InHealth: Dreams, Vanity, Hype, and Reality

By Sumeet Bhanot, MD, FACS | April 2023

What do we desire when it comes to our appearance? The answer is simple yet the “hype machine” derails us from reality. We are all looking for a natural, rested, rejuvenated appearance with the least cost, recovery and greatest of ease (the mythical magic wand or fountain of youth). Is that possible? NO! 

What do we end up doing when we are in pursuit of what doesn’t seem logical, possible, or real? Usually what we do best—buy “snake oils”. Yes, we fall prey to the latest modalities that promise everything—shiny machines that purport magical scientific properties and substances that replace lost youth. Why do we believe it? 

The answer is that we don’t want to face the truth that anything worthwhile in life requires a great deal of knowledge, diligence, perseverance, and effort, along with recovery time and cost. What took mother nature 4-6 decades to degrade cannot be remedied in 20 minutes. There is a multibillion dollar industry that is more than willing to take our money on false promises.

I am a scientist and a doctor foremost committed to dealing in the currency of truth. So here it is…

Aging is defined by the change in proportions or volume distribution in the face, not by the individual wrinkles, lines, or depressions in the face. In youth, we carry most of the volume in the upper face and cheeks maintaining a more defined jaw and neckline. As we age, the relentless pull of gravity takes a toll on the integrity of the supporting structures of the face causing a descent of the volume to the lower face and neck which creates jowls, hollows in the cheeks and lower eyelids.

How do we fix this? One option is to see the face as “baggy pants” with the solution being to fill the pants with volume, so they stretch out and lose all the wrinkles. This leads to a cherub-like overly- filled face. Option two is to pull the skin tightly, leading to an overly stretched face with sagging volume. Option three combines the first two options and addresses some of the issues by filling in parts while supporting others—SMAS facelift with fat injection. This is a very reasonable solution that is performed well by many of my colleagues whom I respect. However, I personally feel that in my hands the very rare deep plane facelift is the best solution. It is a procedure I have performed for a decade to the satisfaction of many.

In this procedure, the root cause of aging is addressed at the source by lifting the fallen volume and returning it to its original location. The entire facial structure gets lifted as one anatomic unit, as opposed to just stretching the surface. This logically results in the ideal restoration of the contours of the youthful face without forcing perspective. What my patients see is natural beauty with subtle results yet dramatic change. It does not require any qualification; it just looks right. 

The proof is in the pudding. Just looking at before and after photos answers all the questions. We need to ignore social media hype, internet promises and our endless search for the best technology. It is far wiser to find an expert in the field who has devoted their entire life to the study of the aging face, who has a vision of true restoration and the technical know-how and skill to make it a reality. 

To realize our dreams is to face reality, embrace vanity and ignore hype. We only live once. Choose wisely and enjoy life!

Bhanot Facial Plastic Surgery

Sumeet Bhanot, MD, FACS

2038 Bee Ridge Rd, 

Sarasota, FL 34239

(941) 966-3223

www.sarasotafacialplastics.com