External Beauty is a Reflection of How We Look and Feel
We often hear the terms natural, alternative, and holistic and can’t imagine how they could relate to surgery, especially plastic surgery. In fact, their association is quite unique. But, not to Dr. Michelle Yagoda! She has been practicing an integrated approach—to beauty, aesthetics, ear, nose, throat, voice, and facial medicine—since 1995! This does not mean a bubbly fountain of river rocks in her reception area or general platitudes about “wellness.” For Dr. Yagoda, an integrative approach means taking the best of multiple disciplines and combining them to deliver patient care that’s greater than the sum of its parts.
The Power of Aesthetic Integrative Beauty
As a facial plastic surgeon, Dr. Yagoda certainly appreciates the effect of a long, lean neck; a well-defined jaw; and a perfectly proportioned nose. She recognizes the distractions of poor skin tone and quality; dull, lifeless hair; and ill-kept nails. In fact, Dr. Yagoda strongly believes that external beauty is a reflection of inner health and wellness and that good genes are as important as good lifestyle practices that incorporate moderate exercise, ample sleep, a balanced diet, minimal stress, and healthy relationships. Imagine all this in a plastic surgeon! Herein lies the power of Dr. Yagoda’s unique integrative approach!
The Power of Facial Plastic Surgery United with ENT
As both a facial plastic surgeon and an otolaryngologist or ENT, one side of Dr. Yagoda’s practice always informs the other. For example, while a plastic surgeon might focus only on the aesthetics of the nose, Dr. Yagoda is also mindful of the nose’s intricate structures and functions. She aims to shape features that look as good as they function and function as good as they look. And while surgeons often default to surgery as their “I-have-a-hammer-so-every-problem-is-a-nail” approach, Dr. Yagoda has a full complement of tools to help her patients achieve their aesthetic and functional goals while implementing lifestyle changes that enable them to enjoy optimal health.
The Power of Complementary Medicine
Dr. Yagoda rejects the myth that ‘natural’ means ‘no results.’ When integrated into comprehensive, individualized treatment plans for aesthetic medicine, ENT, or care of the professional voice, Dr. Yagoda finds that mind-body connections such as homeopathy, yoga, biofeedback, and others can be extremely effective. Something as basic as breath control can have a host of useful applications from controlling asthma attacks to improving vocal performance.
The Power of Professional Vocal Care
Dr. Yagoda revolutionized the field of vocal health by proposing a multidisciplinary team of professionals including an ENT physician, voice coach, singing teacher, and speech pathologist. Prior to her efforts, those involved in voice care each operated independently and spoke a “different language.” The team approach allows all voice professionals to communicate and understand one another and enables them to provide a level of care that’s more than the sum of their individual parts.
Whether it’s the synthesis of ENT (care of the ear, nose, and throat) with facial plastic surgery, or uniting the combined talents of a voice coach, singing teacher, and speech pathologist to function as a voice care team, or uniting the science of Western medicine with mind-body practices, Dr. Yagoda believes that more expertise translates into optimal health, optimal aesthetic results, and yes, total wellness. Knowledge is power!