Skin

Part of the normal aging process includes the loss of skin volume. What this means is that the previously smooth, firm, youthful skin you once saw in the mirror is now replaced with lines and creases in areas where you show expression, like your eyebrows and around your mouth. This is due to loss of elasticity or recoil in the skin, combined with thinning of the skin due sun damage or aging.

Fillers are a very useful tool for a range of skin enhancements. Safe, FDA approved gel-like substances are injected under the skin to add volume, correct asymmetries, smooth wrinkled and uneven skin tone, and enhance contours. More than one million injectable fillers are dispensed every year and are popular for their ease of application, affordability, and natural look. No surgery, no downtime…it’s a win-win!

Benefits of injectable fillers include:

• Fill in deep lines such as “marionette lines” and forehead lines
• Smooth lip lines
• Plump cheeks and temples
• Smooth and improve chin contour
• Balance out uneven facial features

Autologous fat injections, which utilize your own body fat to plump and contour other parts of the body, do require minor surgery. First, Dr. Gerstle uses liposuction to harvest the fat and then transfers it to the required facial areas.

Lip enhancement surgery is one of our leading services. As we age, our bodies lose both volume and elasticity. On the face, years of sun exposure, facial movement, and gravity can cause the lip to begin to sag and look thinned and tired. Other people simply were born with a smaller upper lip and wish they had more volume in that area.

Dr. Gerstle offers many options for those who want to plump, de-wrinkle, and create a sexier, more youthful look to their lips.

Our lip enhancement menu includes:

• Dermabrasion
• Fat grafting
• Lip fillers
• Lip implants
• Tissue grafting
• Laser treatments
• Botox

We frequently wonder in our office why people tolerate spider veins for so long without getting treatment. Unfortunately, women are at a higher risk of spider veins than men. These unsightly, blue-purple veins can be the product of age, childbirth, or a career that keeps you constantly on your feet. Looking at them day after day, summer after summer, however, is just unnecessary, as is avoiding shorts, skirts, bathing suits, and dresses. We can erase them in our office, sometimes with only one treatment.

Dr. Gerstle utilizes multiple methods for spider vein removal depending on your particular situation. An injection of an FDA-approved salt solution, or sclerosant, is one way to treat the affected area. The injection causes the tiny veins to collapse on themselves and disappear immediately—and permanently. The process is mildly uncomfortable and the injection can cause some itching, but once they are gone, you can expect the spider veins to stay gone. And with little to no downtime, you can go on with your life as usual, only spider vein free.

Laser treatment is another option. Dr. Gerstle uses the laser to remove the darkened pigmentation or color in that area, and you are left with normal, flawless skin. Laser therapy applies photons to the affected area which destroy the blood vessels using heat. Laser treatment can be used throughout the body to dissolve spider veins, including on the face.

Dr. Gerstle’s expert knowledge of anatomy as a Harvard-trained plastic surgeon means that he is skilled at understanding the body, the skin, and which treatment can give you the best result. Therefore, he performs these treatments personally.

People inevitably change over time, and that could mean that you’d like to remove tattoos that are no longer relevant or no longer look as fresh as they once had. Your general level of health, status as a smoker, skin tone and color, and age will all factor into the success of your tattoo removal.

Excision/Surgical Tattoo Removal—Depending on the size of the artwork to be removed, Dr. Gerstle may suggest one or a series of excisions that will replace the unwanted tattoo with a small, barely discernible scar.

Removal time depends on the size of the area to be treated, the colors involved, the area of the body where the tattoo is located, and your age, as it may be easier to remove tattoos from younger patients. It may take anywhere from five to fifteen sessions to remove the tattoo as comprehensively as possible.

The key to avoiding a devastating skin cancer diagnosis is early detection and removal. In addition to being a serious threat to your health, a cancer that occurs on the face can be disfiguring. When you are under our care for other skincare maintenance and treatment, we promote healthy skin habits and stay abreast of any changes in your skin that could indicate an occurrence of cancer.

Fortunately, of the millions of skin cancers that are diagnosed each year, the majority are benign. Dr. Gerstle is skilled in the removal of skin cancer lesions as well as in the reconstruction of tissue once a cancerous growth has been removed by your dermatologist. Reconstruction can involve harvesting tissue from other areas of the body and filling in the area that had to be excised.

Again, prevention is worth a pound of cure. Maintaining a regular skincare regimen with Lexington Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery gives you the peace of mind of knowing that we are on the alert for any suspect lesions or skin changes that can signal a growing cancer.

World class skin care is now available right here in Lexington, Kentucky! What was once only available in the luxury spas of Europe is now on your doorstep.

The ZO line of products was created by the world-renowned skin care expert Dr. Zein Obagi. ZO Skin Health products are designed for daily use to protect your skin from the environment and to maintain the results of your beauty treatments. The ZO medical line is specially formulated to treat a variety of skin disorders and chronic conditions.

Chemical peels work by removing the outer layers of your skin damaged by the sun, aging, and environmental conditions. The specific peel best suited to your skin type and needs will be determined by our esthetician. Superficial and medium peels are available.

An innovative, in-office treatment peel targeting melasma, acne, fine lines, rough texture, large pores and dullness, followed by an at-home treatment that produces longer lasting results than ordinary peels. Suitable for all skin types.