Lips are one of the most important features that characterize your face. Lips should be in harmony with other features of your face such as nose, cheeks, eyes, eyebrows, chin and teeth. Plump and youthful lips are the symbol of beauty and a window to a tantalizing smile. As we age, movement of the mouth causes softness, loss of lip volume, and vertical lines can develop. These changes you look less attractive and aged. Lip Filling or Lip Augmentation can help you in attaining fuller lips that will add a sensuous appeal to your face.
Even for men, these subtle lip edge changes can take away what makes a masculine youthful appearance. Appropriate lip edge treatment restores these changes. However, it is important to educate yourself about the precautions to be taken and risks involved in a lip filling procedure before taking the plunge. Let’s talk about some important facts related to lip filling:
Who Is Eligible For Lip Filling?
Adults who are in good health and have naturally thin lips, a decrease in lip volume due to age, and those interested in fuller lips. Prior scaring or lip procedures can be improved with lip filling.
The Most Common Lip Filling Techniques
The widely accepted techniques for lip filling are:
• Injectable Lip Fillers
• Fat Transfer
• Lip Implants
Injectable Lip Fillers
The safest technique for lip augmentation is injecting hyaluronic acid or collagen based fillers, which provide pleasing results that last for four to 12 months. The results achieved by injectable lip fillers are temporary because the body eventually absorbs the filler. Some of the reliable fillers for temporary lip augmentation are Restylane®, Perlane®, Hylaform®‚ and Juvederm®. Lip augmentation with injectable fillers that result in temporary lip augmentation is a less time consuming procedure that is carried out under local anesthesia and delivers immediate results. Although longer lasting lip edge treatment is desirable, permanent fillers are generally not recommended in the lip because of the risk of nodularity along the lip edge. So fillers like Bio-Alcamid ®, or Artefill® which are designed to last a very long time in the tissues or be permanent, are generally not recommended in the lip.
Even though this is a low risk procedure, your reaction to treatment will depend on the type of filler and your ability to heal. Mild side effects related to lip fillers include redness, bruising, swelling, minor discomfort, tenderness, and much less commonly, infection. With proper precautions and care, these side effects can be minimized, and will fade within a few days. Allergies to these products can occur even if you have been successful treated with a particular product in the past. Unwanted fullness following a treatment can easily be adjusted with any of the hyaluronic acid fillers, which is why these have rapidly become the number one choice for lip augmentation.
Fat Transfer
Lip augmentation with fat transfer involves removing fat from one area of the body, usually the abdomen or the thighs with the help of liposuction. This fat is subsequently injected it into the lips with the help of a syringe. As only the body’s natural tissue is used, rejection or allergic reaction does not occur. The results are longer lasting with 50 to 60% of the transferred fat surviving to provide permanent augmentation. Depending on surgeon’s and patient’s preferences lip filling with fat transfer is performed under local anesthesia or a general anesthesia. Fat does need to be harvested from another site on the body, often the abdomen or flanks and healing is also needed at this site.
The side effects may include infection, bruising, swelling, and minor discomfort. Bruising typically is present for 2 weeks. This procedure, like all lip services requires a high degree of expertise and finesse because the fat needs to be injected to shape the lip. Care also needs to be taken that the fat cells do not die during the fat transfer. Lip fat transfer can be very helpful in establishing basic lip volume. However, lip fat transfer lacks the level of precision that can be achieved with the lip filler products like Restylane®. Once the transferred fat has achieved a blood supply, the volume is retained on a long term basis. Some offices freeze fat for later use. Evidence suggests that the freezing process damages the fat cells and volume persists after the use of frozen fat cell long as long as it takes the body to reabsorb these cells.
Lip Implants
Lip implants provide permanent lip augmentation. In the lip implantation technique the surgeon makes small incisions on the lips to accommodate the implant. To ensure that the lip implant is placed correctly for an even and natural result, the surgeon creates a fine tunnel through the lips. After inserting the implant in the lips, it is trimmed according to the length of the lips and the incisions are sealed. SoftForm, e-PTFE (generic replacement for Gore-Tex® which is no longer made for the lips) and AlloDerm® are the three popular types of implants used for permanent lip augmentation. It is important to consult an expert cosmetic surgeon to understand which lip implant is right for you.
Some of the risks associated with permanent lip augmentation include implant rejection, infection, implant migration, scarring, and stiffness of the lips. The main benefit of permanent lip augmentation is that it provides longer-lasting results than temporary fillers, which are eventually absorbed into the body. Although the effect of fuller lips is permanent with lip implants than with injections, lip implants carry a higher risk of scarring or lumping of the lips. Also lip implants lack the level of precision that can be achieved with the use of lip fillers. These risks can occur with highly qualified surgeons. It is important to discuss with your surgeon the best choices that are right for you. Many find that filling the lips to be an excellent alternative to surgical lip augmentation with and implant or even fat transfer.
How Do You Prepare Yourself for Lip Filling?
There is a possibility of an allergic reaction to any of the fillers that are used for lip filling. However, the risk is the lowest with the hyaluronic acid fillers. It is your responsibility to report to your surgeon, any pre-existing allergies or respiratory problems which could be compounded due to anesthesia. It is crucial to choose a professional facial plastic surgeon that uses only FDA approved lip augmentation products and guides you in choosing the right cosmetic procedure that is ideal and safe for you.
How Do I Choose The Right Cosmetic Surgeon For Lip Filling?
The most important step to take before undergoing a lip filling treatment is to choose the right cosmetic surgeon. Extensive research performed to identify your potential cosmetic surgeon is very helpful. Is your surgeon board certified in one of the core aesthetic specialities: Dermatology, Oculoplastic Surgery, Facial Plastic surgery, or General plastic surgery? Does you surgeon have hospital privileges at a University based hospital? There is a big difference between surgeons who operate at Major University centers and those who confine themselves to community hospitals. Does you surgeon publish scientific papers, teach other surgeons, and lecture? Does your doctor have medical malpractice insurance to cover the procedures you are considering? These are helpful clues to assist you in identifying a cosmetic surgeon of the highest caliber to assist you in achieving your goals.
October 26, 2009
Lip Filling – Important Facts To Consider Before You Decide To Have Fuller Lips
October 20, 2009
Facial Fillers: A Solution to Non-Surgical Cosmetic Treatment
Twenty years ago, the only solution for removing the classic signs of aging like wrinkles, sagging skin, under eye hollows, and thin lips was going under the knife or hardcore chemical peels and laser. But today, a range of facial fillers can be injected to smooth out those facial lines, enhance lips, treat nasolabial folds, and remove furrows between the brows, taking years off the face to bring back that youthful look. What makes injecting facial fillers so attractive? Facial Fillers also known as “dermal fillers” or “injectables” offer a cosmetic treatment that is minimally invasive with little or no recovery time. Injecting fillers has become the most popular way to solve anti-aging problems in a non-surgical manner. With so many types of dermal fillers available today, choosing the right one can be overwhelming. The following sections provide useful information about some of the most widely used fillers.
What are the Main Ingredients That Constitute These Facial Fillers?
Most of the commonly used fillers are derived from Collagen or Hyaluronic acid. Collagen is a naturally occurring protein in mammals that is used to create injectable fillers that are either bovine-derived, porcine or human-derived. Bovine-derived collagen is extracted from the tissue of cows that have been raised in consistently monitored, disease-free environment. The Allergan, Inc. Zyderm® and Zyplast® product is produced from highly purified collagen collected from a closed herd of cattle. As there is a 3-8 percent chance of an allergic reaction to bovine collagen, an allergy test is required prior to undergoing treatment with this filler. The source of human-derived collagen products varies. However, the most popular of these products, Cosmoplast® and Cosmoderm® from Allergan, Inc., is sources from cultured human fibroblast cells that have been maintain in tissue culture for 10 years. These cells are the source of other human derived products used to treated burn victims and have an excellent safety record. A pre-treatment allergy test is not necessary with the human derived collagen products. Evolence® is the latest collagen product produced from porcine collagen with a useful life in the face of about a year. The longevity of collagen injections depend on patient’s lifestyle, physical characteristics, and the part of the body treated. Collagen is observed to disappear faster in areas that are directly affected by muscle movement. Only a professional doctor can help you to determine the right period required for retreatment to maintain the results.
Hyaluronic acid is a type of polysaccharide called a glycosaminoglycan. Also known as hyaluronan or hyaluronate, hyaluronic acid occurs naturally in the human body and is central to regulating cell growth and renewal. Hyaluronic acid is non-immunogenic, which means the body doesn’t consider it as a foreign substance, thus minimizing the chance of an allergic reaction. While allergies to these products do occur, allergy testing is not recommended do the low incidence of allergies to these products. Dermal fillers that contain hyaluronic acid offer a soft natural look and also have great longevity. Hyaluronic acid fillers have an added advantage in that they can be manipulated even long after a treatment using the enzyme hyaluronidase. The results are like have surgery but the magic wand was an office procedure and a treatment comfortably placed with tiny injections.
The Most Popular Facial Fillers
Restylane ®
Known as one of the most effective and popular fillers, Restylane dermal gel composed of hyaluronic acid. The non-animal biodegradable filler adds volume to the skin treating under eye hollow and dark circles. It smooths facial folds and wrinkles in areas surrounding the eyes and mouth. The effects of this filler easily last for a year or more depending on factors like age and skin type, and the initial treatment volume.
Juvederm ™
This injectable gel is the first FDA-approved hyaluronic acid dermal filler which restores your skin’s volume and addresses moderate to severe the facial folds, like “smile lines” or nasolabial folds. This filler is made up of cross-linked hyaluronic acid and effects last for an average of 6 months. Other hyaluronic acid fillers are granular in nature, but the smooth consistency of Juvederm ™ allows the injection to be administered with relative ease. Due to the enhanced ability of this product to flow in the face, it is best to discuss with your treating physician where this product will work best.
Perlane®
Another hyaluronic acid based filler – Perlane, with larger molecules and large concentration of hyaluronic acid, making it more effective to treat deeper wrinkles and larger folds. Though it is only FDA approved to last up to 12 months, it has found to be longer-lasting than Restylane ®. This product is the best of the hyaluronic volumizers for deeper lines or more active points of facial movement.
Botox ®
This facial injectable is made from Botulinum Toxin Type A and designed to eliminate facial wrinkles. It commonly treats areas like frown lines between the eyebrows, “crow’s feet,” and creases on the forehead. It primarily addresses the periocular region and its effects last up to 6 months. While Botox is not a filler, it is often used in combination with fillers to achieve results that previously could only be accomplished with surgery.
Zyplast® and Zyderm®
The first collagen based fillers approved by the FDA are made of purified bovine-derived collagen and are used to enhance facial contour and reduce fine lines and deep wrinkles. Zyderm® subtly smooths crow’s feet or fine lines around the lips. Zyplast® is used to treat deeper folds such as brow wrinkles or frown lines, and provides volume and contouring to your face. The longevity of this product is limited compared to the new hyaluronic acid fillers. The product contains local anesthetic making quite comfortable for lip edge treatment. Prior testing is needed to screen for potential allergies before actual treatment.
Radiesse ®
Formerly known as Radiance, Radiesse is made of calcium-based microspheres, the same component of bones and teeth. The filler stimulates the body to produce new collagen around the microspheres, which makes it last longer. It is utilized to correct moderate to severe wrinkles and contour the facial features. Radiesse® filler is the first FDA-approved one-year dermal filler that restores and corrects the signs of facial lipoatrophy in patients with HIV. Initially the manufacture claimed longevity of 5 to 8 years, however, clinical experience suggests that this product lasts 12-18 months when used as a facial filler.
ArteFill®
ArteFill® which is known as Artecoll® outside of United States is a dermal filler that offers longer lasting results than other cosmetic filler injections. It is made of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) microspheres that are suspended in bovine collagen and is mainly used to treat static facial lines, enlarge lips, fill in facial imperfections, and diminish nasolabial folds. It not only acts as a dermal filler, but its microspheres also stimulate the body to produce its own collagen. As the injected collagen slowly degrades naturally, the newly produced collagen replaces it. This leads to long-lasting, almost permanent results. Due to a tendency to form lumps, the product is not recommended for lip or lower eyelid treatment.
Silicone oil
Silicone oil has only one FDA approved indication for use in the repair of complex retinal detachments. This material finds its way into off label use as a medical grade facial filler. However, silicone oil has a number of side effects. Consequently it is not advisable to use liquid silicone for facial filler. Silicone oil is occasionally used by non-medical injectors for illegally black market treatment. Often the silicone oil used is not medical grade but rather industrial silicone oil, which was never intended for the human body. There have been deaths from these types of illegal treatments.
Benefits and Risks Involved in Injecting Facial Fillers
The biggest advantage of these fillers is that they do not require any invasive surgery and require little recovery time. While the results of fillers do not last forever, their longevity is sufficient to offer a practical alternative to surgery. In many case, the result of filler service can be better than what can be accomplished with actual surgery. Periodic top off allows the effects of service to be maintained. Side effects like bruising, swelling, lumpy firmness, and tenderness are seen in 5% of treatments. The incidence of allergic reaction varies with the products used and should be discussed with the treating physician.
Before undergoing an anti-aging treatment, it is important to consult a well-qualified and a board certified cosmetic surgeon, to help you to understand which FDA-approved filler is the best for you.
October 5, 2009
Cosmetic Surgery – 5 Things Moms Should Be Aware Of Before Taking The Plunge.
Your life as a Mom can get extremely demanding with every ounce of your energy invested in taking care of your little ones, leaving no time for yourself. Let’s face it; accepting the changes in your body during pregnancy or post pregnancy is tough and it’s not unnatural to contemplate cosmetic surgery to revive your pre-pregnancy look that you miss so much. Before you consider cosmetic surgery, it is extremely important to understand which cosmetic treatment is the best and the safest for you at a holistic level.
In a world that is filled with million choices for cosmetic procedures and just as many opinions, the following points address some of the most common concerns related to cosmetic surgery for Moms and guide them to do what is right.
1. Thinking about BOTOX® or Restylane® While Pregnant?
It is not advisable to have cosmetic surgery or services like BOTOX® or Restylane® if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. Despite this warning, Moms are occasionally tempted to undergo these treatments. A small study was conducted on women who received BOTOX® treatment and discovered later that they were pregnant. Although, there were no problems reported with their pregnancies, the use of BOTOX® during pregnancy or breast-feeding period and its effects on the developing fetus cannot be assured as safe. The use of BOTOX® in these circumstances is recommended only for medically critical issues in which the potential benefits that are derived from the treatment, outweigh the risks involved.
Even in case of fillers like Restylane® or Perlane®, there haven’t been any medical tests or studies conducted that will assure the safety of using these fillers during pregnancy or the breast-feeding period. The general consensus is to wait until after the pregnancy is complete. If you are planning for additional pregnancies, it is important to consider these time frames – the effects of BOTOX® and Dysport® are likely to last for 4 to 6 months. The effects of injecting fillers like Restylane® and Perlane® can last 12 to 24 months.
2. Why Are You Seeking Cosmetic Surgery?
This answer to this question could be at a deeper, psychological level. Some people turn to cosmetic surgery to conquer their insecurities. An insecure attachment style can be the source of the problem.
The bond with a mother and a child stimulates the growth and development in a child. The quality of this attachment plays a crucial role in the way in which the child’s personality is shaped. If infants are deprived of adequate love and attention in the first 24 months, the attachment style of the infant is affected and can result in an insecure attachment style. Insecurely attached children grow up to be insecurely attached adults. Studies have shown that these individuals suffer from a fear that their partner will abandon them and often resort to cosmetic treatments to get over their insecurity.
The presence of an insecure attachment style increases the risk of postpartum depression and also increases the risk of persistent depression. It is difficult to gain clarity of these issues and the patients tend to be in denial, by not acknowledging these problems roots of which, are at a deeper level and not the physical level. Cosmetic surgery does not fix the psychological issues. It is important to seek professional help to fight depression and undergo psychotherapy to solve the issues that are associated with an insecure attachment style.
3. How Did I Get This Muffin Top And How Do I Get Rid Of It?
Once your tummy was like a lotus blossom but now it resembles a muffin top. What on earth happened and what should you do about it? Let’s try to understand why it happened and what can be the best way to fix it.
Your obstetricians probably didn’t prepare you for the after-effect of your c-section. Their focus is the safe deliver of a healthy baby and make sure that your health is fine, and not so much how you will look in a bikini a year later. It is a common practice amongst obstetricians to place their hand on the lower tummy, just above the public bone to lift the up the tummy fat. This enables them to perform a smooth c-section incision without the obstruction of the tummy fat. This maneuver reduced the time it takes to perform the surgery. Unfortunately, at the end of the delivery when the wound is closed, the fat that was pushed up by this maneuver gets trapped above the c-section scar – hello muffin top!
The most widely circulated myth is that only a tummy tuck can fix the muffin top. In reality, a tummy tuck is not necessary to get rid of this localized fat. If your skin integrity is good, and the muscle wall was properly repaired at the time of the c-section; localized liposuction is all you need to make a vast difference. This can be done comfortably and safely in the office by a Dr. Steinsapir under local anesthesia with virtually no down time. On the other hand, if you have miles of stretched skin and a weakened stomach wall, then it is appropriate to consider a tummy tuck. Take home lesson; don’t have more surgery than you really need.
4. How to Tackle Weight Loss After Pregnancy?
Weight gain during and after pregnancy, is a natural phenomenon. However, retaining that extra weight after pregnancy is a personal choice. Cosmetic procedures like liposuction and tummy tuck do not help in weight loss. A lot of Moms take care of everyone else in their family, but neglect their own health. Simple exercises like going for a walk with your baby in a stroller or exercising to a video workout when your baby is napping, can help you to keep your weight in control. A healthy, balanced diet and regular exercise will help you in losing all those extra pounds. The key is to be consistent. Also, there are several studies that show that that breastfeeding helps to shed some of the weight gained during pregnancy.
Now, let’s talk about one of the most widely accepted cosmetic methods – Liposuction. It is critical to understand that liposuction does not cause weight loss. It is not a quick fix for your weight problem. Liposuction is a body sculpting mechanism and not a weight reduction procedure. Liposuction improves your silhouette by getting rid of the fat that is localized to only certain areas of the body. It is good for removing fat from areas like thighs, hips, abdomen, face, neck, and arms. Removing fat from these problem areas will result in a better, more pleasing silhouette.
The amount of fat that your body carries is only determined by what you eat and how much you exercise. Liposuction is great if you have stable weight and a limited number of problem areas, which persist despite following a healthy diet and a regular exercise regime. The fat removed will eventually find its way back into the body but it will be more evenly distributed, retaining the contouring effect of liposuction in the problem areas for a long period.
5. How Do I Choose The Right Cosmetic Surgeon?
A well qualified cosmetic surgeon should be board certified in one of four fields: general plastic surgery, facial plastic surgery, ophthalmology, or dermatology. Ophthalmologists should be fellowship trained in oculoplastic surgery and should be affiliated with the American Society for Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
Dermatologists should have additional fellowship training in dermatologic surgery or cosmetic surgery. Additionally, the best qualified surgeons have gone on to do additional fellowship training in cosmetic surgery. Your surgeon should have hospital privileges and medical malpractice insurance for the procedures they perform. A teaching affiliation with a medical school establishes that the surgeon is academically respected in their community.
Also look to see that your potential doctor lectures other surgeons, publishes and establish new procedures like Dr. Steinsapir.
Most state medical boards publish physician profiles on their website. It is a public platform to find out information about your doctor including any lawsuit settlements, board actions or any other issues regarding your doctor. Many practice websites post the resume of the surgeon. It is a bad sign if you can’t figure out what your doctor was trained in. Ethical doctors will always be very proud of their training. Be wary of doctors that offer services which are completely unrelated to their training. For example, radiologists and anesthesiologists who offer cosmetic services like liposuction, or family practitioners who offer non-surgical office based cosmetic services.
It is worth stating that not everything you read on the Internet is trust worthy. The Lifestyle Lift® is a good example. This firm heavily promotes their facelift procedure that promises immediate effects and a fast recovery. However, the Attorney General of the State of New York, Andrew Cuomo, in July 2009 settled a lawsuit against this firm for $300,000. It seems that employees faked a flood of positive reviews on the Internet.
In addition to providing unique personal service to his patients, Dr. Steinsapir also regularly contributes to Realself.com, a website that puts consumers in direct contact with plastic surgeons for straight answers about cosmetic surgery. He also volunteer his time once a month as a surgeon at the Harbor/UCLA Medical Center, one the Los Angeles County Hospitals that provides the best possible care to the public without regard to the ability to pay for services. Contact Dr. Steinsapir today for a consultation tailored to your needs.
October 1, 2009
The Straight Talk About Liposuction
At times the “The Battle of the Bulge” becomes extremely challenging to conquer, despite regular exercise and a healthy diet. Liposuction is an effective cosmetic procedure that addresses the excessive fat that gets accumulated in certain areas of your body, which is difficult to remove by natural means.
The areas that commonly concern women include the inner and outer thighs, inner knees, stomach, and flanks. In men the common areas of concern are the love handles, stomach, and flanks. Less common areas include the tail of the breast in women and the breast area in men. Liposuction is one of the most popular cosmetic procedures. However, it is essential to understand what liposuction can and can’t accomplish. How liposuction is performed, and what factors contribute to make liposuction unsafe.
Even though liposuction is one of the most widely performed cosmetic methods, there remains a lot of confusion about the best way to perform liposuction and when it should be performed. Dr. Steinsapir, a renowned Eye Plastic and Cosmetic Surgeon in Los Angeles and Beverley Hills, provides his input on liposuction by presenting the following valuable facts…
Liposuction: Not a Quick Fix for Your Weight Problem
Liposuction is a body sculpting technique and not a weight reduction procedure. Liposuction improves your silhouette by getting rid of the fat that is localized to only certain areas of the body. As such, the surgery is best for individuals with stable weight. If you regularly yo-yo in weight more than 15 pounds, then liposuction is probably not right for you.
It is a misconception to think that you will lose weight from liposuction. You will not. While fat is removed from the body surgically, the swelling that follows usually more than compensates for the fat removed. The reality is that only two things determine our weight: How much we eat and how much we metabolize.
It is completely normal to regain the fat that has been removed, but due to the sculpting of the body with liposuction the fat that returns is more evenly distributed over the entire body, rather than getting disproportionately re-deposited in the problem areas. Your body weight primarily depends on two factors, the quantity and quality of the food that you consume and your metabolic rate. The only way to lose weight is to increase your metabolism by regular exercise and follow a healthy diet. No form of liposuction will cause you to weigh less.
Tumescent Liposuction: The Safest Liposuction Technique
Pure Tumescent Liposuction under local anesthesia is the safest technique to eliminate those stubborn fat cells. Widely acclaimed for his minimally invasive treatments, Dr. Steinsapir practices tumescent liposuction in Los Angeles because it causes minimal tissue trauma, nearly no blood loss, and a fast recovery. To execute this procedure, Dr. Steinsapir uses a dilute local anesthetic, which is infiltrated gradually into the fatty areas, and the fat is removed by micro-cannulas or very small cannulas. A microcannula takes out smaller amounts of fat with each pass offering a highly refined method to control how fat is sculpted.
Liposuction: Under General Anesthesia or Local Anesthesia?
The major difference between liposuction under general anesthesia and local anesthesia is safety. Liposuction under general anesthesia is much more profitable for the surgeon than doing liposuction under tumescent local anesthesia. The same liposuction that can be done in 45 minutes under general anesthesia may take about 3 hours to perform under local anesthesia. This means that surgeons who do liposuction under general anesthesia can do 3 times the number of cases in the same time frame. This is why liposuction is still performed this way.
However, you pay a huge price for your doctor’s convenience. The death rate due to liposuction under a general anesthesia has been estimated as 1 in 5000 cases, which is alarmingly high. Compare with the death rate associated liposuction under a local anesthesia, which is estimated as 1 in 500,000. This proves that liposuction performed under local anesthesia is much safer than performed under general anesthesia.
There are additional benefits for doing liposuction under local anesthesia. For one, with much few drugs in your system, you recover much faster. Instead of being hung over for days with a general anesthesia, you feel very much yourself the next day. There is far less trauma with liposuction under local anesthesia. The reasons for this are straightforward. When you are under general anesthesia, surgeons tend to do very aggressive liposuction with larger cannulas. This means that you are severely beaten up during surgery. It can take 6 to 8 weeks before the body recovers from this type of trauma. Blood loss can be so severe that a blood transfusion and hospitalization are needed. Not so with tumescent liposuction under local anesthesia. Liposuction is done with very small micro-cannulas and a pace that is comfortable for you. This means much less trauma, much more rapid recovery, and minimal blood loss. Hospitalization and blood transfusions are not reported in large studies of this technique. Most people return to their work out in two days with some soreness.
Laser Liposuction vs. No Laser
Laser based liposuction systems are being touted in marketing as the greatest thing since sliced toast. The marketing proposition is very compelling: lasers are sexy. It is practically a sure fired sales pitch. It works equally well on doctors and the public. However, think about another laser service: CO2 laser resurfacing. This has been and continues to be a huge disaster for the public. There are literally thousands of women out there with scarred or depigmented faces out there. Even after these complications were recognized and there was a public backlash, docs were out their performing these awful procedures. The reason was simple. Once you sign a 6 year lease or buy these very expensive machines, every one coming into your office has to be pushed into the service whether it is right for them or not. I know one doc who tells his patients that their faces will be depigmented by the service and there will be a line between where the face was treated and the neck skin where treatment stopped. At least he is honest about what this treatment does.
We are seeing a similar type of hype with the laser based liposuction machines with unrealistic before and after pictures. Typically these show a flabby stomach in the before and a rock hard etched 6-pack stomach in the after picture. Sure, this could be the same person but it is impossible that the only difference was laser liposuction. Try laser liposuction plus a carbohydrate free diet, hundreds of hours in the gym, and a little photoshop. Again, these machines cost over a hundred thousand dollars. Once a doc buys the machine, everyone is going to be pushed into this procedure. There is no evidence that the device is better than tumescent liposuction or any other form of liposuction. The incisions needed to insert these devices under the skin are larger than those needed for the microcannulas. The bottom line here is that you will be bearing the expensive of this pricy machine with no evidence that it is any better that pure tumescent liposuction under the safety of local anesthesia.
Liposuction: The After-Effects
It is common to experience a lumpy firmness after liposuction due to the inflammation caused by the surgery in the fatty areas. This inflammation gradually subsides in 4-6 weeks, as the body begins to heal from the surgery. Due to long term remodeling of the fat, the body continues to improve over a period of 4 to 6 months. It is common to experience soreness and bruising after the procedure. Generally most people take two or three days off from work and return to their work out in two days. Compression garments are provide with the procedures and are used for 5 to 6 days. Compare this with other liposuction techniqueswere compression garments need to be worn for 6 to 8 weeks.
Contact Dr. Steinsapir today for a Liposuction consultation and discussion that is perfectly tailored to your needs, concerns and desires.