Time for a Change
Led by Dr. Steven L. Davis, Davis Cosmetic Plastic Surgery provides each patient with a customized self-care regimen built around safety, cost-effectiveness, and elegant results.
When Dr. Steven L. Davis, D.O., F.A.C.O.S., reflects on the past year and a half, he appreciates the pain and inconvenience the pandemic has wrought. He also sees some silver among the dark clouds.
“In general, people are more willing to invest in self-care,” says Dr. Davis, the board-certified plastic surgeon and founder of Davis Cosmetic Plastic Surgery, which has an office in Philadelphia, as well as in Cherry Hill and Northfield, New Jersey. “Considering everything we’ve been through the past year or so, people are investing more time and resources in taking better care of themselves not only with exercise and eating healthier, but doing things to make them look better.”
We spoke with Dr. Davis about the ever-growing abundance of self-care options, innovations offering the most promise, and the importance of finding a provider that patients can trust.
Q&A
Thanks to the internet, people have an abundance of information at their fingertips. I imagine that’s equal parts blessing and curse in your business. Where should people turn to when it comes to educating themselves about self-care options?
People get a lot of their information through Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms, but not necessarily the most accurate or best resources to know if that new device or product is good for you. People need to talk to someone they trust, someone who is an expert in the field, and someone who will be honest with them about their options and their expectations.
Yes, there is plenty of information out there for people to consider, but a lot of that information is incomplete, inaccurate, or irrelevant based on your situation. You may have a friend in California who raves about a new treatment, but if your girlfriend is 46 and you’re 66, what works for her is probably not going to be the best option for you. We know which technologies and treatments will work best for each patient on an individual basis. There is no one-size-fits-all solution.
We have always been the office you can trust, and we work hard to stay at the forefront. I am a trainer for some of the facial injectable and technology companies, so we’re usually one of the first offices to get the latest products and technologies. I remember one new technology that we demoed, but although it delivered results, it had three things that made it unacceptable in my practice: 1.) It was too uncomfortable for the patients; 2.) You would not see results for approximately six months; and 3.) The cost for each treatment was too expensive for patients.
In terms of treatment options, where are you seeing the most innovation?
Let’s focus on four areas. First is the energy-based technology to remove fat and tighten the skin without having to do surgery. The second area has to do with breast implants; I’m doing a lot of breast augmentations with the newest “gummy bear” breast implants, which is the nickname for the latest generation gel-based implants. Third is face-lifting—either nonsurgically or with new less invasive surgical techniques. Fourth is the liposuction technology, which is huge right now. I have incorporated all the latest technologies such as ultrasonic energy and/or radiofrequency energy. This allows me to shape the body safely and possibly use the fat to transfer elsewhere. One option that I coined, “FLASH” liposuction, is an office-based procedure. I even was able to perform it live on TV on The Doctors Show and The Dr. Oz Show.
I understand you have seen increasing interest from people looking for hair restoration, too.
A lot of men and women are coming in to address their hair loss. We have seen a particular increase in females who have hair loss related to COVID-19 and stress. We utilize a technique called follicular unit extraction, or FUE, where we harvest individual follicles and transplant them to an area that needs additional growth, providing elegant results with no scarring. It takes a team to be able to do that, because of its process. We can also do platelet rich plasma treatments, or PRP, where we harvest the patient’s own blood, spin it down, and inject the platelet components into the scalp to stimulate growth. It makes the hair grow thicker and healthier.
The pandemic has affected almost every industry. How has cosmetic surgery changed in the past year or so?
We have seen a huge uptick in self-care. People gained the perspective of seeing what was going on around them and saying, “Maybe I need to take better care of myself.” People have also been looking at themselves through Zoom and wondering how they can reclaim some of the youthfulness they have lost. Now you have people returning to the workplace and wanting to look their best because they’re going to be back in front of colleagues and clients again. All those trends coming together has made the past year very interesting for us as a practice and an industry.
For some who may not be ready for a face-lift or want to do something before an upcoming wedding or event, we have created the “Combination Lift.” This incorporates facial fillers, specially designed threads, and energy-based devices. The key is to create an individualized treatment plan that is the safest and most cost effective for the patient. It’s also important to have a surgical option available because that may still be the treatment that is most appropriate. And that is why choosing a provider or office that can give a patient a complete and honest opinion is so important.
You have a podcast in which you educate the public about trends in self-care and basically all things in the world of plastic surgery. Please tell us more about it.
It’s a weekly podcast called The Plastic Surgery Revolution. The show is very topical, covering everything from safe treatments in the age of COVID-19 to the latest ideas in the world of plastic surgery. I have pulled in some world-renowned people, like Dr. Lynn Jeffers, the president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, and physicians from around the country who are experts in different areas of medicine. It’s a vehicle for sharing information, discussing trends, and vetting out new concepts. I do it because I want to provide people with one more resource so they can have an informed opinion when they’re ready to make a change.
Davis Cosmetic Plastic Surgery
1546 Packer Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19145
(215) 563-2500
1916 Route 70 East, Suite 1
Cherry Hill, NJ 08003
(856) 424-1700
2306 New Road (Route 9)
Northfield, NJ 08225
(609) 653-0500
Photography by Alison Dunlap
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life magazine, August 2021.
