Posts Tagged ‘cosmetic surgery’

How To Safely Remove Moles From The Face

Sunday, March 7th, 2010

Poor self esteem and great dissatisfaction often affect people with significant skin blemishes that ruin their look. Moles can appear anywhere on the body, but they are really bothersome in visible areas like the face. This is probably the reason why facial mole removal is a widely-practiced intervention in countries worldwide, being performed on request and after some medical investigations to assess the patient’s health condition and the nature of the moles to be removed. The costs of facial mole removal requested for cosmetic purposes is not covered by insurance; the only situations when coverage becomes possible is when there is a health problem involved.

Facial mole removal is possible by means of three procedures: laser therapy, excision with stitching or excision with cauterization. The excision only is considered to fall in the surgical category, while laser interventions are considered practices different from surgery. Preparatory stages will be required no matter the type of treatment selected for facial mole removal. First of all, the doctor has to mark the exact area that needs to be removed, because in very many cases, the skin borders around the moles have to be cut as well. After this delimitation, the area has to be cleaned with a disinfectant substance and then anesthetized.

The facial mole removal begins when the skin and the nerves get numb and the blood circulation is reduced. The use of stitches is only required for moles that have grown deep in the skin layers. If the mole is superficial, cauterization of the wound is used in order to stop the bleeding and speed up the healing process. The recovery takes time, but if you handle the wound well, you can improve the healing process and grow new healthy tissues faster. The risk of infections is reduced by the application of topical antibiotics.

As for the facial mole removal with a laser beam, we must stress out the fact that only a professional can decide whether light therapy is the right one for you. The problem with laser treatments is that they are more efficient in the case of flat superficial moles, but rather ineffective when it comes to raised skin tags. Larger nevi are hard to remove by the laser beam because the light cannot get deep inside the tissues, and lots of mole cells can remain untouched. The price for a facial mole removal by a laser intervention ranges from $100 and above, but we ought to stress out the fact that most of the time several laser sessions are necessary for good results.

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When the author isn’t fretting over her own facial models, she’s a fan ofpsychic readings, the HCG Diet Seattle, and the BMW Z4 windscreen windblocker wind deflector.

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What is Cosmetic Surgery?

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

Nowadays, for better or worse, looks are important.  An underwhelming appearance, which can be caused by even otherwise seemingly “small” deviations, can have severe consequences on the social life and career prospects of the individual.

Aging and heredity are the two main factors factors which affect appearance.  In terms of genetics, naturally, every person’s experience is different.  Everyone’s features are unique, and this in itself may be worrisome for some individuals.  Beyond just things like the features of the face, body shape, too, is determined by certain genetic factors.  Although many people may think that body shape can be largely controlled through diet and exercise, the truth is that some people accumulate fat more in some areas than others.  This means that, even with a healthy diet and rigorous, regimented exercise, many people have a difficult time eliminating excess fat from certain areas; common ones include the legs, the torso, and the neck.  Aging, naturally, leaves its mark on everyone without exception.

In many cases, cosmetic surgery is the only way to tackle these issues effectively.  This isn’t as dire a situation as it may appear, though, as cosmetic surgery is actually very common, and continues to become more common as methods and technologies continue to move forward.  Virtually all aesthetic issues can be solved using cosmetic surgery.

Cosmetic surgery isn’t as recent an idea as it may seem.  It was first developed in India in approximately 2000 BC.  It wasn’t until the emergence of the Hollywood film industry, though, that cosmetic surgery became truly popular among people of all walks of life; as today, many performers gained their famous features at least partially through cosmetic surgery.  Now, many cosmetic procedures are available to the public, and are priced in such a way that millions of people have undergone cosmetic surgery in recent years.

In the United States alone, in the year 2008, over 1,760,000 cosmetic surgical procedures were performed (all data provided by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery).  Although women accounted for 90 percent of all recipients, the number of men seeking cosmetic surgery continues to increase, perhaps as stigmas involved diminished and males are now expected to take care of their looks as well. The most popular cosmetic procedures are breast enhancement, liposuction, blepharoplasty, which is cosmetic surgery for the eyelids, abdominoplasty (also called the “tummy tuck”), and breast reduction, while the most popular procedures for men are liposuction, rhinoplasty, which is cosmetic surgery for the nose, blepharoplasty, gynecomastia, or male breast reduction surgery, and hair transplantation.

Individuals aged 35-50 years are most likely to undergo cosmetic surgery; this is because aging is the biggest factor leading to people seeking cosmetic surgery, perhaps because hereditary aesthetic issues are usually taken care of earlier than this.  Over 70% of people report that they would not be ashamed to say that they had received cosmetic surgery, which shows that cosmetic surgery is a socially accepted practice.

Cosmetic surgical procedures themselves require varying amounts of time.  By the same token, the period of time required to achieve full recovery from a specific procedure is directly related to the extensiveness of the procedure itself; some operations call for no more than two weeks of recovery time before the patient can get back to his or her previous daily activities, while other procedures can involve several months of recovery time.  During recovery, the patient must adhere to the instructions provided by the surgeon with regard to treatment of the area (which may involve using dressings, compression garments, ointments and so on), what sort of forms of activity to avoid (strenuous physical activity usually has to be avoided for two weeks at the least), wardrobe considerations (loose-fitting clothing is usually recommended following any type of surgery; after a face lift, the patient is almost always instructed to wear button-down shirts instead to pull-over articles of clothing such as t-shirts and sweatshirts, as these can cause irritation to the face when being put on), and dietary and other issues (smoking, for example, must be avoided following any type of surgery).

Any type of surgery involves some risk of complications.  Any procedure involving the use of incisions will cause scarring, which becomes less visible over time, but can result in permanent marks.  Swelling can remain in the short term, while long-term swelling or irritation indicates a problem.  Allergic reaction to the anaesthetic used for the procedure may also occur in some cases.  People with certain medical conditions, especially cardiovascular problems, may not be eligible for cosmetic surgery.  Please consult with a surgeon in order to determine whether you are a suitable candidate for cosmetic surgery.

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Breast Augmentation

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

Breast enhancement surgery, which is also called breast augmentation or breast enlargement surgery, is one of the better known cosmetic operations by name, even though the specific details of the procedure are not necessary all that well known.  Over 350,000 breast enhancement procedures were conducted in the United States alone in 2008, as indicated by data published by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, or ASAPS, making it one of the most commonly performed cosmetic operations for women.

 Women consider breast augmentation surgery for a number of reasons.  This type of operation can be used to rectify an asymmetry of the breasts, as well as to reconstruct one or both breasts as a follow-up to a mastectomy or other similar operation; the term “breast reconstruction surgery” is usually used to refer to cases of this nature.  Surgery is also commonly used as a way to deal with hereditary issues affecting the breasts such as micromastia, a condition involving the severe underdevelopment of the breasts, as well as other conditions which can result in the complete absence of one or both breasts.

 Most commonly, though, the majority of women who undergo breast enhancement surgery do so for purely cosmetic reasons.  Detrimental effects upon the individual’s social and work life are frequently associated with misgivings about one’s appearance, including the appearance of the breasts.  A useful method for preventing or dealing with these issues, therefore, is to tackle their basic cause.  Thus, it’s no surprise that breast enhancement is so common.

 There are numerous different approaches and techniques in use for breast augmentation surgery procedures, which can vary with regard to their suitability to the individual dependent upon various factors such as body type, any operations previously undergone, the degree of augmentation desired.  All breast enhancement procedures involve the use of implants.  Two basic kinds of breast implants are currently in use: saline implants and silicone implants.

 Saline implants are a bit less common than silicone ones, and are made of a shell made of a silicone elastomer which, after first being implanted during the surgical procedure, is filled with a saline (salt and water) solution.  This means that they are somewhat more adaptable in comparison to silicone implants.  At the same time, saline implants are considered to be useful only for less drastic augmentation procedures.  They’re also slightly susceptible to rippling, wrinkling, and other such issues, as well as being considered to be more noticeable to the touch compared to silicone implants, although there is some disagreement on this point.

 Silicone implants are pre-filled with a silicone gel, while making use of a silicone elastomer shell not particularly different from those used with saline implants.  Not unlike saline implants, silicone implants have been in production since the 1960s, but the constitution of silicone implants has seen changes incrementally in the years since.  Today’s silicone implants are significantly different in comparison to the ones sold back in the 1960s; the gel used now is semi-solid, which virtually erases the leaking issues that first-generation implants, with their more liquid-like gel, were known to experience.

 The surgical procedure itself may also make use of different techniques.  The inframammary incision method is the most common technique used for breast enhancement surgery.  This technique involves the use of an incision made in the area just below the breast, called the inframammary area.  An implant is inserted through this incision.  The inframammary incision method is the least risky of any kind of breast augmentation procedure, and the scars left afterward are usually well concealed below the breast afterward.

 An incision is made around the border of the areola in the periareolar incision method.  Due to the limited size of the incision used in this procedure, saline implants must be used.  However, this technique does allow for the surgeon to reposition the breast entirely, which may be desired by the patient in some cases.

 Depending on certain factors, the patient may desire the surgeon to to make an incision in an area farther away from the breast; patients who are concerned with scarring visible in the area of the breast may also request this type of technique.  The transumbilical incision is an incision made in the navel area, which can be performed at the same time as a tummy tuck, while a transaxillary incision is an incision made in the armpit area.  In both cases, an endoscope may be used in order to help with the correct positioning of the implant.  Saline implants are usually necessary for either of these procedures.

 Every type of surgery involves some risk, and breast enhancement is no different.  Also, following this kind of operation, the patient will usually take at least six weeks to recover completely, during which time strenuous physical activity must be avoided in order to ensure that the procedure is a success in the end.

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What is Body Contouring?

Saturday, December 26th, 2009

Many people associate the term “cosmetic surgery” with procedures performed on the face; with perhaps a few exceptions, the things that usually come to mind whenever cosmetic surgery is mentioned are nose surgery, eyelid surgery, and so on.  However, apart from even breast enhancement, there are numerous common cosmetic surgical procedures for other parts of the body as well.  We know that people have a lot of worries about their overall appearance, and this means that any unsightly or uncommon aspect of an individual’s appearance, whether it’s on the face or any other visible area, can have detrimental effects.  When people have trouble with some aspect of their appearance, it can prevent them from living their lives to the fullest, and for some people, even regarding the body as opposed to the face, the only way to deal with the issue effectively is through cosmetic surgery.  The majority of cosmetic surgical procedures involving the body are considered to fall under the category of “body cosmetic surgery”.  These procedures are meant to change the contours of the body, usually by removing excess body fat or other tissues and/or tightening the remaining tissues.

Liposculpturing is the most popular of these procedures.  In liposuction, the surgeon uses a surgical tube device called a cannula and a suction device called an aspirator to extract fat.  The surgeon makes a small incision in the target area, and a certain amount of liquid – the amount is determined in consideration of several factors – is introduced so that the fat can be removed safely.  Liposuction is so popular because it is a reliable way of dealing with a problem that many people experience.  Liposuction is not effective as a weight-loss tactic, as the actual amount of fat eliminated is quite small; rather, liposuction is for healthy individuals who, despite targeted exercise, are unable to get eliminate fat from specific problem areas.  Among these areas are the midsection, the legs, below the chin, and the love handles.  There are a number of more specialized liposuction techniques such as SmartLipo and Liposculpture which have emerged in recent years and which refine the liposuction process and result in even fewer drawbacks.

The abdominoplasty, also known as the “tummy tuck,” is another popular body contouring operation.  This operation aims to tighten loose skin and remove excess tissue from the abdomen, a challenge which is particularly common with individuals who have experienced significant weight loss, as well as women who have been pregnant.  Depending on the extensiveness of the operation, incisions may be made in different areas.  In some cases, even just one incision may be sufficient in order to carry out the operation.  The navel can be raised as part of the tummy tuck procedure if necessary.

The numerous types of body lifts available are also considered body contouring procedures.  These include thigh lifts and buttock lifts.  Buttock lifts and thigh lifts are similar in that, in both cases, the target areas see excess tissues removed before the remaining tissues are tightened.  They aim at a more youthful, tighter look to the area.  A thigh lift and buttock lift can be combined with an abdominoplasty, resulting in what is known as the lower body lift.  Naturally, the upper body lift incorporates the upper arm lift, which targets the “batwing” appearance that affects many women, and the breast lift, which, perhaps not surprisingly, sees the breasts lifted.  The upper and lower body lift can be performed together, resulting in a “full body lift,” which is one of the most drastic cosmetic operations available.

The category of body contouring also includes certain types of implants, like buttock implants and calf implants.  Buttock implants aim to increase the volume of the buttock area, and can also result in a firmer look and sensation.  Some genetic issues which lead to a reduction in muscle tone of the legs are also frequently addressed through the use of calf implants.  They are also often desired for purely cosmetic reasons.  Calf implantation is an operation very common among bodybuilders, due to the fact that the calves are very hard to develop fully even with the “correct” training program.

Surgical procedures of any sort involve by necessity certain risks, and the patient must also adhere to a strict recovery plan.  Consult with a surgeon if you would like to determine if any of these operations is a good choice for you.

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So is Thermage Skin Rejuvenation Really Free of Health Repercussions?

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

Thermage is a clinically tested and proven cosmetic technique that improves skin s smoothness along with tightening and rejuvenating it. It has gained a lot of popularity since it was approved by the FDA and is being used by an ever-increasing number of people across the world.

Existing collagen undergoes tightening while fresh collagen development is triggered using radio frequency waves in a Thermage procedure – a lot like the system used for the new vitiligo treatment and pearly penile papules treatment. It usually takes a few weeks for Thermage to start showing results. The effect is gradual, but guaranteed. The two factors that decide the duration of a typical Thermage procedure are how much skin is being treated and what its condition is, but it is highly unlikely that it would take more than two hours.

Thermage has however been under the scanner for the past few years as some people have questioned its safety. As reported at the Smart Lipo site, there have been cases where people who had undergone the treatment have reported fat atrophy and surface irregularities.

After research, it was found that these problems exist in such a small number of cases that no inference against the safety of Thermage could be drawn from them. It was also found that people who had undergone Thermage at a higher than required energy setting accounted for most of these cases. This shows that only a trustworthy doctor with ample know-how of the procedure should be consulted for a Thermage session.

Expert supervision ensures that Thermage leads to no side effects at all, thus making it a very safe treatment. Since Thermage was introduced, the technology has advanced drastically and a large number of doctors are now proficient in performing the procedure.

A cooling spray is now used for relieving the skin to ensure that patients are spared the discomfort that arises out of the heat generated in the course of the treatment. Unwanted consequences of Thermage, like mild swelling, which are reported in a very small number of cases, also vanish within the span of a week.

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