Are You a Poor Candidate for Liposuction?
If you have diet- and exercise-resistant fat that just won’t go away, you may be considering liposuction. And why not? It’s a great solution.
Then again, it’s not ideal for everyone. (But what is?) There are a handful of reasons that a board-certified plastic surgeon might recommend avoiding this procedure.
If you’re now wondering whether YOU’RE a poor candidate for liposuction, we’ll look at four distinct reasons you may be steered in a different direction.
What Makes a Poor Candidate for Liposuction?
For a great many patients, liposuction is a godsend. And you may well be one of those people for whom this procedure would be seriously beneficial.
But you can expect any plastic surgeon worth his or her salt to address certain issues to first ensure that it’s a good option for you. If you have any of the following, liposuction may not be advised for you:
- Poor Skin Elasticity/History of Scarring
Let’s face it. The younger you are, the more elastic your skin is. Generally speaking. Since liposuction involves removing fat, the skin that was over that fat needs to spring back to deliver the contoured look. Otherwise, you’ll be left with loose skin that will make the area look deflated.
In addition, if you tend to develop raised scars (known as keloid scars) easily after an injury, you may be advised against liposuction. Especially if the incision site is in an obvious place. Patients who struggle with keloid scars are often genetically predisposed to them.
- Excess Fat
It might seem counterintuitive that you wouldn’t be able to get liposuction if you have a lot of excess fat. The reality is, there is such an increased risk of complications from high volume liposuctions, they’re not allowed in many states. This is based on studies of post-operative liposuction patients.
In fact, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons recommends the removal of no more than five liters of fat and fluid in a procedure. Thus, your plastic surgeon may ask you to get closer to your target weight before having liposuction.
- BMI That’s Too High or Low
There’s so much that your body mass index (BMI) doesn’t accurately tell a plastic surgeon. This is mostly because it doesn’t differentiate between muscle mass and body fat. Even so, it still does play a baseline diagnostic role in the surgeon’s decision to perform liposuction.
Similar to patients with excess fat, those with a high BMI are also likely to experience more complications. Because of this, the vast majority of surgeons won’t operate on patients with a BMI higher than 35, with some capping off at 30.
It’s not just those with a high BMI who are poor candidates for liposuction though. If you have an unusually low BMI, you may also be strongly discouraged from the procedure. This is because liposuction areas should have a pinch thickness of at least two centimeters to lessen the risk of leaving indentations or other regularities on the skin.
- Certain Underlying Conditions
If you’re considering liposuction but you have a medical condition such as diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, etc., you may not qualify for the procedure. Many medical conditions (and the medications that go along with them) can compromise healing from surgery. The surgeon will require medical clearance from your other doctors in these cases.
In addition, although it’s not a medical condition, you’ll need to disclose whether you’re a smoker or you use tobacco or other nicotine products. This is REALLY important because if you do, you’ll have a greater risk of delayed healing, scarring, necrosis, and infection. Therefore, you’ll need to quit tobacco/nicotine use at least one month before your procedure.
There Are Always Options
If you’re a poor candidate for liposuction right now, don’t despair. In some cases, you may be a good candidate in the future.
Even if you’re not though, there are a myriad of different plastic surgery avenues you and your surgeon can explore.
So contact us today to set up your free consultation. And take heart in knowing you’ll be under the absolute best care available.
Wondering How Skin Elasticity Affects Plastic Surgery?
If you’re considering plastic surgery, you may be so focused on your desired outcome that you haven’t considered how the elasticity of your skin may affect that outcome.
But you can bet your plastic surgeon certainly has.
The fact is, skin elasticity affects plastic surgery results. Especially when it comes to liposuction. So skin elasticity is something every plastic surgeon considers when consulting with their patients.
What Is Skin Elasticity?
Do you remember the first time you pulled up some skin on the back of your hand to see how quickly it snapped back into its original shape? Given that most of us did this as children the first time, the skin snapped back quickly, right? That’s elasticity.
The skin is made up of three layers; the epidermis, the dermis, and the subcutis. The dermis is the middle layer and it contains two kinds of proteins known as elastin and collagen. They are responsible for elasticity.
If you waited until later in life to play this game though, there probably wasn’t so much a snapping back as a slow descent. As we age, the skin loses its elasticity – a condition known as elastosis. The body’s production of collagen and elastin decline. And the increasing lack of elasticity causes the skin to sag, wrinkle, or even take on a leathery appearance.
Are There Other Causes For Skin Elastosis?
As previously mentioned, age is one of the biggest perpetrators. And until the enigmatic fountain of youth is discovered, it will almost always be one of the top factors for your skin not looking or behaving as it once did.
Even so, there are other factors that play into the skin’s loss of elasticity.
Environmental and lifestyle causes can certainly accelerate it. Excessive exposure to the sun, for example, breaks down collagen and elastin fibers and causes the skin to prematurely age. Smoking is also a factor. Tobacco smoke is notorious for drying out delicate facial skin.
Finally, rapid and extensive weight gain or loss can also contribute to elastosis. The skin isn’t designed to hold a large amount of weight and then spring back when the weight quickly disappears.
How Skin Elasticity Affects Plastic Surgery
Many people come to plastic surgeons because they want to get rid of problematic fat or are looking for a sleeker, more streamlined appearance on some part of the body.
In most cases, patients under 40 still have fairly elastic skin. For them, these procedures tend to go smoothly. The skin in the treated area maintains the same tone after the procedure and is able to re-drape tightly over the contoured part.
Women under 40 who’ve gone through a single pregnancy may have reduced elasticity around the abdominal area, but it may spring back enough.
Folks under 40 who’ve experienced dramatic fluctuations in weight, however, will likely have issues with their skin not bouncing back after the procedure.
And nearly everyone over the age of 40 is going to have decreased skin elasticity to some degree. Again, those who have experienced major weight fluctuations (and/or multiple pregnancies) are going to be up against even more challenges.
So in these cases, the plastic surgeon may encourage skin excision or lift procedures instead. A tummy tuck, for instance, will remove both excess fat and sagging skin. The same goes for a thigh lift or arm lift.
For Every Problem. There’s a Solution
Now that you have a firmer (pun intended) grasp on how skin elasticity affects plastic surgery, you may be reconsidering which procedure you want.
You don’t need to think too much about it though.
Instead, contact us to set up your free consultation to talk with one of our highly skilled surgeons. He or she will clearly guide you through exactly what you need.
Skin Sensation Loss After Plastic Surgery
The age-defying and confidence-boosting results that come from plastic surgery can seem magical.
But plastic surgery isn’t a matter of “just add water and stir.” The procedures are exacting and involve the cutting and tightening of the skin. As such, the incisions can cause a temporary skin sensation loss after plastic surgery.
Don’t fret. As with any surgery, this is a normal outcome. And it’s not as scary as it may sound.
Why Is There Skin Sensation Loss After Plastic Surgery?
Think about the last time you had a wound. When you cut yourself, you may have felt pain. But if the cut was very deep, there’s a chance you didn’t notice any pain at first.
That’s because the wound broke deep enough into the skin to disturb the network of nerves that runs through your body. This network is responsible for communicating sensation from many parts of the body to your brain.
Much like that deep cut, a surgical incision also impacts that network and disrupts those communication pathways – cutting off sensation to the skin.
So What Does It Feel Like?
There’s no one-size-fits-all for how each patient experiences the loss of skin sensation. For some there may just be some numbness or dullness. Yet another person with the same surgery may experience a complete loss of feeling.
In terms of when the skin sensation returns, this also varies. For many patients, the sensation returns gradually. They might experience tingling or even zapping as the nerves heal. But then there are those who have an abrupt return of sensation.
How Long Does It Last?
The simple rule of thumb is that the more invasive the surgery, the higher your risk of losing skin sensation. Of course, there are always other factors. For example, smoking reduces oxygen in the blood and slows the healing process. So for smokers, it will take longer.
In general, however, you can expect the these outcomes from the following procedures:
- Facelift
Experiencing sensation changes after having a facelift is very common. Especially around the incision sites. While many patients start regaining sensation within three to six months, it’s possible that you may still have some lack of sensation for a year before feeling sensation again.
- Tummy Tuck
Similar to a facelift, much of the loss of skin sensation after a tummy tuck is around the incision line. The area between the incision line and the belly button may also experience loss of feeling. This typically clears up within two to six months.
- Breast Augmentation/Lift/Reduction
Breast skin usually regains feeling within two to three months after breast augmentation, lift, and/or reduction. In cases where incisions were made around the nipple, the skin sensation loss can be longer lasting than those where incisions were made under the breast or arm. Nipple sensitivity may also be impacted.
- Liposuction
Here’s the good news: loss of skin sensation is rare after liposuction when it’s done as a standalone procedure. Within a few weeks of surgery (at most) the majority of patients return to normal feeling.
Get All the Deets on Plastic Surgery
While the idea of skin sensation loss after plastic surgery can be daunting, it’s almost always temporary. And the payoff is well worth the short term inconvenience.
If you’re dubious and want reassurance from a highly qualified team of medical experts though, contact us today for your free consultation. We’ll answer all your questions to put your mind at ease.
You won’t be left in the dark for a moment about your procedure.
The Difference Between Dynamic and Static Wrinkles
Are you tired of wrinkles revealing your age? If so, you may be wondering if there are ways to achieve smoother and younger looking skin.
Of course, there are ways to lessen or even eliminate wrinkles. But not all wrinkles are the same. The first thing a board-certified plastic surgeon will determine is whether you have dynamic or static wrinkles.
Once that’s established, the proper treatment can be applied.
Why Do Wrinkles Occur?
Wrinkles are the result of, well…. living. First, you enter life right out of the womb with a certain skin type and the genetics that go with it.
From there, as you begin to truly live, your skin will encounter the sun, smoke and pollution, and dehydration. For a while, it’ll bounce back from the negative impact of these. Even so, the more exposure you have to them, the less elasticity and flexibility your skin will have to recover.
Add to these the aging process and the skin can take a serious hit with wrinkles beginning to appear on the face, neck, chest, and hands. And it could happen at a younger age than you expected.
Some of these wrinkles will be dynamic and others stable.
The Difference Between Dynamic and Static Wrinkles
As the skin becomes progressively more delicate upon aging, the surface of the skin changes shape. This can cause both static and dynamic wrinkles to form.
So what’s the difference?
Dynamic Wrinkles
Where do you see wrinkles when you look in the mirror? On the forehead or at the corners of the eyes? What about those smile lines in the mid-cheek or the frown lines between the eyebrows (known more affectionately as “elevens”)? Then there are the notorious lip lines.
Those are all examples of dynamic wrinkles. They are the result of movement – in this case the face expressing emotion such as joy, sadness, anger, and surprise. So when you smile, cry, frown, or laugh, they appear. When you’re younger, they disappear once the emotion is not being expressed and the face moves back to neutral.
However, after many years (or decades) of these repetitive movements, the skin stretches and doesn’t easily bounce back. Plus, the slowing production of elastic and collagen as we age also hinders its ability to return to its original state.
Treating Dynamic Wrinkles
Since dynamic wrinkles are caused by movement, the usual treatment for them is injectable BOTOX. It’s especially effective for relaxing and smoothing dynamic lines around the eyes, lips, and on the forehead.
It works by temporarily paralyzing the muscles beneath the skin that are the source of the movement causing these wrinkles and lines. In order to maintain results, treatments just need to be administered every 3-4 months.
Static Wrinkles
Unlike dynamic wrinkles, static wrinkles don’t go away – regardless of the expression on your face. They may be the deep lines that begin at the nose and end at the corners of the mouth, or that travel from the edge of the mouth to the jawline. The tear trough lines coming from the corner of the eyes, lateral cheek lines, and lines across the neck are also good examples.
Once a static wrinkle shows up, it will only deepen and lodge itself permanently on your face. Not a result of movement, these wrinkles occur mostly because of the loss of collagen, fat, bone thickness, and elasticity as we age. Exposure to harsh environments, cigarette smoking, poor nutrition, and genetics can exacerbate them as well.
Treating Static Wrinkles
With static wrinkles, BOTOX isn’t going to be effective because they aren’t the result of movement. So depending on how deep the line or wrinkle, the best course of action is injectable dermal fillers, PRP (platelet-rich plasma), or fat to plump the skin and help to replace the volume that’s lost during the aging process.
While they may not eliminate deep wrinkles, they can significantly lessen the appearance of them.
Get Younger Looking Skin Now
You don’t have to settle for dynamic and state wrinkles taking over your face and zapping your confidence and sense of well-being.
If you’re increasingly concerned about wrinkles, then contact us today. The sooner you address your wrinkles, the better chance you’ll have of minimizing or possibly even eliminating them.
So don’t hesitate!
The Ultimate Breast Implants Checklist
Summer’s almost here. It’s that time of year when you start showing more skin and seeing just how your body has changed over the winter. And with the pandemic, you might be noticing the impact of a couple of winters.
If you’re feeling self-conscious about filling out your bathing suit or other summer wear, this may be the year for breast augmentation surgery.
Breast implants could boost your confidence this summer. But what will be expected of you before and after the surgery? To address that, we’ve got the most complete breast implants checklist here for you.
BEFORE Pre-Surgery
Once you finally make an appointment to talk with a plastic surgeon, he or she will provide you with literature on the procedure. This can be a lot of information to absorb. There will also be an FDA-approved patient-decision checklist. The purpose of this list is to present the benefits and risks of getting implants.
The checklist covers topics such as what makes a successful breast implant candidate; situations when implants shouldn’t be used, the risks of undergoing the surgery; the importance of proper training and experience; and other options (where appropriate).
The patient-decision checklist is reviewed together by you and your surgeon.
Breast Implant Checklists
Once everything is agreed upon and you’ve decided to go ahead with the surgery, you’ll be given an opportunity to sign and initial throughout the patient-decision checklist. The checklist is then signed by your board-certified surgeon.
At that point, you’ll need to start tackling the next checklist – which is things you’ll need to do before the procedure.
Pre-Surgery
If you love a good smoke first thing in the morning or after a meal, you’ll need to get used to not having this. It’s crucial that you quit smoking a minimum of four weeks pre-op.
Also, get your work and other life affairs in order. You’ll need at least one week off from your job. Stock up on essential items and foods that are simple to make. (Soup comes to mind.) And be sure to get all of your prescriptions filled so you’ll have them after the surgery.
On the actual day of the surgery, you’ll need to wear loose clothing with a top that zips or buttons in the front. Don’t eat anything or take vitamins/medications unless instructed by the doctor. Refrain from wearing creams, lotions, or fragrances, or using hairspray on surgery day.
Finally, arrange to have a family member or friend drive you home after the surgery.
Post-Surgery
Once you arrive home, it’ll be important that you get plenty of rest to help the body heal. Keep your head and neck elevated using firm but comfortable pillows.
If you live alone, plan to have someone around who can help for at LEAST that first day back. You’ll have to avoid lifting, bending, or any sort of vigorous movement until the surgeon says it’s clear to do so.
Got hydration? If you don’t like water, now is the time to start embracing its benefits because you’ll need to drink at least eight ounces of water every two hours that first day back. Also, take your pain meds as prescribed, wear the recommended compression garments, and have ice packs ready to help with any swelling.
And be sure you have quick access to your surgeon’s contact info in case you experience any complications or just have questions.
Boost Your Confidence with Breast Implants
Now that you’ve gone over the ultimate breast implants checklist, you know exactly what to expect. So why not contact us today?
And get ready for an amazing and form-fitting summer!
How To Prepare For Your Facelift
Have you recently made the decision to get a facelift? Great! Rejuvenating your facial appearance is sure to boost your confidence and self-esteem.
There are some things you’ll need to know to prepare for your facelift though.
The absolute first step is to find a board-certified plastic surgeon who has the expertise to do the procedure to your satisfaction. Once you’ve chosen your surgeon, you can expect the following:
An Initial Consultation
Of course, having a board-certified plastic surgeon with whom your comfortable is essential. But you’ll want to be just as comfortable with the procedure you’re about to have. This is the point of the consultation.
It’s during this meeting that you and your surgeon will review your health history, current medical conditions, and any medications you may be taking. He or she will also listen to your expectations and inform you of whether they’re realistic.
You’ll have a chance to see before-and-after photos of patients who have had the procedure. Then the surgeon will tell you about treatment options, risk of complications/side effects, and what to expect from the procedure. Once it is clear that you’re a good candidate for a facelift, he or she will be clear about the cost, outcomes, anesthesia, risks, recovery and aftercare.
Prepping For The Actual Surgery
Once the consultation is complete, you’ll need to do some prep work. This includes quitting smoking at least six weeks prior to the procedure. Smoking not only increases the risk of complications, but it can also result in less than ideal results.
It’s also important during this time to get into the habit of drinking a lot of water. You want to be as hydrated as possible when the day arrives to ensure faster and more effective recovery. You’ll also need to go into your surgery without having eaten anything since the night before.
If you regularly take aspirin, NSAIDs (like Advil), or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, there will be a point when your surgeon will tell you to stop taking them.
Finally, make your home environment as comfortable as possible so that when you return from the surgery, you’ll be able to relax and heal. You’ll also want to plan to have someone drive you home and stay with your for at least 24 hours after the surgery. In addition, find someone who can perform household duties for the week following surgery so you can focus on healing.
The Morning Of The Surgery
Plan to wear a top that’s easy to get on and off – such as a zip-up hoodie. You’ll want to avoid pulling anything over your head and impacting the treatment area.
Your surgeon will give you an estimate of how long the procedure will take, but it’s typically a few hours. An anesthesiologist will be in the room throughout your surgery and constantly monitoring your vitals. When your facelift is complete, you’ll spend some time in the recovery room until you’re stable and cleared to go home.
And that’s it!
Prepare For Your Facelift
Now that you’ve made the mental commitment to this amazing procedure, it’s time to contact us for your free consultation.
With a highly experienced staff of board-certified plastic surgeons, aestheticians, and skin care specialists, we’ll go above and beyond to help you prepare for your facelift.
And you could be looking at a brighter and happier reflection in a just a few months!
Understand Your Plastic Surgery Procedure
If you’re considering surgery to correct or contour some part of your body, you may be feeling some apprehension. And that makes sense.
Whether for reconstructive or cosmetic purposes, plastic surgery does present the possibility of complications. Just like any other surgery. Even if it’s elective.
So to ensure you’re going in with as much peace of mind as possible, it’s important you understand your plastic surgery procedure. And the best way to do this is to go directly to the source: your plastic surgeon.
How to Better Understand Your Plastic Surgery Procedure
First things first – when vetting the ideal surgeon, you’ll want to ensure that yours is board certified in plastic surgery. Insist on this.
Such certification from the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) demonstrates that your surgeon is of the highest caliber. It means he or she made the effort to attain in-depth training that goes above and beyond what’s simply required. A board-certified plastic surgeon has comprehensive knowledge of the field and is committed to excellence.
Once you’ve established this basic but crucial requirement, then it’s time to start investigating.
It’s Okay to Ask Questions
You may feel like you’re offending a potential surgeon by asking all about their experience, training, and credentials. But any surgeon who is turned off by this is putting up a red flag. Your surgeon should want you to feel confident about your procedure and be willing to answer all questions relating to it.
For example:
How Familiar Are You With the Procedure?
Though you may be nervous posing it, this is a 100% reasonable question. You don’t want to go into your procedure with a surgeon who’s relatively (or brand) new to it. The fact is, surgeons who have performed a higher volume of specific procedures have lower complication rates and shorter hospital stays for their patients. So don’t be afraid to ask this question.
Then follow it up with:
Do You Have Pictures of Previous Clients?
If your surgeon hasn’t already shown you ‘before’ and ‘after’ pictures of what to expect from your procedure, then you’ll definitely want to see some of these. This will help you to not only see the surgeon’s work, but you’ll feel reassured that the procedure was safe and effective for patients before you.
What Are the Risks?
In general, plastic surgery carries a slightly lower risk than other types of surgical procedures. Still, there is always the chance of infection, reaction to anesthesia, or loss of blood. So you’ll want to be crystal clear with your surgeon on how these risks could play out for you.Again, if a surgeon does not take the question seriously, then consider looking elsewhere. Any reputable surgeon will understand your need for assurance and peace of mind and will be completely forthcoming about any post-operative complications. He or she should place your safety and health as the top priorities.
Feeling Nervous About Your Surgery?
Knowing the ways to better understand your plastic surgery procedure will help increase your confidence.
So contact us today if you’re ready to start exploring your options with one of our highly trained board-certified plastic surgeons.
And keep in mind that lifestyle changes (such as quitting smoking and adopting a healthy diet) before surgery can also lower your risks and result in faster healing and less scarring. These are factors you’ll also discuss with your plastic surgeon during your free consultation.
Maintaining Nonsurgical Body Contouring
When you glance in the mirror, do you immediately see those “trouble” spots? This can be especially irritating when you’re eating well and exercising, but it’s not making a difference. Yet, you may not be ready for surgery just yet.
Fortunately, new and emerging technologies have made it possible to tone muscles, burn fat, and shape your body in the way you desire without going under the knife.
So it’s no wonder that patients are clamoring for nonsurgical body contouring procedures.
How Does Nonsurgical Body Contouring Work?
Body contouring is a relatively new field of aesthetic medicine. Its objective is to sculpt, tone, and contour the body without surgery. Instead, these non-invasive treatments use a range of state-of-the-art technology to achieve results across a wide array of body areas including the thighs, abdomen, arms, and legs.
Patients don’t see a scalpel or a needle. There’s no recovery time. And a series of quick 30-60-minutes sessions can deliver visible and long-lasting results. The only job of the patient is to show up.
Body contouring benefits include building muscle, losing fat, contouring crucial areas of the body such as the abs, and lifting and toning the buttocks. These procedures can even tighten sagging or drooping skin due to aging or stretching.
The ability to achieve all of this without having to do any work may sound good to be true. That said, it’s important to understand that nonsurgical body contouring is not a quick fix. How you choose to live your life after the procedure plays heavily into its long-term success.
Maintaining Nonsurgical Contouring
Once you commit to nonsurgical body contouring, you want to make the most of your investment to get the best results. With that in mind, there are three main factors you’ll need to employ to maintain those results.
- Protect Yourself from the Sun
Keeping your skin protected from dangerous UV rays is always good practice. Even if you’re not having a procedure.
But since some body contouring procedures also address skin issues, it’s important you continue to attend to its optimal upkeep. This includes not only protecting it with a high SPF sunblock and/or sun-blocking clothing, but keeping it hydrated and moisturized.
- Be Done with Child Bearing
If you’ve had a child, you know that pregnancy can leave you feeling like your postpartum body belongs to someone else. Fostering a human life has a way of altering the body! No shock there.
So if you’re annoyed with some aspect of your body but are not done having children, you should probably wait until you are. A pregnancy can easily undo the results of any nonsurgical body contouring procedure. This isn’t to say that you can’t get a revision should the need arise. But if you can wait until you know you’re done, you’ll get the best results by having just one procedure.
- Keep Up a Healthy Lifestyle
While we have this at #3, it’s probably the single most important factor. While nonsurgical body contouring is meant to address trouble spots that don’t seem to respond to diet and exercise, this doesn’t mean you can now regularly camp out on your couch with a bag of potato chips. If you want to maintain results, diet and exercise are just as important after your procedure as before.
But it’s not just diet and exercise. Drinking, smoking, and taking other substances can also affect your metabolism and damage your skin tone – among other things. All of this will negatively impact your results in the long term.
So once you make the healthy choice to have a non-surgical body contouring procedure, keep making those healthy choices to maintain it.
Could Nonsurgical Body Contouring Brighten Your Day?
If you’re feeling hesitant about surgery and are wondering if nonsurgical body contouring is right for you, contact us today.
During your free consultation, you’ll get a chance to sit down with our trained specialists in aesthetic medicine who can guide you on the next best steps.
And soon you can say goodbye to those trouble spots!
Using Nicotine During Plastic Surgery Recovery
If you’re a smoker, it’s likely you know the risks involved. And you may even feel some resistance to reading about yet another reason to quit using nicotine.
But if you’re planning to have plastic surgery it’s truly in your best interest to give up smoking and nicotine before the procedure so that your recovery will go smoothly.
Because the fact is, using nicotine during plastic surgery recovery can result in some very negative repercussions.
Plastic Surgery Is Unique
Of course, smoking and using nicotine during any surgical procedure recovery is going to slow healing and require the body to work harder. But what makes it even riskier during recovery from plastic surgery is the intricate involvement of the blood vessels.
A board-certified plastic surgeon is required to work in layers of skin, fascia, fat, and muscle. Within each of these layers there is lifting, pulling, stretching, and repositioning that severs blood vessels. As these vessels heal, it’s the job of the remaining blood vessels to pick up the slack so that the tissues can stay oxygenated and receive the nutrients needed for healing.
Nicotine constricts blood vessels – resulting in inadequate oxygen supply to these layers. And without proper oxygen, healing is not only compromised, but you run the risk of destroying tissues.
According to statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), nicotine users are 27% more likely to experience necrosis (tissue death) after an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck). And they are 12.5 times more likely to have tissue necrosis after a facelift procedure.
And among smokers, there’s a 33% incidence of implant loss who require immediate breast reconstruction surgery with implants after a mastectomy.
And It Isn’t Just Smoking…
In case you didn’t notice, we aren’t discussing smoking as the only culprit here. The problem is nicotine. And nicotine delivery can come in many forms including gum, e-cigarettes, patches, cigars, chewing tobacco, etc.
So when your plastic surgeon says you need to stop smoking within four weeks before your procedure, he or she isn’t just talking about just giving cigarettes the ax. He or she means all forms of nicotine.
And the reason you are asked to quit at least a month before the procedure is that regular nicotine use keeps the blood vessels in a constricted state. Thus, quitting four weeks out of the surgery allows the vessels to open up and prepares them to supply the blood needed for proper healing.
Other Risks of Using Nicotine During Plastic Surgery Recovery
The above mentioned necrosis is terrifying. But perhaps the numbers weren’t enough to convince you of the problems with using nicotine when having a plastic surgery procedure.
Even if you don’t experience tissue death, you can bet you’ll be facing a heightened risk of infection during recovery. Plus, if fat cells are not able to heal, you could be burdened with hardened lumps in the targeted area. Scarring will likely be thicker and more pigmented. And you’ll experience more post-operative pain and discomfort.
In addition, you could experience permanent damage to small blood vessels, as well as an increased risk of heart attack and stroke during and after surgery, and a heightened risk of pneumonia after surgery.
Quitting Is Tough, But Worth It
Getting a confidence-boosting and life-improving plastic surgery procedure can be great motivation for finally kicking the nicotine habit. Plus, you’ll be giving your health a boost.
There’s no easy way to quit. But avoiding triggers like stress and alcohol, spending time with non-smoking friends, keeping yourself busy, and downloading apps that deliver positive reinforcement can be good places to begin.
You may even want to put an “after” picture of how you want to look after your procedure on your bathroom mirror and phone’s wallpaper for additional inspiration.
We Want to Help You Look and FEEL Better
You want to reap the benefits of your life-changing surgery. But using nicotine during plastic surgery recovery can easily put the kibosh on that.
And abstaining from nicotine use before your procedure will set the stage for a healthier you long after the surgery. So if you’re ready to say goodbye to nicotine for good, contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
We’ll be happy to discuss with you any concerns you might have about quitting nicotine so you can have the best experience possible.
Methods for Getting Rid of Excess Skin
Carrying around the extra weight of excess skin can be a lot to bear – both figuratively and literally.
In cases where excess skin is the result of desired weight loss or a pregnancy, it is most certainly an unwanted side effect. And it can put the kibosh on an otherwise joyous occasion.
Then as if the sheer assault on self-esteem weren’t enough, extra skin can cause discomfort in the form of chafing, irritation, and rashes. Fortunately, there are methods for getting rid of excess skin.
What Causes Excess Skin?
The most common cause of excess skin is extreme weight loss – though it’s not the sole culprit.
Our skin is designed to expand and contract. Collagen, which provides firmness and strength, accounts for 80% of the skin’s structure. Meanwhile, elastin is there to help the skin stay tight and “bounce back” from stretching.
The problem is, when the skin is required to expand for prolonged amounts of time, the collagen and elastin fibers are overextended and become damaged. This is the case for people who have been overweight for years or even decades.
While pregnancy can also cause excess skin, in most cases, the skin typically retracts within several months postpartum – as the length of time the skin is stretched in only nine months. Multiple pregnancies, however, can also challenge the ability of collagen and elastin to do their work.
The general rule of thumb is that the longer one has carried extra weight, and the more extreme it is (100 pounds or more), the stronger the likelihood that there will be excess skin after losing it.
What Other Factors Affect Skin Elasticity?
Extreme weight loss alone can be enough to create excess skin. But there are other factors that can work in tandem with weight loss that will also negatively affect the skin’s elasticity.
Obviously, older skin with less collagen and elastin production will not bounce back like younger skin does. The amount of sun exposure the skin has experienced will also affect this. Even smoking reduces the skin’s ability to produce collagen and elastin.
Then, of course, there’s always good old genetics. Some of us are just more blessed with resilient skin than others.
So then what’s a person who’s troubled by excess skin to do?
Methods for Getting Rid of Excess Skin
There are myriad ways to manage excess skin – though depending on the above factors, some ways are far more effective than others.
Exercise
Many people will start with an exercise program to combat excess skin. And in most cases, exercise is a positive activity that we’re certainly not going to discourage!
Yes, building muscle mass through weight training can help to decrease the appearance of excess skin by replacing muscle mass with lost fat. But once again, if extra skin is the result of massive weight loss, there’s no amount of exercise that will completely eliminate it.
Firming Creams and Cosmetic Procedures
Similar to exercise, firming creams and cosmetic procedures could be helpful for those who aren’t struggling with a lot of excess skin or if the skin is mostly just loose around the eyes and mouth.
Firming creams with retinoids and hyaluronic acid are the most effective – especially for older skin. And cosmetic procedures including chemical peels, ablative laser resurfacing, and botox injections could help to tighten and smooth the skin.
Yet similar to exercise, firming creams and cosmetic procedures alone are not going to be enough to get rid of excess skin from major weight loss.
Body Contouring Surgery
The only true way to get rid of excess skin after major weight loss is through plastic surgery. This usually consists of a range of body contouring procedures performed by a plastic surgeon and designed to address excess skin folds on the arms, legs, torso and/or buttocks.
The initial step during these procedures is to remove skin. From there, the surgeon will also tighten and lift the targeted areas to improve contour. This delivers a more natural and pleasing shape. And these surgeries are long-lasting, provided that the patient’s weight remains stable.
As such, body contouring surgery to get rid of excess skin is typically scheduled once weight has stabilized for a least a few months after massive weight loss. And after the procedure, patients need to maintain a healthy lifestyle to ensure success.
Are You Troubled By Excess Skin?
Whether you’re dealing with sagging skin around the face, or hanging skin after major weight loss, we can help you with the best methods for getting rid of excess skin.
Contact us today for a free consultation. One of our board-certified plastic surgeons will assess your overall physical health before discussing with you which procedures will be most effective.
Then get back on the road toward a more confident and comfortable you!
