Dr. Daniel Holley
Holley Surgical Arts
Cosmetic procedures give lift to self-esteem
By Shelley Koppel Staff writer
PORT ST. LUCIE — When Dr. Daniel Holley, of Holley Surgical Arts in St. Lucie West and Stuart, began his career, he was going to be a surgical oncologist, operating on cancer patients. “I had to do a year of cancer research,” he said. “I went into the surgeries. The cancer surgeons were dark and unhappy. The plastic surgeons doing reconstruction were happier. You’re operating on a person’s persona, his or her self-image. It’s how they feel about themselves. It’s a unique area of medicine.”
That experience led Dr. Holley to plastic surgery, and while he does the full complement of surgeries, procedures and fillers, he also does a good deal of reconstructive surgery for patients with breast cancer and skin cancers, where they have had Mohs surgery to remove a cancerous lesion and now need reconstruction. That area is very exciting. Holley said that in the next 10-15 years, doctors will be able to use a patient’s own cells for reconstruction.
Still, the most common procedure is the face life. “We do a tremendous number,” he said. “The newest thing is that we do them in the office under local anesthesia. The patient comes into the office and goes home in three hours. They can eat and drink the day of the surgery. In two days, they’re showering and washing their hair and the stiches come out in a week. They can be out and about with make up on about two weeks. It’s less risky and more amenable to our active lifestyle. It’s a new twist on an old procedure.”
While plastic surgery used to be the province of women, that is no longer the case. “We’re seeing many more men,” he said. “There are a variety of reasons. It’s acceptable. A generation or two ago, ‘vanity’ was only for women. Now men care about how they look and want to stay fit longer. It’s socially acceptable to have ‘tweaks.’ In the workplace, how you look impacts jobs and promotions. People are living longer and working into their 60s and 70s. They come in and say, ‘I like to look sharp and on my game.’” Popular surgeries and procedure with men involve the eyelids and neck and Botox to reduce wrinkling. “If the eyelids are hooded, people look tired,” Holley said. If the brow has a furrowed look, they seem angry. People judge age by the neck. During the recession, I did eyelids for people who were looking for new jobs. They’d say, ‘I’m competing with guys who look bright and shiny.’ It’s not only about the resume, it’s projection of an image.” Men are also opting for liposuction. “A fit guy has problem areas,” Holley said. “They have love handles. You can’t lose it on your own. It’s genetic that we store fat in certain locations. Guys are as self-conscious as ladies. When they’re thin and fit, they start tucking their shirts back in.”
The doctor also does surgery on men and women who have had massive weight loss. “A weight loss of 100 pounds is commonplace with the advent of diet, exercise and bariatric surgery,” Holley said. There’s skin laxity in the face, skin, arms, legs and abdomen. Muscles are tightened, as well. “They say they still have their fat suits,” Holley said. “They feel that they look older. We can tighten the arms and do breast lifts.”
Both younger and more mature patients are opting for fillers, injectable agents that plump areas up. “It’s not just lips,” Holley said. “It’s lines around the mouth. A thin face is an older-looking face. We can restore the line of the cheeks and cheekbones.” Holley said that his practice is patient-driven.
“You have to adjust ideas to what the patient wants,” he said. “I don’t try to project my feelings. Most of my patients want to look ‘refreshed and better.’ They say, ‘I look in the mirror and it’s not who I am. I try to match the idea with the body image.” Holley said that understanding the patient and his or her expectations s important. “We treat people as individuals,” he said, “We help deliver what they want.”
Holley Surgical Arts has two locations:
150 S.W. Chamber Court, Suite 101, St. Lucie West. Phone: (772) 878-0708.
2065 S. Kanner Highway, Stuart, Phone: (772) 286-0677.
For more information, visit the website, www.holleysurgicalarts.com.
For those wishing to explore surgical and non-surgical options, Dr. Holley offers a free consultation. The office accepts CareCredit.
Cosmetic procedures give lift to self-esteem
07/04/14 Your Voice Weekly