Every plastic surgeon has heard it dozens of times, and frankly, I completely understand why: “I don’t want to look like I’ve had work done.”
The past several years have marked a distinct turning point in the aesthetics world, which has migrated away from exaggerated proportions and dramatic looks to a more subtle and natural approach. People don’t want to look like someone else; they want to look more like themselves.
It seems paradoxical, but as surgeons, we actually lose the point if we interpret this shift as needing to “just do less.” That’s not quite the point. The point is actually to do more. That’s the great irony of it. Subtle results that still produce the level of change that today’s patient is looking for actually require more planning, more precision and more restraint. This approach demands an experienced surgeon with a very advanced understanding of how your facial anatomy responds to movement, lighting, the aging process and more.
After decades of practice, teaching cosmetic techniques to residents and working with patients throughout Kentucky and Indiana, I’ve developed a planning framework that prioritizes subtlety without sacrificing impact. Natural results don’t happen by accident. They’re the product of careful strategy and execution. What exactly does that look like? Like any good argument or claim, I have to start by defining some terms.
What “Natural-Looking” Actually Means
For some patients, natural means no one notices they’ve had anything done. For others, it means they look noticeably better but not dramatically different. The truth is that “natural” is personal, and part of my job is helping you clarify your vision so that we’re perfectly aligned before we move forward with your procedure.
Working With, Not Against Your Bone Structure
From a surgical and aesthetic standpoint, natural-looking results share a few commonalities. First, they respect your underlying bone structure and facial proportions. I’m not trying to give everyone the same cheekbones or the same lip shape. Instead, I’m working with your anatomy to highlight what already works and soften what doesn’t.
Flowing With Your Everyday Movements
Second, natural results allow for movement and expression. Your face shouldn’t look frozen or mask-like. When you smile, your eyes should crinkle. When you raise your eyebrows, your forehead should respond. Overcorrection often shows up in how the face moves (or doesn’t move), which is why I focus heavily on this dynamic element throughout the planning process.
Proportionality and Staying Power
Third, natural outcomes are proportionate, meaning they harmonize beautifully with your surrounding features so as not to stick out in a bad way. Volume in one area should balance with the rest of your face. Skin tightness should match across regions. When something looks “off,” it’s usually because one element was addressed in a vacuum rather than as part of a cohesive plan.
Finally, natural results age well. Maintenance and follow-ups are important, but you shouldn’t need constant correction to maintain your appearance. The goal is to create a foundation that evolves gracefully over time, not one that requires frequent touching up to avoid looking overdone.
The Planning Framework: Skin, Movement, Volume and Laxity
During your consultation, I consider four key things: skin quality, facial movement, volume distribution and tissue laxity. These points determine how your face looks at rest and in motion, making the difference between natural and overdone results.
Skin quality includes texture, tone, thickness and elasticity. Thin skin with significant sun damage behaves differently from thicker skin with good collagen reserves. I assess how your skin will respond to various treatments, whether it can support volume without looking overfilled and how it will heal.
Facial movement is all about how your muscles pull the skin and where dynamic wrinkles form. I watch how your face animates when you talk, smile and express emotion. This tells me which muscles are overactive, which areas might benefit from strategic relaxation with neurotoxins and where tightening could create an unnatural frozen effect.
Volume distribution changes as we age. Fat pads head south, bone resorbs and soft tissue loses its plumpness. However, simply adding volume everywhere doesn’t restore a youthful appearance, but rather makes you look puffy and overdone. I map where you’ve lost volume, where it’s shifted and where adding support will create lift without adding bulk.
Tissue laxity refers to how loose or tight the skin and underlying structures have become. Laxity shows up as jowls, neck banding, sagging eyelids and drooping brows. Addressing laxity often requires a combination of approaches. Sometimes, the deeper layers need to be tightened surgically. Other times, an energy-based device would be best to stimulate collagen, and sometimes, both.
My job is to harmonize all of this information into a plan that addresses your concerns while maintaining a seamless aesthetic across your entire face.
How Board Certification and Surgical Training Change the Approach
Surgical training teaches you to think in layers. I don’t just see skin. I see the muscles beneath it, the fat compartments below that, the ligaments holding everything in place and the bone providing structure. When I’m planning a procedure, I’m visualizing the entire three-dimensional anatomy and considering how changes at one level will affect everything above and below it.
Board certification also reflects a commitment to safety and ethical practice. I’ve undergone extensive testing, peer review and continuing education to maintain my certifications.
Most importantly, surgical training teaches restraint. I’ve performed countless facelifts, eyelid lifts and body contouring procedures. I know exactly how much skin to remove, where to place incisions and when a subtle adjustment will yield better results than an aggressive correction.
Staging and Sequencing for Subtle, Refined Change
One of the biggest mistakes patients make (just being honest here!) is trying to address everything at once. They want their face, neck, eyes and body done simultaneously, and they expect an immediate, dramatic transformation. While that approach might seem efficient, it rarely produces natural-looking results.
I prefer staging treatments, which means addressing concerns in a planned sequence over time. This allows me to see how your tissue responds, make adjustments along the way and build results gradually. Subtle, layered changes look more natural than sudden, dramatic shifts.
What Staging and Sequencing Look Like
For example, if you’re concerned about facial aging, I might start with skin quality treatments like lasers, microneedling or energy-based devices to improve texture and stimulate collagen production. Once your skin is in better condition, we can add strategic volume to restore support where you’ve lost it. After volume is optimized, we might consider skin tightening procedures to address laxity. This sequenced approach allows each treatment to build on the last, creating a cohesive, natural result.
Advantages of the Gradual Approach
Staging also gives you time to adjust psychologically to your changing appearance. Seeing yourself look better and better over time is easier to process than waking up looking drastically different. It also allows you to decide whether you want to continue with additional treatments or maintain where you are.
In some cases, staging is medically necessary. Combining too many procedures increases risk, prolongs recovery and can compromise results. By spreading treatments out, I can prioritize safety while still achieving your goals.
Preventing the ‘Overdone’ Look: Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
We’ve all seen patients who’ve clearly had work done. Three of the most common telltale signs of an overdone procedure include the overly tight or “windswept” face, a frozen expression, and features that are highly disproportionate.
Mistake #1: Overfilling
Fillers are incredible tools when you need more volume, but they’re not meant to create volume that was never there to begin with. I see patients who’ve had excessive filler placed in their cheeks, lips or jawline in an attempt to create a specific aesthetic. The result is a face that looks puffy, unnatural and difficult to reverse. My approach is to restore what you’ve lost, not to create a new face.
Mistake #2: Masking Natural Movements
Another mistake is ignoring facial movement. Overuse of neurotoxins can freeze the forehead, eyebrows and crow’s feet to the point where the face looks stiff and expressionless. I use neurotoxins strategically to relax overactive muscles while preserving your ability to animate naturally. The goal is softening lines, not eliminating all movement.
Mistake #3: Over-Tightening
Skin over-tightening is another issue I see all the time. Whether from surgery or aggressive device treatments, pulling the skin too tight creates a windswept, unnatural appearance. I focus on tightening the deeper layers (i.e., the muscle and connective tissue) while allowing the skin to drape naturally over the new contours.
Mistake #4: The Tunnel-Visioned Approach
Failing to adequately address the multifaceted aging process can also create an imbalance. You can’t fix volume loss alone and expect natural results, especially when the effects of aging become more pronounced. You can’t tighten skin without considering movement. Every element needs to be addressed in proportion to the others, or you’ll end up with a face that looks corrected in one area and neglected in others.
Mistake #5: The “Set it and Forget It” Mentality
Finally, ignoring maintenance is a mistake. Natural-looking results require ongoing care. Skin continues to age, fillers metabolize and collagen production slows. I work with patients to develop long-term maintenance plans that preserve their results without constant escalation of treatments.
What to Expect From Your Treatment Experience
It all starts with a consultation. During this initial appointment, I spend time understanding your concerns, your goals and your expectations. I examine your face at rest and in motion, evaluate skin quality, assess volume distribution and discuss the degree of intervention you’re comfortable with.
Based on this evaluation, I develop a personalized treatment plan. This plan outlines which procedures or treatments I recommend, the order in which they should be done, the expected timeline and the associated costs. I also discuss risks, recovery and realistic outcomes. My goal is to provide you with all the information you need to make an informed decision.
The timeline varies depending on your plan. Some patients achieve their goals with a single treatment session. Others are best served by a staged approach that unfolds over several months. I’m transparent about what’s realistic and what isn’t, and I never pressure you to do more than you’re ready for.
After treatment, we schedule follow-up appointments to monitor your progress, address any concerns and make adjustments if needed. Recovery times vary depending on the procedures performed, but I provide detailed aftercare instructions to help you heal optimally.
Maintenance is an ongoing and evolving conversation. I help you understand how your results will evolve over time and what you can do to preserve them. For some patients, maintenance means annual neurotoxin injections and periodic filler touch-ups. For others, it involves skin care, laser treatments or energy-based devices. The key is staying proactive so you can maintain your natural-looking results without needing major interventions down the road.
Ready for Results That Actually Look Like You?
If you’re considering aesthetic treatments but worry about looking overdone, I understand. You want to look like a refreshed version of yourself, not someone else. Achieving that outcome requires more than technical skill. It demands experience and restraint.
As a double board-certified plastic surgeon with decades of experience, I’ve developed a planning framework that prioritizes natural-looking results without sacrificing impact. Whether you’re interested in nonsurgical treatments, surgical procedures or a combination of both, I’ll work with you to create a personalized plan that aligns with your goals, your timeline and your comfort level.
I serve patients throughout Louisville, Prospect, Lexington, Frankfort, Bardstown and surrounding areas of Kentucky and Indiana. Contact our office today to schedule your complimentary consultation and discover how thoughtful planning and expert execution can help you achieve the natural, refined results you’ve been searching for.