It is a common misconception that all plastic surgeons have the same background and surgical training. The number and complexity of plastic surgery procedures had increased and the required depth of knowledge and skills to master a specific anatomic area has increased.

The route a facial plastic surgeon takes begins with a five (5) year residency in head and neck surgery. That training includes an extensive volume of cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery focused solely on the face, neck, nose, eyes, and hair. Head and neck surgery training also includes head and neck cancer removal, restoration of facial nerve function, sinus surgery, larynx (voicebox) surgery, and airway surgery. A wide range of skills are developed by training in these disparate surgery types on the head and neck anatomy.

A head and neck surgery resident then enters an additional year of training in fellowship focused exclusively on facial plastic and reconstructive surgery through the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstruction Surgery (AAFPRS). It is during this year that our clinical and surgical skills amalgamate and crystallize.

The whole process takes 6 years, after which we start as an employed physician in a hospital or private practice or start our own practice.

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It can be difficult to adhere to strict scientific principles when recommending medical treatments to patients as a Cincinnati facial plastic surgeon simply because there is often so little quality data to support some recommendations. It is the nature of surgery more broadly, and plastic surgery specifically, probably because it is so difficult to develop and execute a high-quality study while ethically treating every individual with the most up-to-date standards of care. It is important to seek not only a fellowship-trained but also a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon if you have aesthetic concerns about your face and/or neck.

It is for this reason I thought it important to walk through how physicians think when we evaluate the effectiveness of treatments for patients. This will give you a window into how I think about what I recommend to my patients peri-operatively. The post will provide important context for follow up blog posts where I will comment on common peri-operative treatments intended to improve and accelerate healing.

I noticed the following excerpt from the personal essay I wrote for my facial plastic surgery fellowship application when looking through old email folders:

"My passion for facial plastic and reconstructive surgery in many ways parallels my interest in modern architecture. Irving Gill, one of my favorite architects and a 'premonitory prophet of rationalist modernism' in early twentieth century Southern California, designed residential structures which predated the popularity of the modernist style by decades. I recognize the importance of the qualities he possessed in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery. These qualities include an appreciation of context, a creativity bound by the limits of material and structure, and an obsession with detail.

A student of Frank Lloyd Wright, Gill was heavily influenced by his mentor’s appreciation of how the environment communicated with his designs. Gill’s work, as exemplified by the Dodge House, demonstrated a deep understanding of the historical, social, and environmental context in which it was constructed. Similarly, I appreciate the importance of context in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery. I am fascinated by the concept of the face as a vehicle for communicating emotions and health. I wish to better understand the context in which patients negotiate their surroundings through their appearance in order to provide a surgical result which best matches how they see themselves.

Nutrition goes a long way when preparing for and recovering from surgery! Proper nutrition can be the key to a successful surgery. What you learn here should empower you while relieving some of the stress you may feel going into and coming out of your upcoming surgical procedure. It is important to seek not only a fellowship-trained but also a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon if you have aesthetic concerns about your face and/or neck.

I never bought into the supposed glamour of plastic surgery despite the abundance of advertising to that effect. Rather, I feel glamour is more often intended to be associated with plastic surgeons themselves in advertising.

Virginia Postrel, a cultural writer, argues in her wonderful book The Power of Glamour that glamour “offers the implicit promise of a life devoid of mediocrity” and is “an illusion known to be false but felt to be true.” Facial plastic surgery is, by definition, not an illusion. It does not provide escape but can facilitate engagement with the world on your own terms and with confidence. Ms. Postrel also states that, unlike luxury, glamour is not something money can buy. That is not the case with facial plastic surgery.

But there is one quote from Ms. Postrel’s book about the concept of glamour that I do think defines a great deal of plastic surgery marketing: “bring out the best, conceal the worst, and leave something to the imagination.” The scenes of a plastic surgeon standing next to a private jet in a suit or driving a luxury car with aviators on is meant to glamorize the life of the plastic surgeon, not the client. However, this life, as Virginia Postrel states, is “an illusion known to be false but felt to be true.”

There are many wonderful options for facial rejuvenation prior to a wedding. And whether you are the bride, groom or, more commonly, the mother or father of the bride or groom, it is important to know what procedures are commonly sought and how long before such an event one should consider undergoing these procedures. Seek not only a fellowship-trained but also a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon to help determine whether any of these procedures may be able to address your concerns and desires.

Men frequently seek a wide range of surgical and non-surgical facial plastic surgery procedures. This list is not all-inclusive but does highlight commonly requested procedures. Seek not only a fellowship-trained but also a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon to help determine whether any of these procedures may be able to address your concerns and desires.

The definition of a kludge is a solution that is clumsy, inelegant, inefficient, and difficult to maintain. There are many kludges in facial plastic surgery that should generally be avoided. It is important to seek not only a fellowship-trained but also a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon if you have aesthetic concerns about your face and/or neck.

There are a massive number of books helpful to master the topics required to succeed in medical school and residency. Each medical specialty has their own sources, which range in size from large multi-volume texts to small clinical reference guides that include brief summaries of what are considered the most important, or high-yield, information “pearls.” Facial plastic surgery clinical reference guides exist as a valuable, though insufficient, source for clinical information for training residents and fellows. It is important to seek not only a fellowship-trained but also a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon if you have aesthetic concerns about your face and/or neck.

The author James Clear describes a system in the book Atomic Habits to identify activities in which one could excel by asking the following questions:

1. What feels like fun to me but work to others?
2. What makes me lose track of time?
3. Where do I get greater returns than the average person?
4. What comes naturally to me?

Question 2 refers to the concept of 'flow,' which is a mental state achieved when you are so focused on a task that everything else fades away. James Clear argues that flow tends to be reached more often with activities that sit in a 'Goldilocks Zone,' neither too difficult nor too easy. He argues that it is in this zone that maximal motivation and focus can be achieved.

I have routinely experienced flow during two pursuits, surgery and rowing. It is important to seek not only a fellowship-trained but also a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon if you have aesthetic concerns about your face and/or neck.

The face ages in a somewhat predictable pattern, though at a different rate and to a different extent depending on multiple factors. Both genetics and lifestyle choices contribute to the aging process. A detailed understanding of the anatomy and how changes in anatomy lead to the sequelae of facial aging is required to make the most appropriate treatment recommendations. An individual’s aesthetic goals and specific concerns also need to be prioritized to provide optimal, natural results. The following is a concise description of what changes in the face and neck as we age. It is important to seek not only a fellowship-trained but also a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon if you have aesthetic concerns about your face and/or neck.

This blog post is adapted from multiple sources (references below) and summarizes some things I have learned over the years about aging well that I have tried to incorporate into my life. It is important to seek not only a fellowship-trained but also a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon if you have aesthetic concerns about your face and/or neck.

This information is adapted from a presentation given to physician groups and a series of videos available online. It is important to seek not only a fellowship-trained but also a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon if you have aesthetic concerns about your face and/or neck.

Source: Martin, Paula J. Suzanne Noel: Cosmetic Surgery, Feminism and Beauty in Early Twentieth-Century France. Burlington, Vermont: Ashgate, 2014. Print.

A rendering of Homa, the mythological Persian bird that never stops flying, caught my eye. The line to pick up boarding passes and drop off checked luggage for Iran Air was a train of luxury shopping bags, headscarves, and nasal casts. I had landed in Dubai International Airport, which contained a fascinating mix of people from all over the world. It was my first trip to the city, a 30-minute flight from Doha, Qatar where I was based working as a teacher at Weil Cornell Medical College. It was the only flight I have experienced where we started the descent at almost the exact moment we reached cruising altitude.

I have long been fascinated with Iranian culture and history. It may be because my uncle through marriage is Iranian. But despite this fact, my exposure to Iranian culture was shallow. I remember my uncle’s mother visiting them in Lexington, Kentucky in the nineties. From Ahvaz, Iran, she was a very short woman in a headscarf who would spend all day stirring a pot of rice and the evenings smoking hookah under a tent in their backyard. I do not remember eating her rice, or any Persian food for that matter. Iranian culture seemed mentally so comfortable I never processed the differences from American culture. It also seemed physically inaccessible. I would be unable to travel to Iran during my time in Doha because it is potentially dangerous to travel there as an American.

My wife, Fara, and I are building a facial plastic surgery practice in Cincinnati, Ohio that our children will be proud of as they grow and mature. Our children are the most profound, beautiful gift we have ever been given. And whether our son and daughter choose to enter the field of medicine, Fara and I hope that our example will lead them to a life focused on the care of others. Their existence is the embodiment of our practice’s values. We at Harmon Facial Plastic Surgery care for our patients as we care for our children. It is important to seek not only a fellowship-trained but also a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon if you have aesthetic concerns about your face and/or neck.

Teaching involves not only the transmission of knowledge but also the organization of knowledge into a digestible framework whose construction imparts a way to organize other information. In other words, teaching involves teaching students how to learn as much as what to learn. It is that process of constructing the “framework” that allows me to organize my knowledge into a logical, organized, evidence-based facial plastic surgery clinical practice in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is important to seek not only a fellowship-trained but also a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon if you have aesthetic concerns about your face and/or neck.

I have the privilege as a physician and surgeon of helping patients “feel good about feeling good.” I pride myself as being a well-trained facial plastic surgeon who can provide natural surgical and non-surgical results, safely. However, I often wonder if during my consultation with patients they are thinking: “sure, you know what you are doing, but do you truly understand what goes into making a decision to proceed with facial plastic surgery?” My answer to that question is yes, I do understand. I underwent a rhinoplasty at age 17. It is important to seek not only a fellowship-trained but also a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon if you have aesthetic concerns about your face and/or neck.

The promotion of aesthetic plastic surgery in the United States increased dramatically after the second world war when surgeons who gained experience reconstructing the war wounded saw a sudden drop in patients. This development paralleled the greater professionalization – the act of increasing training for and/or the qualifications required to enter - of the field of plastic surgery. However, one of the problems associated with the early advertising of plastic surgery services in the 1940s and 1950s was that these promotional efforts did not extend to the head and neck surgery trained facial plastic surgeons who were highly qualified to perform aesthetic facial plastic surgery procedures. It is important to seek not only a fellowship-trained but also a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon if you have aesthetic concerns about your face and/or neck.

The following blog post is a series of book reviews and recommendations that reflect our mantra "Feel Good About Feeling Good." It is important to seek not only a fellowship-trained but also a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon if you have aesthetic concerns about your face and/or neck.

The following interview is with Christie L. Krazter, Principal at Reztark Design Studio. Reztark Design Studio developed the architectural and interior design plans for Harmon Facial Plastic Surgery. It is important to seek not only a fellowship-trained but also a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon if you have aesthetic concerns about your face and/or neck.

Angela Kowalski is the creative for the branding of Harmon Facial Plastic Surgery. It is important to seek not only a fellowship-trained but also a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon if you have aesthetic concerns about your face and/or neck.

Many people are bothered by their appearance when looking at selfie photos taken on their cellular phone cameras. Unlike professional cameras, the cameras built into cellular phones distort the actual appearance of the face in predictable ways. The above photo is a selfie taken of me and my wife Fara at Van Gogh Exhibition: The Immersive Experience. It is important to seek not only a fellowship-trained but also a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon if you have aesthetic concerns about your face and/or neck.

I wrote the following article four years ago about my experience on a medical mission to the Corozal Community Hospital in Corozal, Belize in February of 2018 for the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (ABO-HNS). I was awarded a grant from the ABO-HNS to help fund my trip. They asked that I write this article in exchange for the grant. This week-long mission was a formative experience for me. And while I have not yet returned to Belize, I hope to serve the wonderful people there soon. It is important to seek not only a fellowship-trained but also a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon if you have aesthetic concerns about your face and/or neck.

Many patients can undergo more than one facial plastic surgery procedure in one surgical session. However, whether a patient can undergo more than one procedure in a single session depends on multiple factors. A detailed discussion with your surgeon is required to determine whether one or more procedures is indicated. A surgical and anesthesia plan is then developed that is safe and as effective as possible. This plan may involve one or more procedures. It is important to seek not only a fellowship-trained but also a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon if you have aesthetic concerns about your face and/or neck.

The purpose of anesthesia is to reduce the discomfort associated with surgery and to keep the patient safe while allowing the surgeon to complete the operation. The types and depth of anesthesia patients can undergo fall on a spectrum. As a facial plastic surgeon, I am not an authority on anesthesiology. However, I work closely with anesthesiologists in the operating room. I have cared for patients who have received each of the below types of anesthesia. The descriptions below are simply basic summaries to better educate patients. It is important to seek not only a fellowship-trained but also a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon if you have aesthetic concerns about your face and/or neck.

Pre-operative testing and medical clearance from a Primary Care Provider (PCP) are key to maximizing the safety of any surgical procedure in which oral or IV anesthesia medications are being used at Harmon Facial Plastic Surgery in Cincinnati. The testing and medical clearance are reviewed by Dr. Harmon and the physician anesthesiologist prior to the surgery date. It is important to seek not only a fellowship-trained but also a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon if you have aesthetic concerns about your face and/or neck.

Some individuals desire virtual consultations due to distance from the office of Harmon Facial Plastic Surgery in Cincinnati. Other individuals desire virtual consultations prior to considering an in-person consultation. It is important to seek not only a fellowship-trained but also a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon if you have aesthetic concerns about your face and/or neck.

You will meet the entire surgical care team, complete paperwork, take photos, and change your clothes for the operating room the morning of surgery at Harmon Facial Plastic Surgery in Cincinnati. It is important to seek not only a fellowship-trained but also a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon if you have aesthetic concerns about your face and/or neck.

It is common practice to recommend vitamins and other supplements peri-operatively with the intention to help with recovery and healing. Arnica montana, a Swiss mountain shrub otherwise referred to as arnica, is widely used to reduce bruising and swelling after surgery. l evaluated the medical literature to determine the effectiveness of arnica, focusing on high-quality studies (see previous blog post “How (Thoughtful) Surgeons Think”) that specifically evaluated its effectiveness for facial plastic surgery procedures.

The first procedure I looked at was nose surgery (rhinoplasty) because, depending on the approach taken, some bruising and swelling around the eyes is expected. The first study, from 2007, was randomized and controlled (1). It evaluated the effectiveness of arnica taken by mouth. Unfortunately, no difference was found between the use of oral arnica and placebo (no intervention) on the extent and severity of bruising. This study used subjective ratings by researchers. In contrast, a meta-analysis from 2017 combining data from three other randomized, controlled studies comparing the effects of oral arnica with placebo found a significant decrease in post-operative swelling and bruising with the use of arnica during the recovery period (2). At least one of those studies utilized a more objective assessment of the bruising utilizing a computer program (3). My review of the literature suggests oral arnica could be effective in treating bruising after nose surgery.

The term “Ozempic® Face” has been widely circulated and commented on on the internet. Its popularity parallels the increased popularity of the use of Ozempic® and its family of medications for weight loss. The term likely refers to the changes in the appearance of the face after the often significant, rapid weight loss associated with the use of these medications.

The following blog post is not a comment on the clinical effectiveness or safety of the Ozempic® family of medications for weight loss or diabetes, its original indicated treatment. Internal medicine physicians and endocrinologists are the experts who should be consulted with regarding the use of these medications. Rather, this blog post discusses the likely features referred to as “Ozempic® Face” as well as the possible surgical and/or non-surgical treatment options for these features. This blog post also considers the potential concerns of this family of medications during anesthesia.

As with all facial plastic surgery procedures, it is important to seek not only a fellowship-trained but also a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon if you have aesthetic concerns about your face and/or neck.

Visual aids assist in explaining complex facial plastic surgery concepts. The Back of the Napkin: Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with Pictures by Dan Roam provides a good system for assessing how to communicate complex concepts to an audience in a manner that is simple but is dense with relevant information. This blog post seeks to summarize the system as described by Dan Roam as well as how we at Harmon Facial Plastic Surgery applied his system to communicating our philosophy on addressing facial aging comprehensively with advanced surgical techniques. It is important to seek not only a fellowship-trained but also a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon if you have aesthetic concerns about your face and/or neck.

The two books reviewed below fall under the theme of longevity and aging well. The first book presents a broad argument for transforming how medicine is practiced by focusing on preventing the development of chronic disease rather than treating chronic disease when it occurs. The second book offers a practical guide to maintaining mobility with age, which can be associated with improved health in old age. As always, the purpose of these reviews is to entertain and not to provide direct medical advice nor to serve as replacement for appropriate medical advice. The opinions of the authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Dr. Harmon and/or Harmon Facial Plastic Surgery. Instead, we have found that these books ask interesting questions and are also entertaining. It is important to seek not only a fellowship-trained but also a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon if you have aesthetic concerns about your face and/or neck.

A surgeon mentor once told me many years ago: “Jeff, we are like plumbers.” I initially perceived this negatively. However, the positive reality of this comment became clear to me over time, particularly after reading Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work by Matthew B. Crawford, who advances the argument for “work that is meaningful because it is genuinely useful.” The book not only transformed my perspective on the value of the craft trades (e.g., electricians, masons, plumbers) but also my perception of my chosen specialty, facial plastic surgery. It is important to seek not only a fellowship-trained but also a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon if you have aesthetic concerns about your face and/or neck.

I inherited a physician examination table from my mother’s family when I graduated from medical school. The table was a strange inheritance because there are no other physicians in my family. My mother explained that it was found in the attic of one of my great grandparents’ homes in rural Central Kentucky. It is not clear how the table wound up in my mother’s possession. It would become clear years later, however, that it is a historical piece fit for a museum. It is important to seek not only a fellowship-trained but also a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon if you have aesthetic concerns about your face and/or neck.

Dr. Jeffrey Harmon is honored to have been added to the list of top doctors in Cincinnati Magazine for 2024. It is important to seek not only a fellowship-trained but also a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon if you have aesthetic concerns about your face and/or neck.

It is important to seek not only a fellowship-trained but also a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon if you have aesthetic concerns about your face and/or neck.

Published in 1998, Lift: Wanting, Fearing, and Having a Face-Lift by Joan Kron is one of the best books I have read on facial plastic surgery written by a non-physician. It is also one of the best histories of facial plastic surgery I have read by any author, physician or not. The book is a time capsule of sorts, capturing a transition point in cosmetic facial plastic surgery before, for example, Botox© and hyaluronic acid fillers were Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved and widely in use. The following blog post is a review of the book and a highlight of some of the wisdom the author imparts about her experience undergoing facial plastic surgery. It is important to seek not only a fellowship-trained but also a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon if you have aesthetic concerns about your face and/or neck.

There are a few routes available to be considered qualified to perform plastic surgery on the face and neck. There is one path, however, to become a surgeon focused exclusively on plastic surgery of the face and neck. This path is long and arduous, usually requiring not only extensive training as a head and neck surgical resident but also specialized fellowship training in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery. This training is followed by rigorous testing, first to become board certified in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery and, approximately two to three years later, board certified in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. This blog post seeks to explain this path in greater detail to explain why it is important to seek not only a fellowship-trained but also a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon if you have aesthetic concerns about your face and/or neck.

Following my previous post on the development of facial plastic surgery in South Korea, this blog post includes a list of cosmetic treatments for the face that are available in South Korea but not the United States (US). It is important to note that not all of the treatments listed below have been evaluated, much less approved, by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). That is, to the best of my knowledge, why the medications and devices are not yet widely available in the US. I will do my best to update this list as I identify additional treatments as well as any additional publications that weigh in on the actual safety and effectiveness of these treatments. It is important to seek not only a fellowship-trained but also a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon if you have aesthetic concerns about your face and/or neck.

“Do you want the bed up?” I heard these words frequently from the circulating nurse and anesthesiologist in the operating room during residency. I heard them rarely, not surprisingly, from my attending physician. It was an expression of concern for my back and neck because I looked so unnatural and uncomfortable operating as a new resident. I almost always replied that I would like the bed raised. However, I initially felt awkward asking. I was usually taller than the attending surgeon and staff. I knew they would need to adjust to accommodate me. It took time, but I grew increasingly comfortable and assertive requesting ergonomic adjustments that were less stressful on my neck and back. I have been interested in the topic since. The following blog post is a summary of what I have learned from research, experience, and conversation with professionals. It is important to seek not only a fellowship-trained but also a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon if you have aesthetic concerns about your face and/or neck.