Today’s Most Popular Procedures

June 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Photo of upper and lower cosmetic eyelid surge... 

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If you’re thinking about undergoing cosmetic surgery, keep in mind that these are medical procedures with varying recovery times. Here’s a list of the most popular cosmetic surgery procedures and the effects to expect in the first days.

Botox Injections
Injections of Botox, or botulinum toxin, smooth wrinkles and frown lines. The injections paralyze the muscles, so you may experience decreased movement. However, the results aren’t permanent, and you’ll need injections every three to four months.

Blepharoplasty
Blepharoplasy, or eyelid surgery, is a procedure that reshapes the eyelids. People seek it to remove bagginess around the eye and tighten loose skin. Eyelid surgery doesn’t remove fine wrinkles. You can expect swelling, bruising, blurry vision, or to tear up easily or have dry eyes.

Nose Jobs
Nose jobs remove skin and alter the structure of bone and cartilage to reshape the nose any way you want. You can expect to have bruising and swelling after the procedure.

Liposuction/Lipoplasty
This medical procedure removes pockets of fat. Surgeons do this by vacuuming out fat through a small incision. After the procedure, there may be swelling, bruising, or numbness in the area.

Facelifts
Facelifts stretch skin that has sagged up towards the scalp. This tightens and smoothes the skin. Again, you’ll experience swelling, bruising, and numbness afterward.

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Common Problems Associated With Botox Injections

March 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Botox injections are a popular form of cosmetic surgery. It is estimated that over 3 million people use some type of Botox injection. Botox injections are used to reduce the signs of aging by smoothing out wrinkles that are present on the face. However, as with any type of cosmetic surgery there are complications that can arise from the use of Botox injections. Here’s a look at some of the complications that happen as a result of Botox injections.

Soreness and Swelling. The most common problem from Botox injections is the use of soreness, bruising and swelling. These usually happen at the site of the injection. The effects of soreness and swelling usually last a few days.

Rashes And Itching. Occasionally a rash may form where the injection was placed. This is often caused by an allergic reaction to the local anesthetic or the type of Botox used.

Upper Respiratory Infections. Although uncommon many people who received Botox injections often report that they may have upper respiratory infections. These usually appear as flulike symptoms and rarely are very serious.

The Droopy Eyelid Effect. Some Botox users have reported having eyelids that  droop. This is usually an effect of the Botox injection going to close to the nerve of the eye. As a result the eyelid will droop and the eyebrows will temporarily appear paralyzed. This lasts for a week to 10 days.

Dry Mouth. There may be difficulty swallowing or a severe dryness of the mouth. This often happens right after the Botox injection. Dry mouth can be temporary and relieved their prescription medication or drinking water to stay hydrated.

Severe Allergic Reaction. Many people may experience an allergic reaction to the Botox injection. Most allergic reactions are not severe and only result in swelling or hives. However, some allergic reactions can be severe and result in difficulty breathing and excessive wheezing. Severe allergic reactions are rare.

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Plastic Surgery Insurance can Reduce Surgery Costs

January 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Millions of people go under the knife each year to enhance their appearance, to correct scarring from injuries, or to alleviate discomfort. Most health insurance policies only cover plastic surgery if there is a serious medical reason for doing surgery. Women needing breast reduction or accident victims needing their noses realigned may receive coverage from their health insurance, but most plastic surgery is not covered, especially if the surgery is voluntary.

Plastic surgery is a medical procedure and it’s very expensive. Statistics from 2007 listing the prices of common plastic surgery procedures are astonishing. A simple Botox injection is listed at just over $500. A face lift is listed at just over $5,000. A breast lift cost nearly $4,300, Liposuction came in at nearly $3,000, and a tummy tuck registered at a staggering $5,200. These prices do not cover all the fees incurred during plastic surgery; additional costs from anesthesia, operating facilities, and other expenses will bring the cost noticeably higher.

Reconstructive surgery, or surgery on abnormal body parts caused by defect, injury, or illness is generally performed to improve the person’s ability to function and to give them a normal appearance. This type of plastic surgery is usually covered by most health insurance plans. Cosmetic surgery, or surgery performed on normal body parts, is performed to enhance a patient’s appearance. Most insurance plans will not cover this type of surgery. Take the time to research several insurance companies and get online insurance quotes to decide which coverage is best for you based on the procedures you need or want to have done and the financial benefits of having such a policy. Weigh out what companies offer, the cost of the policy, and what you will have to pay out of pocket. Having coverage can reduce your out of pocket expense from thousands of dollars to merely hundreds of dollars, depending on your policy.

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Botox: What You Need to Know

January 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Everyone has heard all the rage about Botox. These injections are the most popular cosmetic procedure in the United States and have been leading the pack for several years. As a relatively inexpensive (compared to other cosmetic procedures) and instantly gratifying results, it’s no wonder.

Botox is actually Botulinum Toxin Type A. It’s an extremely neurotoxin protein that is more popularly known as Botox or Dysport. When injected, they paralyze targeted muscles to alleviate wrinkles. Dysport is a relatively new alternative to Botox. The FDA approved it in 2009 and studies have shown Dysport may last longer—six months to a year compared to Botox’s three months.

Botox is used to eradicate moderate to severe frown lines between the eyebrows, crow’s feet, and bands around the neck. It is injected with a fine needle several times in each muscle and the procedure takes about 30 minutes. Minimal pain and discomfort is associated with the injections.

While the effects of a Botox injection will wear off in a few months, the results are almost immediately. Usually you will see results in less than a week.

Risks associated with Botox or Dysport injections include bruising, headache, nausea, flu-like symptoms, redness or numbness at the injection side, muscle weakness, limited facial movement, and pain. There is also the rare change that the toxin will spread beyond the injection site, resulting in a potentially-life threatening complication. This is a neurotoxin, after all.

Protect yourself by researching all your options and make an informed decision. Choose a highly qualified physician and go over any pre-existing medical conditions.

Botox injections generally cost between $175 and $500 for one area and go up if you want more than one area treated. Typically the price is $10 to $15 per unit with one area requiring about 20 to 25 units. Price also depends on the physician and location.

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Cosmetic Dermatology

September 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Café au lait spots of the skin in 46-year-old ...
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Everyone, at some point, will have a skin issue that makes them feel unappealing or threatens their health. Just as there is a doctor that specializes in degenerative diseases, there are doctors that specialize in skin. The field of Dermatology is associated with skin diseases such as Psoriasis, skin cancer, moles and Dermatitis. Cosmetic Dermatology is the study of recognizing skin disorders, finding the appropriate treatment, and looking for ways to prevent reoccurrences.

The categories of dermatology are numerous as are skin conditions, but the most popular is Cosmetic Dermatology, which focuses mostly on elective procedures. The most common reason for an individual to elect for a procedure is due to an ailment of their immune system, which causes skin disorders to keep reappearing without proper treatment. Since every individual has a different chemical make up, special training and continued education is required for a dermatologist. Working with skin requires sensitivity to each individual’s reactions with environmental factors and usually requires a referral from a primary care doctor.

A dermatologist must understand the problem area and the circumstances surrounding it in order to overcome any obstacles that may arise during treatment. The first line of defense for skin conditions it to treat the area with topical or oral medication and a change in diet. These treatments are effective in most cases, but severe cases require a more aggressive approach especially with cancer spots. If cancer is suspected, the dermatologist will take a biopsy of the affected area and evaluate the cells under a microscope.

Although most dermatologist treat skin disorders, so also perform appearance-enhancing procedures that are approved by the FDA. A cosmetic dermatologist can perform most everything from liposuction to improving the facial features with Botox. The dermatologist that work with cosmetic enhancement can also employ dermabrasion techniques to improve the scars of acne or facial scaring from birth defects or trauma.

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