Plan Now to “Face” the Holidays … Here’s my Seasonal Timetable for Personal Facial Rejuvenation.  With the holiday season fast approaching, I’d like to remind you that October through mid-November as the ideal time to rejuvenate your face for the holidays – not just to look better, but because with all the emotional stress the holidays can bring, looking your best can be an incredible confidence boost.

For many people, what should be a joyous season of fun, family and fellowship becomes a season of foreboding instead.  School plays, office parties, winter weddings, family portraits, social activities, holiday dinners, shopping, and religious events all put demands on individuals – including demands to look their best.  From mid-November through New Year’s Day, the stress-filled list of “must-attend” soirees and celebrations can feel endless.

I see it every year.  When you become overwhelmed by these social obligations, the holiday blues can start to set in.  The result?  You start to feel tired and stressed, your confidence can slip and self-doubts can surface. Gazing in the mirror and noticing a few extra laugh lines, frown lines, puffiness in the eyes – or even slight sagging at the jaw line or neck – all of these only make the thought of socializing during the holiday season even more agonizing.

Every year, I’ve witnessed an increase in surgical and non-surgical treatments during this time of year – and, for a lot of reasons, this is a good thing.  Men and women want to present their ‘best’ at this time of year, and each year thousands of them realize that – when facing activities they are obligated to attend, they want the added confidence that a facial rejuvenation procedure delivers.

However, if you are considering a facial rejuvenation, scheduling the procedure well in advance of the holiday is important, both to allow full healing and to let the added self-confidence that naturally comes with a facial rejuvenation procedure to “sink in.”

You can’t wait until the night before the family photo or party to have a botox, restylane or other injectible procedure, much less a facelift.

To assist you in planning ahead, I have developed a timeline for scheduling your cosmetic appointments, leaving a sufficient time to recuperate, and to prepare for a successful and enjoyable holiday season.   You can learn more about these procedures at: www.prasadcosmeticsurgery.com

Facelifts – Forget the Six-week Healing Process

The healing process for a traditional facelift takes up to 6 weeks – sometimes longer. However, with the minimally-invasive surgical techniques I have pioneered, the recuperation time for my natural-appearance facelift is diminished considerably – generally to 2-to-3 weeks.

Four Weeks Before The Event

If you are looking for a Sculptra session to fill in the minor fatty tissues that, when lost result in wrinkles, or if you want to minimize wrinkles with the Pelleve process, book these treatments at least four weeks before your first event.

Two Weeks Out

Even just a few weeks before the festivities begin, eyelid rejuvenation, cheek implants, brow lifts, and fractional CO2 laser treatment– which lessens the visibility of wrinkles, scars and discoloration – can be performed, and recovery completed.  Book these no later than two weeks before your first event.

One Week and Counting!

With just a week to go, either a light chemical peel – or the use of injectibles – is the best way to combat those laugh and frown lines. There are many types of injectibles, each targeting a different part of the face. Botox focuses on the brow bone area and around the eye, fighting frown lines found between the eyebrows. Restylane is used for diminishing wrinkles and replenishing areas lacking firmness.  Juvederm is used for reducing wrinkles and used as a filler for facial areas and lips.  Finally, Radiesse is also used for lessening wrinkles. Injectibles should be given a week before you expect to see effective results.

If you want to have a successful, relaxed and beautiful holiday, plan now to rejuvenate your face, roll back the clock and experience the beauty that is waiting to be revealed.
Dr. Amiya Prasad (www.prasadcosmeticsurgery.com) is a pre-eminent Manhattan and New York area facial cosmetic surgeon with offices in Park Avenue Manhattan and Garden City Long Island.  He is the author of the forthcoming beauty guide, “The Fine Art of Looking Younger – A Leading Cosmetic Surgeon’s Guide to Long Lasting Beauty.”