From the Corner Office
As I get older, the passage of time feels like it’s speeding up. So here we are again, another year older, wiser and more grateful. 2022 went out with a crack, bang, boom. Thanks to the artic deep freeze that blanketed the South, several of the sewage pipes at our flagship office in Marietta froze. The problems then flowed from there. Though our main office was closed for several days this past week, fortunately we were able to continue to see and treat patients at our satellite office in West Cobb. Throughout this end-of-year ordeal, both staff and patients were flexible and understanding. I remembered a saying that people plan and God laughs. How true. Ultimately you have to just laugh along. Looking forward, all I can say is 2023, here we come. For me, beginnings are always filled with optimism and this new year is certainly no different. The practice is busy and thriving and everything appears to be back in order.
First, I want to welcome Nicola Wellner who has joined our team as the Director of Aesthetic Operations and Office Manager. Nicola has more than ten years of management experience in the high-end spa industry, overseeing as many as seven spas at one time and opening spas located within some of the finest hotels in the world. Prior to that, she worked for two iconic automotive brands, Porsche and BMW in their customer service divisions. She was born and raised in Berlin and has lived in the United States for ten years. She speaks four languages and is as personable as she is professional.
Lastly, I want to try something a little bit different with my Corner Office newsletter. My wife Valerie would like to share her early experience following her Injecta-Lift and Profound RF procedures. Our goals were to rejuvenate her facial shape and increase her lower face and neck skin’s elasticity. This will help improve her jawline and neck contours as more elastin is formed over time. Her treatment was just 2 ½ weeks ago, so stay tuned for updates in future newsletters.
Wishing you a Happy, Healthy and Beautiful 2023!
Seth A. Yellin, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Founder & Director, Marietta Facial Plastic Surgery, Laser & Aesthetics Center
One Patient’s Story:
I do love it when people tell me I have pretty skin or when they seem surprised that I’m about to turn 59. As someone who doesn’t often wear makeup (and when I do it’s basically mascara and lip gloss) I’ve always seen myself as more of a low-maintenance “natural girl.” But the real truth is that this natural girl has actually done quite a lot to have pretty skin. In fact, last year one of Seth’s Corner Office newsletters recounted all the things we both did to get ready for our son’s wedding. I was kind of shocked (and maybe even a little embarrassed) by the fact that I’m not as “low-maintenance” as I think I am.
To start with, I should say that I don’t have naturally great skin. Frequent sunburns when I was younger created a lot of freckling and other damage, and genetically my skin isn’t as elastic as it could be. So, when I started seeing age-related loss of volume and sun-induced wrinkles I asked Seth and his aestheticians what I could be doing to once again look like myself. As a result, I’ve had just about every nonsurgical procedure offered at Marietta Facial Plastics, Laser, and Aesthetics Center and even a full-face CO2 laser procedure in 2018. My face looks good because of lasers, fillers, BBL, Botox, Profound, AquaGold, Moxi, Oxygen and other facials, and all the wonderful products I use daily. I also use Revisions sunscreen every day to prevent any more sun damage.
Since people are always asking me what I do to my skin and how much downtime there is, I thought it would be interesting to document my recent experience with Injecta-Lift and Profound. I will post a few before, during, and after pictures in the coming months, but for now here are my honest observations:
Day of Procedure: With 1.5 mg of oral Xanax taken as soon as I got to the office, and then Pronox during the Injecta-Lift and Botox injections, I can honestly say I experienced no pain or stress. Desiree was assisting that day and she and Melissa both make the experience pleasant and pain-free by using a cold roller device and distracting patients with a gentle tapping motion. After that was done, I walked from the treatment room into the office OR and Desiree injected me with lidocaine. That part wasn’t comfortable but it was tolerable. Because of the lidocaine, I didn’t feel a thing during Profound, which is a micro-needling radio-frequency device. I even suggested they video the procedure to show anyone who’s curious what it’s like. Luckily for me, I live with my doctor, so he drove me home and I iced my face and ate dinner. I felt fine.
Day 1: I woke up a bit swollen and because I take aspirin daily and didn’t stop it until two days before my procedures, I had some bruising around my eyes from the filler. I spent the day icing and hanging out with my dogs, but did not need any pain medicine at all. I took homeopathic Arnica, an herbal product that helps with swelling and bruising, and used Aquaphor. That night, we went to Home Depot and to Seed Kitchen for dinner. Did I look a bit swollen and weird, yes. Did I care, not really. I think Seth cared more than I did.
Day 2: Still bruised around one eye and my face and neck were swollen, but we went out for lunch and shopping, then to Fire Stone in Kennesaw for some spicy Chinese food. Everyone’s tolerance for going out when looking imperfect is different and some might want to stay in for a few days. But I was really okay going out like this. I may have felt self-conscious in an office setting, but being out and about among strangers was fine.
Day 3: Woke up a little less swollen and bruised. We took a very long walk (it was super cold but sunny) and went to Seth’s cousin’s house for dinner. When I realized this social engagement was going to occur three days post-procedure I actually considered postponing my procedure. But, I wasn’t able to get another appointment at MFPS until mid-February (yes, even the doctor’s wife has to wait for appointments!) so I decided to go for it. I had planned to put some ISDIN drops around my eyes to cover the bruises, but instead, I decided to just explain that I had a procedure. Then I proceeded to enjoy Chef Jay’s magnificent meal and the wonderful company.
Day 4: I’m still a bit bruised under my eyes and needed to meet with clients, so I used ISDIN drops to conceal my bruising. I’m pretty sure that not stopping my aspirin a week prior to the procedure is the reason I am more bruised than when I did this a few years ago. Next time around, I will listen to my doctor and stop taking aspirin a week before injectables!
Day 5: The swelling from Profound is now gone and I’m excited to see the results in three or four months. I put lip gloss on before heading out and noticed that my lips look a little fuller, but totally natural. I’m very happy with the Injecta-Lift result. I understand that many people are more “private” about getting something done, and therefore might want to set aside three to five days of downtime after Injecta-Lift or Profound. I chose to keep going, mostly because I had stuff to do before the holidays.
Conclusion: Aging, particularly for women, is a complicated issue. I don’t see it as an all-or-nothing venture. I decided to stop coloring my hair during COVID, and it’s fascinating (and sometimes disheartening) to see how different people react to my grey hair. (My mom keeps trying to convince me to color it again!) I try to stay fit so I can look and feel healthy. And I’m very proud to be the mom of 30-year-old and 26-year-old sons. Yet, I want to feel confident when I look in the mirror, and for me, that means looking refreshed and volumized. When marionette lines pop up or I start looking hollow under my eyes, I will happily do this all over again. While others might not feel comfortable telling people what they’ve had done to their faces, I don’t really mind. When I tell them they always say “but you look so natural!” So maybe I am that “natural girl” after all!
