Dr. Gilbert Lee is a triple board-certified plastic surgeon in San Diego. Voted Top Doc in Plastic Surgery by his peers in the San Diego County Medical Society for the last ten years in a row, Dr. Lee excels in artistry, skill and innovative procedures. His signature Changes Rapid Lift is one such innovation.
Plastic surgery is a process. It begins with early aging and closer scrutiny in the mirror. Lackluster skin, deepening facial folds, jowls, and a sagging neck signal that the timing is right for more than just lotions and creams. These signs begin around 40 years of age. At a time when most people are feeling vital and energetic, an aging face is a rough betrayal. While non-surgical options offer short-term improvements, a facelift, also known as a rhytidectomy, becomes a potential reality. With an understanding of this transition time, Dr. Gilbert Lee devised a facelift with all the appeal of a non-surgical procedure and the results of a full surgical facelift. The Changes Rapid Lift was created.
Dr. Lee first introduced the Changes Rapid Lift in 2009. The economy was historically one of the worst in recent history. The ability to afford plastic surgery was a definite hurdle. To address this, Dr. Lee designed the Rapid Lift to be performed under local anesthetic. This reduced the cost of the procedure by eliminating pricey anesthesia and hospital operating room fees. With the price barrier eliminated, the procedure was more attractive and “do-able”.
But what about the infamous “Lifestyle Lift” with its round-the-clock television, radio and print ads depicting facelifts with miraculous results? It was performed under local anesthesia as well, but unlike the Changes Rapid Lift, the Lifestyle Lift was done by Ear, Nose & Throat doctors, cosmetic surgeons, maybe even a dermatologist. Results promised such miraculous improvement one had to wonder how droopy eyelids and under-eye bags were improved with a facelift. Lifestyle Lift abruptly closed its doors in 2015*.
The Changes Rapid Lift addresses the face and neck, upfront. It does not correct aging eyes. It under promises and over-delivers. The type of incision used in the Lifestyle Lift and most mini lifts differs greatly from the technique used by Dr. Lee in the Changes Rapid Lift. A mini-lift involves three or more small cuts where the surgeon then uses instruments to remove excess tissue. The Changes Rapid Lift is essentially a full facelift. Dr. Lee’s technique involves creating a hidden incision in the bowl of the ear and then separating the tissue in an extended arc in a downward direction. The resection is more extensive than a mini-lift and allows full support and re-suspension of tissue, face and neck muscles. Because the lift involves more than just re-draping skin, the results of the Changes Rapid Lift will last 10 years or more versus 6 months to 2 years with a mini lift.
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Affordable
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Local Anesthetic
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Greater support of face and neck muscles
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Lasts up to 10 years
As technology continues to offer new non-surgical ways to fight aging, it takes the creativity and innovation of surgeons like Dr. Gilbert Lee to improve on the surgical methods available to today’s patients. Elective surgery, especially for cosmetic purposes, is not easy to justify for some early agers. But when affordable options like the Changes Rapid Lift serve up long-lasting, effective and natural-looking results, it’s much easier to look as young as you feel on the inside, on the outside.
Would you like to meet with Dr. Gilbert Lee to talk about the Changes Rapid Lift? Contact our office in San Diego, CA. at 858-720-1440. Changes Plastic Surgery & Spa is state licensed and has passed the close scrutiny of the American Board of Plastic Surgery which found it to meet their high ethical standards.
