We were excited to expand the FORM team earlier this year with the addition of Dr. Michael Brandt, a highly sought-after specialist exclusively focused on facial cosmetic plastic surgery. Dr. Brandt’s services include deep plane, traditional, and mini facelifts; neck lifts; blepharoplasty; chin liposuction; chin implants; lip lifts; buccal fat reduction; and liquid rhinoplasty. Today, we’re diving a little deeper into what makes him tick and his take on facial plastic surgery trends.
What drew you to specialize in facial plastic surgery?
I was initially drawn to facial plastic surgery because of the creativity required to operate in this area. For example, when someone has a skin cancer of the face, we need to consider both the removal of the cancer and also the final aesthetic outcome. Not only do we need to repair the “hole” that is created by removing the cancer, but we need to think of a creative way of fixing it that will be the least conspicuous long term.
Of the procedures you perform, is there one that stands out as having the most transFORMative effect on the patient?
The most transformative procedure I do is certainly a facelift. It really helps rewind the clock and give the patient a renewed sense of self and confidence. It is not without its downtime and financial investment though. When I consider those factors, upper eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) is the dollar-for-dollar best single cosmetic procedure a patient can do to refresh their appearance.
Do you ever see pop culture influences reflected in what people ask about during their consultations?
To some extent. Pop culture trends influence periodic cultural aesthetics—i.e. a focus on eyebrow positioning, full lips, etc. These trends are cyclical. On the whole, I prefer to perform timeless procedures that make patients feel better about themselves. I’m not a big fan of trendy procedures as I don’t, for example, want someone to be stuck wearing bell bottoms forever.
Are there any recent advancements or techniques in facial cosmetic surgery you’re excited about?
The best part about cosmetic surgery is that someone is coming up with a creative idea all the time. Facial plastic surgeons are incredibly innovative people and they come up with ways of improving outcomes, decreasing downtime, improving safety, etc. Being surgically conservative, I tend to be an observer of these trends for a while and allow them to establish themselves and demonstrate longevity. At the present time I’m most excited about the recent trend of minimizing dissection during facelifting and the expanding methods of improving jawline definition. These trends are decreasing downtime, improving safety, and improving results—all great features I can get behind.
What’s something you wish more people realized or understood about plastic surgery?
The most interesting thing that most patients don’t realize is how truly asymmetric everybody’s face is. The left side of our face is always different from the right. This is very normal and in fact multiple studies have shown that asymmetric faces are considered more natural and beautiful than totally symmetric faces.
Can you tell us one thing in your professional career and one thing in your personal life that you’re most proud of?
It sounds cliché, but professionally I’m most proud when I am able to achieve a great result for my patient. When they’re happy—I’m happy. Personally, I’m most proud of my wife. She’s an industrious entrepreneur and I’m always blown away by her ability to balance her business endeavours and commitment to our family and community.
Outside of the OR, where is your favourite place to be?
With my family—my wife and three kids.
