Plastic Surgery News

Wrinkles Call for A Variety of Cosmetic Treatments

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Wrinkles: eventually, we will all develop them. Most of us think of wrinkles as a function of aging, and while that’s certainly true, it’s only one aspect of the story. Wrinkles are caused by a few different phenomena, and choosing the best treatment for them depends not only on their severity and location, but also their causes. Fortunately, surgical and nonsurgical cosmetic procedures offer a variety of effective treatments for wrinkles that can take their causes into account. Here are some of the main causes of wrinkles that we at Atlanta Plastic Surgery have targeted, customized approaches to treating:

plastic surgery, Botox, wrinkles, laser skin resurfacing, facial treatmentsFacial Movement

The human face has about 43 individual muscles, each working around the clock to portray a wide range of emotions, assist in communication, and perform the many movements necessary for us to live. The face is constantly moving. When we’re young, this isn’t much of a problem; the elasticity of youthful skin allows it to spring back into place, making wrinkles temporary creases for people below a certain age. This is because young skin is rich in proteins called collagen and elastin. Throughout life, however, the production of these vital proteins slows down, weakening the skin’s support structure. This makes the skin progressively inflexible and leads to permanent wrinkles. Botox® injectables are among the most effective treatments for wrinkles caused by facial movement in the upper third of the face. This popular nonsurgical treatment temporarily relaxes the face’s underlying muscles, smoothing out expression lines and making it appear healthier and more youthful.

Sunlight Exposure

The sun may be an essential component of life, but it can also exemplify the “too much of a good thing” adage. In fact, too much sun exposure can be life threatening. We all know that the ultraviolet light emitted by the sun can cause acute, temporary aesthetic damage in the form of sunburns, but prolonged, unprotected exposure also leads to long-term cosmetic damage. This may mean discoloration due to abnormal cell division, decreased skin elasticity due to the accelerated deterioration of collagen in the skin, or both. Surface damage to the skin can often be treated with nonsurgical treatments such as chemical peels, microdermabrasion, and Sciton® laser skin resurfacing, which remove dead and damaged skin cells, giving the skin a more refreshed and youthful appearance. They also stimulate the production of collagen and the skin’s natural healing factors, potentially reducing the appearance of minor facial wrinkles, scarring, and other types of skin damage.

Weight Fluctuations

Whether they’re brought on by pregnancy, genetics, or lifestyle, weight fluctuations can do a lot of damage to the skin. Often, when someone loses a significant amount of weight, their skin doesn’t completely snap back into place. This can leave behind loose, sagging folds of skin, including in the face and many other areas of the body. Deep wrinkles, sunken-in cheeks, and hanging jowls below the chin are some of the cosmetic effects of weight fluctuations we see most frequently in patients’ faces. Juvéderm®, Restylane®, and other facial filler injections serve to restore facial volume using hyaluronic acid, a substance which occurs naturally in young, healthy skin. They fill in the depressions that form as the face loses its plump, healthy appearance, giving it a more youthful look and lessening the appearance of wrinkles.

These are just a few of the causes of and nonsurgical treatments for wrinkles. Sometimes, no matter the cause, a more comprehensive procedure like a facelift is necessary. At Atlanta Plastic Surgery, we offer a multitude of procedures to treat the wide range of wrinkles and other signs of aging. If you’re interested in learning what the best anti-aging treatment is for you, or if you’re curious about any of the many other cosmetic procedures we perform, please contact one of our Atlanta Plastic Surgery offices to schedule a consultation today. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest plastic surgery news and updates.

Happy Holidays from the Atlanta Plastic Surgery Family

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For over 50 years, Atlanta Plastic Surgery has been recognized as one of the Southeast’s premier cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery centers. Every year, we make a point to look back on what we’ve accomplished, who we’ve helped, and how we can make our services even better moving forward. With things slowing down a bit during the holiday season, we think it’s important to pause and reflect on what we do. And every year, we’re reminded of how truly grateful we are to have such wonderful patients.

plastic surgery, educational, breast reconstruction, facial rejuvenation, TRAM flapWhether you come to Atlanta Plastic Surgery to have breast reconstruction after breast-cancer treatment or merely to alleviate some signs of aging with <nonsurgical facial rejuvenation procedures, we cannot express how inspired we are by your support. We’re always committed to achieving the best plastic surgery results, but reflecting on the support of our patients during this time of year makes us realize how fortunate we are. We feel a renewed sense of gratitude and responsibility, and we’re reminded why we’ve always gone above and beyond in everything we do—from helping people look their best, to providing the most outstanding customer service possible, to helping educate readers with this blog.

We’re proud of the skill, commitment, and kindness our surgeons have demonstrated this year, and we’re looking forward to bringing those qualities into the upcoming decade and beyond. Atlanta Plastic Surgery has a strong track record of innovation. Cofounder Dr. Carl Hartrampf was a pioneer in the development of the revolutionary TRAM flap breast reconstruction technique, and many have benefited from this surgery. Additionally, our current team is responsible for a whole host of research and clinical contributions and has continued to incorporate the most advanced technology and techniques into the services we provide, and we’re excited to continue pursuing excellence as we end this year and begin a new one. Our surgeons have positively impacted countless people’s lives, and their dedication and work will continue to do so indefinitely. We couldn’t be prouder.

Everyone at Atlanta Plastic Surgery would like to wish our patients and readers a restful, peaceful, and love-filled holiday season, as well as a happy and fruitful new year. Let us take what we’ve learned and make 2020 even better than this fantastic year has been!

If you’re interested in any of the many plastic surgery procedures we perform, please contact one of our Atlanta Plastic Surgery offices to schedule a consultation today. In addition to discussing your prospective procedure, we can go over our available financing options for plastic surgery with you. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest plastic surgery news and updates.

Unexpected Benefits of Breast Reduction Surgery

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Experts estimate that health problems associated with excessively large breasts affect nearly 1 million women nationwide. Fortunately, plastic surgery offers a solution to this common issue. Most are aware that breast reduction surgery can, in addition to giving the breasts a more aesthetically pleasing appearance, relieve the physical discomfort and pain caused by large breasts by making them smaller, firmer, lighter, and more evenly proportioned. What you may not know, however, is that this popular surgery procedure can also provide additional long-term health benefits.

breast reduction, back pain, plastic surgery, nerve pain, large breastWomen with large, cumbersome breasts often suffer from chronic back and neck pain, but they can also experience issues elsewhere in the body. As women get older or gain weight, their shoulders naturally roll forward, compressing the area where the ribs, shoulder blades, and nerves converge. The larger the breasts are, the more the shoulders roll forward, and the more this compression occurs. This can eventually compress the nerve fibers enough to cause chronic pain. The excess weight on the shoulders pulling on nerves behind the collar bone can even cause numbness in the arms and tingling nerves in the fingers and hands. Eventually, the symptoms can cause a variety of other problems.

Excessively large breasts can also impede one’s ability to lead an active life. The self-consciousness and physical inconvenience often associated with having large, heavy breasts may cause some women to avoid outdoor activities and aerobic exercise, both of which may be awkward, uncomfortable, and even pain-inducing. This can potentially lead to higher risks of obesity, problems with self-image, and even depression. Moreover, excessively large breasts can make sleeping difficult, preventing the body from getting the rest and rejuvenation it needs and leading to a host of related health problems.

Breast reduction surgery offers a permanent, safe solution for women who are unhappy with their excessively large breasts. Since the surgery only requires the removal of skin and superficial tissue, there’s a relatively short recovery period and very little postoperative discomfort. If you’re interested in breast-reduction surgery or any of the many plastic surgery procedures we perform, please contact one of our Atlanta Plastic Surgery offices to schedule a consultation today. In addition to discussing your prospective procedure, we can go over our available financing options for plastic surgery with you. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest plastic surgery news and updates.

What Makes People Look Older?

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Most likely, one of the first things that comes to mind when you think about plastic surgery is its ability to make people look younger. There’s no stopping the passage of time, and sooner or later, we all start showing signs that we’re getting older. This can manifest in several ways, but the most apparent are probably the changes that occur in the face. Fortunately, there are targeted cosmetic techniques, both surgical and nonsurgical, that are designed to remedy the main signs of facial aging.

aging, facelift, fat transfer, botox, skin resurfacingAs we age, many of us experience a loss in facial volume that often gives the face a gaunt, unhealthy look. This is because, over time, the skin tends to produce less and less of the biological mechanisms that keep it taut, plump, and youthful (namely, collagen and hyaluronic acid). Furthermore, the upper portions of the face tend to lose fat, while the lower portions tend to gain fat—almost as if gravity is redistributing our facial fat downward. The resulting sunken-in look is one of the tell-tale signs of older age, as well as a common issue that brings people into Atlanta Plastic Surgery.

Effective nonsurgical ways of addressing this issue include facial fillers, such as Juvéderm® and Restylane®. These products fill in sunken areas and can lessen the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. For more severe cases of facial-volume loss, a facelift that utilizes fat transfer, or fat grafting, can be extremely effective. This technique uses liposuction to remove fat from one part of the body, which is then purified and relocated to increase volume elsewhere. People rarely consider that adding fat to their face might make them look better, but fat is a major component of a youthful, healthy-looking face.

Another tendency that makes people look older is the gradual loss of skin elasticity. Older skin has less elastin (one of the main proteins that give the skin its elasticity) than younger skin, making it decreasingly able to snap back into place when it’s stretched. As gravity steadily pulls the skin downward, the result is often loose or sagging skin around the neck and/or jawline. The loss of skin elasticity also causes wrinkles to form in certain areas of the face, especially those that move frequently (such as the brows and around the eyes).

In addition to helping with loss of facial volume, facial fillers can also help minimize wrinkles and fine lines. Additionally, Botox® is one of the most well-known and effective nonsurgical ways to delay imperfections on the upper third of the face caused by expression lines/constant motion. A Botox® injection relaxes muscles in the face for 3-4 months. More pronounced or advanced cases of facial wrinkles can be addressed with a surgical facelift or neck lift, in which one of our surgeons tightens the facial muscles, repositions facial tissue, and removes excess, sagging skin. This provides a more permanent and extensive solution that gives the entire face a more youthful and invigorated look.

In addition to the loss of facial volume and skin elasticity, signs of aging may be caused by the accumulation of environmental damage to the skin’s surface. Factors such as extended sun exposure and atmospheric irritants can cause the skin to appear dry, cracked, and discolored over time. Skin that’s damaged in these ways can often be revitalized through nonsurgical means such as a chemical peel or Sciton® laser skin resurfacing.

These are only some of the main causes and solutions to facial aging. To determine which procedure is right for you, contact one of our Atlanta Plastic Surgery locations to schedule a consultation today. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest plastic surgery news and updates.

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