Blog Archives - Tarola Plastic Surgery

Is Rhinoplasty Right for You? 6 Questions to Ask

Here at Tarola Plastic Surgery in Murfreesboro, TN, our aesthetic experts have years of experience performing cosmetic procedures and treatments to improve the symmetry and overall aesthetic of the face. Today, we’re discussing six questions about rhinoplasty you should ask during your initial evaluation to determine if it is the ideal procedure for you.

6 Questions to Ask About Rhinoplasty

1. Is This Procedure Right for Me?

If you are concerned about the functionality of your nose, there is an excellent chance that you’re a good candidate for rhinoplasty. For example, you’re probably a good candidate if you have difficulty breathing while lying on your back, you snore, or you feel like you’re suffocating when you breathe while wind is blowing in your face.

To be a good candidate for this procedure, you must be in fairly good health and have realistic expectations about the preparation for the procedure, the procedure itself, and what recovery will be like. It’s also important to have a good understanding of what results you can realistically expect. Depending on your aesthetic goals, a different procedure or treatment may be right for you.

2. What if I’m Not Healthy Enough for Rhinoplasty?

If you’re not healthy enough for rhinoplasty, you have a couple of options. The path of least resistance is to opt for a non-invasive aesthetic treatment, like Botox, to improve the appearance of your nose. When injected into the depressor septi nasi muscle, this muscle relaxant restricts the wings of the nose, anchoring it and pulling it down naturally.

Your other option is to get healthy enough to undergo rhinoplasty. Some medical conditions that preclude you from being a good candidate for a nose job, like high blood pressure, are temporary. Other medical conditions, such as a congenital heart defect, permanently preclude you from the procedure and you have no choice but to seek a non-invasive alternative.

3. How Should I Prepare for This Procedure?

Remember, for this procedure to be right for you, it’s important that you have realistic expectations about how you need to prepare. It’s also important that you’re completely committed to the preparation process. If you’re not confident that you can commit to any of the pre-op steps, this procedure is not right for you at this time.

During your initial evaluation, we will provide you with a comprehensive guide to preparing for the procedure. To summarize succinctly, you should avoid smoking, drinking alcohol, and consuming other things that can elevate your blood pressure or thin your blood, like NSAIDs, spicy foods, and multivitamins. You should also protect your skin from the sun, stay hydrated, and eat foods that are dense in protein and fiber.

4. What Can I Expect From the Results of the Procedure?

This is a great question to ask during your initial evaluation because a nose that is cute on your girlfriend may not look good on your face due to your unique facial contours. We encourage our clients to describe the look they think they want. From there, we help them understand what results are realistic and discuss the way a given change of nose size or shape affects the symmetry of the rest of the face.

5. What Can I Expect From the Recovery Process?

Recovering this procedure lasts a year. You will not see the final results of your procedure until this time because it takes this long for your skin to settle into its final position. However, it’s important to note that while your skin takes a year to heal and reveal the final results of the procedure, you will only spend a week or two recovering from the procedure.

You can engage in most of your usual routine within a week or two post-op. Within three to four weeks post-op, you are free to return to cardiovascular activities, like swimming, running, or spinning. You just have to hold off on resistance training until you have rested for six weeks after your procedure. When you think about how quickly restrictions are lifted during recovery, you’ll realize that it is not very long.

6. What Can I Do to Make My Recovery Go Faster?

This is a question we get a lot because nobody wants to be sitting around recovering. They want to see their results improve as their skin heals quickly, and they want to be back to their normal schedule. There’s not really a lot you can do to see your final results sooner, however, there are several things you can do to help the rest of your body heal faster so you’re back to normal life as quickly as possible.

We will provide you with a complete list of post-op care instructions during your initial evaluation. However, the bottom line is you need to listen to your body. If you feel tired, take a nap. If you feel thirsty, drink at least eight ounces of water or eat soup. Be as in tune with your body as possible, because it knows what it needs.

Learn How to Improve the Structure of Your Face Today

If you’re looking to improve the function of your nose, rhinoplasty is probably right for you. However, if you’re just looking to enhance your appearance, a liquid nose job with Botox may be just the solution you’re looking for. To learn more about options for enhancing your aesthetic, contact us today at Tarola Plastic Surgery in Murfreesboro, TN to book your initial evaluation.

A Deeper Look into Breast Implant Illness

You’ve heard the stories…
You’ve seen survivors share their explant stories on social media, but WHAT is BII exactly?

There may have never been a more controversial topic within the plastic surgery world, so let us take a deeper look at the signs and symptoms of breast implant illness. Essentially, there are two camps of surgeons, those that believe breast implants are completely safe for every individual and those that believe breast implants can and do react negatively in certain people. Part of the reason for this divide may be that symptoms of the condition can be vague and include things as common as fatigue, joint and muscle pain, sleep disturbances and headaches. However, it is when these symptoms become chronic and overwhelm a woman’s daily life that one must consider the possibility of breast implant illness. Unfortunately, breast implant illness, or BII, is a diagnosis of exclusion, meaning there are no specific tests or workups for the condition. Rather, tests for other conditions must be performed which, if negative, will further point to BII as a possible explanation for the symptoms.

Many women self-diagnose themselves with BII and then present to a surgeon for a discussion on the possibility that their implants are making them sick. There is also an increasing number of women presenting to Dr. Tarola having been referred by another physician who recommended removal of their breast implants. Some women suffer from symptoms typical of breast implant illness prior to their augmentation but notice that the symptoms intensified following the procedure. Other women notice a rapid or gradual decline in their health following their augmentation. For women in either of these groups, the first step would be to seek an evaluation by a primary care physician. If an evaluation and testing do not provide a diagnosable explanation for the health decline, this is when you should see a specialist to discuss symptoms and the possibility of breast implant removal.

What is breast implant illness?

Breast implant illness refers to a constellation of constitutional symptoms that develop or worsen after undergoing breast augmentation with saline or silicone breast implants. Among the most common symptoms are fatigue, muscle and joint pain, memory and concentration problems, insomnia, rashes, anxiety, depression and the development of autoimmune or autoimmune-like conditions. There have been several studies conducted over the past several decades, but the problem is that the studies do not present level 1 or 2 evidence because of certain study flaws. However, over the past several years, more and more women have come forward on social media to share their experiences with breast implant illness and the improvement in their symptoms after they removed their breast implants.

Although it is important to note that not all women experience symptom improvement following the removal of their implants, the majority of women whose symptoms developed following breast augmentation seem to achieve the most significant improvement following the removal of their breast implants.

Breast implant illness should be distinguished from other well-known mechanical complications of breast implants, including capsular contracture, breast or chest wall pain and breast implant rupture. Unlike the latter conditions, breast implant illness is not yet recognized as an official medical diagnosis and, therefore, does not have a diagnosis code. As a result, breast implant illness cannot be presented to medical insurance companies as a reimbursable reason for the breast implant removal procedure. Additionally, even though a patient may have a condition with a known diagnosis code such as capsular contracture, rupture or pain, insurance still may not reimburse for the breast implant removal procedure if the implants were originally placed for a cosmetic purpose.

Treatment of breast implant illness

Breast implant illness is controversial and not well understood. As a result, individual plastic surgeons have different approaches for its treatment.

Those plastic surgeons with the most experience treating breast implant illness take a similar approach, recommending not only removal of the breast implant but also the surrounding capsular scar tissue. The capsule is a layer of scar tissue that the body forms around the breast implant as a way to wall off the breast implant, a foreign body. The same process occurs around any foreign body, whether it be a pacemaker or joint replacement. Many women think that they have two capsules if, at some point, they had their breast implants replaced. However, this is seldom the case. The only time the patient would have two capsules as a result of breast implant replacement is if the surgeon placed the new implants in a separate pocket, such as moving from above to below the muscle or vice versa, and the old capsule wasn’t removed. A normal capsule is extraordinarily thin and completely transparent.

The procedure to remove the capsular scar tissue is called a capsulectomy. A capsulectomy can either be partial or complete. Completely removing the capsule in a single piece is called an en bloc total capsulectomy, whereas complete removal in more than one piece is called a total capsulectomy. One situation where an en bloc total capsulectomy may not be possible is when a patient has a submuscular breast implant location with completely normal and extremely thin capsular tissue that is densely adhered to the underlying ribs. In these cases, it is still possible to remove all of the scar tissue, but it involves a more tedious dissection of the portion of the capsule that is adhered to the ribs.

Dr. Tarola’s Approach

Over the years, Dr. Tarola has taken a different stance on breast implant illness. Like many other plastic surgeons, he was initially unsure of the condition as it was not something taught in residency or accepted within the plastic surgery community. As he saw more and more patients experiencing similar symptoms and improvement following the removal of their breast implants, he began researching the condition further. He found numerous articles published over the past several decades, not necessarily in plastic surgery journals but rather internal medicine and rheumatology journals. It was clear that there are a number of patients who do not respond well to the presence of the breast implants and need them removed to function properly.

As mentioned above, surgeons have different approaches to treating breast implant illness. Dr. Tarola has seen the greatest improvement in patients who have a total capsulectomy along with the removal of their breast implants. His goal in surgery is to perform an en bloc total capsulectomy, only reverting to a total capsulectomy if complete removal of the capsule in one piece is not possible. A total capsulectomy is a much more involved process that carries a greater risk than a simple breast implant removal. Although en bloc total capsulectomy is Dr. Tarola’s recommendation for treatment, as part of the informed consent process, both options are presented to patients as it is the patient who has to make the final decision on which procedure she undergoes. It is thought that removing the capsule will remove all residual silicone material, biofilm (a thin, slimy film of bacteria that adheres to a surface), or other substances from the body allowing the patient to more fully recover, as well as provide the patient the utmost peace of mind.

It is true that Dr. Tarola still places breast implants for cosmetic and reconstruction patients?

Although he believes that breast implant illness is a real condition, it appears to affect a relatively small percentage of women with breast implants. What sets him apart from the majority of plastic surgeons is that he emphasizes breast implant illness as a potential complication of breast augmentation/reconstruction with all of his patients considering the procedure. To date, he has only had one of his breast augmentation patients return with symptoms consistent with breast implant illness. The patient underwent a fairly extensive workup, including a referral to a breast surgeon, to rule out other conditions to explain her ailments. When that workup proved inconclusive, the patient and Dr. Tarola ultimately decided it was in the patient’s best interest to remove her breast implants and perform a capsulectomy. Following that procedure, the patient experienced a gradual but complete improvement in her symptoms.

If you are convinced that you have BII or interested in breast implant removal, we are here to help!
Give us call at (615) 713-1695 to schedule your consultation. Virtual consults are also available upon request.

Can You Get a Chemical Peel After Dermaplaning? Why Combined Treatment Works Better

Want to enhance your normal chemical peel treatment to achieve a greater anti-aging effect? Combining your chemical peel with dermaplaning can result in skin improvements you would never see with chemical peels alone. The chemical peel is absorbed deep into the skin and can provide unmatched cleansing and hydration without being limited by the skin’s natural absorption. At Tarola Plastic Surgery in Murfreesboro, TN, we specialize in both of these treatments and can combine them to provide you with a unique facial experience.

What Is Dermaplaning?

Dermaplaning is a minimally invasive and non-surgical treatment that exfoliates the skin by removing dead and damaged skin cells. The treatment is also one of the best methods for removing tiny hairs from your skin that make your complexion look dull and rough. The treatment is conducted by a trained nurse or dermatologist using a surgical scalpel to gently scrape away dead skin from the face. After your treatment session, your skin will be flawless and smooth with a radiant glow.

Can You Get a Chemical Peel After a Dermaplane Session?

A dermaplane session can give you smooth and exfoliated skin, but the benefits do not end with skin exfoliation. A chemical peel after your dermaplane session can provide hydration and cleansing to replenish the skin. A chemical peel is a treatment using natural acids like salicylic acid to remove dead skin cells, toxins, and oils from the skin. Chemical peels come in light, medium, and deep peels to provide various levels of treatment. While a deep chemical peel can provide you with exfoliation and cleansing beyond the skin’s surface, it is not equal to the physical exfoliation from dermaplaning.

The reason that a chemical peel is a perfect partner to a dermaplane treatment is that the physical exfoliation prepares your skin to soak up and enjoy the maximum benefits of the peel. This will give you the deepest cleansing possible, and since the dermaplane session removes tiny hairs from the face, there is nothing to dull your complexion.

What Can the Combined Treatments Do for Your Skin?

A normal chemical peel session will stimulate collagen production, rebuilding your skin and improving the elasticity of the skin. The collagen reduces the appearance of scars and makes the skin firm and smooth. The tone, color, and texture of the skin can be improved. Discoloration and dark spots can also be eliminated. Enlarged pores and clogged pores can be cleansed and cleared of oil and debris, reducing your risk of acne and infection. Chemical peels can also improve skin hydration and improve damaged skin.

When you prepare the skin with an exfoliating dermaplane session, you allow the chemical peel to work uninhibited. The skin will receive optimal benefits of the chemical peel with a multiplied efficiency.

Better Makeup and Skincare Product Absorption

Dermaplaning is not only a great treatment when combined with chemical peels, but it can also work well with other facial treatments. A traditional facial can be combined with a dermaplane session to enhance the hydration benefits of the facial, resulting in smoother and healthier skin. Your skincare products such as moisturizers and toners will also be better absorbed by the skin after a dermaplane session. With no tiny hairs to interfere in your makeup application, your smooth complexion makes it easy to blend and apply makeup. Your session can even be combined with a BOTOX treatment to reduce moderate lines and wrinkles if there is adequate time between sessions.

How Long Will the Results Last?

A dermaplane session takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. Combined with a 30- to 60-minute chemical peel, the entire process takes less than two hours. There is no downtime after the treatment, and you can remain active at home or at work while you recover. The results of the treatment are immediately noticeable, but your new skin may be sensitive.

A chemical peel after your dermaplane session will provide you with clean and radiant skin, but it will not last forever. You can expect your complexion to remain smooth and youthful for close to four weeks. This means that the treatment is best performed as part of your monthly skincare routine. Monthly treatment sessions can keep your skin looking continuously youthful. Each time your skin begins to become dull, you can unveil fresh and glowing skin with a dermaplane session. For the best and longest-lasting results, avoid prolonged sun exposure and wear proper sun protection.

Who Is an Ideal Candidate?

You can enjoy great results from this combination of treatments regardless of age, gender, or skin type. If you have an active infection or acne breakout, you may need to postpone your dermaplane session, as the scalpel may irritate the infected area. Chemical peels may not be recommended if you are pregnant or nursing, but the dermaplane session may still be performed alone. The treatment will not result in downtime, but it is best to plan for your session to allow for a week or so to see final results before you have a big event.

Experience This Combined Skincare Approach

If you want to enhance the results of your chemical peel or facial treatment with a dermaplane session, visit Tarola Plastic Surgery in Murfreesboro, TN for an initial consultation today. We can help you understand what to expect from this treatment and customize the treatment to meet your needs.

What Happens During Microneedling?

Are you looking to achieve benefits that improve the appearance of your skin without surgery? Are you tired of spending time and money on topical creams that don’t seem to help very much? Fortunately, today’s advances in professional skincare offer a happy middle ground. One of the most popular non-surgical treatments is microneedling. It offers real results that can provide significantly smoother skin and a radiant appearance. At Tarola Plastic Surgery in Murfreesboro, TN, we can attest to the remarkable outcomes ourselves.

What Does Microneedling Treat?

This treatment is a versatile solution for several concerns that can affect your appearance. It can improve:

Fine lines and wrinkles
Stretch marks
Acne scars
Other types of scars
Sun spots
Uneven skin texture and rough patches
Loss of firmness

Beyond addressing the things you don’t like, this treatment can give you skin that you love. Many patients say it is the most effective form of skincare they’ve ever tried. People are raving about the bright, glowing complexion they get from it.

How Does Microneedling Work?

It Stimulates Your Body’s Natural Healing Abilities

One amazing thing about your body is that it has its own rejuvenating mechanism. When we are younger, we don’t get wrinkles or fine lines because our skin can maintain its smoothness with collagen and elastin. These two proteins prevent our skin from becoming creased as a result of muscle movements. When we are older, our production of these proteins decreases, meaning that the facial expressions we make leave lines. They start out faintly at first and eventually become wrinkles.

Microneedling uses something called Collagen Induction Therapy. The goal is to encourage your skin to produce new collagen by activating the healing response. To do this, a licensed medical professional uses a hand-held needle roller to gently penetrate the skin barrier. This is a painless way to trick your skin into thinking it is being damaged so that it produces collagen and elastin. As a result, these proteins will go to work smoothing out the signs of aging, repairing scars, and evening out irregularities.

It Lets You Avoid More Intense Procedures and Products That Aren’t Effective

Did you know that many anti-aging products on the market contain a very small percentage of the active ingredient? Some are basically just moisturizers. Despite their high cost, they don’t make a big difference when it comes to fine lines, wrinkles, or scars. Meanwhile, some people don’t want to try surgery because they don’t like the idea of downtime.

Collagen Induction Therapy is a straightforward, minimally invasive treatment that will work without requiring you to take time away from your normal activities. In fact, it can be done in just half an hour, and you can go back to work immediately after. We provide a numbing agent to reduce any chance of discomfort. The prick points themselves are small and gentle. Even people who say they are afraid of needles are able to get this treatment.

It Provides Lasting Results

Some patients start enjoying the benefits of this treatment immediately after they walk out of their appointment. In the days and weeks that follow, the skin continues to improve by producing more and more collagen. Patients who do a series of four to six sessions planned at monthly intervals usually experience the best improvements. To keep up the results, we can schedule touch-up appointments according to how your skin responds.

It Is Effective on Your Face and Other Areas

This treatment isn’t just for your face. You can experience the benefits on your hands, neck arms, chest, tummy, and other areas. It is especially effective for stretch marks on the stomach, with many skincare professionals proclaiming it as the best way to address this concern.

Collagen Induction Therapy and Botox

Botox is another highly effective treatment for people who want to do something about the fact that they are producing less collagen. It is an injectable that targets the muscles that cause fine lines and wrinkles, relaxing them so that the skin smooths out. Many people even use it to prevent new creases from forming. The injections are administered subtly for a natural look that will not leave any parts of your face frozen.

Microneedling and Botox are two different approaches, but both result in fewer signs of aging. One major difference is that Collagen Induction Therapy can give you an all-over glow, treat scarring and improve hyperpigmentation. If you are interested in pursuing the benefits of both treatments, you don’t have to choose one or the other. Just make sure you don’t schedule Botox within two weeks prior to Collagen Induction Therapy or within one week following your appointment.

Achieve Natural Beauty With Microneedling

Collagen Induction Therapy can give you skin you will love by stimulating your own powerful healing process. Experience a smoother texture, get a more radiant appearance, and even out any irregular areas with this popular treatment. Finally, you can improve your skin in ways that actually show.

If you are interested in learning more about this treatment, come into our practice and meet us in person. We can take a look at your skin, talk about your goals, and make a plan that will address your needs. During your consultation, you can ask all the questions you want and discover different treatment options. Contact Tarola Plastic Surgery in Murfreesboro, TN for more information on microneedling. We look forward to bringing out your natural radiance.

Can You Fix Prominent Ears? Reasons to Consider Otoplasty

Do you or your child have ears that protrude more than normal? Prominent ears can be socially painful, especially at a young age. Otoplasty is a type of surgery that addresses the appearance of the ears, including ear pinning, a procedure used to rotate the ears to a more desirable angle and make them less obvious. If you have questions about ear pinning or other corrective surgical procedures for your ears, contact Tarola Plastic Surgery in Murfreesboro, TN for more information.

What Is Otoplasty?

Otoplasty is a type of plastic surgery that specializes in correcting issues with the ears. Surgeons can change the shape, rotation, and size of the ears to fix deformities and reduce the prominence and size of ears. This surgery is sometimes called ear pinning surgery due to the popularity of the surgery for reducing the protrusion of ears from the head. The treatment is an outpatient procedure conducted in our Murfreesboro office.

What to Expect From Surgery

If you consider ear pinning surgery or any surgery to correct your ears, the procedure begins with a consultation. For our patients over the age of 18, this is a great chance to talk about other aesthetic enhancements, like BOTOX. When we determine that the surgery is the best course of action for you, we can make an appointment for your procedure.

You will be under general anesthesia, so you will need someone to drive you home and assist you in the days immediately following surgery. Visible scarring after recovery is unlikely, as any small scars are hidden on the back of the ears by precise incisions and should heal with time.

Reasons to Consider Otoplasty

Fix Prominent Ears

Prominent ears are ears that protrude more than is typical. The appearance of prominent ears can be the cause of bullying and low self-confidence. During ear pinning, a surgeon will rotate the ears back so they stick out less. This procedure is common for children between the ages of four and 14, when the cartilage in the ear has fully developed. Patients of any age can return to their normal life after about a week of recovery with a renewed self-confidence.

Address Birth Defects and Deformities

Birth defects affecting the ears can impact a patient’s appearance and self-image. Patients want to have ears that have a good balance and an average shape. Deformities and birth defects in the ears can be addressed at a fairly early age: usually by the age of five. We can shape the cartilage of the ear, so the shape and balance are satisfactory.

Reduce Ear Size

Ears that are proportionately larger than average are sometimes caused by a condition called macrotia. This means the ears are longer than they would ordinarily be for a male or female of a certain age. The condition can usually be treated during childhood and reduces the size of the ears to a more suitable proportion by reshaping the excess skin and cartilage to achieve the desired length.

Change Ear Position and Shape

If the ears’ position and shape are undesirable to a patient, a surgical procedure can also be used to provide a more typical angle and shape for the ears. This procedure rotates the ears similar to ear pinning for prominent ears and can reduce excess skin and cartilage that cause the ears to be misshapen.

How Soon Is Recovery Expected?

Patients are given instructions to prepare for the procedure and care for their ears after the procedure. Patients will spend a night in our recovery room to ensure safety and comfort for the first 24 hours after the procedure. After the 24-hour recovery period, patients are encouraged to shampoo and shower, and the tight-fitting dressing that provides compression after surgery can be removed. The dressing is replaced with a headband and gauze that will be worn for several weeks after surgery.

Patients can rest at home after the first 24 hours and will be prescribed pain medication as well as a diet rich in fruits and fluids. Patients will be able to return to work or school after only a week but should avoid strenuous activity for six more weeks. Patients are encouraged to stand up and walk as soon as possible. Sun exposure to the ears and smoking or nicotine products should be avoided for some time after the procedure.

Who Is a Candidate for This Procedure?

Although most candidates for ear surgery are young and the procedure is usually recommended between the ages of four and 14, men and women of all ages can benefit from surgery. A doctor will determine if the cartilage is developed enough to proceed with surgery at a young age.

Patients will usually see their scars heal quickly when a skilled surgeon completes the operation, as they are well hidden by precise incisions behind the ear. Patients old enough to smoke should discontinue smoking before surgery and will have to avoid nicotine products as part of their recovery.

Fix Your Prominent Ears Today

If you are ready to correct prominent ears for yourself or your child, visit Tarola Plastic Surgery in Murfreesboro, TN for an initial consultation on life-changing ear pinning surgery. Otoplasty can be used to address a variety of appearance issues in the ears and improve your confidence and self-image. This is an outpatient procedure under the care of a skilled specialist that involves easy and quick recovery for most patients.