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 Let's
face it - everyone has a few flaws that we would love
to improve. It may be the bump on your nose, the fatty
bags under your eyes, ears that stick out, or a weak
chin. Cosmetic surgery of the face involves far more
than just the basic garden variety facelift today. The
good news is that with modern methods, most surgeries
can be done as a day case under a twilight anesthetic.
I see clients from all over the US and
UK, with manifold questions on topics ranging from Blephs
to BOTOX®. Some procedures are more drastic and
invasive, while others simply involve consistent maintenance.
Before you venture into the realm of cosmetic enhancements,
it's important to get good impartial advice and recommendations
for highly qualified physicians and surgeons.
EYE CANDY
Heavy hooded upper eyelids may obliterate the once sharp
crease that served as a platform for your eye shadow,
and blobs of fat that cushion the eyeball create a permanent
puffiness no matter how much sleep you've had. "Blepharoplasty,"
or eyelid surgery, can reduce droopy upper eyelids,
eliminate bulging fat bags under the eyes, and restore
the contours so that your baby blues get noticed again.
Upper eyelid surgery involves an incision that follows
the natural skin fold of the eyelid crease extending
into the crow's feet where lines already exist so the
scar will be less noticeable. The fat bags can also
be removed from the inside - which leaves no visible
scars - and combined with laser resurfacing to smooth
any loose skin and wrinkles.
Back to Work or Play: 7-10 days
HIGH BROWS
Although the idea of lifting one's brows may conjure
up images of the doe in the headlights look, you don't
have to look perpetually surprised. As frown lines across
the forehead appear, the increasing heaviness tends
to pull the brows down to the point where they seem
like they are resting on your lids. A brow lift will
tighten loose skin and drooping brows can be yanked
up. Part of the muscle that causes vertical lines between
the brows can also be removed, which can stifle the
need for BOTOX® injections for a while. There are
two basic techniques: the traditional coronal brow lift
and an endoscopic forehead lift. For a coronal brow
lift the incision is made slightly behind the natural
hairline, running from ear to ear across the top of
the scalp where a headset would sit. For an endoscopic
browlift, three to five little incisions of approximately
one inch are made, and a small wand with a camera on
the end connected to a monitor, is inserted to allow
the surgeon a clear view of the muscles and tissues
to be tightened beneath the skin.
Back to Work or Play: 7-10 days
THE LIFT
Once your neck is going south and your jowls start squaring
off, it's time to think about the 'F" word. A proper
facelift is the only real option when the lower face
and neck have begun their inevitable descent. A common
misconception is that once you have a lift, you have
to keep having them. The results of a lift can last
forever, and you'll always look better no matter when
you do it. Some of us will only have one facelift in
our lifetime, others may have a second surgery 7-10
years later when the tissues have relaxed again, and
there are those will go in for a little fine tuning
every few years. On a young neck with springy skin,
fat can be liposuctioned. If you have a "turkey
gobbler" neck, you won't be able to get away with
it. The traditional facelift requires a continual incision
that starts above the ear in the temple, then down in
front of the ear, around and into the crease behind
the ear with an extension into the hair, which adds
up to about eight inches. Short scar techniques, also
known in some circles as an 'S-Lift," may cut the
scar to half that, and are a good option for early lift-ees.
These are less invasive which translates to reduced
swelling, scarring, bruising and risk, but usually not
cost. The end result leaves you refreshed without changing
your look significantly.
Back to Work or Play: 10-14 days
NOSE REFINEMENT
Today it is entirely possible to have a natural looking
nose that has been surgically altered, instead of the
very obvious 'nose job' look of yesteryear. At least
half of all nasal surgeries performed are actually revisions
to improve previous surgery. Secondary nose jobs are
common requests. The major limitations of the procedure
have to do with your skin type, skin thickness, and
position of your nasal bones. The shape and position
of your nose ultimately changes as you mature. It may
appear longer and the tip eventually droops, so if you
don't like your nose at 25, you will probably like it
less at 45. There are two basic ways to do a "rhinoplasty":
open and closed. Open involves a scar hidden in the
underside of the nose; the more common closed technique
doesn't require any external scars as the resculpting
work is all done from the inside.
Back to Work or Play: 7 - 10 days
BODY WORK
Whether your ultimate goal is to look better in your
clothes, fit into a smaller size or to look good naked,
there are many excellent options.
BREAST LIFTS & REDUCTIONS
Alas, gravity is not a girl's best friend, especially
after breastfeeding twins. The natural order of things
is that past the childbearing years, most women are
content if their breasts are just self-supporting. A
breast lift or reduction reshapes breasts that have
sagged as a result of the forces of nature. For confirmation,
just glance around a communal dressing room at the gym.
Breast lifts and reductions consist of removing excess
skin, reshaping the areola, and elevating the nipples
so they no longer point to the equator. The most common
technique is the anchor scar pattern with incisions
made around the nipple, vertically on the breast and
horizontally under the breast. Modified scar-saving
methods popularized in breast-baring countries like
Brazil can abolish the long scar under the breast fold.
The doughnut lift involves only one incision around
the areola, but is usually reserved for very small breasts.
Generally, the more tissue that gets removed, the better
shape is possible. If your breasts are big and plump,
liposuction may be used to reduce their size using a
few small incisions instead of long scars. When perkier
breasts are the goal, a lift can be combined with an
implant to pump up the volume.
Back to Work or Play: 10 - 14 days
LIPOSUCTION
Liposuction reduces the overall number of fat cells,
and magically whisks away unsightly bulges from any
area from your chin to your ankles. The most popular
areas for women are the tummy, inner and outer thighs,
hips and knees. In men, it's the chest wall, belly and
love handles. Before consulting with a surgeon, bravely
evaluate your nude body in distinct units, like the
upper abdomen, lower abdomen, outer thighs, etc., to
prioritize the exact spots that would benefit most from
recontouring. The scars are tiny and hidden in the most
inconspicuous places like inside the knees or under
the crease of your tush. There are several methods of
liposuction used today. Thin instruments are inserted
under the skin and moved in a back and forth as clumps
of fat are sucked out through holes at the tip. Ultrasonic
sound waves, like shock waves, transmitted from the
tip of the cannulae probe can liquefy fat cells, which
are then removed by low-pressure vacuum through a suction
tube. One of the latest advances is power liposuction
in which motor-driven cannulae vibrate to make fat removal
easier and faster. The more elastic your skin, the better
liposuction works. If you have flabby skin, liposuction
can leave you ripply.
Back to Work or Play: 3 - 8 days
TUMMY TUCK
If your tummy bulge is stopping you from showing a little
skin in low rider jeans, an abdominoplasty, commonly
known as a "tummy tuck," can be the answer
to your fashion dilemmas. A tummy tuck will remove excess
skin and fat and tighten the muscles that get stretched
in childbirth. A tummy tuck usually involves a wide
incision that runs from pelvic bone to pelvic bone just
above your Brazilian bikini wax. The scar can sometimes
be angled to hide under a high cut thong. If there is
a lot of skin to be redraped, a new tummy button may
be made. With a mini or modified tummy tuck, the incision
is shorter and the tummy button may not need to be moved,
but this only works when there is very little to be
tucked.
Back to Work or Play: 2 -3 weeks
BODY LIFT
Body lifts are essentially considered "facelifts
for the body." If you have the guts to look in
a full length mirror naked, and pull up the saggy skin
of your hips to stretch out your upper thighs and tummy
area, you get an idea of what a lower body lift can
do. The added benefits are an overall smoothing of dimpling
and lumpy, bumpy bits, as well as a general elevation
of your private parts to a more youthful status. The
trade off is that the recovery is longer than any other
cosmetic surgery and the scarring is like a belt around
your torso. Body lifts are usually performed under general
anesthesia because it is considered major surgery.
Back to Work or Play: 2 - 3 weeks
Wendy Lewis is renowned internationally as an independent
cosmetic surgery consultant and has been seen on CNN,
NBC, ABC, VOGUE, ALLURE and many others. Visit her specialist
page or go directly to Wendy's website at www.wlbeauty.com
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