Breast Implants Tampa Special*

Buy One Breast Implant, Get Second Implant for FREE!! ($760 savings)*

ONLY 6 of these specials are available.*

Beach bodies are MADE this time of year!

Call 813-658-3600 to reserve your consultation today!

This is the perfect time of year to do the Breast Implants Tampa you have always wanted. Surgery now, guarantees you will be ready for all the fun summer activities you love!

Dr. Aguiar has been creating “beach ready breasts” in Tampa, FL for 15 years.

Great Reasons For Getting Breast Implants

1. Breasts are smaller than you desire.
2. Pregnancy and breastfeeding have caused deflation of breast tissue.
3. Weight gain/loss has affected the shape of your breasts.
4. Breast never developed during puberty and beyond.
5. Gravity has caused your breasts to head south (and not just for the winter).
6. Breasts are different sizes (asymmetrical).
7. You would like to look more proportional to rest of your body.

Call us today to see if you are a candidate for breast implants.

813-658-3600

About the breast implants

Only Allergan Natrelle Implants offers the MOST options to find the perfect fit, look and feel for your breast implants! With this special you get an additional GIFT of a BOTOX treatment!

See Dr. Aguiar’s Breast Implants Tampa Before & After Photos here. Patient Gallery

*Special expires 03/15/18. Only 6 specials available. Discounts and specials cannot be combined with any other discounts or specials. No cash value for discounts or specials. Surgery discounts must be redeemed by reserving surgery date prior to 03/15/18. Surgery must take place before 05/31/18.

The post Breast Implant Special Tampa appeared first on Aguiar Plastic Surgery.

It was the summer of 2000, it was the year that digital music broke into mainstream, low carb diets were all the rage, and a gallon of gas was $1.51. Having just finished my Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery training at Indiana University the year before and then spending time in Tampa, Florida for my Hand & Microvascular training at USF, you could say the the sunshine, beautiful scenery and warm weather of Florida was calling my name. I was seeking my first job as a plastic surgeon.

Big life changes for a new plastic surgeon

The years of 2000 & 2001 were busy with getting engaged, getting married, and moving my new family to Ocala, Florida for my first job out of training as a plasic surgeon.   I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect or how myself or my family would like Ocala, but we were happy and the doctors and staff in the group welcomed us with open arms.

Right away, they put me to work on minor procedures while insurance contracts and hospital privileges were being finalized. Once those were finalized I found myself doing all the plastic, reconstructive, cosmetic, and hand surgery any new surgeon would be thrilled to do. The cases were challenging and diverse.

We bought our first home and shortly before closing date, my wife and I found out we were pregnant with TWINS! What?!?! She had a difficult pregnancy, but thankfully both girls were born healthy and thrived. After the twins arrived, we quickly realized we needed to be closer to family, or at least live in an area where it was easy for family and friends to travel us. We started looking for other jobs and remembered how much we loved Tampa during my hand fellowship.

Big Challenges for a Plastic Surgeon in Tampa, Florida

Fast forward to summer of 2004. We left Ocala and moved to Tampa, Florida. I was quickly busy with call at 3 hospitals, lots of trauma and the work was more reconstructive than cosmetic. It was great experience to work in a larger city with a level one trauma hospital. But after working in two group practices, I had a desire to own a private practice of my own. I lived in Westchase and spent a lot of time driving to South Tampa for work. That travel time really limited how much I could spend with my young family.

Plastic Surgeon Opens New Practice in Westchase, Florida

So in 2006, I opened my plastic surgery practice in Westchase. Westchase is a great community to raise children and there were plenty of “mommy makeovers” to get the practice up and running.

Since 2006, the practice has gone through many changes with types of surgeries ebbing and flowing based upon the economy, referral sources, and insurance contracts. However, having my own practice has been greatly satisfying.

Established Plastic Surgeon Talks About Changes in His Practice Over the Years

Fast forward to 2018, and a lot has changed in the landscape of medicine & plastic cosmetic surgery, some good, some not so good. However, with my practice in Westchase I have been grateful to continue to offer reconstructive, hand and plastic cosmetic surgery to my patients.It feels amazing to have a practice that gets most of our new patients from referrals of current or previous patients.

Here are a few things to help round out the history.

The best thing about cosmetic surgery is……No insurance companies. The patient and I get to develop a plan to reach their goals and I love seeing the patients thrilled with the results.

The best thing I’ve been given…….the constant gratitude from my patients, cosmetic or insurance. One time I received a thank you card from every relative of a breast cancer/reconstructiion patient. Opening the mail was fun for weeks!!

The surgery I have done the most……..breast augmentation.

My favorite surgery……hmm there are many for different reasons.

1. Tummy tuck–I pride myself on doing the very best tummy tucks in Tampa.

2. Facelift with fat grafting–Very challenging surgeries. I like to produce a natural, refreshed look and to sculpt the face with fat to add back in the youthful contours.

3. Breast Reconstruction–Getting a mastectomy is very traumatic for a woman. I enjoy the process of making my patient feel whole again.

The operation I no longer do but miss…….the very technical microvascular sugery of traumatic hand injury. Unfortunately, these surgeries can take up to 12 hours, and it is very difficult to fit one of those into a day that is scheduled with patients weeks in advance.

Although the kinds and quantities of surgeries have changed over the past 17 years, the basis of plastic surgery has not. The plastic surgery training and hand surgery training has been the cornerstone of everything I do for my patients.  Plastic Surgery has been and continues to be a field that is innovative and requires me to continue learning all through out a career that I hope to be another 20 years or longer. In plastic surgery, we often aren’t saving lives, but we are improving the quality of life for our patients, and that makes the field a very rewarding one.

None of us know what the future holds, but I am happy being a plastic surgeon and my health is good. Therefore, there doesn’t seem to be a reason to do anything else.

Do what makes you happy!

All the best,

Dr. Joseph W. Aguiar

The post 17 Years as a Plastic Surgeon in Florida appeared first on Aguiar Plastic Surgery.

More than 114,000 American women had breast reduction surgery in 2014, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. But here’s what you need to know before having the procedure. In an article by Self, Dr. Gordon Lee, M.D., a plastic and breast reconstructive surgeon at Stanford Health Care talks about some of the most important points to remember about breast reduction surgery before committing.

There’s more than one type of incision and scar

If you only need a small amount taken out, there’s the circumareolar incision, also known as a doughnut incision, which involves cutting around the areola and removing some of the surrounding excess skin. If you need to remove more loose skin and tissue than that, the next level up is the lollipop incision, which leaves a scar around areola and a second scar that goes straight down from the base of the areola. “When you sew it together, the final shape is like a lollipop,” says Lee. For more extensive reductions, there’s the Wise pattern, which has the same two incisions as the lollipop and an additional scar that runs along the underside, or crease, of the breast, creating a scar that resembles an anchor. In some cases, surgeons also tack on liposuction to help reduce breast tissue.

You want to make sure your breasts are done growing before having a reduction

There’s a reason breast reductions aren’t typically recommended in the early teen years, you ideally want to wait until you’ve reached an age when your body as stopped growing. “In general, it’s best if a patient is in full adulthood, after age 21,” says Lee. But there are exceptions and you can discuss these with your surgeon.

You may end up coming back for more

Keep in mind that even if you wait until after age 21 to have the surgery, breasts can and likely will change if you get pregnant and breastfeed or if you have significant weight fluctuations. “It’s not unusual for a patient to have breast surgery in her 20s, and then get older, breastfeed, and 15 to 20 years later come back for an additional procedure,” says Lee.

Your insurance may help pay for it

Breast reduction surgery can cost around $5,000 and up on average in the U.S. but the good news is that many health insurance plans cover breast reduction surgery, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. That’s because even though the surgery is cosmetic, it also has medical benefits, such as relieving neck, back, or shoulder pain, notes Lee. But not every patient’s surgery is automatically covered. Insurance companies often require a minimum amount of tissue removed for it to be considered a medical procedure, so you need to check with your insurance company to know what their guidelines are and what your benefits include.

Your nipples may be less or more sensitive after

Some women find that nipple sensitivity isn’t the same post-surgery. “There’s a small risk that nipple sensation can be reduced or completely absent and numb,” notes Lee. That’s because nerves can get agitated or are cut during the procedure. “But in some cases,” he adds, “nipple sensation can be increased.”

It may affect your ability to breastfeed

During the surgery, fat and tissue are removed to reduce the size of the breasts, which can damage nerves and milk ducts in the process. According to BFAR, a site dedicated to educating and supporting women who want to breastfeed after a reduction, procedures in which the nipple isn’t completely severed result in the most milk production during breastfeeding.

There is a good trick to minimize scarring

“The scar creams that are the most effective have some type of silicone gel in them,” says Lee. “After six months, scars seem to look a little bit better.” Lee also recommends Embrace, a tape that’s applied to scars that are two to four weeks old (or up to six months post-surgery) and worn for about eight weeks. The tape appears to minimize scarring by pulling the skin around the incision closer together. “One of the things we think contributes to bad scars is tension,” explains Lee. “The tape offloads the tension or stress on the scar, and scars may heal better that way.” Although these methods can be effective, it’s important to have realistic expectations: “There are always going to be scars when surgery is involved,” he says. “These scars do fade, but they are permanent.”

Breast reduction leads to self-esteem boost

Large, sagging, pendulous breasts aren’t just heavy to carry around, they can also weigh down your self-esteem and get in the way of regular exercise. So it’s no surprise that a Finnish study found that up to a third of women who seek breast reduction surgery suffer from anxiety, depression, or both. But the same study showed that post-surgery, women report significantly less depression and higher self-esteem. A study in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery found that 80 percent of women rated their results from the surgery as “very good” or ” good” a year post-procedure. “Most patients are really happy with their choice of doing the surgery and immediately have relief from shoulder and back pain,” says Lee.

If you are seeking more information on facial and body reconstruction and plastic surgery you should make an appointment with a board certified plastic surgeon like Dr Aguiar. At Aguiar Plastic Surgery, we offer state-of-the art, safe, and effective cosmetic procedures, plastic surgery, reconstructive surgery, and Med Spa services in Tampa, Florida. We can discuss your concerns and give you an honest consultation that is designed and tailored to create an appearance on the outside that will reflect how you feel on the inside.

The post 8 Things Women Should Know About Breast Reduction Surgery appeared first on Aguiar Plastic Surgery.

For many men/women, sleep is the an elusive monster. As someone who has had problems sleeping my entire life, I understand how hard a good night’s sleep can be.

For the record, I have no training or education in sleep or sleep conditions. I am merely writing this as a peri-menopausal woman who has a busy,and often stressful life, who has difficulty sleeping.

I do understand the benefits of what quality sleep for does for our mind and body and have listed a few of them for you below. For all of you “super busy” people that thinks sleep is a waste of time, take note of these benefits. You will likely change your mind.

Benefits of Quality Sleep.

1. Radiant Skin. As we sleep our body is going through the restorative phase. Lots of great things happen during the restorative phase. One of those great things is the production of HGH (human growth hormone) increases. The increase in HGH helps rebuild collagen, the essential building block of youthful skin. However, sleep is also at a time with we can lose up to 25% of our skin’s hydration. It’s super important to apply a great moisturizer specific for the face and one specific for body skin to help protect hydration.
2. Improves Memory. There have been many studies done on the effects of sleep and memory. A good night’s sleep definitely improves your memory. So if you are trying to learn something new, taking a test, or interviewing for a new job, a good night of sleep will help.
3. Reduces Inflammation. A study done in 2010 showed people who slept less than 6 hours per night had a higher C-Reactive Protein, which is associated with heart attack. So sleeping is good for the heart!
4. Get Better Exercise. When the body has time to restore, it makes your athletic activities better. Prepping for a marathon? Make sure you sleep well the month or two before the race!
5. Better Control of Your Weight. The same sector of the brain that controls sleep also controls metabolism. When your hormones are in sync, it’s easier to maintain and lose weight.

So those should be some pretty good reasons to make sleep a priority. But how do we develop good sleep hygeniene when our lives make it harder to go to sleep and/or stay asleep?

Different methods/products/medications work for different people. Of course you should always start with the most benign things before jumping to medications. You should also consult your physician for advice. I know my primary care physician has helped me understand healthy sleep tips.

Healthy Sleeping Tips.

1. Camomile tea and lavender scent have been used for 100’s of years.
2. Remove as much light as possible, including electronic devices. (Doesn’t work for me. I have to have TV)
3. Try a white noise machine or app.
4. Keep the temperature lower at night. In a humid, tropical climate like Tampa, Florida, a cooler temperature can be key to getting quality sleep. What the heck did we do before central AC? Oh I remember, we sweat and didn’t sleep.
5. Invest in a good pillow. This year I actually asked for a pillow for my birthday!!! I felt I wasn’t sleeping well because of a neck problem. I really wanted to try the MyPillow that you see on TV. It took a couple of nights to get used to, as I was used to down, but I LOVE IT! I am not waking up with back or neck pain now.
6. A Weighted Blanket. Say what? I have trouble sleeping due to anxiety. A few years ago, I did some research and found that weighted blankets were used for children with ADHD, Autism, anxiety disorders, etc. I read the science and it made complete sense. The effects of weight/pressure on the body has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety hormones, lower heart rate, and lower blood pressure. At that time, weighted blankets weren’t commercially available. Early in 2017, I happened to see they were being manufactured. YEAH!! So I asked for one for Christmas. I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the box and found one that matched my current bedding. Little did I know that people were also making and selling them on Etsy.com. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE my weighted blanket. This is the one that I have. The first couple of nights, it felt too heavy and I wasn’t sure it would be a good thing. After the first few nights, I started sleeping a lot better. I didn’t wake as often, didn’t move as much, and felt more rested in the morning. Now I can’t wait to get into bed with my MyPillow and weighted blanket. Hahahahaha.

I have to also say, that I am not against medications. If prescribed by a good, responsible doctor, medication can improve sleep and improve quality of life.

Get some good rest!

Cheers!

Jennifer

#improvesleep #weightedblanket #beautysleep

The post Beauty Secret Sunday – February 11, 2018 – SLEEP appeared first on Aguiar Plastic Surgery.

I am often asked for my “beauty secrets”.  Other women think I look great for my age, have great skin, great hair, etc.  In my opinion, most of these women look great too, but we are hard on ourselves.  And since I work in the plastic surgery world, I must have secrets they don’t know about.

The truth is, yes and no.  I often use products that are available to everyone, but others may not for fear of them not working and wasting money.  That is a real concern.  Everywhere we look there are ads and testimonials of products that guarantee to make us look younger, feel better, smooth our cellulite, get rid of age spots, etc.  The list goes on and on.

What products I decide to use or not use is not based on advertising or marketing, but science. I’ll use a cell phone for example.  The cell phone I had in 2004 is very different than the cell phone I have now.  The one that was the latest and greatest in 2004, probably wouldn’t even work right now.

The same thing happens in beauty products. In the past 14 years, I am truly amazed at the advances of products available to us for our beauty needs.  The ingredients used, the technological advances used to create these products and make them effective are remarkable.

SKINADE.  I know what you are thinking.  I talk about Skinade a lot!! But for good reason.  Occasionally, a product hits the market that is truly revolutionary and Skinade is one of them.

About 3-4 years ago, I came across an article about the nutritional drink that was being used in the UK.  What peaked my interest about this nutritional drink was it was for the SKIN.  I started reading the literature (studies and research) and it was impressive.  I continued to follow the product over many years and was continually impressed by the literature.  The amount of collagen this product was rebuilding in the skin had never been done by ANY product.

Needless to say, when Skinade was available in the US, I had to have it.  One day a woman walked into my office that I knew in a different capacity and was curious as to why she was in my office looking for me.  She said she had a new job and was so excited to offer this revolutionary nutritional drink for the skin.  I stopped her right there and asked, “is it Skinade?”.  She replied, “how do you know about Skinade?” I explained to her I had been following the literature for a few years.  She said no one else she talked to had any idea what Skinade was at all.

She and I are both science nerds, so we spent time talking about the collagen matrix, oxidative stress, bio-available essential micronutrients, and 2kDal hydrolysed marine collagen peptides. (Insert teenage girl scream at One Direction concert.) That’s how excited we were about the science behind the product.

Of course I placed an order and within the first week had sold out of the entire order.  That was 12 months ago.  I am very happy to report that 80% of my clients that started Skinade are still using Skinade.  The ones that didn’t continue with Skinade was due to financial reasons, but they loved the product.

I know everyone isn’t going to believe that a “drink” can rebuild collagen and those people need proof. If you are one of those people, I advise you to put your science had on and read the literature.

One issue I would like to address right away is the cost.  Skinade is $150 for a 30 day supply.  Seems expensive.  However, you can be assured that 90% of the product is being absorbed. (That in itself is super impressive!!) You can also replace many of your supplements with Skinade.  Example: Biotin, Vitamin B complex (included B12), MSM, Vitamin C, L-lysine, and Omegas 3 & 6.  Omegas are sourced exclusively from organic flax seed oil.  So you can see you are getting a lot for the money and it’s scientifically proven your body will absorb 90% of ALL those supplements.

I do recommend that everyone start Skinade for a minimum of 90 days.  After the 90 days, some of my clients have chosen to consume Skinade every day, and some of chosen to consume every other day and they feel the results have been able to be maintained.

I am thinking of putting together an event about Skinade.  The local rep, Christy aka science nerd, will do a 30 minute seminar on the science behind Skinade and then you can decide if it is something you are interested in trying?  Who would be interested in attending?  Please email me if you are interested with a preference for day of week and time of day that would be easiest for you to attend.  consult@aguiarplasticsurgery.com or you can reach me on Facebook or call the office at 813-658-3600.

Cheers to Skinade!

Jennifer

#Skinade #SkinadeJunkie #SkinadeSisters #SkinadeJourney #SkinadeSelfie #BeatyCare #SkincareLuxury #BeautySkin #BeautyProduct #AguiarPlasticSurgery #CollagenDrinks

The post Beauty Secret Sunday – February 4, 2018 – Skinade appeared first on Aguiar Plastic Surgery.

As promised, this week’s secret is focusing on HAIR!! 

It’s funny to me that Aguiar Plastic Surgery & Medical Spa offers no services that treat, groom, or maintain hair.  Yet, I spend a lot of time talking to clients about their hair, my hair, or just hair in general.  It has become very evident that women are obsessed with hair, whether theirs or someone else’s.  

Hair has always been a big part of my life.  As a natural born redhead, I have always received a lot of attention about my hair.  Not only has it always been “coppery fire” red, but also curly.  Just the type of hair that little old ladies loved to rave about in the aisles of the grocery store or K-Mart.  Of course, I haven’t always loved my hair.  Being the only redhead in my family, cousins frequently teased that I was adopted.  Kids at school would chant, “I’d rather be dead than red on the head!”  And it took me a LONG time to learn to work and embrace my hair for what it was.  Wild with a mind of it’s own.  Hmmmm, my parents would probably say the same thing about my personality.  So in the end, I guess my hair and I are perfect for each other.  

So in my 20’s, I embraced my hair, found a great stylist, and was so thankful that Jon BonJovi and Nicole Kidman were wildly popular.  It’s so easy to be “in and cool” when your natural self just happens to be “in and cool” at the same time.  Hahahaha.

Over the years, I have had many hair secrets, but it wasn’t until around 2010-2011 that I realized how important my hair was to me, to my identity, to my confidence.

Over a three-year period, I became very ill with a mystery illness.  One of the many symptoms I struggled with included hair loss in women, change in thickness/thinness of hair strand, change in texture, loss of curl.  Just about everything I had learned to love about my hair was changing or falling out by the handfuls.  I remember sitting in my PCP’s office with freshly washed hair and no products in.  I reached up and ever so gently pulled at my hair, and out it came in my hand, root and all.  I’ll never forget the look on his face.

He sent me to a dermatologist that specialized in female hair loss.  After extensive testing, biopsies, and analysis, he revealed to me that he had no idea why my hair was falling out.  It was likely connected to this “illness” that we were still trying to diagnose.  He couldn’t tell me if the hair loss would stop, or if my hair would ever come back fully.  But he did recommend a shampoo that cost $65 for a 4 oz. bottle.  I looked at the ingredients and just didn’t believe it would make a difference, so I passed.

My hairstylist was baffled also.  She had been my stylist for years and I could see the sadness in her eyes as she carefully worked on my hair.  Sometimes a single tear would roll down her cheek as hair fell out in her hand.  Despite these changes, her skills and expertise kept me looking my best during a difficult time.

I went on an quest to learn the most about hair that I possibly could learn.  After all, I’m an educated medical professional and an esthetician, I could be smarter than this crazy hair problem.

My research and any products or treatments I decided to try were done very deliberate and in a research study format.  Also, I was still on the quest to figure out this mystery illness.

I learned that loosing hair with the root bulb attached is not really common and also a sign that the hair follicle may be shutting down.  Once a hair follicle dies, there’s nothing that can be done to resurrect it.  So that was my first priority.  Keep the hair follicles alive.  And remember, I still have no idea why this is happening.  

My first action plan was three-fold.

1.    Limit the number of times I washed and styled my hair in a week.  I also slept with my hair wrapped like women did back in the 50’s to preserve their weekly wash and set to reduce the movement of my hair while sleeping.

2.    I started taking a very high dose Biotin.  The one I took at the time, was sold as a nail supplement, but it is no longer on the market.  Now I get my Biotin from Skinade.  

3.    I started taking D3.  The connection to hair is still questionable, but my level was low anyway.

4.    Probably the most important component of this initial plan is this one.  I started using Rogaine for Women.  I know, I know, that stuff doesn’t really work, eye roll emoji.  Well I am here to tell you that it did for me.  Minoxidil, branded as Rogaine, has been scientifically proven to stimulate inactive (not dead) follicles from the inside out to regrow hair.  Not just any hair, but thicker hair! Beautiful Hair!

The recommendations are to use the product for a minimum of 3 months.  This makes sense as the hair cycle from beginning growth, to natural shedding is about 3 months.  I found that CVS had their own brand of Minoxidil, CVS Hair Regrowth for Women, that was the exact same as the name brand, Rogaine.  And CVS often has it on sale for Buy One, Get One 50% off.  The product comes in liquid and foam.  I started with the liquid and still use it to this day.  I cannot speak for how the foam works.  The FDA has approved the product for the use on the top of the head only.  Any other use would be considered off-label.  For the first 3 months, I used the product as directed only on the top of the head.  To my surprise and gratefulness, I started to see a reduction in hair loss!! I then decided to go off label and use the product all over my scalp.  After 6 weeks of use on the top of my head, my hair stylist saw a noticeable difference in the growth, thickness, and hair loss factors.  The other areas had been under treatment for 3 months and I was starting to see a reduction in hair loss also.  Needless to say, I continued to use the product.  After about 12-18 months of using the product, I felt that I had achieved very good results.  I didn’t have my “old hair back” but I had hair that was healthy and strong.

About this time, my episode of Mystery Diagnosis was finally coming to an end.  About a year before the hair loss problem started, I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism.  I was put on the standard medication, but it didn’t work for me.  My PCP changed my medication to another very popular “natural” thyroid medication.  I took the medication for 3 years.  Unbeknownst to myself or a slew of doctors and specialists, the medication was causing a very rare endocrine myopathy.  WOW!! 

Once the medication was changed to a “newer, cleaner, purer” thyroid medication, most of my symptoms, including hair loss, started to disappear.  I slowly, over another 2 years, started to get back to my old self.  Everything about me is forever changed by this illness, but I am very thankful and grateful to have the ability to live a full, active, healthy life with great hair again!  Heehee.

You would think the saga would end there, right?  Wrong.  I was now entering my 40’s and there are a whole new set of “hair issues” that creep up in the fourth decade.

1.    Gray hair! Eeeeek!  I know, many women get gray hair earlier, but 40’s is the most common.  So now you start to consider hair color, highlights, lowlights, peroxide, and professional vs box color. Now as a redhead, I have a more unique problem than a blonde or brunette.  Natural looking reds are hard to recreate.  Reds fade faster, requiring more frequent treatments, and redheads don’t really go gray.  Nope we go white.  And color doesn’t stick to white hair.  Double Eeeek!  No matter what color you are starting with, I cannot stress enough to find a great stylist who loves color.  They should continually be educating themselves on the new technology being put into hair color.  New formulations of the same product can produce vastly different results.  Now for my plug (pun intended).  I am a fan of Goldwell color.  I think they produce the most natural, youthful, multidimensional looks.  They by far have the best reds and coppers on the market.  I absolutely love their blondes.  I love it when I see a woman that clearly colors her hair blonde and I ask, “Is your blonde Goldwell?” Of course, I know it is, but they are always shocked that I can tell.  

2.    Our natural, born with color changes as we age.  Maybe your hair was a lighter, brighter brunette and now it is darker and dull.  That is a natural part of the hair aging process.  I was recently at a memorial service for a friend’s father.  I have known the family since high school, so we have history.  This man’s daughter in-law was a redhead just like me.  We looked so much alike in our 20’s, people often asked if we were twins or sisters.  I hadn’t seen her in at least 10-15 years, and her first question to me was “how is it that you are still a redhead, and I’m brown?!?!  Don’t get me wrong, her hair was very pretty.  She had it highlighted with some blonde, but if you didn’t know her from those younger years, you wouldn’t believe she had coppery-firey hair.  I let her in on the Goldwell secret formula.  She is happily a redhead again.

3.    Our hair naturally grows a thinner shaft as we age and this process starts pretty consistently in the 40’s.  Basically, the hair follicle is “tired” and produces a hair that is thinner in diameter.  Sometimes the texture will change also.  This process can be greatly influenced by using Minoxidil.  It keeps the hair follicle from getting tired and produces a thicker hair with better texture.  In my humble opinion, women should make Minoxidil a part of their beauty secrets about age 35.  Don’t even let those follicles think about getting tired.

4.    Give your hair the treatment it deserves.  Your hair works hard for you every day.  It is greatly affected by hormones, stress, medications, styling products, shampoo, conditioner, UV rays, hair appliances, and many more things.  So treat your hair like royalty.  Go to a good stylist, who used the best products available, and for god’s sake” BUY professional hair care products from your stylist!!!  It amazes me that women will go every 6 weeks for a cut, color and style.  They spend hours in the salon.  Abuse their hair with hot appliances on a daily basis and buy their hair products at CVS!!!  I love the response when asked why they don’t buy what their stylists recommends.  “Oh he/she is just trying to make money.” Duh! And so is CVS and all the crappy brands with crappy ingredients that make your stylist’s job harder because they are dealing with dry, brittle, or wax covered hair.  Professional hair products ARE BETTER than off the shelf ones.  PERIOD, END OF DISCUSSION.

5.    And for my last secret, be OPEN to changing your hairstyle as your life changes.  The hair style you had in your 20’s isn’t really doing it for you when you are 50.  Your hair changes, your face changes, and your style needs to change.  I recently made a pretty drastic change myself.  I noticed in pictures that my forehead was getting bigger and my face looked out of proportion.  What was actually happening is that I am having natural bone and fat loss in my face, so my forehead looked bigger.  But what was I to do?  I can’t reduce my forehead size.  Yes, I can and have done filler in my face and it did help, but I still wasn’t happy with the size of my forehead.  Hahahah.  I came across a picture of a woman in her 20’s with this really cool style.  I obsessed about it for a few weeks.  When I went in for my normal cut and color, I showed the picture to my stylist and asked, “would my hair do this style and don’t lie to me! You won’t hurt my feelings if you say no way!”  To my surprise, her face lit up and she said “YES, your hair would look great in this style!”  I left that day with a completely new style and I LOVE it!  Shortly after I vacationed with a family member I hadn’t seen in about 2 years.  We had only talked, Facetimed, and exchanged pictures.  She said, “Jennifer that style looks so glamorous on you.  You could be in one of those hair books that we look at to get ideas.”  Now that is a compliment I can float on cloud nine with for a while.  

So now is the time I tell you my current favorite hair products and styling regime.  I am including this because people ask me for it all the time.  

1.    My hair color is only Goldwell. 

2.    I shampoo with Joico Curl Cleansing Sulfate Free Shampoo

3.    I condition with Joico Curl Nourished Conditioner and I comb out in the shower with a wide tooth comb. This helps prevent hair damage and hair loss.

4.    I then apply Olaplex Hair Perfector No 3 over top of conditioner and let both set while I finish my shower.  The last thing I do in rinse my hair.  Once I feel products are out, I turn heat of water down slightly and rinse hair again.

5.    I lightly and quickly towel dry hair.  

6.    The I comb bangs straight down and apply Joico Curl Defining Countouring Foam Wax to all hair except bangs.

7.    I plug in my Chi flat iron and then blow bangs straight down with a Portofino BaByliss Pro Nano Titanium dryer.  Once bangs are dry, I turn my head upside down and start to scrunch and dry rest of hair with a diffuser on the dryer.  I dry hair about half way and then take a moment to let the hair cool down while I brush my teeth or get dressed.  I finish drying hair and then sometimes, I will use the flat iron on the bangs.  It really depends on the length of the bangs and level of humidity in Tampa, Florida. 

8.    I end my styling ritual with flipping upside down and start spraying with Bumble and Bumble Holding Spray.  Then I flip back upright and spray and finish the taming of the curls.

Now this may seem like a lot, but really it takes me about 10 mins.  I am in the shower, hair done, skincare done, makeup on, dressed and out the door in 30 minutes.  It may take me 45 minutes if I am putting in the extra effort for an evening out with the husband.  

Now you are probably wondering where the Rogaine belongs in the regime?  It’s best to use on clean, dry hair.  So I apply at night before bed.  At this point, I only use the Rogaine 3-5 times a week for maintenance.  And it is a great feeling to not see hair on the shower drain.  

I know there are a lot of secrets in this post, therefore the longer than usual post.  Also I write this with “flu brain”, so if something seems off or not quite right, well……….  I really appreciate your time and hope you enjoyed this week’s episode. I will be posting some pictures on social media of the inspiration photo for hair style as well as how it turned out on me in real life.  And some pictures of the products I talked about. 

I would love to hear from you if you have a hair secrets or favorite products. Or if you have a specific topic that interests you, I would love to hear about it! You can email me at consult@aguiarplasticsurgery.com or comment on social media.

#beautysecretsundays #beauty #beautysecret #hair #haircare #hairlossinwomen #aguiarplasticsurgery #Tampa #Tampahair #hairobsessed #skinade #biotin #Goldwell #Joico #BumbleandBumble #chi #Rogaine #Rogainforwomen #cvs #cvshairregrowthforwomen #olaplex #Minoxidil #femalehairloss #women’shealth #JonBonJovi #NicoleKidman #hypothyroidism

The post Beauty Secret Sundays – January 28, 2018 – Female Hair Loss appeared first on Aguiar Plastic Surgery.

First, I like the idea of having a commitment to all of you! I, just like many of you, need to have deadlines, commitments, and goals in place or I’ll just play with babies, puppies, and ponies all day!

Secondly, I do get asked frequently “what are your secrets to ___________?” Fill in the blank with skin, hair, fitness, wrinkles, etc. In our business we talk about beauty all the time. I do have access to all the “best” secrets. Bio for Jennifer am an educated medical professional and also as an esthetician. Plus 15 years of running a Aguiar Plastic Surgery & Medical Spabusiness.

Thirdly, to be honest, 2017 was a rough year and I neglected myself in many ways. As women (and men too), we need to make sure we take care of ourselves. Beauty and feeling good is important so we can be our best mother, wife, sister, employer, co-worker etc. When we take the time to put the effort into ourselves, everyone in our life benefits from it as we are a better version of ourselves. We can love more, give more, do better.

Fourth, it’s FUN for me. Since the idea came to me, I have enjoyed the time spent brainstorming, preparing, researching, and writing. As I have been coming up with topics, I realized I have many secrets that have nothing to do with outer beauty. Inner beauty is something we have to work on also.

I have a promise for all of you. Our Sundays spent together will be worth your time. Of course, I can talk about all the things done at Aguiar Plastic Surgery & Medical Spa, and I will. However, I will also be giving out secrets that I have no financial gain to in any way. I will always be upfront and honest about that, period. I, just like most of you, have to make a living. If you learn about a great service or product we offer, I would appreciate it very much if you chose to be a client.

Also, I would LOVE to hear your beauty secrets! Feel free to share through social media or email them to consult@aguiarplasticsurgery.com

I’ll see you all on January 21st with the first “episode”.

Cheers!

Jennifer

#beautysecretsundays #beauty #beautysecrets #aguiarplasticsurgery #livebetter #lookyourbest

The post Beauty Secret Sundays – Introduction appeared first on Aguiar Plastic Surgery.

Women from all walks of life seek breast augmentation for many different reasons; breast tissue asymmetry, small breasts, breast size, weight loss, pregnancy, breast feeding, genetics and many more reasons. The most common request, regardless of the surgery, is “I’d like to be a C-Cup?”

When women come to our office seeking breast augmentation, when asked what they would like to have for a result, the most common answer is they want to look proportional and they think that means a C-Cup bra after surgery.

A C-Cup bra is different from one bra brand to another.

A C-Cup bra from Victoria’s Secret is going to be very different than one made by Soma. You will find even styles will affect cup size. A woman may need a C-Cup in a demi bra, but a B-cup in a full coverage. There is not a standard for bra cup-sizing system.

Looking “proportional” varies from woman to woman.

Think of proportion as a “look” not a cup size. For a woman who is 5 feet tall and small frame, a much smaller implant is used to get the same “proportional look” than a woman that is 5’8” tall with a larger frame.

Breast Implants are not one size fits all.

Breast implants are available with MANY different sizing options. The most important measurement/dimension in breast augmentation surgery is the base width, not the CC’s. When women are consulting with us for breast augmentation, often the first measurement taken is the base width of the breast. This measurement is taken from one side of the breast to the other with a caliper. A breast may be 12.4 cm, or 14.1 cm. The base width is extremely important and provides an “outline” for the implant. Selecting a breast implant with base width slightly less than breast size would likely create a “B-look”. An implant that matches the breast in base width is likely to create a “C-look”. An implant with a larger base width than breast is likely to create a “D-look”. Another way to look at this is an implant with 14 cm base width would likely create a “D or DD-look” in a breast with a 12 cm base width, but a nice “C-look” in a breast with a base width of 13.8 cm.

Your plastic surgeon doesn’t have to possess a “Superhero Power” to produce the look you want.

He/She just needs to listen. After more than 20 years of breast augmentation surgery, there is one thing we know. Women know what they want! It is our job to listen carefully to determine if there is a match between the look they want and what we can create. Our patients often tell us, “All the time I spent worrying about the size before surgery created unnecessary stress. Dr. Aguiar picked the perfect size!”

#DrAguiar #bestbreastsinTampa #breastaugmentation #breastimplants #breastenhancement

The post I would like to be a “C” please — as in a C-Cup – Breast Size appeared first on Aguiar Plastic Surgery.

What if you could take a selfie and it “magically” looked like a plastic surgery-enhanced version of you? Is it actually possible?  Well People in China believe so, and many are lining up to drop a $1,000 on a camera which makes you look like you have had plastic surgery.

So the camera claims it can slim your face, enlarge your eyes, whiten your skin and remove wrinkles , in the picture of course. The Casio camera is used predominantly for taking selfies to post on social media. A video on Quartz shows the extent of the camera’s popularity. These selfies are an inaccurate image of the user’s actual face.

The camera’s official name is Exilim TR, but it’s mostly known as ”zipai shenqi” in China, which means ”Godly tool for selfies.” Casio’s magic cameras are only available in Asia – but you can find them on sites like eBay from retailers in the countries where the cameras are sold.

Apps like Meitu which do the same thing have become extremely popular in recent years. Since launching in 2008, has acquired a user base of over 900 million. Casio’s camera saves you the additional steps of opening the app and uploading your pic by editing when you snap a photo.

It appears ‘selfie culture’ is changing attitudes towards plastic surgery. “Increasingly, we’re seeing women in their early 20s  and sometimes younger  having work done” says London plastic surgeon Dr Alex Karidis. “These women have grown up reading about celebrities having Botox and fillers, and find it completely acceptable. They take it for granted that if they want smoother skin or plumper lips, they can have them  and see no reason to wait.”

Dr Karidis says social media has been a driving force in this movement. “For these girls, Instagram is a way of life. They want to document everything and want to look perfect while doing so.”

“Among very young women, there are a small number of valid reasons for having cosmetic correction,” says consultant dermatologist Dr Nick Lowe from The Cranley Clinic. “But there’s an awful lot being done that, in my opinion, isn’t appropriate. “One reason is social media and the peer pressure to look a certain way. The second problem is that in the UK the filler industry isn’t regulated. Young women have less disposable income, so they’re more likely to see an injector who doesn’t know what they’re doing, simply because they’re cheaper. Filler is fine when done by a respected surgeon, but they tend to cost more.”

Whatever the reason young people opt for plastic surgery and procedures, it looks like the selfie craze is here to stay and in many minds, do more than just stay, but actually evolve.

If you are seeking more information on facial and body reconstruction and plastic surgery you should make an appointment with a board certified plastic surgeon like Dr Aguiar. At Aguiar Plastic Surgery, we offer state-of-the art, safe, and effective cosmetic procedures, plastic surgery, reconstructive surgery, and Med Spa services in Tampa, Florida. We can discuss your concerns and give you an honest consultation that is designed and tailored to create an appearance on the outside that will reflect how you feel on the inside.

The post Plastic Surgery’ Selfie Camera appeared first on Aguiar Plastic Surgery.

A very interesting article was recently published by Board Certified plastic surgeon Dr. Julia MacRae of Newark, and one that I thought everyone would enjoy reading. One of the most common questions she mentioned she hears, as do all of us plastic surgeons, is, why do we call what we do, “plastic” surgery?

She goes on to say; many people guess that it has to do with the use of artificial implants used in our work. But it goes back much further than the invention of plastic, the petroleum-based material. The term “plastic surgeon” was coined around 1795 by Pierre Desault and comes from the Greek word plastikos, meaning “able to be molded.”

Plastic surgeons have been restoring form and function to the human body for millennia. There are ancient Egyptian papyrus texts dating back from 3000 BC describing the surgical treatment of a broken nose. The “father of plastic surgery” title could be attributed to a number of important figures in history, but one figure is often coined that title. In India, a physician named Sushruta described the surgical treatment of a wide variety of ailments, including reconstructive procedures, around 1000-800 BC. Nasal reconstruction was of particular interest since it was common practice to amputate noses of criminals and inhabitants of conquered cities.

In fact, even as late as 1790 the king of Ghorka had ordered a census taken of the captured city of Kirtipor (in Ceylon) by cutting off the noses and lips of all inhabitants and counting them. (Kirtipor was then renamed Naskkatapoor, meaning city of the severed noses.) Those original Sanskrit documents, translated into Arabic, made their way centuries later to Europe where Gaspare Tagliacozzi was inspired by the ancient writings to perform and advance reconstructive surgery. His treatise, covering his life’s work, became a cornerstone of modern plastic surgery.

Unfortunately, plastic surgery was still only for the very brave of heart, since anesthesia had not yet been invented. Procedures were excruciatingly painful (and as short as possible). In the 18th and 19th centuries, many plastic surgeons refined procedures to reconstruct wounds and deformities. The first recorded successful human skin graft was in 1817 by Sir Astley Cooper, to cover an amputated thumb stump. World War I (1914-1918) created a desperate need for reconstructive surgeons, with many soldiers returning from battle with gunshot wounds to the face in addition to other battle wounds.

By the end of the war, the specialty field of plastic surgery had been born, consisting of a combined general and dental surgery team. Plastic surgery in 1945 was treating complex fractures of the craniofacial skeleton and extremities, soft tissue defects, paraplegic pressure sores, frostbite, burns, repair of peripheral nerves and all types of hand problems.

Modern plastic surgery is a cooperative (and sometimes overlapping) specialty with many other surgical specialties such as orthopedics, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, general surgery, and oral and maxillofacial surgery. Plastic surgeons treat burn victims with flaps and skin grafts. They reconstruct parts of the body lost or damaged by trauma or disease. They correct birth defects. And, of course, plastic surgeons are known for their cosmetic expertise which they apply to all procedures they perform.

I thought her article was interesting in sharing the history of where plastic surgery started and how it has evolved over the centuries. What we do as plastic surgeons goes way beyond the physical procedure itself. We may sculpt, rebuild and reconstruct, but we also restore, redefine and reimagine an individual’s self-esteem, well-being and hope for a more “whole” future.

If you are seeking more information on facial and body reconstruction and plastic surgery you should make an appointment with a board certified plastic surgeon like Dr Aguiar. At Aguiar Plastic Surgery, we offer state-of-the art, safe, and effective cosmetic procedures, plastic surgery, reconstructive surgery, and Med Spa services in Tampa, Florida. We can discuss your concerns and give you an honest consultation that is designed and tailored to create an appearance on the outside that will reflect how you feel on the inside.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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