Newport Beach Plastic Surgery | Dr. Hendrick's Blog

The ultimate success of your plastic surgery procedure will depend largely on choosing the right plastic surgeon. In the hands of a highly skilled surgeon, your plastic surgery results will help augment your appearance without drawing attention to your cosmetic enhancement.

Orange County plastic surgeon Dr. Douglas Hendricks believes that earning the trust and confidence of his patients is crucial to establishing a proper patient/doctor relationship. This strong relationship will enable Dr. Hendricks to better understand your cosmetic goals so that he can provide you with the best possible results for your plastic surgery procedure. When you evaluate potential surgeons, make sure to work with someone whom you trust.

I heard something interesting on the radio the other day. It was a commercial for a LASIK surgeon but they said “you wouldn’t go to the cheapest brain surgeon !” The same is true for Plastic surgery. This is an important decision that hopefully you will only have to make one time, so you want to be sure that quality and experience is at the top of the list when you make your choice.

I always tell my patients you want someone with a few grey hairs but not too many ! In other words, surgical skill is gained by extended experience… sometimes 10 or 15 years refining the techniques to what works and what doesn’t. You don’t want someone neccesarilly fresh out of residency, but at the same time I wouldn’t choose somebody who is at the far end of their carreer and really isn’t up on the latest and most up to date techniques

It is important to come to your initial consultation prepared to ask your potential surgeon a variety of questions about your desired procedure and about his professional experience. If the surgeon does not answer your questions to your satisfaction, you should keep looking.

Choosing a board certified plastic surgeon is very important. It ensures that your doctor has completed the highest levels of training in the field and has a great deal of experience performing your desired procedure.

Your plastic surgeon should also thoroughly explain all of the risks involved in your procedure. If he doesn’t offer to show you before and after photos of patients who have received the same surgery you desire, ask to see them. This will give you a good idea as to the type of work your plastic surgeon performs. Your initial consultation is also an excellent opportunity to talk about financing options for your desired procedure.

Ultimately, you must feel confident that you have made the right choice. If anything about a plastic surgeon or his staff makes you uncomfortable, you should continue your search. If you have any questions as you conduct your search, Dr. Hendricks will be happy to discuss them with you.

Please contact our Orange County plastic surgery office today to schedule your initial consultation with Dr. Hendricks. We serve patients in Orange County, California.

Choosing whether or not to undergo breast enhancement surgery can be one of the largest and most important decisions you will ever make. For many women, breast augmentation helps boost their self-confidence, helping them to achieve their ideal breast size and shape once and for all. It also helps balance the upper trunk to be proportionate with the lower trunk (hips, in this case).

However, breast enhancement is a surgical procedure that, like all surgery, is accompanied by some possibles risks. Therefore, it is important to think through your choice very carefully before you make your final decision. It is important to have your spouse-boyfriend-family on-board. They will be the ones that will support you during your recovery and through the process of undergoing a change in your body shape. You want to surround yourself with these type of people to ensure a positive experience and a smooth recovery.

Breast enhancement can correct a number of problems you may have with your breasts so that you are more satisfied with your appearance. In general, you may be a good candidate for breast augmentation if you are interested in:

• Balancing uneven breasts
• Adding size or volume to your breasts
• Correcting sagging issues caused by weight loss, age, or pregnancy or breast feeding

Age and lifestyle choices play an important factor in deciding whether or not you are an ideal candidate for breast augmentation. Orange County breast surgeon Dr. Douglas Hendricks will not recommend breast enhancement for women under the age of 18, and it is generally wise to wait until your mid 20s for the procedure since your breasts may continue to develop well into your 20s.

Child birth is another factor affecting your candidacy for breast augmentation. If you are planning on having children in the future, you may want to wait until after child birth for your procedure, since breast enhancement can affect your ability to breast feed in some circumstances, although most woman in his experience are able to breast feed after augmentation and the breasts return for the most part to a shape mostly similar to the pre-pregnancy appearance..

At your initial consultation, Dr. Hendricks will discuss all of these factors with you to help you make an informed decision about your desired breast enhancement procedure.

To learn more about your breast enhancement options, please contact our Orange County breast surgery office today to schedule your initial consultation with Dr. Hendricks. Pacifica Cosmetic Surgery Center serves patients in Orange County, California.

Lines and Wrinkles in the face suggest aging, stress or both. To maintain a youthful appearance, there are many cosmetic treatments available that add volume and smooth out fine lines.

Restylane® and BOTOX® Cosmetic are very popular treatments that each has its own distinct advantage. Restylane® is a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved non-animal, biodegradable, clear gel based on hyaluronic acid that plumps up fine lines, fills depressions and shapes lips, chins and cheeks.

BOTOX® Cosmetic is another FDA approved treatment that is derived from the bacterium clostridium botulinum. BOTOX® Cosmetic is injected into the targeted area with a fine needle and inactivates those muscles that cause wrinkles. BOTOX® Cosmetic smoothes fine lines and is used mainly to remove frown lines, laugh lines and forehead lines. In essence, any wrinkle produced when a muscle moves is a good candidate for Botox.

Static wrinkles or Creases (Ones that are present at rest) respond better to injectable soft-tissue fillers , such as Hyaluronic Acid Gels or some of the newer semi-permanent fillers.

Although both treatments are FDA approved, Restylane® is a natural substance and contains no animal ingredients. The effects of Restylane® last up to one year, while the effects of BOTOX® Cosmetic last from three to six months.

Both treatments produce good results, but vary according to the patients’ requirements, condition and circumstances of treatment. Dr. Hendricks is the only one qualified to recommend which treatment is best for you.

Perhaps you need questions answered about which treatment is best for you? Please contact Dr. Douglas L. Hendricks of Pacifica Cosmetic Surgery today to schedule a consultation that could start you on the road to a more youthful and fresh appearance.

Restylane® simulates the body’s own production of hyaluronic acid to plump up and add volume to the targeted areas. Hyaluronic acid found naturally in the human body helps skin resiliency and resistance to damage. The most common areas treated are the nasolabial folds, lips, cheeks and chin, between the eyebrows and the backs of the hands. Restylane® is very successful at treating fine lines and even deep furrows in these areas.

Restylane® treatments take very little time, usually only around thirty minutes, depending on the amount being administered, and the procedure is performed in an out-patient setting.

Improvement is seen immediately at the time of treatment. Although there may be some mild temporary discomfort from the injection, side effects are rare, but may include redness, a temporary feeling of numbness and bruising and swelling at the injection site.

Restylane® results are immediate and last from six to twelve months, with your age and severity of the wrinkles and lines treated dictating the longevity of the results. However, if you receive Restylane® treatments for lip augmentation, you will most likely receive follow-up treatments more frequently than those who use Restylane® for only lines and wrinkles.

There is no recovery time associated with Restylane® treatments. The redness or bruising sometimes seen with the treatment can be covered with make-up and will resolve itself in only days.

If you would like to learn more about Restylane®, please contact Dr. Hendricks at Pacifica Cosmetic Surgery Center today.

Hyaluronic acid have become extremely popular as soft tissue fillers and wrinkle reducers in Plastic Surgery today. Although there are several manufacturers of Hyaluronic Acid gels, thay are all basically a natural substance in your skin, besides collagen and elastin, whose purpose is to provide fullness and elasticity. With the passage of time, your skin’s naturally occurring hyaluronic acid diminishes, and as it diminishes your skin loses its’ youthful, dewy, fresh appearance.

The synthetic hyaluronic acid in Restylane® replenishes your skin in a non-surgical, long-lasting, well tolerated treatment. Restylane® is unique because it binds with the moisture in your skin to maintain volume over time, lasting on the average from six to twelve months.

Restylane® has been in use for over a decade worldwide and has been proven to be both safe and effective. Restylane® contains no animal proteins which limits the risk of allergic reactions or animal-based disease transmission.

Restylane® is injected into the skin in tiny amounts using a very fine needle in a quick procedure. Treatment benefits are commonly seen instantly. Restylane® can be used to smooth facial lines, create fuller lips and improve cheek and chin lines subtly.

There is a slight risk of redness, swelling, pain, itching, burning and tenderness at the site of the Restylane® injections that commonly resolve themselves in one to two days.

Are you ready to have the Restylane® experience? If so, please contact the office of Orange County, California cosmetic surgeon, Douglas L. Hendricks, M.D., FACS of Pacifica Cosmetic Surgery Center today.