Cosmetic docs tell how to fix John McCain’s face

September 3rd, 2008, 12:00 pm · 1 Comment · posted by Colin Stewart

SEE ‘FACES OF JOHN McCAIN’ SLIDE SHOW

Photos: Above and below, John McCain on the campaign trail this summer.

ANALYZING THE CANDIDATE

Local cosmetic doctors have a plan for the Botoxification of Republican presidential candidate John McCain.

They want to inject him with a modest amount of Botox or fillers, improving his looks but not jeopardizing his image as a 72-year-old war veteran seeking recognition as an elder statesman.

That wouldn’t transform him into a fresh-faced youngster, but many improvements could still be made, according to the plastic surgeons and dermatologists who responded to an invitation to tell what they would recommend to McCain if he were their patient.

Several doctors proposed new treatments such as Botox to reduce his wrinkles, lasers to rejuvenate his skin, and injection of fillers to add volume to his face in areas that are sunken.

One doctor believes McCain has already had eyelid surgery and laser skin treatments. They all noted the surgical scars from previous treatments for skin cancer.

Dermatologist Renee Cobos of Fullerton was representative of the group of local experts, saying that McCain should use Botox in a way that maintains his “look of experience” but also makes him appear more relaxed, rested and approachable.

SEE ‘FACES OF JOHN McCAIN’ SLIDE SHOW

To accomplish that, she says he should avoid Botox in his forehead, but use modest amounts to soften his crow’s feet and the frown lines between his eyebrows. She said:

He raises his forehead quite a bit. That is a very characteristic facial expression for John McCain. This “elder statesman with experience” look is a subliminal but critical expression to the American people. It emphasizes that he is a very seasoned and extremely experienced leader and will be able to take on his new role as the President of this country with ease.

Because of the importance of that critical “look of experience” I would not recommend that he have Botox on his forehead area.

He also has a deep frown lines between his eyebrows. I would recommend softening, but not eliminating, the frown. …

I would recommend that the crow’s feet be softened with Botox. It will give him a very natural and significant softening of this area with the resultant appearance of being well rested and relaxed.

She would also favor skin-rejuvenating laser treatments:

I have treated many patients in their late 40’s to late 80’s with the Fraxel CO2 re:pair laser who have had excellent tightening of the entire face, eye and mouth area. They look at least 10-20 years younger than their chronological age after this procedure has been performed. I would definitely recommend this to John McCain to help give him a very natural tightening of the skin, eliminate the wrinkles and improve the texture of his skin.

LOST VOLUME

Dermatological surgeon Dr. David Sire of Fullerton would use a long-lasting filler such as Sculptra to restore lost volume to McCain’s central face, chin, forehead, and frown lines.

“He would be a great case with considerable cosmetic improvement,” Sire said.Using filler to add volume to the chin would help make the skin on McCain’s neck tighter, Sire said.

Sire also proposes a laser skin treatment, which he said could help make McCain’s surgical scar less prominent.

LOTIONS AND LASERS

Plastic surgeon Dr. Michael A. Persky of Encino wouldn’t plan to wield his surgical blades if McCain were his patient. Instead, he would simply propose use of skin-care lotions and perhaps some laser treatments.

McCain looks excellent for a gentleman in his early 70’s. I believe that Senator McCain has had upper and lower eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) which is evident in the close-up photos. He has definitely had skin cancer surgery with a skin flap reconstruction visible on the left side of his nose. …

He shows very little sun-damaged skin for a gentleman in his 70’s who has a history of skin cancers which leads me to believe that he has likely had minimal downtime laser skin rejuvenation such as Fraxel re:store laser.

He may have had … trimming of excess skin under the chin.

I would only recommend excellent skin-care products such as SkinMedica, Nia-24, or ReVale to maintain the tone, texture, and color of his skin. An occasional Fraxel re:store laser treatment would also be beneficial.

PAST PLASTIC SURGERY

Plastic surgeon and blogger Dr. John Di Saia of San Clemente believes it would have made sense for McCain to have some plastic surgery in connection with past operations that removed skin cancers (melanomas), but he proposes no further work for now.

He said surgery such as the work that McCain underwent in 2000 can leave the face and neck swollen:

This may explain in part the discrepancy between the sides of his face and neck. Could he have had some cosmetic work to make less apparent the surgery for the left temple melanoma? That is possible, as images I have seen between 2006 and now seem to show that the neck has tightened a bit.

A simple face/neck lift would have been a good idea around that time, seeing this Presidential run coming in the distance.

HAPPY TO BE ALIVE

Patients such as McCain who have been through skin-cancer surgery “tend to be happy to be alive and may not care too much about their appearance,” said Dr. Christopher Zachary, chairman of the Department of Dermatology at UCI School of Medicine.

He wouldn’t suggest any cosmetic work right now, although treatments ranging from Botox to surgery would be useful, he said:

In McCain’s case, he has other things to worry about right now. I’m not sure I would do anything with this particular presentation, though there are many treatments that could be offered including scar revision, lifting procedures, tissue augmentation, Botox, and laser surgery.

In any event, he’s a veteran, and wears his battle scars well.