Information Provided By Lifestyle Lift
COMPLIMENTARY PROCEDURESBlepharoplasty
If an individual has excess skin on the upper eyelid, problems range from a loss of peripheral vision, limiting their ability to see, to creating a negative impact on his or her appearance. A blepharoplasty seeks to reposition or remove this excess tissue. In extreme cases, the excess skin can actually reduce the individual’s ability to read and drive, among other common activities. Although the procedure is recommended for people who suffer physical impairment as a result of the excess skin, many people choose to undergo the procedure for strictly cosmetic reasons. This is most often done to repair puffy lower eyelids, reduce the wrinkling of skin, or to remove a less sever amount of excess skin.
The procedure removes and tightens skin through incisions along the natural skin lines of the eyelids or the inside of the lower eyelid. As with most other procedures, the common side effects are swelling and bruising, but after a few weeks, this should subside. The final results will not become stable for several months, however. This procedure usually takes between one and three hours and costs an average of 3,000 dollars to complete.
Breast Implants
While this procedure is most commonly done for strictly cosmetic purposes, a breast augmentation can serve other purposes as well. The procedure uses prosthesis to increase the size of the breasts for cosmetic reasons, following a mastectomy, or as part of a male-to-female operation. The most famous kind of implants are those made out of silicone, which is a silicone shell filled with viscous silicone gel. The other kind is a saline implant, which is simply filled with sterile saline liquid. Interestingly, but not surprisingly, in 2006, there were 329,000 breast augmentations performed in the United States making it the most common type of cosmetic surgery.
There are many ways to perform a breast implant procedure. Typically, surgeons will make the incision just below or to the side of the breast, but in some cases it is made along the areola border or in the naval area. Whichever method the surgeon decides to use, the results will be similar. The implant is situated between the muscle and the breast to increase the size and appearance of the breast. After the implant is in place, the incision is stitched up. This procedure usually takes between one and two hours depending on the surgeon, incision type, and placement of the implant. While it may take several months for scars from the incision to fade, patients can usually return to school or work merely one week after undergoing the procedure. Possible complications due to the breast implants are a rupture of the implant, capsular contracture, scarring, or a change in the nipple and breast sensitivity.
Breast Lift
Also known as a mastopexy, a breast lift is performed to decrease the effects of drooping breasts. As people age, skin stretches and the effects of gravity become more and more noticeable. This is especially noticeable for women’s breasts, so many opt to have a breast lift alone or with a breast augmentation. The shape of a breast is determined by skin, volume, and connective tissue and a breast lift can alter these factors to change the shape and structure of the breast.
The procedure uses what is known as an anchor incision, thanks to its shape, which is similar to the anchor of a boat. Sometimes called the Wise Pattern after Robert Wise who first described the type of procedure, the surgeon makes incisions along the underside of the breast, around the areola, and between the areola and the base of the breast. Because the procedure requires many incisions, scarring is a common result of the surgery; however, a skilled surgeon can often hide the scars very effectively. The incision around the areola is hidden by the change in color between the breast skin and the darker areola. Similarly hard to notice, the vertical scar is often hidden in shadow and the breast usually covers the underside scar.
Tummy Tuck
Also known as an abdominoplasty, tummy tucks are intended to make the abdominal area more firm. In order to make the muscle and fascia of the abdominal wall tighter, excess fatty tissue and skin is removed from the middle and lower abdomen. This procedure is effective for tightening up the stomach region and removing wrinkly skin. Most commonly, individuals who undergo a tummy tuck are women after pregnancy or people who have lost a significant amount of weight and suffer from the resulting excess skin.
An incision is made above the pubic region to allow the surgeon to separate the abdominal wall and the skin from the underlying muscle. Using sutures, the muscle is then gathered and tightened. Before the incision is closed, excess skin and fat is removed and the remaining skin is pulled tight. Liposuction is often used as part of a tummy tuck to help remove excess fat and to refine the abdominal sculpture.
The recovery period is generally between one and four weeks. However, the amount of time that it takes an individual to recover from an abdominoplasty varies based on the procedure and the patient. Immediately following the procedure, there may be bruising and discomfort, but this will abate, and a supportive binder or garment can minimize swelling and discomfort. Obviously the cost of a tummy tuck will depend on the surgeon, but the procedure can cost as little as $4,000 or as much as $20,000.