You Can Improve Your Sun-Damaged Skin With Laser Treatments

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

As Tattoos Become Increasingly Popular, Tattoo Removal Follows Suit

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

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

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

Plastic Surgery Procedures Can Help After Significant Weight Loss

People who have lost significant amount of weight can easily be frustrated by the appearance of excess redundant skin. Significant weight loss is becoming much more common due to the growing number of weight loss operations that are becoming increasingly popular. Just as some women have excess abdominal skin after one or more pregnancies, many patients who undergo these wight loss operations have excess skin in the areas of weight loss. This can occur in any area that was affected, including the neck, breasts, arms, back, abdominal wall, hips, and legs. Just as excess weight gain, or breast deformities and a large bulbous nose can affect one's self esteem, self confidence and self image, the loose hanging skin left after significant weight loss can also have these same effects.

There are several plastic surgery procedures that are helpful in treating these issues. A neck or a face lift can reduce the excess folds of skin around the face or neck; a breast lift procedure can be extended to the sides and back to help eliminate excess skin in those areas; an abdominoplasty surgery procedure is frequently required as well. Techniques that were originally meant to rejuvenate the upper arms can be used to eliminate any excess skin that may occur following significant weight loss. Similarly, thigh lifts can be used to tone and improve the appearance of the legs. When one is considering plastic surgery procedures after significant weight loss, that person should always consult with a plastic surgeon and discuss your expectations of the results, and devise a custom tailored surgical plan designed specifically for you and your needs.

What Is Liposuction Surgery, and How Can It Help Me?

Liposuction is a cosmetic surgery procedure that helps to sculpt the body by removing excess fat from specific areas of the body. Through a small incision, a slim tube is inserted through the incision to remove the fat layer that lies deep beneath the skin. The cannula is then inserted and moved through the fat layer, breaking up the fat cells and suctioning them through a vacuum pump or a large syringe. Liposuction surgery is not a substitute for dieting and exercise, but it can help with the stubborn areas of fat that do not seemt o be affected by normal weight loss methods.

Good candidates for a liposuction procedure are people who are within 30% of their ideal weight and have firm, elastic skin with pockets of excess fat in certain areas. You should be realistic about your expectations and in good physical and mental health. Individuals with certain medical conditions may not be suitable candidates for liposuction surgery - check with your plastic surgeon if you have such a medical condition.

A Great Body Can't Always Be Achieved By Diet and Exercise Alone

Body Shaping A great body can't always be achieved by diet and exercise alone. Everyone desires to be in the best shape possible. That's why body contouring surgery continues to increase at a dramatic rate. With your plastic surgeon's vision, liposuction, abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) or body lift surgery can be life-altering procedures that improve your body shape and form.

A beautiful body can significantly contribute to a feeling of youth and vibrancy. Body sculpting procedures give amazing results and your body can have a wonderful new shape. Being confident about your body makes you feel good about yourself. There's a perfect form of body sculpting surgery for every part of your body that you're dissatisfied with. A plastic surgeon can sculpt your body with contours that you thought were gone forever. Once you've decided that you want a tighter, sleeker silhouette, the only other decision that you'll have to make is which slinky dress you'll want to slip into.

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

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

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

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

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

Reshaping the Chin and Upper Neck

The chin, jaw line and upper neck play a vital role in your facial appearance
When we think about what makes an attractive face, we often consider the beauty of the eyes, the curve of the brows, the size and angle of the nose, or the shape of the lips. We may not focus as specifically on the chin and the jaw line, yet these features are, in fact, an important part of the skeletal framework that defines our facial appearance.

For a woman, a well-defined jaw line that is slightly curved contributes to attractive facial proportions. A delicate but adequately projecting chin generally is the ideal of feminine beauty. For a man, somewhat greater chin projection combined with a more angular jaw line is perceived as conveying a strong, masculine appearance.

For both women and men, the transition from the jaw line to the upper neck should be a "clean," smooth line without excess fat or sagging skin. Unfortunately, the jaw line is one of the first areas to show early signs of aging, losing its youthful angles and definition. Heredity, as well as age, often plays a role in aesthetic problems of the lower face. Younger patients may be dissatisfied with a recessive, or "weak," chin, a chin that is too long relative to their other facial proportions, or excess fatty tissue underneath the chin. Plastic surgery can help solve all these problems, either by restoring lost facial contours or creating new contours in better harmony with your other facial features.