The skin is the biggest organ in the body. It covers almost everything, and is a good way to show a person’s health, well-being, and age. The good thing about skin is that it naturally replaces itself. Old, rough, dead skin cells get shed to make way for younger, more youthful looking skin. This means that the skin is able to look younger through natural means. Unfortunately, the natural process takes too long, and usually when it does happen, the effects are barely noticeable to the naked eye.

Chemical Peel Benefits

Plastic surgery has an answer to this in the form of chemical peeling. Chemical peels have existed in some primitive form or another since mankind has become conscious about beauty. Whether it be complex oils of the Egyptians, to natural oils and scrubs of Indians, chemical peels have played an important role in the history of human beauty.

Nowadays, however, chemical peels are now more easily available to the masses, as opposed to its ancient counterparts that were usually reserved for the noble and elite. Not to mention, modern chemical peels are more effective, able to yield almost instant results upon application.

Facial chemical peels can help eliminate fine wrinkles and lines, blotched pigments, scars from acne, and pimples. Chemical peels can also make the skin softer and more moisturized, having a more rejuvenated look. However, there are also more practical reasons to have a chemical peel. Acne can be a horrendous thing to deal with, especially for teenagers, but mostly for adults who think that acne will be gone soon after puberty ends, which in some cases, doesn’t.

Chemical peels specifically aimed to deal with acne exists, which causes the skin over the acne to blister and peel, reducing the appearance of the scars and blemishes left over by acne. This in conjunction with using acne treatment medication can greatly improve the face’s appearance despite acne.

Types of Chemical Peels

Chemical peel solutions are generally categorized into three. Glycolic chemical peels are the lightest of the three, very gentle and quite usable by most people. Thricholoroacetic or TCA chemical peels are stronger than glycolic, but weaker than phenol chemical peel, which is the strongest of the three. Depending on the severity of the case and the patient’s needs, the dermatologist will choose one of the three.

Chemical Peel costs

The biggest advantage of chemical peels is its cost. While it might not provide the exact same results as a facelift, chemical peels are only a fraction of what facelifts could cost, ranging from $600 to $900, depending on area and clinic. The treatment is very fast, with a patient walking out of the clinic within minutes, and the results are nearly instant.

Varicose and spider veins are a nightmare for people who wish to have pristine and very nearly perfect skin. Unsightly veins can take away from the skin’s natural color and luster, drawing attention to its green, red, or blue color. This is most especially true for people of light skin color, where the veins can really seem to pop out. And once they’re visible, it can really make an impression on anyone who will see.

Fortunately, there are many methods available to deal with these veins. One of these methods is Sclerotherapy, a very minimally invasive, quick, and often painless solution in dealing with spider veins and smaller varicose veins.

Sclerotherapy treatment is, in its basic form, a solution that is injected into the veins underneath the skin. An advanced form called foam sclerotherapy utilizes a foam version of the injected solution, increasing its surface area and making it more effective in dealing with longer and larger veins.

The process starts with the surgeon marking the areas where the veins are. They are usually made more visible by pushing blood into them, for example, if the veins are in the legs, the patient stands to exert pressure into them, making them appear more prominently.

Once the veins are marked, the solution is injected using a micro-needle. What it does is it hardens the veins, causing it to fade over the passing of time. Depending on the size of the target area, multiple injections might be needed, with one injection on average affecting around an inch of area. And depending on the size of the target, each treatment can last between 30 minutes to a whole hour. On average, around two to three vein sclerotherapy treatments are needed to achieve the best results possible.

There is very little to no pain whatsoever, oftentimes anesthesia is not needed, unless patients have a very low threshold for pain, or if an area is very sensitive. Recovery time post sclerotherapy treatment can last between a few days to a few weeks, requiring bandages around the area for the first few days, with support hoses or other support equipment required for the following days, depending on the area treated. For example, if the target area is the leg, the patient might be required to use a support hose, and keep the leg elevated on a regular basis. Moderate exercise is also suggested in order to stimulate the circulation of blood.

There are very rare complications with sclerotherapy, such as inflammation of the target area, changes in skin color, blood clotting, and allergic reactions to the solution injected. Oftentimes, surgeons will test the solution for allergic reactions, so this problem can be caught before it causes harm.

There are many plastic surgery treatments aimed at tightening the skin and rejuvenating it, giving the appearance of healthier, younger complexion, all by eliminating the wrinkles and fine lines that are present. A lot of these, however, are very invasive, requiring surgery that could very well be traumatic to the patient, and requires a long recovery time.

What is Thermage

However, there is a procedure that can do skin tightening, line and wrinkle reduction, and eliminating sagging skin, all without pain, surgery, and best of all, has no need for long recovery times. This technology is called Thermage, a system that uses heat to tighten the layers beneath the skin in order to have a tightening effect.

Thermage facelift is ideal for people who wish to have the beneficial effects of traditional facelift, but do not want to contend with the accompanying surgical trauma and recovery time needed. The results from Thermage are more subtle, but requires almost no recovery time. This is ideal for patients who are very busy and cannot afford the time, or very conscious about the possible appearance of scars resulting from incisions.

Procedure

A thermage treatment does not need any anesthesia or sedatives, because patients generally do not feel any pain whatsoever during the procedure. The surgeon then uses the Thermage Thermacool device, an instrument that uses radiofrequency energy, on the target area, tightening the skin’s collagen to fill out any fine lines and wrinkles. This in turn eliminates the prominence of these lines and wrinkles, resulting in a smoother, more youthful look.

The Thermage treatment targets all three layers of the face’s skin, all aimed to tighten and rejuvenate it for years to come. Yes, Thermage treatments can result in a look that could last, at best, a few years.

Thermage treatments have a slew of benefits, the most prominent of which is its ability to produce results quickly, without needing much recovery time. Best case scenario, patients who walk out of the clinic can immediately go back to their day to day activities, making thermage treatments seem as easy as going to the parlor or salon.

Thermage Costs

And amazingly, despite being a very advanced and high-tech procedure, the costs are actually lower compared to most face lifts. Depending on the size of the area, and the amount of work needed, Thermage treatments can cost between $1000 to $5000, which is very low compared to a facelift that can reach up to $10,000, or more.

Thermage Benefits and Side Effects

Thermage Thermacool treatments have most, if not all of facelift’s benefits, without any of its drawbacks.

There are still, however, possible side-effects, such as swelling, blistering, and reddening of the treated area. However, these are rare, and most of these generally vanish within a few days or weeks.

In today’s culture, full bodied figures are the in thing, as popularized by such women like Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce Knowles, and Tyra Banks, all of whom are proud owners of round and imposing buttocks. But not everyone is gifted with such plump rear ends, which is why plastic surgery has now developed an operation designed to give those with flat buttocks the enhancement they need; silicone buttock implants.

Like its more popular cousin, the breast implant, buttock implants involve the use of artificial implants made of silicone that are inserted into the buttocks to augment its size, making it rounder, larger, and more pronounced. Buttock implants are commonly stronger in composition that breast implants because the buttocks are usually under more physical pressure than the breasts, with activities such as sitting, walking, and even just standing exerting pressure on that muscle group.

The implants are inserted on top of the muscles that are located just above the sitting area and below the surrounding fascia. This is done to secure the implants properly and to prevent them from being dislodged. There are some techniques though, that place the implants under the muscles, instead of over them. These have the effect of “hiding” the implants, so the touch of the buttocks feel more natural.

Buttocks implants surgery can take around two to four hours to finish, depending on the skill of the doctor, the techniques applied, and the patient’s body and requirements. Most of the time patients are not even required to stay in the hospital. Clinics are a good enough venue for the performance of the surgery, and patients can be sent home within hours of finishing the procedure.

Buttocks implant surgery can be painful, as it stretches the tissues, and depending on the size of the implants applied, the tissues can be stretched to their very limits. The pain can also vary with the varieties of implants that are placed underneath the muscles.

However, while the pain will be at its peak during the first two days or so, it will begin to subside, usually on the third day, especially if the patient is diligent in taking the medications prescribed by the surgeon. These will usually be composed of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory, and pain medications in order to help alleviate the pain, and the feeling of being sore and stiff.

Through plastic surgery, buttock implants can give the end result of having a more shapely, more imposing rear end. This can enhance a person’s appearance and give them a more feminine, more sensual appearance. Majority of buttocks implants surgery patients are very satisfied with the results. Some of the advantages are purely ornamental; these include having a figure more suited to wear long dresses, having more well-rounded buttocks for bikinis during summer, and being able to wear apple bottom jeans.

Rhinoplasty, otherwise known as a “nose job”, is one of the most popular plastic surgery procedures being used by patients and customers. This is because the nose sits right at the center of the face, becoming a focal point of attention, and generally dictating the overall frontal and profile look of the person’s visage.

This is why patients who are conscious about their nose’s size, shape, and length, opt for rhinoplasty to fix things. Many plastic surgeons can perform this procedure. However, some are better than others, and sometimes the end result isn’t always what the client wanted. Or worse, the end result further ruins the person’s nose, and in conjunction, the person’s face.

Fortunately, however, there is what’s known as revision rhinoplasty surgery, which is essentially, a revision nose surgery procedure. The aim of revision rhinoplasty is to repair and fix a previous nose job with the hope of fixing a previous operation’s problems.

What a patient needs to know, however, is that revision rhinoplasty surgeons will have a more difficult job in front of them, because the nose’s septum, the part that forms the framework of the nose, has already been altered by the previous operation. This alteration can cause the septum, which is made of cartilage and bone, to be very difficult to work with, as with the skin of the nose is now much thicker.

This will prove to be a challenge both physically and psychologically, for both patient and surgeon. Does the patient having the will to go through another nose job after a bad operation? While the surgeon has to physically fix the nose and emotionally gain the trust of the patient to allow them to operate freely to achieve the proper end result.

Depending on the prior procedure, different incisions and techniques will be employed for revision rhinoplasty. Before and after pictures of the surgeon’s other clients can help patients feel at ease with the new surgeon, and further build confidence. For potential patients, looking at before and after photos will help with choosing the right surgeon and clinic for the job.

A revision rhinoplasty procedure can take anywhere between one to five hours, depending on the severity of the damage of the previous operation, and the amount of work that needs to be done to fix it. The surgeon’s skill is also a factor, as is the current state of the patient’s nose and face.

Recovery time can be more lengthy than the previous operation, but it all depends on the amount of work done. As always, possible side effects include swelling, bruising, and infection, so it is imperative that patients diligently take the prescribed medication, painkillers, and antibiotics.

The facelift is the most popular and arguably most effective way of shaving years off a patient’s face. Facelifts can reduce the skin that is sagging around the jawline, the cheeks, and the neck, and can also make the existing skin firmer and look more young. But the traditional facelift is invasive, and will require a significant amount of incisions and operations that can prove to be a traumatic experience to some, even with anesthesia or when under. There is a non-invasive alternative available, however, called the thread facelift.

Sometimes called the lunchtime facelift, because of its quick and painless method, thread facelift is a less invasive procedure, compared to the more traditional facelift operation. This operation is done in merely one to two hours and often even without anesthesia. This is done by using thin threads with tiny notches or barbs on the side that are inserted through small incisions that are made in key points of the face. These threads go into the subcutaneous portion of the facial skin, and the skin is caught into the barbs. Then the threads are pulled back, lifting the skin, eliminating sagging skin, and making the face smoother, giving a facelift appearance and a rejuvenated look.

This procedure is often done without anesthesia and without going under, which means that with the patient awake, surgeons can immediately get feedback, and more importantly, patients can have instant results. And because the procedure is reversible, patients can ask surgeons to make modifications before finally knotting the threads to finalize the procedure. After the threads have been knotted, they are invisible under the skin.

There is another kind of thread facelift called Contour Thread face lift, which is a thread facelift using Contour Thread. These threads are made of polypropylene, which is clear, nonabsorbable, and more precise than normal threads because they are guided along contour lines. They work similar to more traditional threads, but are inserted through small cuts above the hairline of the patient going down.

Because of its non-invasive nature, thread facelifts are done very quickly in around 1-2 hours depending on the doctor’s skill and the patient’s cooperation. And because no major incisions or cuts are made, recovery time is practically non-existent, and patients can immediately go back to normal everyday activities as soon as they could leave the clinic.

But the biggest advantage is its cost. Because of the lack of anesthesia, and not needing any advanced equipment, the cost of contour face lift is less than the typical facelift. In fact, in some cases, it is less than half the cost of the more traditional facelift. This makes thread facelift a very good and very cheap alternative.

One would think that having imposing and prominent jaws should be reserved for men, after all, it is a sign of masculinity. There are very few women who can pull off having prominent jaws without looking too manly, such as Kiera Knightley and Courtney Thorne-Smith. And while having too much of a jaw can have a masculine impact on a woman’s visage, the lack thereof can easily make a beautiful face lose its good proportion. It can cause the look of the face to be asymmetrical, and out of proportion, making the face look weak, and can have the effect of having a large neck, nose, forehead, or cranium.

Fortunately, plastic surgery solves the lack of a properly sized jaw with the use of jaw implants, which augment the look of a patient’s jaw to create the proper proportions needed to have a beautiful face. This, if used in conjunction with chin or cheek implants can create an even more proportioned look, and while it can severely alter a person’s face, it can definitely give a very well balanced appearance.

Jaw implants can either be synthetic or biological. Synthetic implants lack the ability to integrate into the bone and tissue, but it has the bonus of being easily removed should the patient not be satisfied or if there should be modifications done. Biological materials can provide for a more natural look and feel by having it integrate into the tissue, but have the disadvantage of being more difficult to remove or modify should the need arise.

Jaw implant surgery can take roughly one to two hours, depending on the surgeon’s skill level and the patient’s requirements. The procedure requires the surgeon to create incisions inside the lower lip, creating a pocket where the jaw implants are inserted. They will be placed on top of the jawbone to define the jaw’s lines and create a more imposing, more defined jaw line. Once the implants are in place, the surgeon sutures the incisions shut.

There can be swelling and bruising during the recovery process, which can take from anywhere between three weeks to three months. Because the incisions are placed inside the mouth, which are full of bacteria, the surgeon will prescribe antibiotics and other medication that need to be taken diligently to ensure the proper healing process and to hasten the recovery of the patient.

Once the healing process is finished and the swelling and bruising has subsided, the patient will be able to fully and clearly see the end result, which, if done right, would be a perfectly symmetrical, perfectly proportional jawline that will balance out the whole appearance of the face.

Since cosmetic plastic surgery became prominent and popular, one procedure stands out as being the most recognizable: The facelift.

A facelift is a general surgical procedure that is employed to reduce facial wrinkles, remove wrinkles, eliminate signs of skin aging, and “lift” the skin and muscle around the face and jaw area, hence the name “facelift”.

Facelift surgery aims to remove excess fatty tissue, smooth loose and excess facial skin, and to tighten the facial muscles underneath the face. Some of the best plastic surgeons can perform this with very minimal scarring, oftentimes it is barely noticeable or hid properly along the lines of the face.

The facelift begins with the surgeon applying the necessary anesthesia and sedating the patient. Next, they makes an incision above the hairline to separate the facial skin from the tissue underneath. Incisions can also be placed within natural facial creases, like the line where the ear meets the face. This aids in minimizing visible scars when the patient fully heals.

Once the necessary areas are exposed, excess fat and skin are removed. Next, the surgeon tightens muscles and improves the contours of the patient’s face, and sometimes the skin is tightened and “lifted” to give a youthful and rejuvenated appearance. Once all the necessary procedures are done, the skin is repositioned and placed in their proper areas, and secured with stitches, or staples, or both. Once everything is secure, the area is wrapped in bandages.

Because of the swelling and bruising that will occur, and the existence of the bandages, the end result will not be fully visible until the patient recovers. Facelift recovery will last several weeks to a month, during which time the patient can feel pain, which is why it is important that the patient diligently follows the surgeon’s instructions and regularly takes the prescribed medications, antibiotics, and painkillers. This will aid in hastening the recovery process and ensures there are as little side effects as possible.

When the swelling subsides and the patient has fully recovered, the end result will be a rejuvenated face. By removing the excess fat and skin, any previous areas with obvious sagging and wrinkles are refreshed, and because of the tightening of the muscles, the patient’s face will have a more firm and younger look.

Because of the number of incisions and the type of operations needed in facelift surgery, facelift costs can be higher than most procedures. It can also be very invasive, especially for older patients, those in their 30s or 40s. The intensity of the procedure also depends on the patient’s age, which also determines the end result and the recovery time needed after the surgery.

The eyes, often touted as the door to one’s soul, can say a lot about a person’s lifestyle, health, and most importantly, age. And the eyes are one of the most noticeable parts of a person’s face, simply because eye contact happens all the time. A person’s eyes changes as they get older, because the skin around it loses its elasticity as they age.

This will cause excess skin to collect in the lower and upper eyelids, resulting in not just an aged look, but can also hinder and obstruct vision. This is why more and more people are going for eyelid surgery to shave off years off their face and have a more youthful look.

Eyelid surgery, blepharoplasty as it is known, also has practical applications other than cosmetically making a person look younger. It can aid in improving a person’s vision, and prevent further vision problems. This is because when loose skin droops over the upper eyelid, it can impede the patient’s field of vision. But how does cosmetic eyelid surgery actually work?

Eyelid Surgery - The Procedure

Eyelid plastic surgery begins with the doctor administering anesthesia around the eyes and sedating the patient. The surgeon then makes incisions that follow the natural lines of the eyelids, separating the skin and removing excess fat, muscle, and skin from the target areas. Once the operation is complete, the incisions are sutured, remaining for three days to a week, depending on the patient’s ability to recover and the amount of work done.

If all four eyelids are done (two upper eyelids and two lower eyelids), the procedure will last roughly around two hours, with the upper eyelids done first and the lower ones done after.

There are several options when doing surgery on the lower eyelids. One, called the transconjunctival method, requires the surgeon to make an incision inside the eyelid. The fat can then be removed to eliminate excessive “eyebags”. The positive about this method is that no incision scars will be visible after surgery.

The other, called transcutaneous method, will require the surgeon to place an incision along the margin where the eyelashes are. Excess skin, fat, and muscle can then be removed through the incision. It has the possibility of leaving a scar, but since it is along the eyelash margin, it will not be too obvious, and it can fade soon after the surgery.

Recovery

After eyelid surgery, swelling and bruising will occur, and the possibility of infection is ever present. It is recommended that the patient diligently take the prescribed medication by the cosmetic surgeon in order to facilitate proper healing and recovery. If the patient follows the surgeon’s instructions well, within a week or two, the eyelids will recover properly and will look better.

The face is the first thing noticed by people, and the cheeks, being the biggest area visible in the face, can have a very significant impression. The cheeks can make even thin people look chubby or round, simply because of their shape and size.

This can make people very self-conscious about the appearance of their cheeks, but unlike most body parts, the cheeks are very hard to reduce in size without adversely affecting the rest of the body. This cheek fat, or buccal fat, can be very hard to reduce. Fortunately, modern plastic surgery has advanced enough to have an answer for this; buccal fat removal.

Buccal fat removal, or cheek reduction surgery, is the cosmetic process of removing the buccal fat that is the cause of chubby or chipmunk cheeks. This is usually done by creating an incision in the back of the mouth, typically near the second upper molar, and through what is called the buccinator muscle. Once these incisions are in place, pressure is applied outside the cheek, which causes the buccal fat pad to protrude through the incisions, allowing the surgeon to grip it with forceps, pulling it enough so a big portion of the pad is available and can easily be cut away. Once enough fat is removed, the remaining buccal fat is inserted back in its place and the incisions are sutured.

If done properly, the procedure results in thinner cheeks, more defined cheekbones, and a slimmer, thinner profile of the face.

The procedure typically takes one to three hours to complete, depending on the doctor’s skill level. Patients will experience pain after the procedure, and will temporarily have swelling and bruising of the cheeks. There will also be difficulty in chewing food and speaking. Patients are advised to diligently take the prescribed medications by the surgeon—such as painkillers and antibiotics—in order to hasten the healing process.

It is also recommended that the patient lessen any activities for the next one to three weeks after the buccal fat removal surgery to ensure that recovery will be as swift as possible. The final results of the procedure will become evident around four months after the surgery.

Following these guidelines will yield the best results in terms of physical recovery and ensures a quicker return to normal day to day activities.

But because this procedure is almost irreversible, and involves such a large portion of the face, it is highly advised that potential patients find the most qualified and most skilled cosmetic surgeon for buccal fat removal. Once this is done, it is also advised that patients consult with the surgeon first, to know all the risks involved  to ensure that the end result is achieved, and to ensure that the surgeon knows exactly what the patient wants.