We portray our feelings by our facial expressions. These facial movements, or activities like squinting our eyes, smoking and pursing our lips will create lines and wrinkles over time. Our frown lines are another example of muscle activity that can give us an angry or anxious appearance. Facial rejuvenation can take some of these tell tale signs of aging away. It can be as simple as in-office injections with Botox or Xeomin to temporarily weaken the muscle activity (approximately 3 months) or use of dermal fillers and tissue augmentation with products like Belotero, Juvederm or Radiesse which can last 6-14 months. If there is excess tissue or laxity then surgical procedures like facelift, neck lift, brow lift, blepharoplasty, Otoplasty and Rhinoplasty are needed to bring about a change to restore the face to a younger version of you.
From an aesthetic standpoint there is no question that breasts are in a class of their own. Women desire a fuller, youthful appearance but for some, breasts may not develop naturally or others may lose the breast volume post pregnancy or breast feeding or massive weight loss. Breast enhancement with implants is designed to restore and enhance their figure, self-image and self-confidence. If volume loss is associated with sagging of tissues then a breast lift is indicated as an additional procedure.
Some women are encumbered by, large, heavy breasts which are too big for their frame and can be associated with neck pain or rashes. These patients may benefit from a breast reduction. Large breasts are not limited to women – some men also suffer from Gynecomastia. Common causes are pubertal growth which never involutes, obesity, certain drugs and medical problems. An estimated 40% or more men may be afflicted by this condition and can benefit from breast reduction surgery.
Changes in body shape occur with aging, weight gain or weight loss. Over the last 20 years the overall increase in the rate of obesity and the associated rise in bariatric procedures(weight loss surgery) has also been associated with an increase in body reshaping procedures including liposuction, tummy tucks, body lifts, facial rejuvenation, breast surgery, arm and thigh lifts. Short term radical diets usually do not produce a lasting change. A better approach is improved diet and regular exercise regimen. If there are residual areas of fatty deposits then patients can benefit from liposuction which remains the most popular and sought after procedure or need procedures referred generically as lipectomies and lifts.
Skin procedures are commonly lumped together under non-surgical umbrella as these are performed in-office under no or topical/local anesthesia. These include use of temporary muscle paralytics to diminish frown lines, decrease the crows feet or forehead creases, raise the tail of the eyebrow or soften the platysmal bands. Sometimes these products can be used for reducing a gummy smile. The other major category in skin procedures is facial fillers which are indicated for plumping up lips, cheeks, nasolabial folds, marionette lines and effacing the tear trough deformity or the pre-jowl sulci. The third category of skin procedures are the Laser and Light therapy treatments which provide an improvement in skin texture, tone and color. The fourth category encompasses surgical procedures usually performed under local anesthetic but sometimes requires a general anesthetic. These can be benign skin lesions, malignant skin lesions or scars like hypertrophic, rail-road track scars or keloid scars.
Giving birth can be one of the most rewarding experiences of a woman’s life. Unfortunately, pregnancy and breast-feeding often also result in unwanted changes in a woman’s body, such as drooping breasts, enlarged areolas, a bulkier waist, pockets of fat in the abdomen, stretch marks, and a sagging tummy that no amount of exercise and dieting seems to fix. The loose muscles and stretched skin improve somewhat over time, but the body never completely returns to the way it was before pregnancy.
It used to be that women were resigned to living with these natural changes in their bodies. Now, however, more and more women are seeking out plastic surgeons to rejuvenate their breasts and tummies to the youthful firmness they enjoyed before having children. These procedures are collectively called “mommy makeovers” or post-maternity breast and body reshaping.