Imagine living without part of your body: Maybe you’re missing an eye, your ear, half of your nose. Or like so many victims of cancer, your breasts. Whether it was disease, an accident, or a birth defect, sometimes reconstructive surgery isn’t an option. And every day, you fight the feeling that you’re incomplete. That’s where Lakewood-based Prosthetic Illusions comes in. Founder and certified anaplastologist/ocularist Barbara Spohn-Lillo specializes in custom artificial eyes and digits, facial prostheses, and silicone breasts. The process, she says, is as much artistic as it is scientific. The results are unbelievably lifelike, handcrafted to blend seamlessly with a person’s natural skin tone and bone structure—all without surgery. Despite Spohn-Lillo’s 30 years of practice, she is still surprised at the number of patients who tell her they never knew the option was available. “It’s a very niche, but very needed field, and it complements the things I’m good at,” Spohn-Lillo says. “I don’t claim to make you look better than normal; we’re just trying to make you look and feel more normal.”

Prosthetic Illusions 3405 S. Yarrow St., #C, Lakewood; 303-973-8482; prostheticillusions.com

5280 Health 2013
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