The Secret to Anti-Aging and Staying Young

In today’s society, we are always searching for the next best way to stay young forever. Some ways to stay youthful are rather simple; you can exercise, eat healthy, use sunscreen, among other things. Unfortunately, there are some things that diet and exercise just can’t fix no matter how hard you work at it. This can be discouraging, but there is no need to lose hope. There are many treatments and procedures available to get you back into tip-top shape from head to toe in virtually no time at all.

It doesn’t matter how old you are- it is never too late to start taking care of yourself. You may be feeling hopeless, wondering where the years went and where all of these new wrinkles came from. Remember, every wrinkle on your face, every scar on your body, and every little imperfection tells your story. It tells you about the experiences you’ve had, the laughs you’ve shared, the children you’ve mothered, and so much more.

While it’s important to love and accept yourself as you are right now, that doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with seeking out procedures to help you feel more like your younger self. In fact, I would go as far as to encourage getting these procedures if doing so will help you gain your confidence back, inevitably enhancing your life. The best treatments will leave people wondering if you’re taking new supplements or trying a new diet, not wondering what procedures you had done.

If you would like to learn more about the different types of treatments and procedures available to you on your anti-aging journey, definitely give this a read. Inside, you will find details about countless options you have at your disposal, starting from your face and working downwards.

Photo by Aukid

Chin Implants (Mentoplasty)

Mentoplasty is the general term that refers to surgery in the chin area. This can include surgery to increase projection of the chin, move it forward or backwards, and even altering the position of the bone itself.

When it comes to facial symmetry, the chin is an important factor. To achieve this, one can get a chin implant placed into their face to help create a more defined or prominent contour of the lower face. Chin implants are made of safe, pliable material and come in a variety of sizes and shapes, making it easier for your surgeon to match your implant to your face’s unique structure. The implant can be placed through a small incision on the undersurface of your chin or through your mouth, which means that scarring is very minimal.

Chin implants are just one way a plastic surgeon could improve your chin’s appearance. Some other procedures that could be done either by themselves or in tandem with an implant include reshaping or moving the bones in your chin and the use of liposuction to remove any excess fat in the area.

Additionally, mentoplasty can actually make your neck look better as well. A longer, more prominent chin can help to balance out your profile, make your neck appear longer, and make the submental angle look deeper. A chin with proper projection can also aid in keeping your youthful look, as it can help delay signs of aging like jowling by helping to retighten the skin in the chin and neck area.

While there are non-surgical alternatives to mentoplasty, they are only temporary solutions. A doctor can inject filler and Botox to create the appearance of an augmented chin. They can also use laser to tighten the skin in the area surrounding the chin. If you are looking for a long-term and more obvious result, mentoplasty is the best choice for you.

Ear Surgery (Otoplasty)

Are you self-conscious of your ears? Do you constantly hide them with your hair, too afraid to tie it back and reveal your ears to the world? Luckily, there is a surgery to fix that. Ear surgery, also referred to as otoplasty, is a surgical procedure that can help improve the position, shape, or proportion of the external part of the ear. A good otoplasty will create a more natural shape while at the same time adding balance and proportion to both the ears and face.

Ear surgery can address many different complaints, from overly large ears (macrotia) to protruding ears. Ear surgery can also help fix misshapen ears due to birth defect or injury. Otoplasty can even be performed on children and teenagers, which is especially helpful for those that are facing ridicule for the appearance of their ears.

Otoplasty won’t alter the location of your ears or affect your hearing in any way, and seeing as children as young as 5 can qualify for the surgery, it’s considered very safe. Usually, the incisions are hidden behind the ear so no one will be able to notice. Surgery can involve the reshaping of the soft bone (cartilage) around the ear, the reduction of earlobe size, or pinning of the ears to bring them closer to your head. The downtime after receiving an otoplasty is not too long, with most individuals able to return to work or school after 1-2 weeks.

Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty)

Eyelid surgery, often referred to as blepharoplasty, is a surgical procedure designed to improve the appearance of your eyelids. This surgery can be performed on the upper and lower lids. This surgery can be performed for cosmetic purposes or for functional purposes.

With age, the skin beings to lose its elasticity, which can cause unwanted wrinkling, sagging, and even obscurement of vision. This lack of elasticity combined with the constant pull of gravity can cause excess skin to form on the upper and lower eyelids. The excess skin is what causes wrinkles and bulges in the eyelid area. Fatty deposits that help cushion the eyeball from the skull also can cause bulges in both the upper and lower eyelid. This happens because the thin membrane holding the fat in place begins to weaken with age, which allows the fat to move forward into the eyelids.

Getting a blepharoplasty can help you restore your more youthful appearance by smoothing out the unwanted signs of aging. Blepharoplasty can treat many complaints including loose or sagging skin that causes folds and disturbs the natural contour of the eyelid, fatty deposits that create the appearance of puffy eyes, drooping lower eyelids, excess skin on either the upper or lower eyelid, and fine wrinkles on the lower eyelid.

The best candidates for blepharoplasty are healthy individuals that have no issues with healing, who don’t smoke, have a positive attitude and realistic expectations, and those without serious medical eye conditions. Since the eyelids are just one part of the whole face, the appearance of your upper lid dropping can also be caused by relaxed forehead skin and eyebrows. If the upper eyelid muscle gets stretched out, it can cause your eyelid to droop. This is a condition known as eyelid ptosis and it requires a different surgical approach. Your plastic surgeon will be able to evaluate your eyelids and decide which approach is best to remedy your concerns.

Facelift

(Rhytidectomy)

With time, collagen production slows down, which can cause wrinkles and fine lines to form around the mouth. Facelift surgery, also referred to as rhytidectomy, helps to address the signs of aging in the middle and lower regions of the face and the neck.

Losing the youthful look of your face can be due to a variety of things, like thinning of the skin, loss of facial fat, sun damage, gravity, smoking, genetics, and even stress. In conjunction with a facelift, doctors can also perform an eyebrow lift and eyelid surgery to help rejuvenate the top part of the face. For loss of fatty volume, doctors may use fat injections or fillers to correct it.

During the facelift procedure, a flap of skin on each side of the face is pulled back. Then, doctors remove excess skin and alter the tissues below the skin if needed, giving the face a more youthful shape. Often, a neck lift will also be performed, as it helps to reduce fat and sagging skin and adds to the overall younger appearance. The facial skin is then re-draped over the new contours of the face and the incisions are either stitched or taped closed.

A facelift will not be able to correct fine lines and wrinkles causes by sun exposure, but there are other cosmetic procedures you can get that will help with the quality of your skin.

There are different types of incision areas depending on the technique used and what the patient prefers. A traditional facelift incision begins in the hairline at your temples. It then goes down and around the front of the ears, ending behind the ears in the lower scalp area. A limited incision is shorter and starts in the hairline right above the ear, wrapping around the front of the ear. The difference between a traditional facelift incision and the limited incision is that the limited incision doesn’t extend all the way into the lower scalp like the traditional incision does. For a neck lift, the incision begins in front of the earlobe, continuing around the ear into the lower scalp. This also includes a small incision under the chin.

Rhinoplasty

With your nose being the most prominent thing on your face, it is also one of the first things people will notice about you. A nose job, also known as a rhinoplasty, is one of the top cosmetic procedures (beat out only by breast augmentation) due to the increasing popularity of small, ski-sloped noses.

Rhinoplasty is a cosmetic surgery that alters the shape of the nose. It can be performed to improve its appearance, correct breathing issues, or both. Insurance will sometimes cover the cost of rhinoplasty if it’s for medical purposes. A rhinoplasty can be performed on the upper and lower portion of the nose, depending on your goal. The upper part of the nose is made of bone and the lower part consists of cartilage, so the procedure will be different for each portion.

A rhinoplasty is usually performed to fix imperfections in the nasal tip, bridge, and nostrils. There are two incision techniques that can be used when performing this procedure: open and closed. An open rhinoplasty is the most common type, which involves creating an incision across the columella (thin strip of tissue separating the nostrils). The open nose job gives the surgeon a better view of the entire nose. This allows the surgeon to get a more accurate assessment of the internal nasal structure, which leads to better surgical planning. This type of rhinoplasty is recommended for those with a wide bridge, nasal hump, and breathing problems. A closed rhinoplasty is done through small incisions inside of the nose. It is often used for narrowing the width of the nose, reshaping the bridge, and reshaping the tip of the nose. A closed nose job results in less visible scarring since there are no external incisions and also causes patients to experience less swelling and bruising post-surgery. The only con of the closed rhinoplasty is that it can be more difficult to perform and can end up being less effective for correcting certain problems, as the surgeon can’t get a good visualization of the internal nasal structures.

Non-Invasive Cosmetic Face Treatments

Some people don’t want to go under the knife, and that’s okay! You may be thinking that there is no other way that you can regain some of your youthfulness and prevent signs of aging without undergoing major surgery. In reality, there are multiple options for those looking to rejuvenate their face.

When injected into your muscles, cosmetic Botox reduces muscle activity that causes moderate to severe frown lines. When you are making facial expressions, your muscles are contracting, which causes your skin to furrow and fold. Over time, these repetitive movements will cause wrinkles and fine lines to appear on your skin. The effects will only last a few months, so injections will need to be repeated.

Injectable dermal fillers can help refine and refresh your face with no downtime involved. They are many different types of fillers, and they all do different things cosmetically. Hyaluronic acid injections, often referred to by the brand name Juvéderm, are used to improve the skin’s contour and minimize depressions in the skin caused by scars, injury, or lines. They are also often used to plump up lips and reduce the appearance of hollow under eyes due to fat loss that comes with age.

Chemical peels are a treatment where a chemical solution is applied to your skin to remove the top layers. When the skin grows back, it will be smoother. Chemical peels are known as a skin-resurfacing procedure and depending on what you’re trying to correct, you can either get a light, medium, or deep peel. These peels are used to treat fine wrinkles, acne and acne scars, uneven skin tone, and texture.

Vivace is an FDA-cleared procedure involving the newest generation of radio frequency microneedling. Vivace is a minimally invasive treatment that can help minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It can also help with tightening your skin, reducing pore size, and improving skin tone and texture.

There are countless treatments you can get done on your face to help you achieve a more youthful glow. These treatments can be done alone or in conjunction with other plastic surgery.

PRP Hair Restoration

A common sign of aging, especially in men, is hair loss. This can be quite embarrassing for some individuals, as men can start to lose their hair as early as their 20s. Luckily, there are many options to reverse hair loss.

A great option for treating hair loss is PRP therapy. PRP, which stands for platelet-rich plasma, therapy is a 3step medical treatment where a doctor will draw your blood, put it through a blood processer, and then inject it back into your scalp. PRP injections have been shown to trigger natural hair growth and help to maintain it by increasing blood supply to the hair follicles and helping to thicken the hair shafts. PRP has also been used for other ailments, like healing injured tendons, ligaments, and muscles.

Like previously stated, PRP therapy is a three-step process that will require a total of three treatments, each 4-6 weeks apart. Maintenance treatments will also be needed every 4-6 months. First, your doctor will draw blood from your arm and place it inside a centrifuge. A centrifuge is a machine that spins rapidly in order to separate fluids of different densities. After 10 minutes, the centrifuge will have separated your blood into three layers: platelet-poor plasma, platelet-rich plasma, and red blood cells. Doctors will use the platelet-rich plasma by drawing it up through a syringe and injecting it into areas of your scalp that are showing signs of hair loss.

The price for the initial three PRP treatments is usually around $1,500 to $3,500, with one injection costing around $400. The price of your PRP treatment will depend on your geographic location, the quality of the equipment being used, and any addition of nutritive components. Insurance typically doesn’t cover PRP treatment for hair loss purposes as it is considered a cosmetic problem, not a medical problem. While you do have other hair loss treatment options like Rogaine, Propecia, and even hair transplant surgery, it is worth it to also consider PRP therapy.

Veneers

Not liking your smile can be a cause of unnecessary self-loathing and social anxiety. Your teeth are one of the first things people will notice about your face, so it makes sense to want your smile to shine. Years of drinking red wine and coffee, smoking cigarettes, and eating highly pigmented foods will inevitably cause your teeth to lose their white appearance, turning them more yellow or brown. If you didn’t take care of your teeth well over the years, tooth decay and discoloration is bound to happen.

You may be feeling hopeless, resigning yourself to never smiling in another picture again. Even though the damage to your teeth may be permanent, it doesn’t mean they can’t be fixed. Veneers are used by dentists to correct tooth imperfections, like stained or chipped teeth. Veneers are either thin porcelain or composite resin coverings that a dentist will bond to the front surface of your tooth using dental cement. Veneers are permanent, so it is important to go to a trusted and reputable dentist for this cosmetic dental procedure.

Porcelain veneers are a great way to quickly transform your smile from discolored and drab to white and wonderful. If you want the best results, porcelain custom veneers are the way to go. A good dentist will use highquality medical-grade porcelain to create custom veneers that are both durable and natural looking. They will design a unique smile that fits seamlessly with the rest of your face. Even if you just have one or two problem teeth, veneers can still be the solution to your dental woes. Veneers can be placed on a few or as many teeth as you want.

Veneers are permanent, as your dentist will need to shave down your teeth in order to place the veneers properly. Once you shave enamel, you can’t get it back- but why would you want it back when you can have a pearly white smile?

Invisalign®

Invisalign® is a modern and convenient way to straighten your teeth and get the perfect smile you’ve always wanted. Often, adults whose parents didn’t get them braces want to fix their teeth now that they can afford it themselves, but they don’t want the embarrassment of wearing traditional braces. Braces are bulky and uncomfortable, not to mention a little bit unsightly. With Invisalign®, you can get the same success as braces, but with a barely-there appearance. They work just as fast as regular braces without the annoying wires and brackets.

Invisalign® is a series of clear plastic aligners that help to guide your teeth back into your proper position. The Invisalign® retainer is created after an orthodontist careful analyzes your current bite in relation to your desired bite. Invisalign® can treat crowded teeth, overbite, underbite, crossbite, gap teeth, open bite, and just can overall straighten your smile.

Invisalign® is used by orthodontists to treat patients with mild to moderate malocclusion (misaligned teeth).

Bad bite and malocclusion are two very common dental problems that are the result of the shape and size of your jaw and teeth. If your teeth are too big, they can end up overcrowding your jaw. If your teeth are on the smaller side, leaving too much space in the jaw, can cause your teeth to shift out of place.

Invisalign® is a fully personalized experience, as the shape of your aligner trays will be adjusted by your orthodontist depending on your smile’s progress. Using digitized imaging, your orthodontist can get a precise look at your bite and make sure your treatment is a success.

Arm Lift (brachioplasty)

A lot of people are very concerned about the appearance of their arms, or how some people lovingly refer to them as, “bingo wings.” Even on the hottest of summer days, some individuals find themselves wearing long sleeves to cover up their insecurity. Everyone should be able to enjoy the summer sun without experiencing heat stroke, and luckily there is hope in the form of an arm lift.

Also known as a brachioplasty, an arm lift is a surgical procedure designed to remove excess skin and fat from the upper arms, resulting in a more toned and slimmer appearance. As we age, the soft tissue in our arms becomes more lax, causing the upper arm to begin to droop and sag. This results in “bingo wings,” which is a term coined to describe the loose and hanging appearance of their arms. Loose and hanging skin on the arms can also happen after significant weight loss, as the skin may have failed to tighten back up all the way even though you lost the fat underneath.

In order to restore a more youthful appearance to the arms, a certified plastic surgeon can perform a brachioplasty. During an arm lift, your surgeon will remove excess fat and skin found between your armpit and your elbow. Then, the doctor will place the remaining skin back over the newly contoured arm to create a tighter look.

An arm lift is a permanent procedure, although with time age will take affect once again and may cause some unwanted droopiness to reoccur. Luckily, this will not happen for a long time and the surgery can easily be repeated as needed. Dramatic weight gain and weight loss can also affect the results of your arm lift.

Breast Procedures

Even though when most people think of plastic surgery of the breasts, they think of a breast augmentation, which in laymen’s terms is a boob job. There are actually many surgeries available to correct multiple breast issues, even options for men!

The most popular type of plastic surgery is the breast augmentation. This involves a certified plastic surgeon placing either silicone or saline implants either under or over your pectoralis muscles to create the appearance of larger, fuller breasts. With age, women’s breasts tend to change, especially after having children. Some women who get breast augmentations also get a breast lift, also known as a mastopexy, because implants will not fix sagging breasts. A breast lift is performed to lift breasts that have either began to sag or lose volume and firmness. In conjunction with a breast augmentation, the results of these two surgeries tend to look incredible.

For some women, their breasts are actually a source of discomfort and pain. Very large breasts can cause major back problems, so a lot of these women opt for surgery to alleviate their pain. A breast reduction is performed under general anesthesia by a plastic surgeon who removes fat and glandular tissue from your breast and tightens the skin to create smaller, lighter, and perkier breasts.

For women that have lost their breasts for some reason, often to breast cancer, this is often a life-altering and devastating situation. Breasts are seen as symbols of femininity that helps women define their body image and self-confidence. Luckily, plastic surgeons can help you get your life and femininity back (not that having breasts makes you any less feminine though). A breast reconstruction can restore the appearance of breasts, usually through the use of tissue expanders.

Although not often discussed, gynecomastia, which is enlarged male breasts, is actually more common than you would think. Gynecomastia is said to affect anywhere for 40-60% of men. For men who feel self-conscious about this condition, a plastic surgeon can perform a male breast reduction surgery to remove fat and/or glandular tissue. This will result in a contoured chest that is firmer and flatter.

Abdominoplasty

Even with a healthy diet and regular exercise, you may not be able to achieve the coveted flat stomach. No matter how many salads you eat and how many crunches you do, you may still not have the stomach you desire. Luckily, there is a way to fix your tummy trouble and get yourself feeling like your old self again!

An abdominoplasty, commonly referred to as a tummy tuck, is a cosmetic surgical procedure that improves the shape and appearance of the abdomen. During a tummy tuck procedure, a plastic surgeon will remove your excess skin and fat from your stomach area. If needed, your doctor may also tighten the connective tissue and underlying muscles of your abdomen with sutures if needed to achieve your desired look. The leftover skin is then repositioned over the new contours of the abdomen and is stitched back together.

There are many reasons someone may need an abdominoplasty, usually due to having excess fat, poor elasticity of the skin, and/or weakened connective tissue in your abdomen. Some reasons for these issues include significant weight changes, pregnancy, C-sections or other abdominal surgeries, aging, and genetics/natural body type.

A tummy tuck will not only remove loose skin and excess fat but can also remove stretch marks and excess skin in the lower abdomen area below the bellybutton. You can also couple your abdominoplasty with other cosmetic surgery procedures, such as a breast augmentation or liposuction.

A tummy tuck can help elevate your self-esteem and boost your confidence. A tummy tuck done by a boardcertified plastic surgeon will give you beautiful and long-lasting results that will make you feel young again.

Brazilian Butt Lift

Society has recently been placing a large emphasis on women having large behinds. The shape and size of the buttocks is an influential factor for whether or not someone finds you attractive. You can do as many booty band exercises as you want, but chances are your butt is not going to look like the bubble butt on your favorite fitness influencer or Instagram model. In fact, their natural butts probably look nothing like what their butt looks like now! A lot of fitness influencers and models, along with regular women, have been turning to plastic surgery to enlarge their buttocks and enhance their looks.

A Brazilian butt lift, also referred to as a BBL, is a cosmetic surgical procedure that involves transferring fat from other areas of your body to your butt. Excess fat is removed from various places of the body, such as the abdomen, hips, thighs, arms, and back using liposuction. This fat is then strategically injected into your butt and sometimes your hips to create a more ample bottom half.

This surgery doesn’t come without risk though and is considered to be the most dangerous plastic surgery procedure. If you fail to go to a reputable board-certified plastic surgeon, the doctor can accidentally inject the fat too deep into your butt and into your muscle. Inside of your butt there are many blood vessels that drain straight into your inferior vena cava, which is direct pathway to your heart. If your doctor injects the fat in the wrong place, the fat can travel directly up into the heart and lungs causing a fat embolism that obstructs blood flow and causes immediate death. Even with a board-certified plastic surgeon there are still risks, but they are highly minimized by choosing someone with experience.

Some women opt for buttocks implants instead of a Brazilian butt lift, but this can produce unnatural results, especially if a woman doesn’t have much gluteal fat to cover up the implant. With a Brazilian butt lift, the result often looks and feels more natural, and since it is fat from your own body you won’t face the chance of rejection that comes with implanting a foreign substance into your body.

Liposuction

Even with the best exercise routine and the cleanest diet, there is just some fat that won’t budge. Unfortunately, you cannot spot reduce fat naturally. Fortunately, you can spot reduce fat with a little assistance.

Liposuction is a cosmetic surgical procedure that uses a suction technique to remove excess fat from various parts of the body, like the abdomen, hips, thighs, buttocks, arms, and neck. With liposuction, doctors can shape these problem areas, which is why liposuction is also sometimes referred to as body contouring. Liposuction is not considered a good method for overall weight loss purposes- if you’re overweight, your doctor will likely want you to lose most of the weight through diet, exercise, and/or an actual weight loss procedure like bariatric surgery.

When you gain weight, your fat cells increase in volume and size. Liposuction will reduce the number of fat cells in the area it is being used. The amount of fat that is removed will depend on the appearance of the area, the volume of fat, and what you want the results to look like. Once you receive liposuction, the contoured areas should stay that way as long as you maintain a relatively stable weight.

After your liposuction procedure, your skin will begin to mold itself to the new contours of the areas that were treated. If your skin has good elasticity, the skin should bounce back well and appear smooth. However, if your skin has poor elasticity, the skin in the treated areas may appear lose. This can be fixed with skin removal surgery. Liposuction also can’t improve cellulite dimpling or other skin issues like stretch marks.

A solid alternative choice to receiving surgical liposuction is laser liposuction SmartLipo™ LaserBodySculpting® by Cynosure is an alternative to traditional liposuction surgery. Laser liposuction uses a laser under the skin that is placed through a 1mm incision that is then used to melt fat and destroy fat cell. Once the fat is liquified, it is aspirated through the same small incisions. SmartLipo™ is less invasive than traditional liposuction and doesn’t require general anesthesia.

CoolSculpting®

Sometimes, no matter how hard we try, we fail to get the results we seek. When it comes to losing stubborn fat, this is often the case. Since fat can’t be spot reduced naturally, even the best diet and exercise routines won’t get you the outcome you so desperately desire. While there are many surgical options to correct the issue of stubborn fat, some people don’t want to go under the knife for a multitude of valid reasons. Luckily, cosmetic procedures have come a long way and we have a lot of great non-invasive alternatives to help you get the results you so badly want.

CoolSculpting® is a non-invasive cosmetic treatment that uses cryolipolysis, or fat freezing, to get rid of stubborn fat. The CoolSculpting® procedure involves a cryolipolysis device that holds the parts of your body you want to target in between two paddles. The paddles cool down and are left in place for around 35 minutes to a little over an hour depending on what area is being treated. In that time period, the paddles destroy 20-25% of the fat cells in the treated area. While you may not see the final results immediately, you will start to see a change over a few weeks to a few months. During this time, your immune system is clearing out the dead fat cells, which is not a quick process.

Cryolipolysis isn’t considered a method for weight loss; this cosmetic procedure is intended for individuals who are close to their desired body weight but have a few areas of stubborn fat they can’t get rid of. Other people who should avoid CoolSculpting® include those with loose skin, poor skin tone, cryoglobulinemia, cold urticaria, paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria, and Raynaud’s phenomenon. If you can’t tolerate the cold well, are pregnant or nursing, and are obese, CoolSculpting® also isn’t the right treatment for you. In addition, cryolipolysis shouldn’t be performed on areas where there are nerve problems, varicose veins, rashes, or lesions.

Labiaplasty

Some women are self-conscious about their private parts, especially after childbirth. Some women spend decades feel ashamed of their private parts for decades, too embarrassed to speak up. If you think that all hope is lost, it isn’t.

Labiaplasty, also known as vulval surgery, is a surgical procedure that reduces the size of the labia minora (the flaps of skin on either side of the vaginal opening). While having noticeable skin folds around the opening of your vagina is very normal and common, some women feel very self-conscious about it. For some women, their labia minora could also cause discomfort and other medical issues, so it’s not always a procedure done solely for outward appearances.

Having a labiaplasty is a decision that shouldn’t be made lightly, as it is expensive and carries risks. You will need 2 weeks off from work to recover and it can take a couple of months for the area to fully heal. You will also need to avoid sex for 6 weeks and physical activity for up to 12 weeks. Even though this surgery sounds intense, if you are someone whose life is being ruled by insecurity over what’s in your pants, it is definitely worth considering.

There are different techniques used when performing a labiaplasty depending on the desired results of the patient. The trim procedure is the most common technique, as it is the original and most natural to perform. During this procedure, the excess part of the labia minor is removed and sutured back together so that it’s symmetrical with the labia majora. During the wedge procedure, a partial thickness wedge is removed from the thickest area of the labia minor. They can only remove a partial thickness because they don’t want to injure the submucosa (layer tissue under a mucous membrane). This method will also leave the vagina with a normal look post-surgery, as it preserves the labia minora’s wrinkled edges.

Mommy Makeover

It’s no secret that having a child completely changes your life. While most of the time babies change you for the better, the physical toll they take on your body can be very difficult to cope with. Both childbearing and breastfeeding can cause an array of unwanted physical changes that may leave mothers feeling self-conscious of their postpartum bodies. Motherhood is supposed to be a beautiful thing that can sometimes become a mother’s worst nightmare when she can’t even recognize herself in the mirror anymore. Fortunately, there are cosmetic procedures available to get mothers back to feeling like their younger selves.

A mommy makeover is the term coined to describe a single-stage procedure that involves many different cosmetic surgeries designed to restore the shape and appearance of a woman’s body after childbearing. The areas most often addressed in mommy makeovers includes the breasts, abdomen, waist, genitalia, and buttocks. Some possible procedures that could take place during a mommy makeover include breast augmentation, breast lift, buttock augmentation, labiaplasty, liposuction, and a tummy tuck, although there are other surgeries that can be performed depending on the patient’s desired results.

There is no “one size fits all” procedure when it comes to a mommy makeover. The surgeries performed should be customized to your body and goals. Things like pregnancy, breastfeeding, weight gain or loss, age, and menopause can all take a toll on the contours of your body. After childbirth, many women struggle with loose skin on the abdomen, as it wasn’t able to bounce back. A lot of women also lose volume in their breasts and may develop stubborn pockets of fat in their abdomen, hips, and flanks. The key to a successful mommy makeover is to pick the right combination of procedures to best address your specific problem areas.

Varicose Vein Treatment

As we age, many physical symptoms go along with it. One of these issues is known as varicose veins, which are twisted and enlarged veins. Varicose veins generally appear on the legs because standing and walking increases the pressure in the lower body’s veins. For a lot of individuals, varicose veins are only a cosmetic concern. But for some, these veins can cause discomfort and pain.

Some signs that you may have varicose veins include veins appearing dark blue or purple, veins that look like they’re twisting and building, often looking like cords on the legs, an achy or heavy feeling in the legs, and muscle cramping and swelling in the lower legs, among other symptoms.

Varicose veins are caused by weak or damaged veins. The purpose of our veins is to return blood from the rest of our body to the heart, which means that both the veins in the legs really need to work against gravity to accomplish this. The muscles in the lower leg contract, essentially pumping the blood that the vein is supplying to the heart. As the blood moves towards the heart, tiny valves inside the veins open to allow the flow and then close to stop the blood from flowing backwards. If these valves become weak or damaged, blood is able to flow backward where they pool in the veins, ultimately causing the veins to stretch and twist.

There are many treatment options for varicose veins. Previously, doctors used to surgically remove varicose veins through stripping, though it is rarely done nowadays as we have better, less invasive methods. The ambulatory phlebectomy, also known as a microphlebectomy, is the treatment that is used for physical removal of these veins. Radio frequency and laser treatments work by eliminating the sources of high vein pressure that is causing the varicose veins.

Spider Vein Treatment

Spider veins are a milder form of varicose veins. Spider veins appear smaller than varicose veins, but they twist and turn in a similar manner. Spider veins are typically red, blue, and purple, and they resemble a spider’s web or a tree branches. Spider veins are easily visible through the skin and they affect the body’s smallest blood vessels (capillaries). Spider veins are often found on the legs and face.

There are many risk factors for developing spider veins, including genetics, prolonged standing, obesity, hormonal influences, birth control pills, postmenopausal hormone replacement, gender (women develop it more than men), history of blood clots, and conditions that cause increased pressure in the abdomen. Spider veins have also been caused by trauma to the skin, previous vein surgery, and exposure to ultraviolet rays.

In the past, doctors used to physically remove spider veins. With modern medical technology, doctors can now treat these veins less invasively. Some possible treatments for spider veins include laser sclerotherapy, injection sclerotherapy, and VeinGogh™. Lasers are a great method for removing spider veins and are often used in place of injections when these veins are located on the face. If the spider veins are larger than 1mm in diameter, both laser and injection spider vein therapies may be used to ensure the veins are properly shrunk and so that the sclerotherapy is more effective.