Ask Santa Barbara Cosmetic Surgeon Dr. Perkins – Popular Cosmetic Procedures in Santa Barbara

Q: Hi Dr. Perkins. What are your most popular plastic surgery procedures?

A: Thanks for contacting me! The breakdown of the procedures I perform is about 30% liposuction and 70% divided out between other procedures such as face lifts, rhinoplasty (nasal surgery), eyelifts, neck and chin lifts and other facial aging issues.

Liposuction is used to improve a person’s body contours. It is not a weight-loss alternative. Often people get liposuction in Santa Barbara to treat areas that are more stubborn than others. Many women who have had children find that they have abdomen bulges that are harder to work off due to stretched skin from pregnancy. Skin removal can be done along with the abdominal liposuction and this procedure then turns into a mini-tummy tuck. Another popular area treated by liposuction are the legs, specifically the inner and outer thighs, where the main goal is to decrease bulk with a smooth end result. The upper arms are also a common place for liposuction – where I may have to remove excess skin along with liposuction to help the patient lose the “bat wing” look. I do not do breast augmentation, but in some cases am able to transfer the patient’s fat from liposuction to the breast area for a “natural” breast augmentation. Read more about that in one of my previous posts.

The other 70% of the cosmetic procedures that I do involve the facial area. A face lift addresses skin laxity with the end result being a natural, well-rested, non-operated look. A chin procedure using an implant gives a “weak” chin a more prominent look. An eye lid lift, or eye lid surgery, addresses sagging skin or bulges that may make a person look tired or unhappy. A forehead procedure lifts the forehead and brow, opening up the eyes and minimizing frown lines (with the partial removal of the frown muscles). A neck lift removes sagging skin and fat accumulation that is often seen as one ages. Neck lifts re-contour the neck for a more youthful appearance. Nasal surgery (or rhinoplasty) is done to improve appearance or breathing function.