Popular Cosmetic Procedures for Father’s Day

Posted on June 14, 2013 by Dr. Michael Workman

seattle male cosmetic surgeryAs reported in The New York Times, Father’s Day has now become a popular time to give dads the gift of cosmetic procedures.

In the last few years, male cosmetic procedures have become more popular, thanks to media attention and the increased visibility of male celebrities speaking out about their procedures. And cosmetic procedures can be anything from minimally invasive facial fillers and Botox injections to full face lifts or tummy tucks. Choosing something that you know is important to the recipient’s heart, or letting them choose their own procedure, can help make this Father’s Day gift a big success.

Liposuction, Tummy Tucks Popular Treatments for Fathers

According to one source interviewed by the Times, at least one cosmetic surgeon’s office “has seen requests for procedures around Father’s Day go up close to 50 percent among men; the highest level than any other time of year.” It likely helps that this holiday occurs right at the beginning of summer, when people are getting ready to be out and active in the sun all season long.

For men, as with women, the most popular cosmetic treatments are non-surgical. Botox Cosmetic injections, now the gold standard of minimally invasive wrinkle treatment, help give a more youthful appearance for a comparatively low investment. Facial fillers and skin treatments are other non-invasive temporary solutions that can easily be repeated regularly.

For those seeking a more significant adjustment, the most popular surgical options for men currently include liposuction, nose jobs, eyelid surgery and breast reductions. In 2012, nearly 10% of all cosmetic surgeries were performed on men, up from 8% just a few years before, and almost 0% a few decades ago. This trend is likely to continue, as cosmetic surgery becomes accepted and common in the United States and around the world.

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Survey Shows Nearly All Women Satisfied with Breast Augmentation Procedure

Posted on June 7, 2013 by Dr. Michael Workman

seattle breast implant surgeryAccording to a recent survey in the May issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, more than 98% of women say their breast augmentations were as good or better than they expected.

This study, which evaluated 225 female breast augmentation patients, involved interviews at their one month post-surgery appointments, and then at future follow-up appointments. In addition to the near-universal satisfaction, more than half of these women reported that their experiences were “perfect,” giving them a 10 out of 10 in procedure satisfaction.

Breast Augmentation Has Major Impact on Self-Esteem

Of the 225 women who were surveyed, 92% stated that their surgery had improved their self-esteem. And 64% said that their quality of life had definitely improved. The augmentation also had a dramatic impact on the way these women viewed their breasts, with 86% feeling self-conscious about them before the surgery, and only 14% feeling self-conscious about them afterwards.

Regarding possibly the most difficult question in the breast augmentation decision, 85% of women felt that their new breasts were “just right” in size, while 13% wished that they were larger and 2% wished they were smaller. 99% of women were satisfied with the placement of the incisions, and 75% stated that the firmness of their new breasts was also “just right.”

Most women participating in the survey decided to have saline breast implants placed, rather than silicone, and the average breast implant size was 390cc. The average age of these women was 34, and the survey was compiled over a five-year period.

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, breast augmentation was the most popular type of cosmetic surgery in 2012. There were more than 286,000 breast augmentation procedures performed, beating out liposuction, tummy tucks, rhinoplasty and brow lifts, which were many of the other most popular procedures during 2012.

Photo by Jerry Bunkers on Flickr.

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Angelina Jolie Chooses Teardrop Breast Implants After Reconstruction

Posted on May 28, 2013 by Dr. Michael Workman

breast implants after reconstruction

As Angelina Jolie releases more information about her recent breast surgery, it is now known that she opted to have teardrop-shaped breast implants following her radical double mastectomy.

According to a recent article by NBC News, this type of breast implant was chosen in order to create a more natural look for the new breasts. The surgery also utilized donor skin to provide support and contour to the implants. This procedure, the last in a series of surgeries, was performed on April 27th.

Breast Implants for Angelina Jolie

Jolie’s three breast surgeries were all done through the creases underneath her breasts, in order to minimize the appearance of the incision lines. This is a common incision location for breast augmentation or revision, breast lifts and breast reduction surgeries. Her first surgery was focused on saving her nipples, and was successful. The second surgery was her total mastectomy, in which the breast tissue was removed and tissue expanders were put in place.

Though many women choose to have their implants put into place at the same time as the mastectomy, Jolie chose to split the breast implant portion of her treatment into two surgeries for the best cosmetic outcome. After the mastectomy, the tissue expanders were slowly filled with saline to make space for the new breast implants.

After adequate space had been created, Jolie’s new breast implants were put into place, with donor skin used to hold the implants in place. This tissue helped create a sling underneath the implant for additional support and the most natural appearance possible. According to Jolie’s surgeon, who visited with her in a house call four days later, “I was pleased to find her not only in good spirits with bountiful energy, but with two walls in her house covered with freshly assembled storyboards for the next project she is directing.”

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Improved Comfort After Summer Breast Surgery with New Bra Designs

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Dr. Michael Workman

breast support summer surgeryOne of the most important aspects of the recovery process after a breast surgery is a properly fitting, well-designed support garment.

As reported in a recent story in Digital Journal, women are now able to choose from a wide range of surgical support garments following their breast augmentation, breast lift or breast reduction. This can be particularly important in the hot summer months, as noted by Dawn Cover, the president of Nouvelle, Inc., a major producer of surgical support garments: “We find that especially during the summer months, comfort is a huge indicator of how fast patients heal following surgery.”

Improved Recovery Comfort Leads to Better Breast Lift Results

One of the main differences between surgical recovery garments and normal, everyday-use bras is that surgical recovery garments are built for comfort when worn 24 hours a day for several weeks after a surgery. This is certainly a priority for the design of the garment, according to Cover, who says that, “Our design team has carefully crafted each bra to be worn 24 hours a day, seven days a week to ensure surgical sites, stitches, drains, etc. are comfortably protected and secure.”

Some of these popular recovery garment styles include:

  • Bras with Ice Packs: These bras have special pockets that are perfectly designed to support exchangeable ice packs for enhanced comfort.
  • Bra Bands: The smallest and simplest form of breast surgery recovery garments, these bands are worn around the breasts to hold them tightly in place. In some cases, they can be worn with your regular non-underwire bras.
  • Bra Vests: For those women who are recovering from multiple procedures, these vests with or without sleeves can help to support several body areas, giving all-around comfort and support of the arms, stomach and breasts.

Each surgical recovery garment should be chosen to specifically address your unique needs and recovery, and will be recommended during your pre-surgical consultation.

Photo by Tom Hickmore on Flickr.

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Four Popular Cosmetic Treatments to Prepare for Summer

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Dr. Michael Workman

beverly hills plastic surgeryGetting your body ready for summer fun can be a challenge, but you can make it easier with some of these popular pre-summer treatments:

  • Medical-Grade Skin Products: As mentioned in a recent article for the international edition of marie claire, facial lines and wrinkles are often one of the primary concerns for those getting ready for summer. For mild facial aging, these issues are also the most treatable, with a wide range of possibilities from creams to face lifts. Medical-grade skin treatment products can tighten and firm skin. These skin treatments greatly vary in intensity based on the necessary amount of treatment.
  • Chemical Peels and Other Office Skin Treatments: Your skin tone really becomes important during the summer, when you want to be active in the sun yet keep yourself protected from possible damage. For improving skin tone, medical-grade skin products are an excellent first step, which may be followed with in-office treatments that may improve skin tone include microdermabrasion, chemical peels and laser treatments.
  • Lip Injections: The lips are often a focal point for many facial aging concerns, as a key location for fine lines, wrinkles, as well as more dramatic facial lines that can really change the look of the face. Increased lip volume through facial fillers can help to alleviate many of these issues.
  • Face, Neck and Arm Lifts: More serious signs of aging may include sagging or excess skin, which often accumulates at the neck, face, upper arms and thighs. These more serious amounts of skin may not be treatable with injectable procedures and other minimally invasive treatments. For these men and women, surgical intervention may be necessary, to remove the excess skin and tighten the remaining tissue. The most popular versions of these procedures are facelifts and neck lifts, as well as arm lifts, thigh lifts and complete body lifts, when excess tissue is removed around the midsection.

Photo by mikebaird on Flickr.

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