What is your opinion on plastic surgery? Did you need some time to think about it or you automatically retorted “Negative”? Well, if that indeed was your initial reaction then this is quite expected. Currently the general publics’ views on plastic operations are disapproving. If in the early days of surgery it seemed like a fabulous idea, worth of celebrities and rich people almost exclusively, now we all know that such improvements come with a price -and far more precious than just a bag of money. Nowadays we are lucky to see the long term results of drastic plastic treatments before our own eyes and they are not pretty. A certain movie star or a public persona who undergone a plastic operation two or three decades ago (let’s not name them), looks nothing but young and beautiful nowadays. Some of those faces are just a disaster. We see all that and we know it is just not worth it. With all the talk about health and lifestyle people know that the only way to look and feel younger is to eat right, move more and sleep better. We also know that far not everybody can manage such a lifestyle and that’s how we get back to the subject of plastic surgery and why it might be the time to consider it.
You are probably thinking that’s definitely not for you and surely not a good idea. Agreed – scalpels and stitches aren’t, but modern surgery options do not implement those and the most invasive treatment you would get is an injection. Nowadays, thanks to extensive research and technology advances, doctors are able to lift and condition skin, resize some body parts, remove unwanted scars, spots or wrinkles and much much more – and all of it without a single incision. It can barely be considered a surgery, it’s more like a spa treatment. Not to mention it is becoming more and more affordable, so it won’t wobble your budget. Interested? Let’s take a closer look.
Okay, so the number one reason why people turn to surgeons is for wrinkle treatments. Wrinkles give away our age the most. In light to mild cases there are a bunch of things you can do to improve your appearance without getting under the knife. The most popular group of wrinkle treatments is injections of a special filler. Unlike botox, they do not cause facial muscles to relax or paralyze, which is good, and instead work on under-skin “spaces” and support the skin from within pushing it up and visibly making it look smoothed out and toned. Every filler has its own composition and active ingredients and of course are branded under different names. There are some trends, though. One of the most popular, among physicians at least, active ingredients is hyaluronic acid. It works pretty well, is FDA approved and offered under different names, such as Juvederm, Restylane, Perlane, Teosyal, Elevess, Prevelle and more. Depending on your health condition or personal factors a surgeon is able to select a filler that is right for you. Hyaluronic acid based fillers aren’t permanent, so if you choose this type of treatments be ready to visit a plastic surgeon or a dermatologist (who, by the way, is also authorized to administer filler shots) twice a year.
Second most popular wrinkle and other skin problems fighter is various surface treatments. For the most part the surface (the skin) is treated by applying different laser, radio frequency and other energies, devices. For instance, V Beam and Total FX are special pulse lasers, that condition skin to boost natural recovery processes. Ematrix, Accent Laser and Thermage are based on radio frequency dispersion, with the same rejuvenation effect. Generally, surface treatments are considered more healthy and in fact beneficial, whereas fillers are only able to mask the signs of aging, nevertheless the filler therapy is more in demand since it does produces more visible results. The rule of thumb here is if you have an event to attend and want to appear younger fast, then definitely treat yourself to some “magic” shots, but if you are choosing a consistent therapy then check out the lasers.
The next problem that folks, mostly females, seek help for is fat and cellulite. Ironically, there is nothing “lite” about it. It’s a real challenge to get rid of it surgically and almost impossible through diet and exercising. Liposuction is the most effective way to shed that fat and these days liposuction is nothing what it used to be in the days of suction, tubes, scars, and other horror movie associations. Today it all gets done with the help of lasers, ultrasonic energy, radio frequency, infrared light and some other things that remind you of high-school physics course. But, such liposuction procedures do not hurt, do not scar and leave you happy overall. Regardless of what energy source such liposuctions implement they all sort of work the same. They target fat cells that get broken down and the fat content (or lipids) stored in them is supposed to exit the body in a more or less natural way. Today very popular are the ultrasonic-assisted liposculpture methods, which are advertised under UltraShape, Vaser Liposuction, Liposculpture and Liposonix. There’s been some controversy regarding ultrasonic liposculpture in terms of its effectiveness. Studies have shown that a patient doesn’t really loose weight, but lots of folks state that they were really able to reshape their body by doing such lipo.
The list of non-invasive rejuvenating procedures that plastic surgery can offer today is huge. Don’t fall for something just because it looks affordable and fab. If you really decided to take care of your appearance and health then find a knowledgeable surgeon or dermatologist who will discuss your problems, their causes, which is one of the most important stages of diagnostics, and their solutions. Remember that constant quick fixes might negatively affect your body and you do not want to hit that point of no return when no matter what you do just makes the matters worse. Stay wise.