Give the gift of beauty with Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery.

What better holiday surprise than the gift of beauty? Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery offers a range of gift ideas perfect for the both the girls and guys on your holiday shopping list:

• A luxe new look: Facial cosmetic procedures, both surgical and non-invasive, are increasingly popular gifts. If someone you love has talked about a chemical peel, brow lift or Botox injection, consider a Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery gift certificate toward a procedure of their choosing. A favorite this year is the Garcia Institute’s Contoura, a proprietary procedure designed to take years off a face in a matter of minutes. Certificates for a SunFX spray tanning session, hand rejuvenating treatment or lash and brow tint make great stocking stuffers.

• A sweet respite: Everyone can use a little R&R now and then. A luxurious facial treatment or massage is always a welcome gift. The Swedish massage is a favorite. The athlete in your life will love a sports massage, designed to release lactic build-up in the muscles and prevent injuries. And if someone you care about is carrying a stress load, our deep tissue massage will help him or her relax, rejuvenate and refocus.

• A little knowledge: If someone on your holiday shopping list is considering facial plastic surgery, make sure he or she is well informed. Penned by Dr. Phillip Garcia and Dr. Roberto Garcia, Just Faces: A Guide to Facial Plastic Surgery provides a comprehensive look at all you can expect while preparing for, undergoing and recovering from a cosmetic surgery procedure.

• A little swag: Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery and Reviva Medical Spa offer a full battery of top-quality skincare and beauty products to fill any stocking. We carry the LaLicious line of all-natural bath and body products including luxury shower scrubs, body oils and scented lotions in a variety of sumptuous scents. Known as the “skin care makeup,” Jane Iredale cosmetics are best known for their mineral makeup products that offer beautiful, smooth coverage while allowing the skin to breathe. And our DecoCandles soy blend jar candles fill your home or office with soothing scents.

• A little love: For the person who already has everything, consider a donation in his or her name to F.A.C.E., the Foundation for the Advancement of Children’s Aesthetics. This nonprofit organization provides free facial reconstructive surgery to underprivileged children with facial trauma or disfigurement throughout Northeast Florida. It’s a gift that will positively and permanently impact a child’s life.

For any of these gift ideas, stop by Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery at 700 3rd Street, suite 102 in Neptune Beach near Jacksonville. Happy holiday shopping!

Reconstructive plastic surgery after a Mohs procedure can help restore your look.

Learning that you have skin cancer can be tough enough. But if your cancer is located on your face, it can be particularly tough emotionally. Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery are specialists in post-cancer reconstructive surgery and can help beautifully restore your look.

Named for its originator Dr. Fred Mohs, Mohs surgery also is known as Microscopically Controlled Excision. The technique first became available in the 1940s and involved using a chemical fixative to kill the cancer and still its movement in the skin, allowing for its removal. It gave way to “chemosurgery,” a term widely used today although the surgery has been refined over the years and rarely makes use of the chemical fixative today.

The aim of Mohs surgery is to remove cancerous tissue in an extremely precise manner, leaving as small a wound as possible. But even a small scar can mar a patient’s face, causing feelings of self-consciousness. That’s where Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery comes in. Dr. Phillip Garcia and Dr. Roberto Garcia work closely with Northeast Florida’s top Mohs surgeons to help patients heal with little or no scarring. The Mohs dermatologist typically will remove your cancer in his office, then place a dressing over it. You’ll then see one of the Drs. Garcia, who will carefully repair the defect at Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery’s JCAHO-certified office-based surgery suite.

If you’ve been diagnosed with skin cancer on your face and plan to undergo Mohs surgery, call Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery at 904-247-8522 to schedule your post-Mohs reconstructive procedure. We’ll make sure that people see you – not your scar.

The best facial plastic surgeons know that aging happens in your bones, as well as in your skin and underlying soft tissue.

The study involved computerized tomography scans of facial bones of patients in three age groups: young (20-40); middle-aged (41-64); and older, 65 and up. Detailed measurements in 3D reconstructions of the CT scans, conducted at the University of Rochester Medical Center, showed definite differences in facial bone structure between the various age groups.

Study results were reported in the January issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). They show that the orbital aperture (eye socket) becomes wider and longer with age in both men and women. The length and height of the mandible (lower jaw) decreased with age. And there were reductions in the brow, nose and maxillary (upper jaw) angles as well. These changes typically occurred earlier in women (between young and middle-age) than in men (between middle age and old age).

“The bony components of the face are important for overall facial three-dimensional contour as they provide the framework on which the soft-tissue envelope drapes,” reads the report, coauthored by researchers led by Dr. Robert Shaw, Jr., MD. For example, the decreased brow angle and enlarging eye socket can lead to forehead wrinkles, crow’s feet and drooping of the lower eyelid.

What does this mean for your facial plastic surgery? Jacksonville’s Garcia Institute (a.k.a. Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery) uses carefully developed techniques that address all of the aging effects of the face – not just those of the skin and underlying soft tissue and muscle, but those of the bones as well.  By taking all these facets into consideration, Drs. Garcia are able to deliver optimal results that look beautifully natural. To find out more, or to schedule a consultation at Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery near Jacksonville, call (904) 247-8522.

Patients of Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery, Reviva Medical Spa and other local businesses joined with the F.A.C.E. Foundation to collect toys for Remar, an orphanage in El Salvador. And we’re thrilled to say the toy drive was a success!

In addition to Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery and Reviva Medical Spa, area businesses including Frangipani Salon, Miko Salon, and Brucci’s Pizza graciously allowed F.A.C.E. to place drop boxes and collect toys on their premises.  Brucci’s also opened the doors of their restaurant on December 17th and donated ten percent of their profits to the toy drive.  The generosity of these businesses and the community members will allow the children of Remar’s impoverished orphanage to have a fun-filled Christmas in January!

With many struggling in this tough economic climate this holiday season, the giving spirit of the community was awe-inspiring.  Locals opened their hearts and their wallets, donating $315 and approximately 120 stuffed animals.  Dozens of books, art supplies, board games, puzzles, Lincoln Logs, Legos, building blocks, card games, baby dolls, rag dolls, baby toys, miniature cars, action figures, Polly Pockets, Barbie dolls and cans of play dough were also donated to this worthy cause.  In addition, Pilot Pen donated hundreds of pens, highlighters, markers, mechanical pencils and fountain pens to be used in Remar’s onsite school.

Remar is home to Antonio, a young boy who recently received life-changing surgical treatment from Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery’s through the FACE Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free facial reconstructive surgery to underprivileged children. Volunteer medical professionals offer their services to help children who are victims of facial injuries from dog bites, auto accidents, congenital deformities, violent abuse and other traumas.

Starting January 10, the boxes of toy collected and cash donations will be packed and sent to El Salvador.  Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery and Reviva Medical Spa want to thank their clients and friends for their generosity.

“The kindness and benevolence of all those that participated in this endeavor is greatly appreciated,” says toy drive organizer Kristi Mansouri, who, with husband Safa, fostered Anthony while he stayed in Northeast Florida for several months of treatments.

“Anthony and the other children at Remar are very close to our hearts,” adds Dr. Phillip Garcia, founder of Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery. “Imaging the smiles on their faces when those toys are delivered is a gift in itself. We are so thankful to our clients and others who donated.”

Antonio received life-changing facial reconstructive surgery thanks to the FACE Foundation and Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery.

Remar is home to Antonio, a young boy who recently received life-changing surgical treatment from the Drs. Garcia through the FACE Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free facial reconstructive surgery to underprivileged children. Volunteer doctors and medical professionals offer their services to help children who are victims of facial injuries from dog bites, auto accidents, congenital deformities or other traumas. Antonio’s story is particularly moving. As a young boy living in one of the poorest slums of Central America, he experienced a horrific betrayal at the hands of his own grandmother. Angry that Antonio was crying, she took a burning amber from a stove and held it to his mouth, causing injuries so severe that the entire middle sections of his top and bottom lips had to be removed.

Antonio was left with a disfigured smile and a constant reminder of the abuse by someone he loved and trusted. But thanks to the FACE foundation and other charitable organizations, the boy was brought to Jacksonville in 2008, where the Drs. Garcia performed reconstructive surgery to repair Antonio’s lips. He recovered at the home of Safa and Kristi Mansouri, who cared for him throughout more than a year of multiple surgeries and recovery periods. The couple continues efforts to help Antonio and other children living with him at the Remar Orphanage and will coordinate sending toys and money collected throughout the toy drive to Remar.

“A smile is a simple but powerful thing and it’s something that most of us take for granted,” said Dr. Philip Garcia. “Giving a little of our time and expertise to help give children the ability to smile and feel normal after a traumatic experience, or even for the first time in their lives, is something that gives us great joy.”

If you would like to donate toys, look for the drop boxes at Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery and Garcia Reviva Medical Spa in Neptune Beach and at Brucci’s Pizza in Ponte Vedra Beach. Speak with staff at these locations about making monetary donations to Remar. Everyone who makes a donation to the toy drive will automatically be entered in a drawing for a chance to win a Four Layer Facial from Reviva Medical Spa.

You also can make one-time donations or set up monthly or bi-weekly gifts to help support the FACE Foundation’s ongoing efforts via its website. Besides performing surgical procedures, FACE also develops educational and outreach programs to promote child safety and offers fellowships for medical students designed to introduce them to advanced facial plastic surgery techniques.

Couples shoud discuss plastic surgery, but the ultimate decision lies with the patient alone.

In a 1997 legal case against one of Hollywood’s most famous celebrity plastic surgeons, actor Sylvester Stallone reportedly burst into the room where then-girlfriend Angie Everhart was undergoing a breast augmentation. The surgeon’s employees testified that Stallone demanded bigger implants than Everhart had agreed to, and the surgeon acquiesced. The couple soon parted ways and Everhart had her implants removed. While this case may sound more like a tawdry Hollywood script than day-to-day reality, you’ll be hard pressed to find a plastic surgeon who has not witnessed such pressure situations in his or her office.

If you feel you’re being pressed to undergo a plastic surgery or other cosmetic procedure that you’re not absolutely sure you want, put the brakes on immediately.

“Undergoing plastic surgery or even a simpler, non-evasive cosmetic procedure is, and should be an intensely personal decision,” says Dr. Phillip Garcia, founder of Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery near Jacksonville, FL. “Here at the Garcia Institute, if we have any cause to believe that a prospective patient is being unduly pressured by a husband, boyfriend or anyone else, we will politely decline our services. Any ethical plastic surgeon in Jacksonville or elsewhere will do the same.”

If you are truly interested in facial plastic surgery but your significant other is hesitant, talk it out. Find out what his concerns are and carefully consider your own. A great celebrity example is Lisa Rinna’s recent decision to undergo facial plastic surgery to remove a 22-year-old silicone lip implant. Scar tissue had formed around the implant, giving her lips an odd shape and she arguably endured more than her fair share of public and media ridicule. Actor husband Harry Hamlin felt she didn’t need surgery, but understood why Rinna wanted it.

“My lips started to define who I am,” Rinna told People magazine. “That bothered me.”

Hamlin supported Rinna’s decision and she reportedly is very pleased with the results of the corrective surgery.

“Couples should discuss plastic surgery and carefully consider all the ways it will affect them as a couple,” Dr. Garcia says. “But the decision ultimately lies with the patient.”

If you are considering undergoing a procedure contact us at (904) 247-8522 or via our online email form to schedule a consultation.

However, other reasons for otoplasty exist, including genetic disorders such as Treacher Collins syndrome, hemifacial microsomia and Stahl’s deformity (known as “Spock ear”); and traumatic ear injuries caused by car crashes, fights or dog bites, for instance. Reconstructive or cosmetic ear surgery can involve moving, reshaping, adding or removing ear elements.

Before and after photos of an otoplasty procedure by Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery. Click the image to see more patient photos.

Otoplasty was first developed in ancient India around 600 BC and often was used to reconstruct ears that had been amputated as a punishment for crimes. Those same early procedures form the basis for the very procedures that are performed today. The most common ear surgery procedures involve removing excess cartilage from the center back of the ear, then reconnecting the ear closer to the scalp using absorbable sutures. In pediatric ear surgery, Jacksonville surgeons typically perform the procedure under general anesthesia. Adults are treated under local or twilight anesthesia. Immediately following the procedure, patients wear headbands that keep their ears in place 24 hours a day for three weeks. And most are able to resume normal athletic activity within two weeks following ear surgery.

Jacksonville’s Drs. Phillip Garcia and Roberto Garcia focus exclusively on facial reconstructive and cosmetic surgery. Otoplasty is a specialty for them, so rest assured that you are in the best of hands. To discuss your ear surgery, contact Jacksonville’s Garcia Institute at (904) 247-8522.

In 1827, Dr. John Peter Mettauer performed America’s first cleft palate surgery using instruments he designed himself, several of which are on display at the Esther Thomas Atkinson Museum at Hampden-Sydney College where Dr. Mettauer studied. He is largely considered America’s first notable plastic surgeon. By the end of World War I, plastic surgery had been catapulted into an international specialty, as surgeons throughout America, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and Austria-Hungary treated war-weary soldiers who returned home with extensive facial and head injuries. This surge in plastic surgery’s use and acceptance in the medical field led to the founding of the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (known as the American Society of Plastic Surgeons since 1999), the industry’s first professional organization. The late 1930s brought about the American Board of Plastic Surgery, which in 1941, came under the jurisdiction of the American Board of Medical Specialties and conducted exams to qualify physicians as plastic surgeons.

World War II brought another surge in plastic surgery as the now-burgeoning specialty boasted hundreds of qualified surgeons. During the 1940s, ASPRS founder Dr. Jacques Maliniac formed the Educational Foundation of ASPS, today known as the Plastic Surgery Educational Foundation, which specializes in supporting plastic surgery research and education. And Dr. Gustave Aufricht founded the Journal of Plastic Reconstructive Surgery, which remains a trusted reference to this day.

The 1950s and 1960s brought numerous plastic surgery advances, as well as a growing acceptance by the public. Plastic surgeons began to appear on television, silicone was developed – originally to treat skin perfections, then used in the first breast implant device unveiled by Dr. Thomas Cronin of Houston – and in 1969, ASPS member Hal Jennings became the first plastic surgeon appointed Surgeon General of the United States by then-President Richard Nixon.

The 1990s and the advent of the publicly accessible Internet helped boost awareness of plastic surgery and its many facets of both cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. But the decade also brought its first crisis. An explosive episode of “Face-to-Face with Connie Chung” detailed problems that some women experienced with silicone breast implants and eventually resulted in the FDA calling for a moratorium on the use of silicone gel breast implants in 1992. The implants were taken off the open market and made available only to women undergoing reconstruction clinical studies, and a $4 million class action lawsuit was filed against implant maker Dow Corning Corp. Studies continued and in November 2006, silicone implants were back on the market for women 22 and older.

The FDA’s approval of Botox in 2002 kicked off the explosive growth of the use of injectable treatments for wrinkles, providing a minimally invasive way to help patients regain or retain their youthful looks. During the late 1990s and through today, the ASPS and plastic surgeons nationwide have become increasingly involved in politics, medical legislation and insurance issues. In 1998, President Clinton signed into law a requirement of insurance companies to cover reconstructive breast surgeries for cancer survivors. And legislation currently is being considered to require insurers to cover craniofacial reconstructive surgeries for children. The Garcia Institute continually keeps up-to-the-minute on all the latest advancements and political issues affecting plastic surgery. Jacksonville patients can be assured they are in good hands when choosing the Garcia Institute.

Insurance companies typically cover reconstructive plastic surgeries that restore functionality and aesthetics lost to injury or disease. In some cases, insurance companies are required by state or federal law to cover specified procedures. For instance, Florida law requires insurance companies to cover cleft lip and cleft palate reconstructive plastic surgery for Jacksonville patients age 18 and younger. And a Congressional committee is deliberating the proposed Children’s Access to Reconstructive Evaluation and Surgery Act (CARES Act), which would require group an individual health insurance plans cover treatment of congenital or developmental deformity or disorder caused by trauma, infection, tumor or disease in minor children nationwide.

However, most laws mandating coverage of reconstructive plastic surgery in Jacksonville and elsewhere affect only minors. So, coverage of adult reconstructive procedures depends entirely on the individual’s insurance plan and unique circumstances.

No insurance company will cover what is often called “vanity-driven” cosmetic plastic surgery. Jacksonville patients and others nationwide are responsible for paying for surgical procedures performed simply to improve the aesthetics of the face. Cosmetic surgery is proven to help boost a patient’s self-esteem and almost invariably encourages patients to take better care of their health. Patients often report that their newfound confidence and a determination to prolong the positive results of their procedures encourages them to exercise more, eat and drink healthier and relax, all leading to improved emotional, mental and physical health. However, such procedures certainly are not “medically necessary,” so insurance companies will not cover them.

There do exist some “gray areas” when it comes to insurance coverage of plastic surgery. Jacksonville patients undergoing procedures that can be considered both reconstructive and cosmetic sometimes get a break on payment. For instance, a blepharoplasty procedure (eyelid surgery) that addresses a severely hooded eyelid that partially obscures a patient’s vision certainly will improve the aesthetics of a patient’s face, but can also improve his or her vision. So, an insurance company may cover a portion of the cost. A rhinoplasty (nose job) procedure that repairs a deviated septum also can address both functional and aesthetic issues. So, the portion of the surgery that improves a patient’s breathing may covered, whereas the portion that corrects cosmetic issues will not be covered.

No reputable surgeon or firm will attempt to help you get coverage for a strictly cosmetic plastic surgery – Jacksonville’s Garcia Institute included. However, we will work diligently with you and your insurance company to get coverage of reconstructive procedures that may qualify. We also accept major credit cards and work with financing companies including CareCredit and CapitalOne Healthcare Finance.

Actually, the “plastic” in plastic surgery doesn’t refer to artificiality at all. Instead, the term is derived from the Greek word “plastikos,” which means to mold or give form – which is exactly that plastic surgeons do for patients’ faces and bodies. The term comes from the practice of the earliest known plastic surgeons developing skin flaps to close wounds or replace tissue lost to injuries or skin-deforming diseases such as skin cancer in an effort to restore the patient’s original appearance. Archaeological and written evidence suggests medical treatments for facial injuries were performed more than 4,000 years ago, and in ancient India, physicians are known to have performed skin graft procedures as early as 800 B.C.

An important distinction to keep in mind is the difference between cosmetic plastic surgery and reconstructive plastic surgery. Jacksonville-area plastic surgeons use the same definitions of the two adopted by the American Medical Association and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons:

• Reconstructive surgery is performed on abnormal structures of the body, caused by congenital defects, developmental abnormalities, trauma, infection, tumors, or disease. It is generally performed to improve function, but may also be done to approximate a normal appearance.

• Cosmetic surgery is performed to reshape normal structures of the body in order to improve the patient’s appearance and self-esteem.

At Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery, Jacksonville patients can be assured that our goal is to give you a natural-looking change or enhancement to your look that will boost your confidence and self esteem. We carefully counsel each patient to make sure expectations are realistic and the results are beautiful. Often, this means a change in a patient’s approach to plastic surgery.

Jacksonville patients undergoing reconstructive plastic surgery get the same treatment in terms of efforts to achieve a natural look. However, depending on the severity of the injury or deformation, a fully natural appearance may not be possible. Reconstructive plastic surgery in Jacksonville and beyond is performed for two primary reasons – to restore lost functionality (your ability to smile, open or close your eyes and speak clearly) and to restore your face’s aesthetic form.

When considering reconstructive plastic surgery or cosmetic plastic surgery, Jacksonville patients should be fully aware of the reasons behind each type and the possible outcomes for each. Also keep in mind that while many reconstructive surgeries are covered by insurance, most cosmetic surgeries are not. Some gray areas do exist. For instance, eyelid surgery that improves your look also may improve your sight by removing overhanging tissue that blocks your vision. To find out more about cosmetic or reconstructive plastic surgery, contact Garcia Institute at (904) 247-8522 to set an appointment for your consultation.