Rian A. Maercks, M.D., P.A., American Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon, is an artist and a leading aesthetic, craniofacial, and reconstructive plastic surgeon, based in Miami, Florida. Haute Beauty chats with Dr. Maercks about his signature Aesthetic Facial Balancing procedure which rejuvenates the aging face by using the body’s own fat or volumes of fillers to achieve surgical results without ever undergoing the knife.

HB: What is Aesthetic Facial Balancing?

I have combined my fine arts background, international training and advanced procedural techniques to develop Aesthetic Facial Balancing (AFB).  AFB is an advanced cosmetic enhancement that allows bespoke tailoring to create the most natural-appearing & personalized results for each, individual patient.  Using hyaluronic acid injectable fillers, Aesthetic Facial Balancing, sometimes referred to as “Selfie Sculpting” leverages my training as an artist, craniofacial and reconstructive plastic surgeon to deliver patients beautiful, natural-appearing results.  A patient’s wrinkles, bags and imperfections disappear and skin-tone and appearance of pores improve.  The end result is a harmonizing of the face that unlocks the individual’s beauty creating a more youthful, happy and healthy presentation.

HB: Do you prefer it to other methods?

Absolutely.  AFB delivers results that most people think would require surgery.  However, it is actually done with nothing more than a needle and approximately a 15-minute procedure.  My results can mimic a rhinoplasty, facelift, blepharoplasty and browlift.  I reserve more invasive surgical procedures like composite face lifting for patients with very heavy necks and excessive laxity.HB: Who is a good candidate?

Almost everyone is good candidate for this needle-based procedure.  Both men and women can benefit from the subtle enhancements of AFB.  Balancing the facial features is appropriate for patients in their early twenties to sixties.  While patients will appear younger, this is not the only goal.  Results are most effective in those that do not have excessive skin laxity.  I review all surgical and non-surgical options with a patient and then select the best treatments for the individual.

How does the procedure/treatment work?

Aesthetic judgments can happen in a few hundred milliseconds.  This is why we recognize an attractive person in a crowd.  AFB alters this immediate perception of the face.  Patients simply look better on first glance without immediate or obvious explanation, all while looking 100% natural.

Before starting the procedure, I will individually asses each patient’s unique features and design a bespoke intervention to bring out the individual’s beauty.  I make sure to discuss the aesthetic priorities of the patients face in an easy to understand subunit analysis while reviewing 3D imagery of their face.  The procedure is painless and is performed through a limited number of tiny needle entries.  A tiny blunt needle called a cannula is used to access the treated areas.  A full facial balancing with injectable fillers will give the patient correction from top to bottom, resulting in a refreshed, refined and natural look.  Patients can enjoy the results of a facelift, browlift and rhinoplasty as well as jaw contouring and other tweaks without surgery.

HB: What does recovery look like?

The recovery time may vary depending on the amount of volume used during the procedure.  Other factors are age, overall health and post-procedure activities.  Commonly there is no significant recovery period when small subunit steps are planned.  More extensive interventions can lead to recovery time between 2-7 days.  In some cases, there is no recovery time but patients should be prepared for minimal swelling and rarely some bruising. Usually, a patient will leave my office thrilled with their outcome and happy to return back to his or her daily life.