Plastic Surgery News

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.

Making Your Breast Lift Results Last

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Frequently Asked Questions about Breast LiftsAn understandable question we often get from patients here at Atlanta Plastic Surgery is “how long will my breast lift last?” Unfortunately, there’s no simple answer to this question. Factors beyond your control, such as age and genetics, have an influence on how your breasts develop over time. Likewise, these factors will continue to affect the breasts after a breast lift, breast augmentation, breast reduction, or any cosmetic plastic surgery procedure. Fortunately, other factors that you can control, such as your exercise, diet, and general health habits, can also contribute to the staying (or going) power of your breast lift:

Control your weight.

One of the most common culprits of sagging breasts is weight fluctuation. When the breasts’ volume increases, the skin tends to stretch. Then, when the breasts’ volume goes back down, younger people’s skin may be able to recover from this to some degree. However, the skin loses elasticity as we age, making it less able to snap back into place the older we get (generally). We recommend reaching your target weight before having a breast lift, then adopting healthy diet and exercise habits to maintain your physique.

Don’t smoke.

In addition to a whole host of negative health and cosmetic effects, habitual tobacco use is also known to make the skin lose elasticity. This is one of the reasons that smokers appear to age faster than nonsmokers. Whether you’re trying to preserve your breast-lift results or your breasts’ natural perkiness, smoking won’t be your ally in the fight against gravity.

Protect your skin from the sun.

Genetics and age play large roles in your skin’s level of elasticity. However, you can exert some control over your skin’s elasticity by protecting it from the sun. Avoid sun exposure as much as you can, and use at least SPF 30 sunscreen any time your skin is exposed to the sun. Shielding your skin from the sun will not only keep it from losing elasticity, but also help prevent wrinkles, discoloration, premature aging signs, and most importantly, skin cancer.

If you’re considering plastic surgery and would like to speak with an experienced surgeon about your options, 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 is a “Mini” Plastic Surgery Procedure?

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Plastic surgery is an important commitment. The results are long-lasting, and any type of surgery will require financial and time commitments from the patient. For people who want shorter recovery times and/or more minimalistic results, there is a wide variety of nonsurgical and minimally invasive procedures to choose from. For patients who are ready to commit to surgery but don’t need extensive changes, there are what we call “mini” plastic surgery procedures. Two of the most common mini procedures are the mini facelift and the mini tummy tuck, and understanding how they work will help you understand what plastic surgeons generally mean by “mini.”

The Benefits of “Mini” Plastic Surgery Procedures

A full, traditional facelift aims to provide comprehensive rejuvenation for the whole face. This popular procedure can address sagging jowls, forehead furrows, and an overall old or tired appearance of the face. However, not everyone wants or needs such dramatic and extensive rejuvenation. It’s not uncommon for different areas of a person’s face to appear to age at different rates from one another, and we can target those specific areas to cut down on recovery time and make the changes as inconspicuous as possible. This is where targeted procedures like the mini facelift come in.

Typically, a mini facelift addresses only the middle third of the face, from the jawline to the cheekbones. Through only a few small incisions around the ears or temples, one of our surgeons can lift and tighten structural tissues around the cheeks to achieve a rejuvenated look. This can help correct loose skin and, through seemingly tiny changes, give the face a vastly improved appearance overall. In this sense, a mini facelift can be greater than the sum of its parts.

Patients who have subtle-to-mild levels of sagging skin in their face are sometimes better candidates for mini-facelifts than they are for full facelifts. There are several degrees of and approaches to facial rejuvenation, and a patient’s age, health, personal preferences, and other factors will help determine how extensive their cosmetic procedure should be.

Another popular mini plastic surgery procedure is the mini tummy tuck. Whereas a full tummy tuck removes excess fat and skin from the whole abdomen and tightens underlying abdominal muscles, a mini tummy tuck addresses smaller amounts of skin and fat and does not repair underlying muscles. Thus, a mini tummy tuck is often the best choice for the patient whose “pooch” is relatively small and whose abdominal muscles are still in good shape. There are many ways that many surgical procedures may be adjusted, all depending on the patient’s needs and preferences.

In general, mini plastic surgery procedures tend to entail briefer, less involved recovery processes, less dramatic results, and easier-to-hide scarring. If you’re considering plastic surgery and would like to speak with an experienced surgeon about your options, 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.

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