Dr. Michael Yerukhim details the hottest new and existing aesthetic and plastic surgery options to improve the face, from rhinoplasty and facelifts to Profound RF and lip lift procedures
By Olivia Bloom
Dubbed the Zoom Boom, the demand for plastic surgery has increased these past couple years as more people are seeing themselves in a new light during business video teleconferencing and when connecting with family and friends socially.
“The Zoom Boom in plastic surgery is real. People are noticing the different ways they are aging when seeing themselves from new angles on a computer screen during teleconferences,” says Dr. Michael Yerukhim. “It has spurred a tremendous growth in the plastic surgery industry. Patients are seeking ways to improve their appearance—from using Botox for fine lines and wrinkles, to injecting fillers under the eyes and around the mouth to enhance facial features, to opting for rhinoplasty to change the aesthetics of the nose, to surgical and minimally invasive treatments to lessen the overall effects of aging.”
With so much new technology and so many aesthetic treatment options, it can be a daunting task to sift through all the information. We sat down with Dr. Yerukhim to discuss new developments in the plastic surgery industry and how he is helping patients look and feel better.
A double board-certified surgeon, he is uniquely qualified to provide natural, powerful, long-lasting results. After training at two of the country’s most prestigious medical schools—Mount Sinai Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland—he now has his own private practice, located in Middleburg Heights, serving all of Northeast Ohio.
Q: What is the difference between a surgical and nonsurgical facelift?
A: A facelift (a rhytidectomy) is a surgery that reverses the changes of facial aging, such as loose, sagging, wrinkled skin, jowls, and neck bands. There are many different types of facelifts, and everyone’s face ages differently based on their genetics and environment. Therefore, it is necessary to understand these mechanisms and know the techniques to reverse these changes naturally. A facelift can remove excess skin, reposition fat in different areas, tighten muscles to help create a smoother, younger-looking face and neck, and remove jowls. Face lifting surgeries are the most powerful option that get the best results, but they also require more recovery time.
In the most powerful facelift—a deep plane facelift—we are able to release the deep attachments that tether the tissues and create the creases of aging, thus allowing us to reposition sagging tissue in the face and neck. Nonsurgical facelifts are minimally invasive and can consist of radio frequency microneedling, injectables and fillers, and liposuction.
For example, I offer Profound RF. This innovative skin-tightening procedure combines radio frequency energy with microneedling to reach deeper layers of the skin and stimulate the body to create more collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid—the building blocks that keep skin looking smooth and youthful.
Q: How long does it take to see the effects of the Profound RF treatment?
A: Because you are stimulating your own cells to rejuvenate the skin, it takes about six months to see the full effects from the procedure. So, if you have the procedure now, you will see the full results by the holiday season.
Since the results are gradual and build over time, Profound RF creates a more natural look. Profound RF is an excellent option for people who are not quite to the point of needing a facelift, but still want to improve their look and skin quality, in a natural but profound way.
Q: Dr. Vasu Pandrangi has been a prominent plastic surgeon in the area for years. Now that he’s retiring, what will happen to the plastic surgery landscape?
A: Dr. Pandrangi is a prolific and skilled surgeon who has been serving our community for years. His presence at Southwest General Health Center will be very much missed, but I want to make sure that people are aware that all their facial aesthetic and reconstructive needs can still be met locally by passionate, skilled and experienced plastic surgeons, like myself.
Q: What are some of the new products on the market?
A: New injectables and fillers are constantly evolving and providing more natural and long-lasting results. Some are designed for specific areas of the face, such as plumping the lips, while others build structure around the cheeks and eyes.
For example, we have been getting nice results with Restylane Kysse—a filler that adds volume, smooths upper lip lines and enhances lip color.
Also, minimally invasive RadioFrequency (RF) technology, such as our Profound RF, has been one of the fastest growing and popular new technologies. Aesthetic technology overall is constantly evolving and requires dedication to remain up to speed on new developments to provide our patients with state-of-the-art care and results.
The same applies to surgical techniques. They are evolving to provide more natural and powerful results. Lip lifting is a prime example.
Q: There has been a dramatic rise in the popularity of the lip lift procedure. Who is a candidate for this procedure?
A: Lip lifting is a procedure that has had a drastic resurgence lately. Modern techniques have advanced the surgical science to provide reliable, natural and powerful results. It is an excellent option for people who want to correct a “duck lip” deformity caused by inappropriate or excessive use of fillers, and for people who have an elongated upper lip due to aging and where fillers may not be appropriate.
Q: You perform a lot of nasal surgery with wonderful results. What is rhinoplasty, and what is a rhinoplasty specialist?
A: Rhinoplasty can be performed to improve aesthetics or for medical reasons to allow people to breathe better or both. A rhinoplasty specialist is an expert plastic surgeon who understands all the intricacies of what makes the nose look and breathe its best—someone who understands what makes every nose different and has the knowledge and skill to properly correct the structures for optimal, natural, long-lasting results.
My training as an otolaryngologist (head and neck surgeon) exposed me to all aspect of nasal surgery. This was followed by dedicated training in facial plastic surgery and then years of experience performing these procedures. Therefore, I feel very confident that I can offer patients all possible options with consistently excellent results.
As a rhinoplasty specialist, I know that rhinoplasty is not just one surgery but requires proper selection from myriad maneuvers to get the desired results. Whether performing major reconstructive surgery, a minimally invasive touch-up or liquid rhinoplasty, I have the expertise to make our patients look and breathe their best.
Q: What exactly is liquid rhinoplasty?
A: This conservative office procedure uses fillers to change the shape of the nose. It is gaining popularity since the procedure is minimally invasive. However, there are some limitations and potentially disastrous complications in untrained hands. Therefore, it takes an expert plastic surgeon with an artistic, trained eye to achieve safe and beautiful results.
Dr. Michael Yerukhim’s medical office is located at 7215 Old Oak Boulevard, Suite A414, in Middleburg Heights. For more information, call 440-816-2776 or visit MyFacialPlastics.com.