DESCENDING FROM A LONG LINE OF MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS, A REVERED MONMOUTH COUNTY DOCTOR COMBINES SPECIALTIES AND ADVANCED TECHNIQUES TO HELP PATIENTS ACHIEVE THEIR PERSONAL BEST

BY LAURA D.C. KOLNOSKI • PHOTOS BY ERIC COLEMAN

By utilizing the latest cutting edge procedures to achieve total body optimization Dr. Manolis Manolakakis, DMD, FACS, and the staff at both his adjacent practices in Shrewsbury Advanced Facial Surgery and SculptMD aim for maximum results for each individual patient. Five star reviews from appreciative patients praise each practice for professionalism, results, and customer service.

Described as “talented” and “empathic” by his patients, “Dr. M,” a highly educated and exceptionally trained cosmetic, oral, and maxillofacial surgeon, exudes congenial warmth and a convivial manner that is apparent from the very first contact with the women and men he treats.
The dual board certified cosmetic and reconstructive facial surgeon takes a conservative and integrative approach to medicine, designing personalized treatment plans for each patient in need of a change. He specializes in facial cosmetic surgery as well as non-surgical treatments, facial reconstruction, maxillofacial trauma management, jaw surgery, and cleft lip and palate repair.

The Monmouth County native was born with the medical field in his blood. Not only was his grandfather a physician in Greece, several of his relatives are pharmacists, including his father and sister. Standing behind a counter all day, however, was not the path Dr. Manolakakis desired to follow. Instead he began working with his sister’s neighbor, who happened to be an oral maxillofacial surgeon.

“I thought it was amazing, with so many facets,” he recalled. His mentor told him the road to this field began in dental school. After completing his Bachelor of Arts in psychology at Boston University, Dr. Manolakakis obtained his graduate degree from Rutgers University, earning a Doctor of Medicine in dentistry in 2000. He completed a residency in oral and maxillofacial surgery at Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, New York, serving as chief resident.

“In residency on Long Island, I worked in the trauma center and was treating gunshot wounds and car accidents, helping patients reenter society without B stigma,” he said, adding those experiences gave him the confidence to reach for the next level. “I ended up doing a facial cosmetic fellowship for a year.” Having a dental background makes Dr. Manolakakis unique in this realm. (He is listed among New Jersey’s Top Dentists.)

“By taking a different educational path, I learned everything about the face in dental school, along with attention to detail,” he related, noting that being proficient in eye hand coordination is crucial when working with measurements as finite as half a millimeter. He opened his Advanced Facial Surgery practice in Shrewsbury in 2006. After moving to Manhattan, he met so many people who desired to become patients that he opened another office in Greenwich Village in 2018.

At Advanced Facial Surgery, where patients receive customized care in a relaxed atmosphere, Dr. Manolakakis uses his vast expertise to provide complete, top flight skincare, tightening, and facial makeovers utilizing up to the minute techniques and technology. Procedures include rhinoplasty, blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery), facelifts, and non-surgical treatments including Botox, fillers, Evoke, Jeuveau, and Morpheus8 micro needling, which are treatments for surface imperfections like scars and fine lines to visibly improve cheeks, jowls, neck, and the submental area.

“Without technology and advances, we’d be doing the same things we did 30 to 40 years ago,” Dr. Manolakakis said. “Technology is booming now, especially with fractionated lasers and the use of radiofrequency a radio wave or energy. It’s color blind in terms of skin tone without risk of hyper or hypo pigmentation.”

The doctor uses FaceTite internally and externally on skin, which can reduce fat under the jawline and the neck, “defining and tightening the skin at the same time.” He also uses a micro needle with radio frequency to help remodel skin and remove subcutaneous fat. Those in need of his services to treat traumatic injuries, birthmarks, corrective jaw surgery, and more continue to benefit from his expertise.

“Reconstructive surgery has more to do with function,” he said. “To give someone back their function and ability to do simple things like smile or chew is very gratifying. Correcting a cleft palate requires multiple surgeries to repair the lip, the palate, the nose, and the jaw, which must all align.” The future, he said, is moving toward hands free devices.

“I use Evoke for jowl reduction and skin tightening, which looks like a headset. The computer on the machine has thousands of sensors. For those who don’t want surgery, or are on blood thinners, or can’t go under anesthesia, it’s painless with no downtime. The wave of the future for [BEAUTY] the body and face is minimally invasive procedures with maximum results.”

When an increasing percentage of his practice became devoted to aesthetics, he founded Sculpt MD, an aesthetic medical spa specializing in full body non-surgical procedures, where he is part owner. Dr. Manolakakis provides an in depth evaluation of facial contours for each new and returning patient. His rich background gives him the unique ability to visualize and manifest the best possible results for each patient using advanced treatments like Botox, dermal fillers, radiofrequency skin tightening, and Cool Sculpting. Other services include Hydra Facials, laser hair removal, chemical peels, Evolve Tone, Evoke Face & Chin, and My Elevate, a minimally invasive facial rejuvenation solution that supports and elevates the underlying muscles and glands of the neck.

“Aesthetics can really give someone the self-confidence they were lacking,” he said, adding SculptMD’s “great” licensed aesthetician is a certified specialist who achieves results that regularly garner five star reviews.

“The whole team is professional and friendly, and Dr. M is so genuinely warm,” said patient Melissa. “He really listens to your concerns and makes appropriate suggestions in your best interest. He has exactly the eyes and hands you want in your facial surgeon with exceptional follow up.”

“Dr. Manolakakis and his staff are the epitome of professionalism and warmth,” added patient Rochelle. “You will never find better.”

Dr. Manolakakis is a member of over 15 organizations, including the American College of Surgeons, the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, the New Jersey College of Surgeons, and the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. He is also a diplomate of the American Board of Facial Cosmetic Surgery and the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. He is a fellow of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Throughout his education and his career, Dr. Manolakakis has received numerous awards and honors.

Beyond his clinical work, the doctor lectures nationwide on cosmetic surgical techniques, and he has published a chapter on facelifts in Cosmetic Surgery for the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, a manual on cosmetic surgery. He is director of the Facial Cosmetic Surgery Fellowship at Robert Wood Johnson Barnabas (Monmouth Medical Center) and is on the faculty at Nassau University Medical Center.

Visitors to his Advanced Facial Surgery website can view his lighthearted yet informative YouTube videos entitled Behind the Beard to gain insights into his life, philosophy, and naturally cool persona.

In his off time, Dr. Manolakakis and his wife of ten years, Margherita, enjoy traveling the world and sampling the cuisines of various destinations.

“I think of him as an artist,” she said. “And he’s a genuinely nice guy.”

Advanced Facial Surgery
1131 Broad Street, Suite 109 / Shrewsbury / 732.320.9855
advancedfacialsurgery.com