Photography by Holt Haynsworth

Dr. Sam T. Hamra
Experience and Qualifications

Dr. Hamra has been a pioneer all his professional life. Upon entering private practice, he was introduced to the original SMAS technique developed by Professor Tord Skoog of Sweden. In 1973, he and his associate, Dr. Mark Lemmon, were the first Americans to adopt this technique. Their award-winning work was first published in 1980.

Dr. Hamra was the first to introduce the inclusion of cheek fat (malar fat) to the facelift, which was published as the "Deep Plane Facelift" in 1990. He was the first to include the orbicularis muscle of the lower eyelid in the Deep Plane Facelift, which became the "Composite Facelift."

Now performed worldwide by numerous surgeons, Dr. Hamra is credited with originating the arcus marginalis release and septal reset procedures. These techniques preserve eyelid fat and use it to cover the orbital bone and smooth the transition from eyelid to cheek.

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