Monday, February 15, 2010

Is A Chemical Peel Right For You?

A Chemical peel procedure consists of a chemical solution applied tot eh skin in order to to improve the appearance and create a smoothing effect to the skin's texture. The Chemical solution will "strip away" the skin's damaged outer layers. In many cases a chemical peel procedure can be combined with a face lift surgery procedure.

It is important to note that a chemical peel procedure is not a substitute for face lift surgery and a chemical peel will not slow or stop the natural aging process Your plastic surgeon will provide information about certain types of chemical peel treatments and the results you might expect. It won't answer all your questions, since a lot depends on your individual circumstances. Once you and your plastic surgeon have decided on a specific peel program, be sure to ask about any details that you do not understand.

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BOTOX Cosmetic in Hawaii

"If you keep making that face, it is going to stay that way permanently."

I remember my mom used to tell us kids that frequently, especially when one of us would make a frustrated face or dare to shoot mom an angry glance. Little did I realize that as I got older, Mom's wisdom would become more fact than fiction.

Every year we grow older, our skin also ages. Our aging skin along with the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles are the result of what could be the combination of a multitude of various factors. In addition to the normal changes to our skin cells, the loss of hormones and decreased collagen production, we also experience changes to areas surrounding the face such as the brow/forehead area caused by muscle contractions.

We have all seen the effects that muscle contractions have on the skin. Are you familiar with those vertical lines that appear between your brows? Those are commonly referred to as "11's" and are the result from repeated muscle contractions. every time you concentrate, squint, or frown, the muscles that control your brow movement contract. Over time, this will cause the brow skin to furrow and fold. After years of repeated brow contractions, those 11's can begin to stay prominent, even after your brow muscles are relaxed. Gee, maybe Mom was right after all.

BOTOX® Cosmetic is a purified protein that temporarily treats the fine lines and wrinkles caused by aging and muscle contractions by blocking nerve signals to the muscles in the treatment area. BOTOX® cosmetic achieves this by "stunning" the muscles, thereby reducing the muscle activity that is causing the prominent lines to form between the brows. A BOTOX treatment session consists of a few injection administered by your plastic surgeon. The procedure only takes a few minutes, and there is no down time.

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Thursday, February 11, 2010

Lip Augmentation In Kentucky

Lip augmentation is a procedure designed to increase the size of the lips in order to create a fuller and more attractive lip. The Lip Augmentation procedure is a safe procedure used by both women and men of all ages. Each lip may be treated separately from each other, or as a combined procedure.

In the last ten years, the lip augmentation procedure has become one of the more popular cosmetic procedures, especially among women. There are two main approaches to lip augmentation. One type utilizes natural or man made synthetic fillers to achieve the desired lip size. The results of using fillers are, in most cases temporary and repeat treatments will be required to maintain the result. Another approach is a surgical technique where the plastic surgeon relocates lip tissue from the inside to the outside of the lip.

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Thursday, February 4, 2010

Is A Filler Lift An Alternative To A Surgical Face Lift?

Many plastic surgeons believe that when the correct individual dermal filler, or in some cases, the correct combination of fillers to treat wrinkles, the results are very similar to those achieved from much more invasive procedures.

Dermal fillers widely accepted and used in modern cosmetic dermatology and cosmetic surgery procedures as an instant aesthetic treatment. A dermal filler treatment is one of a small number of cosmetic procedures that typically provide immediate results and a noticeable improvement and does not require down time like procedures such as a face lift.

These days there is a mind boggling number of choices when electing to have a dermal filler treatment. It is not an uncommon practice for a cosmetic surgeon to utilize a single type of filler to treat more than one area of concern.

New York Cosmetic Dermatologist Dr. Karyn Grossman states "Each individual dermal filler has qualities that differ from other fillers, and therefore provide different results. By utilizing multiple filler types to treat different areas of a patients face, and using the best filler for each treatment area, one can achieve the most beautiful and natural looking results possible."

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Sunday, January 31, 2010

Know Your Surgeon

The most important step a person considering plastic surgery can take to make sure the surgeon he or she chooses is the training and experience. A good plastic surgeon should have operating and admitting privileges at a major hospital that is near the surgeons office. It is important to remember to be cautious of those surgeons who will only offer procedures performed in an office-based surgery center.

There are two very important reasons for this. Hospitals have already thoroughly researched a doctor's qualifications and requires a strict set of qualifications and advanced training to allow a plastic surgeon to operate at the hospitals' facilities. Thus, a surgeon who only operates in an office-based facility probably has less than adequate qualifications, training and experience to operate in a Major metropolitan Hospital. Secondly, anyone considering a plastic or cosmetic procedure should remember that cosmetic surgery is still surgery, and like any surgery, complications can happen.

A lack of hospital admitting privileges should be seriously considered when choosing your surgeon. One question you should ask yourself is: "If a serious complication occurs during or after my plastic surgery procedure, how will I be admitted to a hospital, and who is responsible for my care?" If the surgeon you choose does not have privileges at a nearby hospital, he or she will not be allowed to care for you in the hospital's emergency room.

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Sunday, January 17, 2010

What Can I Expect From a Dermal Filler Treatment?

In most cases, Dermal filler appointments will take about an hour. Most of this time will be with a numbing agent gradually numbing the skin. Sometimes when extensive lip treatments are being performed, we will opt to give a small, nearly painless, numbing injection to deaden the sensitive lip tissue prior to administering the dermal filler. In this case, your lip will remain numb for up to an hour following the session.

During the actual treatment you should be very comfortable, feeling only some mild pin pricks or stinging. Most patients are impressed at the ease of these treatments. If you are experiencing significant discomfort during the session please advise the plastic surgeon as there are often other remedies to ease any pain you might be feeling.

After the session a small amount of swelling and redness in the treated area is normal and to be expected. Typically the majority of this reactivity will be gone within several hours but on occasion can persist for several days. Bruising can occur. If you are susceptible to bruising or on blood thinners, please let your provider know prior to the treatment so extra precautions or recommendations can be made. Bruising will not affect the end result but can take up to 10 days to resolve when significant.

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Artistry and Experience is the Secret to Great Botox!

Although BOTOX® may look easy to administer, it is not this aspect which is most important to the outcome. The clinician's experience and "aesthetic eye" is the key to a great outcome with BOTOX®.

Treatments take 20-30 minutes unless you opt not to have your skin numbed prior to the injections, then the treatment should take less than 10 minutes. Several tiny injections are given in the areas that you and your provider have decided upon. They usually are barely appreciable in sensation or appearance following the injection. You can reapply makeup to the treated areas immediately after the session.

There are no specific after care instructions. If this is the first time you have had Botox injections, you will not notice any change for at least 3 days and the complete effect will take up to 14 days.

Side effects from Botox are very rare, but headaches can occur temporarily after the injection – especially in patients who suffer from frequent headaches. Ironically, Botox injections often help with frequent headache patients once the Botox takes effect. Bruising can occur although very infrequently. If you are prone to bruising or are on blood thinners please notify your caregiver; special techniques and recommendations will be used to try to minimize your bruising risk. If bruising does occur it will not affect your final result and typically is minor enough that makeup coverage will conceal it.

It is always recommended that anyone considering a cosmetic or plastic surgery procedure first consult with a qualified, and experienced cosmetic surgeon. Proper research and pre-procedure planning is an important step in a decision to undergo a cosmetic procedure, and one that should not be taken lightly. Ensure you fully understand the procedure, its risks, and have a realistic expectation of the results.

Research is very important to the process, and should be done prior to having your chosen procedure, no matter how invasive the procedure is. There are many great outlets available for this research,. the best one I have found is lookingyourbest.com- a free-to-use website that offers a large library full of in depth plastic and cosmetic surgery information. This website also offers a free service to help you locate a skilled and experienced specialist in your area.

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Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Tattoo Removal Has Never Been More Popular

As tattoos are gaining popularity, so has the need for tattoo removal as many people want to remove an old tattoo that no longer fits their personal image. Fortunately for those who have made the decision to have a tattoo removed, advances in modern lasers offer the safe removal of a tattoo, with a reduced risk of scarring.

Modern lasers use specific wavelengths of light that are absorbed by the ink in a tattoo essentially vaporizing the ink in the tattoo. The body then removes the remaining ink through the body's own cleansing, leaving the skin intact. Because the body takes responsibility for cleansing itself of the debris and fragments left behind by the laser, the removal treatment sessions are performed weeks apart and most tattoos, especially larger tattoos, will require several treatment sessions. Of Course, the number of treatments required differ and are based on the size, colors used, location and age of the tattoo being removed. Because professional tattoos tend to be deeper, and darker than tattoos by an amateur, professional tattoos usually require a higher number of treatments to achieve complete removal.

Also, because tattoo removal is gaining popularity, there are many clinics, cosmetic surgeons and 'specialists' offering tattoo removal services. When one makes the decision to have a tattoo removed, that person should make sure they he/she understands that tattoo removal process, and locate a skilled, experienced and properly trained specialist or cosmetic surgeon to perform the tattoo removal. Just as it is easy to find yourself on the receiving end of a bad tattoo from an inexperienced tattoo artist, one can also find him or herself under going removal treatments from a specialist that is under-qualified and inexperienced. This can cause problems resulting in excess scarring, damage to skin in the location of removal, and incomplete removal, resulting in a faded tattoo that does not fully disappear.

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Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Non Invasive Procedures Are Becoming More Popular

With economy in its current state, many are reducing their spending, which affects almost every industry in the United States. The Cosmetic and plastic surgery industry has seen a bigger drop off than most other industries and this is due to the fact that most every plastic or cosmetic procedure available is to be considered an elective surgical procedure, and are not deemed necessary to a healthy lifestyle.

Recent trends have shown a quite noticeable reduction of the most popular plastic surgery procedures - Breast Augmentation surgery, Body contouring procedures such as liposuction and tummy tuck surgery, and face lift surgery have all seen a decline in the overall number of these procedures performed. Of Course is no secret why these popular procedures have recently become less popular. All of these elective surgery procedures can cost thousands of dollars, and most people interested in finding beauty through cosmetic surgery are now looking for less expensive solutions for looking younger.

Experts in the cosmetic surgery profession, such as Hawaii Plastic surgeon Dr de los Reyes, recommend less invasive procedures to achieve that youthful look without breaking the bank. These procedures include the ever popular BOTOX treatments, Chemical peels, and other facial rejuvenation procedures such as microdermabrasion, and laser skin resurfacing.

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Monday, December 14, 2009

Plastic Surgery in Southern California

Realize that plastic surgery is a very in depth field. Everyday a large number of plastic surgeons take a role in advancing the techniques and methods used in order to make plastic surgery procedures safer, and increase the probability of successful surgical procedures. Currently there are many techniques, and advancements for products such as Breast Implants in clinical trials, being tested, research data is being recorded, and Patients taking part in these trails feedback and experiences are being sought- all in an effort to improve plastic surgery as a whole.

All too often, many people think of plastic surgeons as Doctors who decided not to pursue a more in depth field of medicine such a heart surgeon, or neurological surgeon, etc. What most do not realize is that plastic surgery is not a fly by night industry and while there are those surgeons who do a good job at furthering that myth, the majority of cosmetic surgeons are caring, skilled and experienced doctors with a sharp eye for the details.

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Tuesday, November 3, 2009

A Brow Lift Can Help Restore Youthful Vibrance

People who consider brow lift surgery may have noticed the effects of age, gravity, exposure to sunlight, and the stresses of life all taking their toll on a person's face. Muscles and other tissues may slowly begin to droop, causing the patient to look tired or sad. Such factors may affect an individual's confidence, leading them to seek their own brow lift.

A brow lift can help such individuals restore youthful vibrance and energy to the face. The effects of time are virtually undone to restore an individual's face and to remove many of the effects of time and aging. Plastic and cosmetic surgeons accomplish such effects by removing a portion of and tightening the muscles and other tissues that are causing the skin to droop. This not only helps to restore the physical appearance of the patient, but also restores self-confidence and respect to the patient.

A brow lift is a very individualized procedure in which your goals should be realistically determined and discussed with your plastic surgeon. Together you will determine what specific procedures will be performed. A brow lift is often performed in conjunction with other procedures such as a face lift, nose job, or eye surgery.

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Monday, November 2, 2009

What is Liposuction Surgery?

Liposuction involves the removal of fat by small tubes, or cannulas, attached to a vacuum aspiration device. Only fat in the subcutaneous layers of the body are accessible for liposuction. Patients with fat inside their abdomen, for example, are not helped by liposuction, but instead must resort to dieting and exercise for this visceral fat loss. Liposuction is not a substitute for proper diet and exercise. Although liposuction, per se, is not a reliable way of losing weight; it is a very reliable means of contouring.

Once the fat cells are removed, your net fat cell number is reduced permanently, thus making it theoretically more difficult for you to regain the fullness in the treated area. Liposuction is essentially a redistribution operation in that the fat in the areas treated is reduced in proportion to the rest of the body. We are frequently asked if the fat "goes somewhere else", or if one tends to put on weight in other areas of the body. One explanation for this perception may be that without a change in caloric intake, in the setting of stable or declining basal metabolic rate (which occurs as we age), it is predictable that fat would accumulate as a means of storing energy. If the depots of fat that were once present have been significantly reduced in capacity, then it follows that those fat depots remaining untreated may tend to accumulate more fat if energy intake exceeds energy expenditure.

It is therefore very important that patients considering liposuction understand the importance of diet and exercise in maintaining their weight, and realize that liposuction is not an alternative to a healthy lifestyle.

A comprehensive assessment by the plastic surgeon of each patient on an individual basis is essential to the development of a specific treatment plan directed at identifying those specific areas that may be responsive to liposuction. In many instances, patients seek consultation for what amounts to a desire to lose weight. A stable Body Mass Index of less than 27 is necessary to be considered a candidate for liposuction. You should be aware of your Body Mass Index (BMI) and your surgeon's guidelines for what constitutes good candidacy for liposuction . In most surgeon's experience, patients with a BMI above 27 are usually too overweight to derive a good result with liposuction. Their problem is more generalized, and liposuction would not typically be able to access areas of fat accumulation, such as the fat within the abdominal cavity. The ideal candidates have very specific areas of their bodies, which cause them concern and seem to be unresponsive to dieting and/or exercise. Liposuction affords us the ability to sculpt those specific areas with very small incisions (and thus very inconspicuous scars), thus bringing the patient into proportion with the rest of his or her features.

Most plastic surgeons offer a complimentary consultation during which he/she gathers a medical history, including the patient’s weight gain and loss pattern, diet and exercise regimen, and goals for the procedure. Any previous medical conditions need to be identified prior to assessing the patient for surgical candidacy. Height and weight measurements are taken and a physical examination is done to assess the skin tone and texture, skeletal abnormalities such as scoliosis, and muscle bulk and tone. Digital images are obtained and using sophisticated morphing software, surgeons who employ this technology can demonstrate a realistic estimate of the result you might obtain with liposuction. This provides you with an image of yourself which is enormously useful to your decision-making about whether this is a procedure which would satisfy your goals.

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Friday, October 30, 2009

What Is Breast Reduction?

Women with very large, pendulous breasts may experience a variety of medical problems caused by the excessive weight-from back and neck pain and skin irritation to skeletal deformities and breathing problems. Bra straps may leave indentations in their shoulders. And unusually large breasts can make a woman-or a teenage girl-feel extremely self-conscious.

Breast reduction surgery, technically known as reduction mammaplasty, is designed for such women. The procedure removes fat, glandular tissue, and skin from the breasts, making them smaller, lighter, and firmer. It can also reduce the size of the areola, the darker skin surrounding the nipple. The goal is to give the woman smaller, better-shaped breasts in proportion with the rest of her body.

If you're considering breast reduction, this will give you a basic understanding of the procedure- when it can help, how it's performed, and what results you can expect. It can't answer all of your questions, since a lot depends on your individual circumstances. Please be sure to ask your doctor if there is anything about the procedure you don't understand.

The Best Candidates for Breast Reduction

Breast reduction is usually performed for physical relief rather than simply cosmetic improvement. Most women who have the surgery are troubled by very large, sagging breasts that restrict their activities and cause them physical discomfort.

In most cases, breast reduction isn't performed until a woman's breasts are fully developed; however, it can be done earlier if large breasts are causing serious physical discomfort. The best candidates are those who are mature enough to fully understand the procedure and have realistic expectations about the results. Breast reduction is not recommended for women who intend to breast-feed.

Your New Look
Although much of the swelling and bruising will disappear in the first few weeks, it may be six months to a year before your breasts settle into their new shape. Even then, their shape may fluctuate in response to your hormonal shifts, weight changes, and pregnancy.

Of all plastic surgery procedures, breast reduction results in the quickest body-image changes. You'll be rid of the physical discomfort of large breasts, your body will look better proportioned, and clothes will fit you better.

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Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Plastic Surgery in Southern California

Realize that plastic surgery is a very in depth field. Everyday a large number of plastic surgeons take a role in advancing the techniques and methods used in order to make plastic surgery procedures safer, and increase the probability of successful surgical procedures. Currently there are many techniques, and advancements for products such as Breast Implants in clinical trials, being tested, research data is being recorded, and Patients taking part in these trails feedback and experiences are being sought- all in an effort to improve plastic surgery as a whole.

All too often, many people think of plastic surgeons as Doctors who decided not to pursue a more in depth field of medicine such a heart surgeon, or neurological surgeon, etc. What most do not realize is that plastic surgery is not a fly by night industry and while there are those surgeons who do a good job at furthering that myth, the majority of cosmetic surgeons are caring, skilled and experienced doctors with a sharp eye for the details.

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Thursday, May 28, 2009

What It Takes to Be a Top Plastic Surgeon in California

All too often, many people think of plastic surgeons as Doctors who decided not to pursue a more in depth field of medicine such a heart surgeon, or neurological surgeon, etc. What most do not realize is that plastic surgery is not a fly by night industry and while there are those surgeons who do a good job at furthering that myth, the majority of plastic surgeons are caring, skilled and experienced doctors with a sharp eye for the details.

Realize that plastic surgery is a very in depth field. Everyday a large number of plastic and cosmetic surgeons take a role in advancing the techniques and methods used in order to make cosmetic and plastic surgery procedures safer, and increase the probability of successful surgical procedures. Currently there are many techniques, and advancements for products such as breast Implants in clinical trials, being tested, research data is being recorded, and Patients taking part in these trails feedback and experiences are being sought- all in an effort to improve plastic surgery as a whole.

In order for a plastic surgeon, especially in California to excel, be successful and maintain a positive reputation, it takes a tireless work ethic, never ending study and education, and a desire to help people become the best they can be. Many of these successful plastic surgeons are also talented artists, and that natural artistic quality carries over into plastic surgery.

In short, to become and remain a successful plastic surgeon, one must always maintain a compassionate desire to help others, and do everything possible to further advance the technology, surgical methods and techniques that make plastic surgery procedures and successful results a reality.

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