Some vitamin and mineral supplements can interfere with your plastic surgery, Jacksonville surgeons say.

You might think that loading up on vitamins and minerals will help make your body and skin healthier, and thereby in better condition to undergo cosmetic surgery. Not so fast, says Dr. Phillip Garcia of Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery. Jacksonville patients are advised to avoid particular vitamins and supplements that can interfere with plastic surgery procedures and healing. Some can cause post-surgical bleeding, worsen inflammation, raise your blood pressure or alter your sugar levels. And don’t think that an herbal supplement is safe simply because it’s natural.  Some can be downright dangerous.

Among the medications and vitamin, mineral or herbal supplements you should avoid at least three weeks before plastic surgery are:

• Any diet pills or appetite suppressants – herbal and otherwise
• Blood-thinning medications such as aspirin, Motrin or Advil
• Vitamin E
• Chromium
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Ginkgo
• Goldenseal
• Flaxseed
• Fish oil
• Echinacea
• Licorice
• Saw Palmetto
• Ephedra
• Ginseng
• Feverfew
• Kava-Kava
• St. John’s Wort
• Valerian Root

After your plastic surgery, Jacksonville’s top surgeons may recommend medications or vitamin and mineral supplements known to aid the body in healing. In fact, Dr. Phillip Garcia and Dr. Roberto Garcia, partners in the Garcia Institute, have developed a patented line of supplements proven to help speed healing. Patients report less swelling and bruising as well.

No matter who your plastic surgeon is, be sure to tell him or her about all prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, minerals and supplements you have taken over the past six months to a year. Many patients are less than forthcoming, afraid that they’ll be ridiculed by their doctors, perhaps for buying into a bogus supplement claim. But in some cases, that information can help avoid a tragedy.

If you plan plastic surgery in Jacksonville or the surrounding area, call 904-247-8522 to schedule a consultation at Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery today. And be sure to ask about the Drs. Garcias’ Reviva line of healing and anti-aging vitamins.

Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery offers New Years Resolution tips to help you prepare forand maintain beautiful plastic surgery results.

Will 2012 be the year you finally go for that facial plastic surgery procedure you’ve been thinking about? As 2011 comes to a close and the economy continues to recover (albeit slowly) people everywhere are ready for a fresh start – and a fresh look to go with it. If a youthful new look is on your list of New Year’s resolutions, Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery has a few tips for that will help you prepare for and maintain your beautiful results.

By far, the most common New Year’s resolutions are to lose weight, get more exercise and stop smoking.

“Each of these is a huge recommendation for patients preparing to undergo facial plastic surgery or even less invasive cosmetic procedures,” says Dr. Phillip Garcia, founder of Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery and Reviva Medical Spa. Here’s why:

Losing weight typically improves a person’s overall health. But great weight loss can leave facial skin loose. Skin can be stretched only so far for so long before it loses its ability to snap back, and weight loss shows first in the face. If your slim-down plans are significant, lose that weight before you schedule your facelift for the best, most permanent results.

Smoking can dehydrate your skin, leaving it looking dull. It also is associated with lung and heart conditions that increase a patient’s risk of peri-operative and post-operative complications including anesthesia-related problems. Nix the habit before you undergo your facial cosmetic procedure and you’ll not only be happier with your outcome, but you’ll be safer throughout the procedure and healthier afterward. Plus, you’ll heal faster and you’ll be less prone to scarring.

Plenty of exercise; a nutrient-rich diet low in fat, salt and sugar; and lots of water will help keep your face hydrated and healthy. Like an artist starting out with a tight, smooth canvas, your plastic surgeon will have an easier time with your procedure if he can start with smooth and well-hydrated skin. Your results invariably will be better and you’ll heal faster if you go in with healthy skin.

Other tips for maintaining your new look include regular facials and taking vitamin and mineral supplements. Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery offers a variety of prescription skincare systems and a patented line of anti-aging vitamins and minerals, including supplements that designed to help you prepare for your surgical procedure and maintain the results. Patients who take these supplements report less bruising and swelling, and shorter recovery times than those who do not.

Resolve to be your most beautiful you this year! Call Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery at 904-247-8522 to schedule your consultation today.

Many myths surround Botox. Jacksonville's Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery helps separate fact from fiction.

If you’re considering trying it, no doubt you’ve heard multiple myths and misconceptions about Botox. Jacksonville’s Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery helps set the record straight about America’s most popular youth-restoring cosmetic procedure.

Myth #1: Botox is toxic. While it’s true that Botox is made from the botulinum toxin, essentially a food-borne poison, that toxin undergoes a lot of refining before it hits your plastic surgeon’s shelves. First, the botulinum toxin that makes it into a vial of Botox is highly purified. Plus, the concentration of the toxin is extremely low and a qualified plastic surgeon or aesthetician will pinpoint the injection into a certain muscle or group of muscles. With precision placement and the low concentration, a Botox injection is simply incapable of spreading effects outside a given area. And, over a period of time, your body will naturally eliminate the Botox.

Myth #2: Botox will make my face immovable. This is perhaps the most enduring yet not (necessarily) true misconception about Botox. Yes, Botox does work by relaxing certain facial muscles and restricting their movements. Back when Botox was a new craze, many inexperienced physicians and overzealous patients tended to go overboard with the amount of Botox injected. This did, in fact, cause a “poker face” phenomenon. But over the years, as physicians became more experienced with Botox injections, the novelty wore off, and the popularity of the super-smooth look gave way to a more subtle, natural look, Botox is no longer the “frozen-face” treatment. When administered correctly by an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon, Botox can minimize wrinkles, giving you a natural, youthful look that allows a full range of emotions.

Myth #3: Botox is addictive. Botox itself does not bring about any physiological addiction. You’ve likely heard horror stories and seen photos of people who have developed an addiction to plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures. However, this is a result of body dysmorphic disorder, a psychological condition that causes people to become obsessively focused on “fixing” a particular part of their body or face. It has nothing to do with Botox or the procedures themselves – it is an inner battle that necessitates psychological treatment. A reputable plastic surgeon will know how to spot red flag indicators of such a disorder and will politely refuse to administer a troubled patient Botox.

Jacksonville’s Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery boasts two double board-certified plastic surgeons and a staff of highly experienced aestheticians who treat patients with Botox daily. If you’re considering Botox or another facial rejuvenating procedure, call 904-247-8522 to schedule a consultation today.

Baby Boomers are more likely to go rock climbing than sit in a rocking chair. And they're getting plastic surgery to help them look as lively as they feel.

These days, Baby Boomers just might be the coolest cats in town. They’re working out, launching new businesses, burning up the dating scene and looking as gorgeous as ever. For some that means indulging in a little plastic surgery to help them age gracefully.

A recent survey highlighted primary trends emerging among the Boomer generation:

1. They’re living longer. Medical advances and the easier-than-ever access to medical and health information is helping Boomers long outlive the life expectancies of prior generations. Well, why live longer if you can’t enjoy it? Boomers increasingly are reflecting upon their lives and reinventing themselves at each milestone year, setting new goals and taking up new hobbies or even launching new businesses. Seems the rocking chair has gone the way of the dinosaur.
2. They’re technologically and socially connected. Yes, Grandma is on Facebook. And she’s not there just to keep up with the grandkids. She’s got her own extensive list of Facebook friends, thank you very much. And her status updates just might make you blush. Statistics show that seniors are the fastest-growing segment signing up on Facebook and other social networking sites. Of course, since Grandma likely doesn’t have to get up and go to school or work in the morning, she’s got lots of time to meet and mingle with her Facebook friends off-screen. Seniors are on the social and dating scene like never before.
3. They’re competing and winning in the workplace: The financial crunch is affecting everyone, including seniors. But rather than stick to the jobs they’ve held for decades, many seniors are taking advantage of that milestone-year reinvention and going back to school in huge numbers. Many are enrolling to update their skill sets in an effort to land promotions at work. Others are ditching their old skill sets in favor of whole new ones with plans to switch career fields or launch new businesses of their own.
4. They’re aging gracefully. Those top three trends fold nicely into the proudly-going-gray movement. To help boost their success on the social scene, in the dating game and at work, seniors increasingly are undergoing plastic surgery and other cosmetic procedures designed to help them look as lively on the outside as they do on the inside. Mind you, they’re not interested in the wind-blown, trout pout look of those who overdo it in an effort to shave decades off their looks. Today’s seniors are proud of their age and don’t care to look too much younger. They simply want to look their best at the age they are and they’re accomplishing that with expertly performed facelifts, brow lifts and eye surgeries or with less invasive procedures like Botox, Restylane or chemical peels.

If you’re a Boomer with an unbridled passion for life and want a look to match, contact Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery. Jacksonville’s top facial plastic surgeons can help you continue to look gorgeous throughout your golden years.

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.

Prepare now for a beautiful start to 2012.

New year, new decisions, new look – that’s the hallmark of every January 1. But don’t wait. Begin preparing now for your beautiful new look via plastic surgery, Jacksonville’s top facial plastic surgeons say.

“Plastic surgery isn’t a one-day deal,” says Dr. Roberto Garcia of Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery in Neptune Beach near Jacksonville. “Preparing your skin and body in the weeks and months prior to a surgical procedure like a facelift, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle afterward, can greatly increase your chances of healing quickly, healing well and loving your results.”

Dr. Garcia recommends these tips to help you prepare for your facelift or other plastic surgery:

• Begin eating and drinking healthily now. Healthy, hydrated skin heals quicker and better.
• Nix smoking and heavy alcohol intake at least two weeks before and two weeks after your surgery. The effects of smoking and drinking alcohol can slow healing.
• Let your doctor know all of the medications and natural supplements you’re taking or have taken over the past year. Some can dangerously interact with anesthesia and medications your plastic surgeon may administer or prescribe. Others can thin blood and cause excessive bleeding. Others, like Echinacea, can contribute to allergic reactions.
• Begin and maintain a skincare regimen.
• If you have short hair, grow it out a few inches to help cover incisions while they heal.
• Plan to have day-to-day chores and activities, like cooking, cleaning and caring for children and pets, handled for you during the week after your facelift or other facial plastic surgery.

Planning and scheduling your facial plastic surgery now can help ensure a beautiful start to 2012. Call Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery, Jacksonville’s only plastic surgery practice boasting a JCAHO-certified office-based surgical suite, at 904-247-8522 today.

Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery is North Florida's only JCAHO-certified office-based surgery suite.

If you’ve perused our website, you probably know that Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery is Jacksonville’s only office-based surgery site certified by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Health Organizations. But what does a JCAHO certification really mean and why is it beneficial to patients?

Founded in 1951, the Joint Commission is the undisputed leader in developing and the highest standards for quality and safety in the delivery of healthcare, and in evaluating organization performance based on these standards. In fact, more than 19,000 health care providers use JCAHO standards to dictate the way they administer care and continuously improve performance.

JCAHO certification means that a plastic surgery center is:

• Continually working to provide the highest quality services.
• Periodically evaluated by The Joint Commission for compliance with the standards and other requirements.
• Provided with expert advice and education from The Joint Commission about quality improvement.
• Able to attract qualified staff because they have more opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge.

Plus, our facial plastic surgeons, Dr. Phillip Garcia and Dr. Roberto Garcia, both are double-board certified, highly experienced and highly respected by both peers in the plastic surgery field and by countless satisfied patients. There are dozens of plastic surgery suites in Northeast Florida, but only one can boast JCAHO certification. Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery’s Jacksonville practice also offers single-night or extended stays at its Summer House Cottages, a private and secluded recovery suite located just a few blocks from the Atlantic Ocean. It’s the perfect mix of cutting-edge treatment and unmatched comfort.

DIY Botox is no beauty bargain, plastic surgeons say.

In today’s tough economy, everyone’s looking to save buck. But do-it-yourself Botox, Jacksonville plastic surgeons Dr. Phillip Garcia and Dr. Roberto Garcia say, is not a beauty bargain. In fact, it can end up costing you in both cash and looks.

Botox injections have remained strongly in demand, and even increased in demand in many markets over the past several years. Competitiveness in the job field is tougher than ever and having a youthful, healthy look is a proven boon to job seekers and those angling for promotions at work. But professional administration of Botox or other dermal fillers can be pricey. And many believe they’re getting a bargain with low cost DIY Botox kits that sell online.

Legally, only a licensed physician can purchase Botox. But many opportunists are finding ways to sell the product illegally – and they’re finding plenty of willing buyers. Here’s the catch: Many of these kits come from developing countries that have far less stringent regulations on these types of products. Thus, what you’re getting may not be Botox at all, or may be a far less potent form. In either case, harmful and potentially fatal reactions can occur. Thousands of plastic surgeons have treated patients who come in after injecting themselves with DIY Botox formulas, only to end up with uneven features, ptosis (drooping of the upper or lower eyelid), burning or rash-like skin an abscess or a potentially fatal staph infection.

Even if you are to able get your hands on the real thing, injecting yourself with Botox can be dangerous. Skillful injections take intensive training and a thorough understanding of the facial muscle and skin complexities. Injecting too much Botox or injecting it in the wrong spot can lead to serious, possibly irreversible problems, not to mention costly medical bills.

If you’re considering Botox, call Jacksonville’s Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery (a.k.a. The Garcia Institute) at 904-247-8522 for your consultation with a top-notch, double board-certified facial plastic surgeon. Don’t risk your beauty to save a buck.

Before & after results of the revolutionary new Contoura procedure available only at Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery near Jacksonville.

Imagine looking years younger in less than an hour with no downtime and a lot less out of your pocket than you’d imagine. Sound too good to be true? Not when you visit Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery in Jacksonville and ask about the new Contoura procedure.

Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery’s Dr. Phillip Garcia and Dr. Roberto Garcia are undisputed leaders in the plastic surgery and facial rejuvenation fields, having developed multiple specialized procedures and a patented line of vitamin supplements designed to facilitate pre- and post-operative health and keep skin looking young and supple. Now, they’ve developed the Contoura procedure, a proprietary combination of facial rejuvenation and skincare procedures that immediately shave years off your look. Contoura addresses signs of aging in the face including sagging jowls, deep creases around the mouth, flattened cheeks and sagging around the eyes. The Drs. Garcia are the only plastic surgeons in the Jacksonville/North Florida and South Georgia areas that perform this procedure.

The Contoura procedure is performed at Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery’s Jacksonville-area JCAHO-certified surgery suite under local anesthesia. Most procedures take just under an hour to complete and results are almost immediate. There is no downtime and most patients return to their normal routines the very next day. All this at a fraction of the price you’d pay for a facelift.

To find out if the Contoura procedure is right for you, contact Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery at 904-247-8522 or via our convenient online email form.

Is Botox or a deep chemical peel the best wrinkle buster?

Got crow’s feet or laugh lines? If so, then you’ve no doubt looked into all the options for smoothing out those lines that make you look older than you feel. And you’ve likely read about the benefits of two top wrinkle-busting treatments: Botox and deep chemical peels.  Jacksonville’s Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery and Reviva Medical Spa offer both and can help you decide which will work best for you.

A Botox treatment involves injections of a purified form of botulinum toxin into the muscles just beneath wrinkled skin and works by temporarily paralyzing the muscles used repetitively when you frown, scowl or laugh. Over many years, these repetitive muscle movements cause wrinkles to form in the correlating skin around the eyes, nose, mouth and between the eyebrows. Botox injections will cause these muscles to relax and will restrict their movement. Don’t worry. You’ll still be able to express your emotions – just not as intensely where your facial expressions are concerned.

Botox takes just a few minutes to administer and you’ll see results after several days. These results typically last for three to six months, though repeated injections may begin to make results of each injection last longer over a period of time. Still, understand that results are temporary with Botox, Jacksonville. The cost for Botox depends upon the amount needed to smooth and plump your skin to the degree you desire. The deeper your wrinkles are, the more you’ll need to get a smooth, youthful look.

A deep chemical peel is a totally different cosmetic procedure. This procedure utilizes a chemical solution such as Phenol to actually remove the damaged outer layers of the skin. When this is accomplished, newer, smoother skin emerges. Deep chemical peels are effective for smoothing wrinkles, treating sunspots and age spots, and even clearing acne and fading acne scars. Schedule several hours for a chemical peel and know that full healing of your skin may take up to four weeks. During this time, a reddish tint to your skin may persist and you’ll see layers of your skin actually peel and flake off. Though it may sound like a bit of a hassle, the good news is that results are permanent with an expertly performed chemical peel.

Jacksonville’s Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery and Reviva Medical Spa offer Botox injections; light, medium and deep chemical peels; and many other cosmetic surgery and skin care procedures. Drs. Phillip Garcia and Roberto Garcia, along with our top notch staff of skincare experts, can help you decide which treatment is best for you. Call 904-247-8522 to schedule a consultation today.