Deciding Between Ultrasonic and Traditional Liposuction Methods

The medical field, much like the world of electronics, thrives on discovering new and improved technologies and treatments. The latest evolution in liposuction techniques, for example, involves ultrasonic waves- but we all know that newer isn’t always better. Like computer operators, doctors often prefer or specialize in newer or older technologies, so before you start looking for a plastic surgeon in Fort Lauderdale, you will want to decide which method of liposuction you prefer.

Ultrasonic vs. Traditional Liposuction

Knowledge is power; so before you decide which method is best for you, let’s take a look at the difference between ultrasonic and traditional liposuction techniques:

During a traditional liposuction procedure, the doctor will inert a hollow metal tube into the area marked for fat removal and physically break the fat layer into small pieces by pushing the tube back and forth. Once the fat is broken down, it is vacuumed out of the body through the hollow tube. This technique has been used to effectively remove unwanted fat for years, so if you feel more comfortable going with the most tried and true method, traditional liposuction could be right for you. However, the downside of this method is that the tube often destroys nerves and blood vessels along with the fatty tissues, making the recovery time longer, and leaving you with a risk of developing “lumpy” deposits as you heal. If that happens, you’ll need to undergo the procedure a second time.

Because most doctors are more experienced with the traditional method, they may recommend it over the relatively newer ultrasonic procedure, but Fort Lauderdale plastic surgeons with up to the minute industry experience and training like Dr. Peter Simon will probably suggest ultrasonic liposuction because this new technique offers distinct advantages. Using an ultrasonic device, the doctor can actually liquefy unwanted fat before vacuuming it out. Although the vacuuming technique and tool remains the same, this process allows fat to be removed smoothly and gently, without damaging any other structures. Nerves and blood vessels remain intact, and both the recovery time and the risk of lumpy deposits in significantly reduced.

How Plastic Surgeons In Fort Lauderdale Are Using Botox For Health

We’ve all heard of the effectiveness of Botox injections in anti-aging treatments, but like beauty, the benefits of this popular cosmetic treatment are more than just skin deep. Botox, also known as the neurotoxic protein botulinum toxin, is manufactured by the same bacterium that causes botulism. Like many substances in the medical world, the same toxin that can cause illness in at large doses can also provide a surprisingly effective treatment and cure for many health issues when properly administered by a certified plastic surgeon like Fort Lauderdale’s Dr. Peter Simon. Botox For Health

Botox injections have been in common use by the cosmetic treatment and surgery industry for years for the reduction of facial lines and wrinkles, brow furrowing, muscle twitches or pulls around the mouth and eye areas. The popularity and effectiveness of these Botox injections as cosmetic treatments is widely acknowledged by both patients and doctors, but some of Fort Lauderdale’s plastic surgeons are going beyond the surface to help patients with a variety of distressing health issues and symptoms. The injections require no special preparation on the part of the patient- although your doctor plans the Botox injection sites carefully based on your neuromuscular structure and treatment needs- and the shots take only minutes to administer. Although you may return to normal activity immediately after the procedure, it typically takes between three to five days for the Botox injections to take full effect within your neuromuscular system.

Because Botox injections work to relax muscles by actually blocking area neurotransmitters- the nerves which send signals between the muscles and the brain- Botox has been used to effectively treat conditions such as chronic pain, cramping, and migraines, neuromuscular disorders such as TMJ and lockjaw, overactive bladder syndrome, and cases of enlarged prostrate glands. Even the cosmetic use of Botox injections has been found to have some significant benefit to patients suffering from clinical depression by helping erase the signs of anxiety and sadness from their faces.

Thinking of Getting Eye Lift Surgery In South Florida?

The biggest perpetrator of aging skin damage is the sun, so it’s no wonder that for the residents of ultra sunny South Florida, cosmetic surgery is nothing short of a miracle treatment to reverse the damaging effects of time. One of the most effective ways to regain a youthful appearance is through blepharoplasty, or eye lift surgery. The skin on our upper and lower eyelids is the most delicate, age susceptible skin on our entire body. As our skin gets older, or is damaged by outside elements, it loses its natural elasticity and resistance to gravity. This causes drooping eyelids, wrinkles, bags and bulges, all of which detract from the natural form and youthful appearance of our eyes. Since the eyes are most often the main focal points of our faces, restoring their natural appearance can peel away the years more effectively than almost any other procedure.

Candidacy For Eye Lift Surgery

As with any type of cosmetic surgery, you should be realistic about what you want to achieve and why you’re thinking of undergoing the procedure. No matter how well done, eye lift surgery won’t actually make you 21 again, nor should you ever undergo such a procedure in the hopes of pleasing somebody else. Understanding your expectations is the first step that any reputable cosmetic surgeon in South Florida will ask you to make if you are considering any form of cosmetic surgery.

Conscientious surgeons like Dr. Peter Simon will discuss both psychological and physical factors which could affect the successful outcome of your eye lift surgery during your initial consultation. A history of smoking, illness, or any medical conditions which could impair healing, or a current eye infection could rule out eye lift surgery for you until the issues are resolved. Eye lift surgery won’t give you a completely different appearance. The surgeon’s goal for this procedure is to restore your natural, youthful appearance, not to make you look like someone else. If you’re looking for a complete change of appearance, you may need to think again, because a simple eye lift surgery is not going to do that for you. What it will do is give you back the natural beauty and liveliness your eyes had before they were ravaged by time. As a way to turn back the clock, it’s definitely a winning procedure.

Restylane- South Florida's Alternative to Collagen Injections

The delicate skin of the lip and under-eye areas is among the first places we begin to show our age. Fine lines emerge in these areas over time, and because the skin here is thinner than in other facial regions, they develop more rapidly and abundantly than in any other place. In regions where the climate is generally warm and sunny, such as South Florida, collagen injections were once a popular solution for these problem areas. Collagen injections were considered especially good for the treatment of fine lines around the lips, however the treatments were relatively short-lived, typically lasting only three months, and patients occasionally experienced an allergic reaction to the product. Nowadays, collagen use has all but disappeared in the United States cosmetic surgery industry, replaced by new cosmetic fillers based around hyaluronic acids. The most popular of these is called Restylane.

Advantages of Restylane

Restylane is comprised mainly of a bio-degradable gel containing hyaluronic acid, a substance found to be naturally occurring in humans. Because it is not animal based, there is very little chance of allergic reaction to the treatment- so little in fact, that allergy tests are not even required before injection. Hyaluronic acid fillers like Restylane are softer, more compliant than the older collagen treatments, leading many South Florida cosmetic surgery patients to expound on the more natural feel of their lips after treatment. With an effective longevity of between six and twelve months, Restylane treatments are also significantly longer lasting.

Process

The Restylane injection process is often performed with a local anesthesia to dull the pain of injection, and patients typically experience a total recovery time of two to three days. After selecting several strategic injection points, your cosmetic surgeon will carefully inject the Restylane solution beneath your skin. The hyaluronic acid attracts water to these areas beneath the skin, hydrating and plumping your skin from within to give you a more youthful, radiant appearance. The entire procedure is short and sweet, and with patients able to return to normal activities within minutes, it’s no wonder that South Florida cosmetic surgeons such as Dr. Peter Simon count Restylane as one of their most popular treatments.

Frequently Asked Questions About Fort Lauderdale Collagen Treatments

Collagen treatments are among the most common procedures performed by a Fort Lauderdale cosmetic surgeon. The minimally invasive cosmetic treatment is especially popular with men and women who work with the public in Miami and Fort Lauderdale. Collagen treatments offer many advantages for women and men who want to improve their appearance but don’t want to undergo major surgery. If you’re considering visiting a cosmetic surgeon in Fort Lauderdale, collagen treatments may be the best way to enhance your features and restore your youthful appearance.

What Are The Benefits Of Collagen Treatment?

Collagen treatments can improve your skin texture by replacing the layer of fat directly beneath the surface that helps smooth and plump your skin’s texture. Collagen injections are frequently used to fill out wrinkles and may improve the appearance of scars. In addition to those uses, collagen injections are a common way to plump the lips for a fuller, sexier appearance.

What Should I Expect from a Collagen Treatment?

Because the most common side effects of collagen treatments stem from allergic reactions, the cosmetic surgeon will usually perform a skin test a few weeks before you receive any collagen injections. If you don’t have an allergic reaction, which are rare, you’ll schedule an appointment with your Fort Lauderdale cosmetic surgeon for the procedure. During the treatment, he’ll use a very fine needle to inject tiny amounts of collagen into your skin along the edges of the treatment area. You should be able to return to your regular activities within a few hours after receiving the injections.

How Long Will Collagen Treatments Take?

Collagen injections may take as little as a few minutes to as much as an hour depending on how large the treatment area is. The procedure will usually be done at the doctor’s office in Fort Lauderdale. Collagen treatments generally don’t involve any hospitalization or general anesthesia.

Do Collagen Injections Hurt?

The collagen is mixed with lidocaine, an anesthetic, so you should experience very little pain. If you’re still uncomfortable, you can ask the doctor to apply a topical anesthetic to numb the area so that you don’t feel the pin pricks at all.

What Should I Expect After Receiving Collagen Treatments?

You’ll see the difference in your skin almost immediately after your treatments. There may be a little bruising or swelling, depending on the extent of the injections, but it will disappear within a day or two. The effects of the collagen treatment, however, can last as long as six months, depending on your age, skin type and daily activities.

If you want to look more youthful with minimal pain and few side effects, contact a Fort Lauderdale collagen treatments specialist to schedule a consultation and learn more about how this minimally invasive procedure can make you look younger.

South Florida Tummy Tuck Options: Are You a Good Candidate?

If you want to hit the beach this summer in South Florida, tummy tuck surgery could be just what you need to look spectacular in your new bathing suit. Not everyone is a candidate for tummy tuck surgery, though. Read on to find out if a tummy tuck is the right choice to lift your stomach and help you achieve that sleek profile.

What Is A Tummy Tuck?

A tummy tuck, also called an abdomenectomy, is a surgical procedure that tightens your abdominal muscles and removes skin and fat around your abdomen. It carries all the risk of any other major surgery. The recovery time for a tummy tuck is about three weeks.

Who Is a Good Candidate for a Tummy Tuck?

Tummy tucks are designed to correct loose abdominal skin and weak abdominal muscles. If you have a saggy tummy, you may be a good candidate for a tummy tuck. Pregnancy often leaves women with loose skin around the abdomen and/or weakened muscles and extra fat. In South Florida, tummy tuck surgery may be part of a mommy makeover for women whose bellies haven’t quite bounced back after a pregnancy.

Skin loses its elasticity as you age. Add gravity, and in some women, the results are a saggy belly. A tummy tuck can pull up the loose skin and tighten the underlying muscles to reduce the sagginess.

Women who lose a lot of weight quickly, either through bariatric surgery or through a strict diet and fitness regimen, often end up with loose, hanging skin that can only be repaired through tummy tuck surgery.

You may not be a good candidate for a tummy tuck if you are planning to have more children or if you have a large amount of fat around your belly and abdomen.

If you fit into any of those categories, an abdomenoplasty may be right for you. Only a cosmetic surgeon who routinely performs tummy tucks can tell you for sure. If you’re considering a tummy tuck, schedule an appointment for a consultation with a certified South Florida tummy tuck surgeon. The surgeon will assess all of the important factors, including skin elasticity, degree of stretch marks, muscle tone and type of belly fat and determine whether a tummy tuck is the right surgery for you.

Understand Collagen Treatments Before Your Appointment with a South Florida Cosmetic Surgeon

Collagen treatments can make you look younger by plumping wrinkles and providing padding under your skin that’s lost as you age. If you’ve made an appointment with a South Florida cosmetic surgeon to discuss collagen injections, understanding the process before you go can help you ask important questions so that you make the right choices in treatment options.

Collagen Treatment Facts

Cosmetic surgeons inject collagen, usually Zyderm or Zyplast, into the skin at fine wrinkles, around the lips to refirm them and define their shape, or into deeper wrinkles or acne scars to help reduce their appearance. Zyderm and Zyplast are derived from purified bovine collagen. Because there’s a chance of an allergic reaction, your surgeon will do an allergy test about a month before your first injection. The symptoms of an allergy to bovine collagen can take up to a month to appear. If you’ve had no symptoms during that month, you’ll come in for an appointment for the actual treatment.

Zyderm I is most suitable for very fine wrinkles. For deeper wrinkles or scars, your surgeon may use Zyderm II, which contains twice as much collagen. Zyplast is the strongest formulation, and is usually reserved for deep wrinkles, severe scarring and for plumping lips.

Other options for collagen injections include Cosmoderm and Cosmoplast, made from human collagen. Because there’s no danger of an allergy with these, there’s no need for an allergy test. Evolence, made from porcine collagen, is used for deep wrinkles and scarring. It appears to be associated with less bruising, and the treatments may last nearly twice as long as other types of collagen.

The typical appointment for collagen injections take 15 to 30 minutes, depending on how many areas your surgeon is treating. In most cases, you’ll be able to leave the office immediately and continue with your normal day with no ill effects. You might feel a slight stinging or burning at the injection site, and there may be a little temporary swelling. Other than that, there are few untoward side effects for a collagen injection that is done properly.

You can expect the results of your collagen treatment to last 3 to 6 months, though it varies from person to person. If you don’t receive another treatment to maintain the effects, your body will naturally absorb the collagen. Evolence injections last about 6 months, and some evidence from Europe suggests that the effects may last as much as a year.

The average price for collagen treatments nationally is about $400. To learn more about local prices, contact a Fort Lauderdale cosmetic surgeon for information.