Rhinoplasty can be used to assist patients with concerns about their external appearance such as shrinking a nasal hump or narrowing the tip of the nose. However, it can also be used to assist patients with breathing issues from nasal deformities. Insurance may even cover these functional surgeries. Dr. Welshhans is well versed in both cosmetic and functional nasal surgery, endonasal and open approaches, and even combination procedures for patients who have both breathing and cosmetic concerns.

Good candidates for rhinoplasty are patients with cosmetic or functional nasal concerns who are otherwise healthy enough to undergo surgery.

Recovery initially is about 2 weeks, but complete healing will occur for a full year following surgery. A cast is placed on the outside of the nose and splints are typically placed on the inside of the nose as well for 1 week after surgery.

Heaviness in the forehead and brows can result in a tired appearance as the upper one third of the face begins to age. Descent of this area can even make patients appear angry or affect vision. Dr. Welshhans can perform this procedure with multiple approaches although most commonly she uses a hairline approach where the scar is completely hidden in the hairline. This procedure can be combined with eyelid surgery or a lower face lift to optimize the result.

Good candidates for brow/ forehead lifts are patients with concerns regarding drooping of the eyebrows or upper eyelids, vision issues from this, forehead wrinkles or wrinkles between the eyes and even some hairline or forehead size issues.

Recovery initially is about 2 weeks. Facial pressure dressings will need to be worn for a couple of days following the procedure. Final results occur in about 6 months.

Eyelid surgery can be done to address extra upper and/ or lower eyelid skin as well as fat herniation from the upper and lower eyelids that patients commonly refer to as “eyelid bags”. Dr. Welshhans often will perform upper eyelid surgery in the office to make the procedure even easier for her patients. Lower eyelid surgery can be done without any external scarring in some cases. Eyelid surgery is a great way to improve the youthfulness of your eyes and post-surgical patients note that they feel their appearance is more rested and their eyes appear brighter.

Good candidates for eyelid surgery are patients who have cosmetic or in some cases vision concerns regarding their eyelids and who do not have any underlying eye issues (like severe dry eye).

Recovery initially is about 2 weeks. Although Dr. Welshhans notes the appearance of the eyes will look much more normal and improved at closer to 6 weeks with final results in 6 months.

Otoplasty can be used to correct prominent ears in patients of many ages but Dr. Welshhans most commonly does this in children. The incisions are hidden behind the ear and the cartilage of the ear is remolded to take the anatomically correct shape and reduce the prominence of the ears.

Otoplasty can be done once the ears reach close to adult size around 6 years old or after. Typically, this will be done as soon as possible to avoid self-consciousness and bullying in school.

A headwrap dressing will be used for 1 week after surgery to encourage the ears to remain in place. Recovery is initially 2 weeks with final results in 6 months.

Face lift is one of the more common reasons that Dr. Welshhans’s patients seek consultation in her office as patients are often bothered significantly by the heaviness that occurs in the lower face with aging. Face lift surgery can be performed with well hidden surgical scars and Dr. Welshhans does not use any surgical drains. Patients typically note improvement in neck skin laxity, jowling, and lines around the mouth. Dr. Welshhans especially likes to combine this procedure with facial fat grafting to improve the restoration of a youthful appearance.

Good candidates for facelift have primary concerns about aging, skin laxity, and volume loss in the mid to lower face and neck and are otherwise healthy enough to undergo surgery with general anesthesia as Dr. Welshhans prefers general anesthesia for face lift surgery.

Recovery is 2 weeks of more severe swelling and bruising and 6 weeks of continued initial recovery. The final result occurs in about 6-12 months.

Neck lift surgery refers to when the procedure is limited to lifting only the neck skin and muscle. This may or may not be combined with a face lift to address the mid to lower face as well. Typically, Dr. Welshhans will use a small incision underneath the chin to remove fat, tighten muscle and remove a small amount of neck skin.

Good candidates for neck lift only typically tend to be younger with a primary or isolated area of submental fullness or platysma banding. Otherwise, this is best done in conjunction with a face lift.

Recovery is 2 weeks and a pressure dressing is used around the neck and face for 2 weeks.

A well-defined chin is more important than many patients realize and it is a key to creating appropriate facial harmony and balance. Dr. Welshhans may suggest considering a chin implant as part of a rhinoplasty procedure as having a small chin or jaw often makes the appearance of the nose much larger. Other times, chin implants are done in an isolated fashion to address a “weak chin” that is bothersome to the patient. Dr. Welshhans inserts chin implants through a small external incision under the chin.

Good candidates are patients looking to improve the appearance of the chin itself but also the neck line, and nasal appearance.

Recovery is approximately 2-6 weeks.

One of the major problems that occurs as we age is volume loss and descent of what fat is present into the lower face and neck. This really encompasses multiple procedures that can be done including: liposuction of the face (typically of jowls or submentum/ under chin area) and/or placing your own fat into the areas of volume loss in the face. Fat is an excellent alternative to dermal fillers for patients who prefer to use their own tissue to replace the volume that is lost.

Good candidates are any patients with volume loss concerns or fat displacement concerns. However, younger patients are going to be the best candidates for primary liposuction as their skin will respond better after the liposuction and skin laxity in the area of fat removal will be avoided.

Recovery is 2 weeks initially with final results in 6 months. Fat will typically only survive about 50% after injection so initial results may look “overfilled” (purposefully) with final results in 6 months.

Another problem that occurs with aging is lengthening of the cutaneous upper lip and thinning of the red lip. An office surgical procedure, a lip lift, can be done with a small incision hidden in the shadow under the nose in order to shorten the cutaneous lip and improve projection of the upper red lip.

Many patients are candidates for this procedure if the upper lip is an area of aging that is bothersome to them- it can be done in the office under local anesthesia which is easier for patients.

Recovery is 2-6 weeks.

Buccal fat removal is a recent trendier procedure to sharpen the cheek line. Dr. Welshhans can remove excess cheek fat through a hidden incision inside the mouth.

Typical patients are younger patients who feel they have excessive cheek fat or would like a more sculpted appearance to the cheek bone. This can be done under local anesthesia in the office.

Recovery is 1-2 weeks.

Some patients who wear earrings (especially heavier ones) have issues with the ear piercing lengthening overtime and not holding the jewelry well or even pulling all the way through the lobe so they cannot wear earrings at all. Other patients notice and are bothered by the lengthening of the ear lobes that occurs with aging. Dr. Welshhans can address both or either of these issues with a small in office procedure under local anesthesia to repair the piercing site and/ or to shorten the ear lobe for a more youthful appearance.

Dr. Welshhans has treated patients of all ages for this procedure in the office from aged 13-85. She can even fix large gauged holes if patients no longer wish to have that appearance.

Recovery is 1-2 weeks. The ears can be repierced in 6 months (which Dr. Welshhans will do and is included in the cost of the procedure).

Some traumatic or even surgical scars do no heal as well as patients would like and revisions can be done to improve the camouflage of the scar.

Typically, Dr. Welshhans recommends waiting one year prior to considering revision procedures as scars will improve greatly on their own over this time.

Recovery depends on the extent of the scar being revised but is typically 1-2 weeks.

In addition to her cosmetic practice, Dr. Welshhans also boasts a robust skin cancer treatment and reconstructive practice. She is able to remove and reconstruct any skin cancer defect located on the head and neck. She is well educated in the latest reconstructive techniques to obtain not only cancer cure, but also the best aesthetic result.

Any patient who has a lesion of concern, or a positive skin cancer biopsy from their dermatologist or primary care provider can call the office for a consultation. These types of procedures are covered by insurance.

Recovery depends greatly on the extent of the cancer and the reconstruction.