Plastic Surgery Results: Long-Lasting but Not Forever

One of the most common misconceptions about plastic surgery among prospective patients is that the results of their surgery will last forever. Unfortunately, this is not the case. While it’s certainly true that in many cases, the results achieved from undergoing a cosmetic surgery procedure can last for years, forever is simply not a realistic expectation. Proper post-surgical care and a healthy lifestyle can help extend the best possible results for many patients. But even in these cases, natural changes that the body experiences over time can alter the results of a cosmetic procedure.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that the patient has done anything wrong. Over time, it’s only natural to experience sagging skin, wrinkles, sun damage, and other aesthetic imperfections that are part of the aging process. Additionally, weight fluctuation can alter the results of body contouring procedures like liposuction or tummy tuck surgery. To help our patients get a better idea of what they can expect going into their surgery, our experienced plastic surgeons have provided some facts on a few our most commonly performed cosmetic procedures and the results patients can anticipate:

Facelift:

Facelift surgery is intended to rejuvenate the face and give it a fresher appearance by surgically removing excess skin around the cheeks, jowls, and neck, while retightening the remaining skin and underlying tissue. Facelift results are meant to be long-lasting, but certain factors including the patient’s skin elasticity, sun exposure, and the natural aging process can influence their facelift results over time.

Breast Augmentation:

Breast augmentation can be an excellent way to help women who wish to increase the size and volume of their breasts. However, the breast implants used during a breast augmentation procedure are not intended to last forever. On average, breast implants typically last about 10 years. However, this can be longer in many cases. Over time, breast implants can begin to move and shift within the body, which may eventually cause them to wear down.

Liposuction:

Liposuction can help patients who have small areas of excess fat that cannot be removed with diet and exercise alone. During the procedure, fat cells are removed from the body using a device called a cannula. Although some patients believe that undergoing liposuction means that they will no longer have to exercise or maintain a healthy diet to retain their physique, this is not true. We advise our liposuction patients to reach their goal weight before their procedure and maintain a healthy diet and exercise routine following their surgery to maximize the results of their liposuction.

It’s important to emphasize that when a cosmetic procedure is performed by a skilled, experienced plastic surgeon like the experts here at Atlanta Plastic Surgery, the results are often quite long-lasting. However, patients should always know what to expect in advance and not get their hopes up for results that will last a lifetime. For more information on the cosmetic and reconstructive procedures that we perform, please contact Atlanta Plastic Surgery at one of our Atlanta area locations today. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter, for more plastic surgery tips, photos, and updates.