You Can Improve Your Sun-Damaged Skin With Laser Treatments

Currently, there are many lasers used for facial and skin rejuvenation and to treat sun damage and photo-aging of the skin. One older laser system, the carbon dioxide laser, has been very effective for treating sun damaged skin but has fallen out of favor. This is because it routinely caused extensive rawness of the skin that typically required over 2 weeks of “hiding out” or “downtime” to recover. In addition to the time it took to heal, it frequently caused skin discoloration and occasionally scarring. Many lasers available today require very little downtime and yield some improvement of the skin but are not nearly as effective as the carbon dioxide laser. As with any procedure, anyone considering laser skin treatments should first consult with a plastic surgeon prior to under going their chosen procedure.

As Tattoos Become Increasingly Popular, Tattoo Removal Follows Suit

As tattoos are gaining popularity, so has the need for tattoo removal as many people want to remove an old tattoo that no longer fits their personal image. Fortunately for those who have made the decision to have a tattoo removed, advances in modern lasers offer the safe removal of a tattoo, with a reduced risk of scarring.

Modern lasers use specific wavelengths of light that are absorbed by the ink in a tattoo essentially vaporizing the ink in the tattoo. The body then removes the remaining ink through the body's own cleansing, leaving the skin intact. Because the body takes responsibility for cleansing itself of the debris and fragments left behind by the laser, the removal treatment sessions are performed weeks apart and most tattoos, especially larger tattoos, will require several treatment sessions. Of Course, the number of treatments required differ and are based on the size, colors used, location and age of the tattoo being removed. Because professional tattoos tend to be deeper, and darker than tattoos by an amateur, professional tattoos usually require a higher number of treatments to achieve complete removal.

Also, because tattoo removal is gaining popularity, there are many clinics, cosmetic surgeons and 'specialists' offering tattoo removal services. When one makes the decision to have a tattoo removed, that person should make sure they he/she understands that tattoo removal process, and locate a skilled, experienced and properly trained specialist or cosmetic surgeon to perform the tattoo removal. Just as it is easy to find yourself on the receiving end of a bad tattoo from an inexperienced tattoo artist, one can also find him or herself under going removal treatments from a specialist that is under-qualified and inexperienced. This can cause problems resulting in excess scarring, damage to skin in the location of removal, and incomplete removal, resulting in a faded tattoo that does not fully disappear.

Rhinoplasty Surgery: What Makes A Good Candidate For This Procedure?

The best candidates for rhinoplasty, more commonly known as nose surgery, have a nose that is unattractive or does not "fit" with other facial features. Deformities, breathing problems, birth defects injury, disease and noses that seem large in comparison to other facial features are all excellent indications that rhinoplasty surgery can help. Nose reshaping is intended to produce a more attractive nose shape and/or create better proportion to other facial features. Rhinoplasty surgery is usually done on an outpatient basis under sedation, and local or general anesthesia. During your consultation, your plastic surgeon will decide which rhinoplasty techniques will be used.

There are three types of nose surgery procedure techniques:

In a standard rhinoplasty procedure, the incisions are made inside the nostrils. The nasal bones, cartilage, and soft tissues are all reshaped to improve the external contour. With an open rhinoplasty procedure, which is frequently used for difficult or larger noses, a single external incision across the the part of the nose referred to as columella or the strut between the nostrils. In an open rhinoplasty procedure, the bones, cartilage, and soft tissues are reshaped under direct vision as opposed to a standard rhinoplasty procedure where the bone and soft tissues are reshaped through the small incisions inside the nostrils. Finally, a 'Tip-Plasty" technique is used when only the nasal tip is abnormal. This may be corrected with either a standard or external (open) approach to the surgery. Large nostrils can be reshaped and made smaller through tiny incisions at the outer base of the nostrils with either type of rhinoplasty surgery procedure.

Bigger, Easier, Better - LookingYourBest.com Reaches for the Next Level

LookingYourBest.com, the nationwide reference guide to a Who's Who of America's Plastic and Cosmetic Surgeons, offers more than just a bold new look with its comprehensive re-tooling. It offers an enhanced experience.

The first aspect of the new LookingYourBest.com that will surely catch the eye is the new layout and color scheme. The old, sterile layout with its pastel colors blending out to the window's edge has been supplanted by a sharp, clean page set against a rich chocolate tone, with deep rose accents and a commanding presence. In all the site wears a more focused, sophisticated feel that visitors are sure to appreciate.

The visual changes, however, belie the underlying metamorphosis that now makes it even easier to seek out doctors and procedures by multiple criteria. A simplified menu and site structure are two of the keys to the improved ease of use, despite the addition of even more data than before. LookingYourBest has long been an excellent source for finding and comparing professionals in aesthetic medicine, both locally and nationally. Now, the search function in both the gallery and surgeon areas has been simplified and visitors are treated to informative videos and 3D procedure animations to further enhance their search.

There's an important difference in the underpinnings as well, though a casual visitor may not even notice. Nevertheless, by streamlining the site's code, the programmers at LookingYourBest have sought to improve what is often the most important aspect of a web site; browsing speed. The new LookingYourBest.com loads faster and is more intuitive than ever.

Thinking of Giving Each Other the Gift of Plastic Surgery?

Important Tips for Would-Be Gift Givers, Recipients

More and more couples are considering plastic surgery as the ultimate gift. However, it is important to weigh the risks and benefits of any aesthetic procedure, as well as choosing the surgeon, and setting that are right for you.

There are benefits to coming in for a consultation with a loved one, but decisions about individual surgeries should only be made by the person who is going to undergo the procedure. Additionally, couples who are both undergoing procedures should time their surgeries so that the other person can be available to care for their partner when they have surgery.

For anyone considering aesthetic surgery, Here is some important advice:

• The idea for plastic surgery should come from the person who intends to have it, not from a spouse, relative or friend.
• Plastic surgery takes planning. If you expect to give or receive a "gift" of plastic surgery, make sure that everyone involved does their homework well ahead of time. A self-motivated, well-informed patient is more likely to be a satisfied patient.
• Patients should discuss risks, benefits, expectations, and desires with a board-certified plastic surgeon. Surgery should be performed at an accredited surgical facility. All members of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, have significant documented experience in cosmetic surgery, and operate only in accredited surgical facilities.
• Not all patients are good candidates for all procedures. Patients need to be evaluated by a qualified and board-certified plastic surgeon to determine if they are an appropriate candidate for a particular procedure.

What is Capsular Contracture?

Capsular contracture is the term used to describe hardening of the breast that can occur as a consequence of implantation of a breast prosthesis. It actually represents shrinkage of the circumferential scar that universally occurs as a normal response to the presence of any foreign body, or in response to injury of tissue. Any wound to the body results in a biological response to that injury that ultimately leads to healing of tissues together by scar. Without scar, injured tissues would never rejoin. When a foreign object, including a medical device such as an artificial joint, a heart valve, or a breast implant is placed within the body, the normal biological response is for scar to be laid down where the prosthesis abuts the host’s tissues.

When it comes to a breast implant, the surface area of this scar must exceed the surface area of the prosthesis for the prosthesis to freely move within the space that is occupies. If the layer of scar that surrounds the implant, which is itself like a bag or rough sphere of scar tissue, were to shrink (like “shrink wrap” on a package) then the implant would be unable to move around within that space. This results in a loss of fluidity of movement, which makes the implant feel hard to the touch. In severe cases, the breasts are distorted and tend to ride up on the chest. It can even become so hard that the breasts ache.

Plastic surgeons have studied this problem from many different perspectives and the exact cause of capsular contracture is unknown. What is known is that it doesn’t improve once is progresses to a particular degree. A classification scheme (known as the Baker Classification) has been proposed that describes different levels of severity of capsular contracture and it goes like this:

Grade I Normally soft and natural
Grade II Firm to the touch, but not apparent without feeling the breast
Grade III Visible distortion of the breast
Grade IV Severe firmness, with distortion and pain

There are no tests that can predict whether a patient is likely to develop capsular contracture. There is currently no known non-surgical treatment, like a pill or physical therapy, which will improve capsular contracture. The treatment involves surgery in which the scar tissue surrounding the prosthesis is removed or scored to open up the space so that the implant can move around. This is sometimes more involved than the original breast implantation surgery, though the recovery is usually much less painful. Unfortunately, this treatment does not guarantee that the problem will not recur.

Breast Reconstruction Options

The circumstances of individual patient can help to decide what is the best method of breast reconstruction that can be used. The goals of breast reconstruction surgery are to re-create a breast which matches the opposite breast, or in bilateral cases, to reconstruct two breasts to the patients’s desired size. During Breast reconstruction surgery. the nipple and areola are also reconstructed. It is recommended that one consult with a plastic surgeon prior to a mastectomy procedure. This allows the Surgeon and his team to plan a treatment that is best suited for each patient, even if the patient decides to wait to have reconstructive surgery at a later time.

Immediate breast reconstruction occurs when reconstruction of the beast is done at the same time as a mastectomy. The immediate reconstruction method has the advantage of usually saving the patient from undergoing at least one subsequent operation, and this has been proven to provide significant psychological benefit, as the patient never has to experience the total loss of a breast.

Delayed breast reconstruction is a beast reconstruction surgery performed at a later date. The Surgeon may recommend this method for some women, especially if radiation to the chest area is required after the mastectomy. Delayed reconstruction is appropriate for some because radiation therapy following breast reconstruction can increase complications after reconstructive surgery.