Florence Mussat, M.D.
680 N Lake Shore Dr. #1030 Chicago, IL 60611 (312) 751-9000

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Category: plastic surgery

What Are the Best Plastic Surgery Combinations?

Plastic surgery continues to be more sought-after each year, with its ability to restore facial beauty, create youthful curves, and tighten weathered and sagging skin. Many patients in the Chicagoland area choose two or more procedures to enhance their cosmetic benefits.

Women and men can consult with an accomplished plastic surgeon to create a personalized surgical plan to achieve their desired outcomes. Some cosmetic surgeries make natural pairings in delivering optimal results to patients of all ages. Here are our patients’ favorite combinations.

Breast Lift and Tummy Tuck

This combination helps women who struggle with the physical changes pregnancy and breastfeeding have on their bodies.

A breast lift delivers youthful breasts by strengthening breast tissue, removing excess skin, and reducing areola size if necessary. Likewise, a tummy tuck reinforces the abdominal wall and removes excess skin and tissue, resulting in a taut tummy to complement those perky breasts. This combination is one version of a popular operation known as a mommy makeover.

Facelift and Eyelid Surgery

This comprehensive approach to facial rejuvenation simultaneously combines the eyes and midface. A facelift restores youthful facial contours from below the eyes to the jawline. Dr. Mussat will reposition sagging skin and muscles to remove years from your look.

Eyelid surgery lifts upper lids to make the eyes clearer and brighter. It can also reduce undereye puffiness or circles by restoring tissue and volume. This pairing provides patients with the ultimate anti-aging benefits.

Combining facelift and eyelid surgery balances your upper, mid, and lower face, enhancing each third simultaneously without one area looking younger than the other.

Facelift and Facial Fat Transfer

There are different ways to achieve facial beauty. Still, adding facial volume is an essential dimension in many people’s cosmetic concerns. When you come in for a facelift consultation, Dr. Mussat may suggest a facial fat transfer because these two treatments go hand in glove.

Facial fat transfer restores facial fullness lost with age. Specifically, this procedure moves fat from other body parts to facial areas that have lost volume over time. Typically, Dr. Mussat adds fat to the midface centered over the cheekbones. Even if you need minor improvements, a facial fat transfer adds an elegant and youthful appearance and avoids the windblown look.

Why These Procedures are Better Together

Not only can the right combination of plastic surgeries boost your confidence, but it also saves you time and money. Pairing your procedures minimizes your long-term costs, since you only have to pay facility, anesthesiology, and surgical staff costs once. Combining surgeries also makes the process safer by shortening your overall recovery, translating into faster results.

Chicago’s Leading Female Plastic Surgeon

If you would like to learn more about Dr. Mussat and her practice, schedule a consultation today by contacting us or calling (312) 751-9000.

Most Commonly Requested Plastic Surgery For Men

Gone are the days when plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures were considered exclusive to women. With an increased focus on looking their best, many men also undergo regular aesthetic treatments to improve their appearance.

If you want to resolve personal aesthetic issues as a man, you can also reap the rewards of plastic surgery for men in Chicago, Illinois. Through available approaches, you can quickly boost your confidence, increase your self-esteem, and enhance your looks right according to your liking.

To help you determine which approaches might suit you, here is the lowdown on some of the most commonly requested plastic surgery procedures for men.

Abdominoplasty

More popularly known as a tummy tuck, abdominoplasty refers to the process of trimming excess skin and fat from the abdominal region. The surgical procedure also targets weakened muscles in order to enhance your abdominal profile.

This process is most effective for men with sagging skin or separated muscles that they cannot address with dieting or weight loss. It is also helpful if you are dealing with loose skin after massive weight loss.

Gynecomastia Surgery

Gynecomastia is a condition referring to enlarged male breast tissue. With the unconventional appearance that results from this condition, you may have to go through embarrassing situations and low self-esteem issues.

With gynecomastia surgery, you can effectively address this issue for a proper resolution. This plastic surgery for men removes the excess breast tissue and creates a more masculine-looking chest.

Facial Procedures

Facial procedures for men are similar to those processes that are associated with women. These approaches include but are not limited to faceliftbrow lifteyelid surgery, and fat transfer. Some of these processes may also include non-surgical cosmetic approaches.

To determine which course of action is right for you, you should consult with an experienced plastic surgeon. Using various techniques, a qualified provider can help you improve your looks through these male plastic surgery options.

Liposuction

Men often choose liposuction when they cannot lose stubborn pockets of fat even after trying different exercise or diet regimens. If this is true for you, liposuction can remove excess fat and help you obtain your ideal body profile.

Liposuction can be performed for various areas of your body, including your chin, neck, abdomen, upper arms, flanks, back, hips, buttocks, knees, and thighs. In turn, you can embrace your desired figure by getting rid of stubborn and hard-to-lose fat.

Necklift

A necklift targets the excess skin around your neck area to address the problems of sagging skin and wrinkles under the chin. Through a necklift, you can ensure that your enhanced facial features do not get diminished by jowls or excess tissue beneath the skin. This way, you can continue maintaining your confidence and reap the rewards of your other surgical procedures with ease.

Contact A Plastic Surgeon for Men In Chicago, Il

Ready to see how partnering with a plastic surgeon can help you look your best for years to come? We invite you to schedule a private consultation with Dr. Florence Mussat today!

How a Fat Transfer Can Help You Look Younger | Dr. Florence Mussat

One day, while looking in the mirror, you’ll notice a line that wasn’t there last week. It happens to everyone sooner or later. Aging is an unavoidable part of life, and with it comes many small changes that may negatively impact the way you see and feel about yourself.

There are two common reasons patients come to see Dr. Florence Mussat in Chicago, IL, to address typical signs of aging. Firstly, those taking place on the face in the form of wrinkles, cheek depressions, sagging skin, and secondly, those stubborn pockets of fat in various parts of their bodies that don’t respond to a healthy diet and exercise regime.

What you may not realize is that it’s possible to smooth out those pesky signs of aging on your face while simultaneously trimming away unsightly pockets of “donor” body fat from your own body through a process known as autologous fat transfer.

Commonly referred to as fat transfer, fat grafting, or lipofilling, autologous fat transfer is a wonderfully safe and effective procedure that can be used to trim fat from areas of your body with which you’re not happy while enhancing other areas. The end result is a look that is not only permanent, but vibrant, youthful, and a great boost to your self-confidence.

From Where and How Is the Fat Transferred?

During an autologous fat transfer procedure, Dr. Mussat uses liposuction to remove fat from various areas of the body, such as the:

  • Inner thighs
  • Abdominal area
  • Back
  • Hips
  • Buttocks
  • Upper arms

Excess fat cells are extracted through tiny incisions from these areas, spun in a centrifuge, cleaned, and purified before they’re processed and turned into an effective dermal filler.

The entire process of removing and then injecting the fat usually takes 1-4 hours, depending on the size of the areas being treated. Thanks to the small size of the incisions and the minimally invasive nature of the injections, downtime and recovery time are minimal.

If you’re interested in learning how to add shape and volume to areas where it can help you look more youthful while at the same time slim down trouble areas of your body, why not schedule a visit with Dr. Florence Mussat at her Chicago, IL plastic surgery office?

What Areas of My Face Can Benefit From Fat Transfer?

Fat grafting is an excellent way to address visible signs of aging in different areas of the face, including:

Cheeks and Temples

Sunken cheeks and temples are among the most common and most noticeable signs of aging in the face. Our cheeks often start to sag and droop as the skin loses elasticity due to the natural aging process and factors such as weight loss and family genetics. Fortunately, we can naturally add volume to sunken cheeks through facial fat grafting and make them appear more plump and youthful.

Under the Eyes

That hollowed-out, gaunt look under the eyes can cause a person to appear older than their actual age or even look sick and unhealthy. Facial fat grafting can be used to transfer fat into the area under the eyes, correct dark circles, add volume to thinning skin, and reduce other aging signs under the eyes.

Jawline

As they age, many people develop “jowls,” where the skin becomes thinner and less elastic and starts to sag below the jawline. Facial fat grafting to the jawline can tighten and reduce the appearance of jowls.

Are There Any Additional Areas of My Face Fat Transfer Can Help?

In addition to those areas mentioned above, facial fat grafting can also improve the appearance of thinning lips, tear troughs, forehead lines, and lines around the mouth.

With expert fat grafting, you can quickly and safely achieve a rejuvenated facial appearance.

Apart from the face, fat can also be transferred through grafting to other areas of the body that, over time, sag or lose their shape, like breasts, buttocks, hands, and even calves.

Take That Next Step To Looking Younger!

For a complete assessment of how board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Florence Mussat can use fat transfer to help you look younger, schedule a personal consultation in Chicago, IL, or call (312) 751-9000 today!

Get Ready for Valentine’s Day – 10 Ways to Look and Feel Your Best

Valentine’s Day comes at the perfect time of year. The joy and excitement of the Christmas season are but a memory. As we eagerly begin to anticipate the arrival of spring, February brings us Valentine’s Day and, with it, a much-needed dose of fun, romance, and excitement.

With more and more people going the extra mile to look their best for Valentine’s Day, why not schedule a visit with Dr. Florence Mussat at her Chicago plastic surgery office?

Be on your way to a fresh, vibrant look with one of these 10 solutions from Dr. Mussat.

1.     Restore Youthful Fullness to Your Face

Perhaps it’s due to genetics, aging, or simply your facial structure, but parts of your face could be lacking in volume and making you appear gaunt. Well, it is possible to enhance your facial volume and improve the appearance of your face with a facial fat transfer expertly performed by Dr. Mussat.

2.     Fall in Love With Your Skin

Taking care of one’s skin is essential throughout the year, and there’s no better time than now to get back your radiant glow in time for Valentine’s Day with a nonsurgical facial rejuvenation treatment.

With medical-grade, topical retinoids, various conditions, including mild to moderate acne, signs of sun damage, freckles, fine lines, and wrinkles, can be treated.

3.     Refresh Your Eyelids

Your eyes may be the window to your soul, but drooping eyelid skin or undereye bags could be concealing and aging your eyes, making you look tired, sad, or angry. If so, you could be a good candidate for an eyelid lift, also known as blepharoplasty. It could take years off your appearance and give your self-esteem a big boost.

4.     Repair the Sun Damage

Even though summer is long gone, your skin could still be showing signs of too much sun with dryness, new lines, and wrinkles. Dr. Mussat offers a range of treatments to undo the harsh effects of summer, and just two of these are highlighted below.

Chemical Peel: Replaces thickened and damaged skin with fresh, youthful cells, eliminating uneven pigmentation and skin discoloration.

Microdermabrasion: By rubbing fine crystals across the skin with a medically-calibrated wand, the rough outer layer is removed, and new skin stimulated.

Laser Skin Rejuvenation: A concentrated beam of light is used to gently exfoliate the skin’s sun-damaged outer layer.

5.     Reclaim Your Youthful Shape

Becoming a mother can be one of the most rewarding experiences. However, pregnancy and breastfeeding can leave you with unwelcome reminders such as stomach flab and flattened breasts.

While diet and exercise can go a long way towards reclaiming your youthful appeal, a mommy makeover as a Valentine’s gift to yourself could be all you need to restore your youthful figure.

6.     Get Back Those Perky Breasts

Full, perky breasts may be a distant memory of the days before gravity, weight loss, pregnancy, or breastfeeding changed things. To regain confidence in your appearance this Valentine’s Day, a breast lift could be exactly what you need.

7.     Slim Your Jawline

Whether it’s the result of age or weight gain, a double chin can be one of the most frustrating facial flaws to have. Through a facelift, Dr. Mussat can tighten loose skin under your chin and neck area, lift those sagging jowls and restore a youthful appearance.

8.     Tone and Tighten

Are you plagued by problem areas of flab that won’t go away? Regardless of how much you exercise and eat healthily, do you find that lean, sexy stomach continues to elude you?

Well, you might consider a tummy tuck, also known as abdominoplasty, which surgically removes excess skin and flesh from the abdomen and even repairs abdominal muscles damaged during pregnancy or weight gain.

9.     Restore Those Smooth Contours

If you’ve lost a significant amount of weight either through diet, exercise, or bariatric surgery, you could now have excess skin in areas of the body where large amounts of fat used to be. Through one or more body contouring procedures, expertly performed by Dr. Mussat, you could be well on your way to having your body’s contours restored by Valentine’s Day.

10.            Put Your Best Face Forward

Despite taking good care of yourself and trying to age gracefully, age-related changes in your face are still inevitable.

With facelift surgery, Dr. Mussat can tighten and lift the soft tissues of your face, tighten lax, excess skin and surgically reposition sagging facial tissue giving you a more youthful, rejuvenated look.

Regain Your Sexy, Youthful Look in Time for Valentine’s Day!

What better to get a self-confidence boost and bring some excitement back into your love life before Valentine’s Day than a visit to board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Florence Mussat in Chicago, IL?

Too look your absolute best before Valentine’s day, schedule a personal consultation or call (312) 751-9000 today!

What Are 3 Pre-Surgery Tips for Self-Care?

Are you patiently counting down the days until your scheduled cosmetic surgery? Your thoughts are probably on what you can do to prepare for your procedure and increase your chances of a successful outcome.

Board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Florence Mussat will provide detailed pre-surgery and post-surgery instructions. In addition to these, let’s look at three super-helpful tips you can follow to help you be as healthy and strong as possible before your surgery.

1. Make Healthy Lifestyle Choices

The better your health before going into surgery, the smoother your recovery process will be. To this end, address these three lifestyle factors to ensure you’re in the best possible shape.

Balanced Nutrition

In the days leading up to your surgery, eat foods rich in vitamins and minerals. Focus primarily on fresh fruits and vegetables – which will help prevent inflammation – and foods rich in protein and nutrients such as vitamin C and D, zinc, and calcium, all of which can aid in your healing. You should also stop consuming alcohol and avoid foods that can cause constipation, like dairy and red meat.

Routine Exercise

Among exercise’s other countless benefits, being more active before your surgery will increase your chances of bouncing back sooner after the procedure. Walking at least 5,000 steps a day will go a long way toward increasing your stamina and improving your cardiovascular health and muscle recovery.

Kick Bad Habits

Use the time before your surgery to quit smoking and drinking alcohol, along with any mood-altering substances that could affect your sleep or anxiety levels leading up to your surgery. Alcohol and nicotine can significantly affect your circulation and can increase your anesthesia risk.

2. Organize Your Personal Affairs

To avoid any anxiety and improve your peace of mind, here are a few things you should take care of before your procedure.

Check With Your Employer

Ensure you understand your options regarding vacation or sick time. Arrange for a colleague to fill in for you during your absence, so any professional responsibilities can keep moving smoothly.

Take All Required Medical Tests

Dr. Mussat will inform you what tests you will need before, during, and after your surgery. Check if any of these may require pre-authorization from your insurer.

Contact Your Health Insurance Company

You must understand what your policy will and won’t cover, including any deductibles, co-pays, and out-of-pocket costs.

3. Arrange for Help

Have a family member or friend agree to drive you to Dr. Mussat’s practice for your procedure and back home again afterward, where they can stay to help you for a day or two. Recruit family members and friends to take over meal preparation, diaper changes, laundry, and most parenting duties at home.

Those helping you both pre- and post-surgery can assist you in packing a bag with all of your basic essentials like toiletries, medications, and loose, comfortable clothing to wear home. They can also ensure you have plenty of water, vitamins, supplements, and healthy food at home.

Finally, make sure you take your personal ID, insurance card, and a list of any medications you may be taking, including the dosage.

Contact Us With Your Questions

If you have any questions about preparing for your surgery, please contact board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Florence Mussat in Chicago, IL. Schedule a personal consultation online or call (312) 751-9000 today.