Could your career and income potential get a positive boost via cosmetic surgery? Jacksonville’s Garcia Institute remains busy even as the downturn in the economy has many struggling financially. In fact, plastic surgeons in Jacksonville and beyond report that even as patients look for ways to cut costs at home, they’re financing body and facial plastic surgery.

Research shows that beauty and confidence can help boost your career competitiveness and income potential.

Jacksonville women – and men – are landing financing rates as low as four percent and credit limits as high as $10,000 to fund cosmetic procedures that will improve their looks, thereby improving their career and earning potential. Why? Because as anyone in the advertisement or entertainment fields can tell you, youth and beauty sells – and not just on TV. The same adage goes for corporate offices across the country.

When it comes to competing for that new job, first impressions are important – and bankable, according to multiple recent studies. The 2009 Harvard Study of Health and Life Quality concluded that attractive and confident job seekers stood better chances of getting hired than did less attractive, less confident competitors. Another study in the Journal of Economic Psychology suggests the benefits of a beautiful face and physique continue after the hire. It concludes that employees deemed more attractive make 12 percent more money annually than their less comely coworkers. In these tight economic times, that statistical tidbit alone is enough to prompt an investment in cosmetic surgery.

Jacksonville’s Garcia Institute is seeing this trend at play in older patients as well. Many people who had planned to retire instead are opting to remain at their jobs and vying for raises or promotions, or looking for new jobs. An AARP study shows this to be the case for a full 25 percent of respondents to a study on the issue, and many feel they’re at a competitive disadvantage when younger job seekers are going for the same positions. And it’s not just women. A recent NBC poll revealed that more men than ever before are undergoing cosmetic procedures, including dermal fillers (wrinkle fillers) and plastic surgery. Of them a full 95 percent are working professionals looking to extend the life of their careers and boost their income potential.

Of course, without confidence and ability, you’ll never get a great job, promotion or raise solely based on a cosmetic surgery. But Jacksonville’s Garcia Institute can help you address any facial issues negatively affecting your competitive spirit. If you’re ready to get your best look, contact us at 800-803-0082 or via our online email form.

At Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery, Jacksonville-area patients have lots of questions about various procedures – how they work, what results they achieve and how long those results will last. That’s a good thing in light of the many myths circulating about facial plastic surgery. Here are a few that we hear most often:

Confused about facial plastic surgery? Jacksonville's Garcia Institute dispells the myths.

Myth #1: Only celebrities and wealthy socialites have or can afford facial plastic surgery.

Jacksonville-area cosmetic surgery patients’ demographics mirror those in other areas of the nation. Studies show that a full 86 percent of plastic surgery patients are working women. And in a 2004 study by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 60 percent of the respondents reported a household income of between $30,000 and $90,000, and 30 percent reported making less than $30,000. In fact, many people struggling in today’s tight economy are springing for plastic surgery procedures that will help improve their looks and boost their confidence. Why? Because studies by trusted institutions including the Harvard University and the Journal of Economic Psychology reveal that people who feel they are attractive also tend to have higher opinions of their worth and capabilities. That confidence means higher chances of landing competitive jobs and an average 12 percent higher income than their less attractive peers.

Myth #2: All plastic surgeons are created equal.

Save for the occasional rogue busted for performing cosmetic procedures without a license, all legally compliant facial plastic surgeons have the same core training and licensing. However, not all are board-certified in specialties within facial plastic surgery. Jacksonville’s Drs. Phillip Garcia and Roberto Garcia both are certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery. Dr. Phillip Garcia also is board certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic Surgery and Dr. Roberto Garcia by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Even with the same certifications, plastic surgeons across Jacksonville and elsewhere have their own personal styles. Remember that much of cosmetic surgery is an art, so it’s critical that you ask to see many photos of a cosmetic surgeon’s work before choosing one.

Myth #3: Plastic surgery leaves no scars.

All surgical procedures heal with scars, but advances in minimally invasive and endoscopic procedures are making those scars all but invisible. At Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery, our Jacksonville surgeons make tissue incisions in strategic positions and directions to hide or minimize their visibility.

Myth #4: Plastic surgery results do not last.

This is the one myth that has an ounce of truth – but it’s entirely up to the patient. Cosmetic surgery procedures are designed to give patients lasting results, though aging and weight will factor into the long-term efficacy of any procedure. By doing your part with a nutritious diet, ample sleep, regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle, you add years to your cosmetic surgery’s results.

If you’d love to look younger without the downtime of a traditional plastic surgery procedure (and who wouldn’t?) consider an endoscopic brow lift. Jacksonville’s Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery, also known as the Garcia Institute, offers this less invasive procedure as an effective alternative for its busiest clients.

An endoscopic brow lift offers a rejuvenated look with a fraction of the downtime, post-operative discomfort and scarring than a traditional brow lift.

With an endoscopic brow lift, Jacksonville patients who require less extensive treatment enjoy a rejuvenated look with a shorter recovery time than a traditional brow lift procedure entails. This procedure raises the eyebrow line and smoothes out wrinkles – much like its traditional counterpart. However, it’s achieved removing less skin. The difference is in the way incisions are made. A traditional brow lift involves the making one long incision from between the tops of ears, arching over the top of the forehead within the hairline. An endoscopic browlift instead requires just four to six small (about one inch) incisions behind the hairline.

In an endoscopic brow lift, Jacksonville’s Drs. Phillip Garcia and Roberto Garcia use an endoscope, a long, slender medical device that allows them to see the tissues beneath your skin on a monitor. This further allows them to work with smaller, fewer incisions. Less extensive incisions mean less recovery time, less post-operative discomfort and less scarring than is typical with a traditional brow lift. However, results may be less pronounced and shorter-lived. That’s why the ideal candidate is younger and does not need as much skin removed to achieve ideal results.

Both traditional and endoscopic brow lift procedures help address drooping brows, horizontal lines across the forehead, deep furrows between the brows, heavy upper lids and an angry or tired appearance that often comes with age or high-stress lifestyles. If you are interested in a traditional or endoscopic brow lift, Jacksonville’s Garcia Institute has the experience and expertise to offer you beautiful, natural looking results. Visit our website for more information and use our convenient Click to Call feature to schedule a consultation.

If you’re wondering about ear surgery, Jacksonville’s Garcia Institute has answers to all your questions. Formally referred to as “otoplasty” and often called “ear pinning,” cosmetic ear surgery is designed to change the appearance of your external ears. Most often, the surgery is performed on patients who feel their ears too noticeably protrude away from their scalps. When this is the case, an ear surgery procedure reshapes the cartilage in a way that brings the ear closer to the scalp.

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.

Considering cosmetic nasal surgery? Jacksonville’s Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery offers tips on making sure you get the best results possible with your rhinoplasty procedure.

Cosmetic nasal surgery, also known as rhinoplasty, is intended to correct aesthetic issues of the nose that make patients feel self-conscious. Among the most common issues that Jacksonville plastic surgery specialist see in patients are:

•    A nose that appears too large for the face;
•    A bump on the nasal bridge when viewed in profile;
•    A nose that seems too wide when viewed from the front;
•    A nasal tip that droops or plunges;
•    A thickened or enlarged tip;
•    Excessively flared nostrils;
•    An off-center or crooked nose;
•    An asymmetrical shape of the nose caused by a previous injury.

Cosmetic nasal surgery isn't like choosing a new nose from a catalog. Many factors are at play, so having realistic expectations is critical.

In 2009, the fourth most frequently performed plastic surgery procedure was cosmetic nasal surgery. Jacksonville’s Drs. Philip Garcia and Roberto Garcia specialize in reconstructive and cosmetic nasal surgery. Their most important piece of advice to patients is to clearly and fully communicate with your Jacksonville plastic surgeon and to have reasonable expectations.

It has been said that the best candidates for cosmetic nasal surgery – or any cosmetic surgery – are those who want to improve, not perfect the way they look. The nose is the face’s most prominent feature and many factors affect what a surgeon is and is not able to accomplish. Patients often mistakenly believe that the process is like choosing a new nose from a catalog. Surgeons today use advanced digital imaging and morphing software to help communicate ideas and expectations prior to a patient undergoing a nose surgery procedure. However, understand that each procedure is as unique as each patient.

To assure great results with your cosmetic nasal surgery, Jacksonville’s Garcia Institute asks that you be extremely clear as to what you would like to change about your nose and why. The decision to undergo any plastic surgery procedure should be yours alone, so be sure that you are not being influenced by your family, friends or media-fed perceptions. Even the most extensive cosmetic nasal surgery won’t make you look like that movie star on the magazine covers. It will make you look like you – only better. And that’s a beautiful thing!

To plan your cosmetic nasal surgery, contact Jacksonville’s Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery at (904) 247-8522.

A recent study shows that people today are more open than ever about cosmetic surgery. Jacksonville patients of the Garcia Institute and others nationwide say that “having a little work done” no longer carries the taboo that it once did. Perhaps because of its saturation of TV, magazines and the Internet, talk of cosmetic surgery is increasingly an acceptable and comfortable conversation.

Go ahead - Tell it to the world! A new survey shows society is more open than ever about cosmetic surgery.

According to the study released by the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, a full 71% of respondents believe society is less judgmental about cosmetic surgery than it was just five years ago, and for 62% of them, society’s relaxed attitude made them feel more comfortable about getting their own procedures. Respondents younger than age 40 were nearly twice as likely as others to consider undergoing cosmetic surgery. And though they may have kept mum about it in the past, 52 percent of respondents say they today would tell their families about having invasive cosmetic surgery. Jacksonville patients share these thoughts.

Survey respondents are most comfortable talking about:

• Laser hair removal (61.9%)
• Botox (61.9%)
• Breast augmentation (42.4%)
• Facelifts (32.2%)
• Tummy tucks (32.1%)

“This is a confirmation of what many of us have felt for a long time – that cosmetic surgery has become mainstream,” said AACS President Dr. Mark Berman. “A variety of factors have contributed to the normalization of our industry, but the bottom line is that people are not afraid to talk openly about cosmetic surgery anymore.”

Adds AACS Past President Dr. Patrick McMenamin, “It’s been a long road but thanks to the hard work of so many, cosmetic surgery is rightfully gaining acceptance in our society. We’ve reached a point where people are no longer quiet about having a cosmetic procedure and that is important to all of us.”

How comfortable are you talking about cosmetic surgery, Jacksonville? Do you still keep mum? Do you tell only closest friends or family? Or do you proudly declare it to the world? Garcia Institute wants to know your thoughts, so please leave us a comment. And if you’re considering facial cosmetic surgery, Jacksonville’s Garcia Institute can be reached at (904) 247-8522 or via our convenient online email form.

More than 17 million cosmetic procedures were performed nationwide throughout 2009, according to a new survey by the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery. Jacksonville Baby Boomers likely won’t be surprised by these results. The survey shows that the Boomer generation represents a large percentage of cosmetic procedure patients. In fact, among the client base of AACS members, the average age of facelift patients is 54.1 years. The average age for blepharoplasty is 52.3 years. And the average age of patients opting for Botox is 46.6.

Baby Boomers account for a growing percentage of cosmetic procedures performed in Jacksonville and nationwide.

A few highlights of the survey:

• Facelifts by AACS members rose 44% from 2008 to 2009, totaling 34,455 last year compared to 20,478 in 2008;
• Blepharoplasty procedures jumped 42 percent to 60,507 from 42,602;
• Rhinoplasty surgeries went up 74% to 21,730 from 12,460
• Invasive procedures showing the largest gain in the past five years are Blepharoplasty, abdomonoplasty and rhinoplasty;
• Less invasive procedures with the biggest 5-year gain are laser resurfacing, chemical peels and fillers.

The study is the first of its kind performed by the AACS and involves polling of AACS members plus randomly chosen physicians nationwide. The total number of procedures performed by AACS members has increased by eight percent since 2008.

When it comes to cosmetic procedures, Jacksonville follows the same trend that physicians and surgeons are seeing across the United States – a boom in Baby Boomer clientele. Many patients of the Garcia Institute are in their 50s and 60s and not quite ready to concede their looks. Today’s mature population is healthier, more active and more consumer savvy than any previous generation. They also are more informed about medical, plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures. Jacksonville’s Boomer population is one that knows what it wants and is comfortable asking for it.

“The Baby Boomers are getting older but they still feel young and they want to look that way too,” said AACS President Mark Berman, MD. “With anti-aging procedures, people tend to feel much better about themselves afterward.”

Cosmetic procedures in Jacksonville and beyond are expected to grow as America’s economy recovers.

“The cosmetic surgery industry continues to grow at a rate many people never thought it
would reach,” Berman said. “With the aging of the Baby Boomer generation, I don’t think we’ve come close to hitting the ceiling yet. That 17 million is only going to expand.

If you’re a Baby Boomer who wants to look as great as you feel, contact the Garcia Institute at  (904) 247-8522 today.

The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery recently debuted its ProjectBeauty.com advice site, featuring video blogs on beauty issues ranging from the perfect ponytail to porcelain veneers to plastic surgery. Sections such as beauty, style and healthy living cover makeup, hair, nails, fashion, fitness, diet, skin care and vitamin/mineral supplements. Video blogs are announced by reporter Audrey Hasson, by experts in various fields or by everyday people who have undergone plastic surgery procedures. Patient-centered video blogs include one from a New York teenager who underwent a rhinoplasty surgery.

Although ProjectBeauty.com is produced by the ASAPS, considered among the nation’s leading organizations for professionals in plastic surgery, it’s not a plastic surgery website per se. Still, the site offers lots of healthy advice that the organization’s 2,200 board-certified plastic surgeons stand behind.

If you’re considering plastic surgery, Jacksonville’s Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery (also known as the Garcia Institute) is among the leading facial plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery practices in Northeast Florida, primarily offering facial plastic surgery in Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach and St. Augustine areas. Our state-of-the-art surgery suite is the region’s only JCAHO (Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Health Organizations) certified office-based surgery suite. And our Jacksonville plastic surgeons are double board-certified – Dr. Phillip Garcia, MD, FACS by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Dr. Robert Garcia, MD by the American Board of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and both by the American Board of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery.

For facial plastic surgery, Jacksonville’s Garcia Institute is a trusted source. We work exclusively on the face, affording patients a higher level of focus than do Jacksonville plastic surgeons who offer both facial and body plastic surgery procedures. Visit our website to learn about the facial plastic surgery procedures and other facial services we offer; take a look at our Before & After section to see the results of our work; then give us a call at (904) 247-8522 to set an appointment for your consultation.

A screen shot of the ASAPS' new Project Beauty website

As specialists in facial plastic surgery, Jacksonville’s Dr. Philip Garcia and Dr. Roberto Garcia know that the work they perform will yield the best results if patients are healthy and their skin is in optimal shape for their ages and lifestyles. That’s why they developed the Reviva Anti-Aging System, featuring anti-oxidant and Omega 3 vitamin and mineral supplement formulas specifically designed to help Jacksonville plastic surgery patients heal faster, ward off skin-damaging free radicals and keep not just their skin but their entire bodies healthy and strong.

The Reviva anti-aging vitamin line includes four formulas/stages: Stage I Multivitamin, Stage II Anti-Oxidant, Stage III Healing and Omega-3.  Each is designed for a specific result and together, they keep help keep the

Reviva Anti-Aging System by Drs. Phillip and Roberto Garcia

body’s internal processes healthy, promote healing after plastic surgery in Jacksonville, rejuvenate and protect your skin and hair. Read more »

If your smile is showing the signs of aging or other youth-sapping factors, consider one of several options for lip augmentation. Jacksonville’s sunny climate means countless days lounging on the beach, boating down the St. Johns River or walking Northeast Florida’s beautiful parks and nature preserves. Of course, most know the importance of using a potent sunscreen to help protect the face, but many neglect the lip area. Resulting sun exposure, as well as aging, is among the main culprits of thinning, drying, lined lips that add years to your appearance.

Three main types of lip augmentation treatments are lip injectables, laser lip treatments and lip implants. At Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery, Jacksonville patients undergo a thorough evaluation of their full facial features, desires and expectations for the outcome of their lip enhancement or lip augmentation treatments and lifestyle choices to determine their best choice for lip augmentation. Jacksonville plastic surgeons Dr. Philip Garcia and Dr. Roberto Garcia specialize in facial cosmetic and restorative procedures and offer multiple options for lip enhancement.

Lip injectables are the most commonly used form of lip augmentation. The procedures involve injecting matter directly into the borders of the lips to plump them up and smooth wrinkles, giving the lips a smoother, younger appearance. Among the numerous injectable products on the market today, Radiesse and Restylane are increasingly popular. Radiesse uses calcium hydroxyl apatite suspended in a gel, while Restylane’s key component is hyaluronic acid. Both occur naturally in your body. Calcium hydroxyl apatite is found in bone and used in prosthetic implants for dental, facial and orthopedic surgery. Hyaluronic acid binds to water up to 1,000 times its volume. Even as the acid is absorbed into the body, the water remains just under the skin’s surface, leaving lips looking full and smooth.

Lip laser treatments are a great form of lip augmentation for Jacksonville patients who may develop allergic reactions to injectable lip fillers, but work best for superficial, rather than deeper lip wrinkles. Laser treatments work by resurfacing the skin, essentially damaging it and forcing it to grow new, healthier skin and tightening the collagen and elastic tissue in the area around the mouth. They are considered preventative treatments rather than restorative treatments and there is a risk of temporary hyperpigmentation, or darkening of the skin surrounding the lips.

Another form of lip augmentation Jacksonville patients often choose is a lip implant. This surgical procedure involves placing an implant, usually made of silicone, beneath the lip surface. It’s much more permanent option than injectable lip fillers and laser treatments, but can be upsized, downsized or taken out altogether if you are unhappy with the results.

Each type of lip augmentation Jacksonville patients consider have pros and cons. Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery can help you decide which option is best for you, and also offers topical products for maintaining a healthy, youthful smile.