factors, including the size of the treated area, the techniques required, and the extent of correction needed.

The goal of reconstructive surgery is to allow patients a chance to feel themselves after a life-altering event.. Like all cosmetic procedures, reconstructive surgery is about patients being able to look the way they feel.

Learn More

If you are considering a facial sculpting procedure such as a Facelift or Necklift, Dr. Butler would like to hear from you. Use our discreet online form to let us know how we can help you look your best.

For information about preparing for your surgery and post-operative guidelines, visit our Patient Resources page.

Contact Us

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Social Media

Location

2001 Santa Monica Blvd Suite 660W,
Santa Monica, CA 90404

Get Directions

Call Us

(310) 428-0033