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Let CoolSculpting help you get the body you are after. In case you haven’t noticed, it’s hot outside. Like, get-me-to-the-nearest-body-of-water hot.

Understandably, this can be a difficult time of year if you’re even the slightest bit insecure about exposing your midsection. There are a number of ways to address that concern through modern cosmetic surgery, liposuction and a tummy tuck being two of the most popular.

But the summer’s here now, and while each may yield dramatic results, it could take a month or two for the swelling to fully subside in either case. And it may take even longer before you’re basking in the full effect of your treatment.

Is there something, then, that can have you looking better in a bikini or swim trunks with some summer left to spare? Yes: CoolSculpting.

[See CoolSculpting Before & After Photos]

A smaller midsection in a couple of weeks
How, exactly, is CoolSculpting different from lipo and a tummy tuck? For starters, it’s a noninvasive treatment, meaning there’s no scarring whatsoever to be concerned with. It can treat unwanted fat just about anywhere on the body, but it’s FDA-approved for the midsection, thighs, upper arms, bra fat, back fat, the “banana roll” underneath your butt, and double chin.

Here’s how it works: An applicator that looks like a big vacuum hose applies suction to the area you want to target. (Key to the process is having enough fat for the applicator to adhere to. If you can pinch your bulge, you’re a candidate.) It then applies carefully regulated cooling plates to bring fat cells down to a temperature at which they’re irreversibly damaged.

The frozen fat cells then die and are gradually eliminated by the body. It could take three months for the final effects to become apparent, but you should start noticing a difference in as little as a couple of weeks.

Virtually no discomfort or downtime
A CoolSculpting treatment generally takes between a half-hour and an hour. And it’s relatively gentle. You may feel some initial discomfort as the cooling begins, but it dissipates pretty quickly. Which leaves you free to check email, scroll through Instagram, or even sit back, close your eyes, and appreciate the solitude.

If that sounds too good to be true, I haven’t even gotten to the best part yet: There’s no downtime with CoolSculpting, so you can head into the office when your treatment’s done, run some errands, or hit the gym.

There’s really no downside here—especially when you consider that CoolSculpting may finally help you achieve that beach body that diet and exercise alone couldn’t deliver. And before the end of the summer, no less.

Over the weeks following your treatment, you can expect up to a 25 percent reduction of fat in the treated area. And those results are permanent. Once fat cells are frozen and eliminated, they’re gone for good.

Hello, bikini. So long, unflattering one-piece. And guys, you can leave those oversize T-shirts in your closet. They were never fooling anyone anyway.

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Learn more about CoolSculpting

As our knowledge of the aging process and sun damage has increased, so, too, has our awareness of cosmetic surgery’s ability to head off those issues before they become larger concerns. It’s why more and more people are considering cosmetic surgery in their thirties and even twenties. Why wait for a fine line to deepen or a wrinkle to become more pronounced when you can erase it altogether?

So the age-old question, “At what age should I start thinking about cosmetic surgery?” is kind of a moot point now. Instead, I’d ask you, “How proactive do you want to be about maintaining, and even improving, your appearance?” Rather than a one-time, cure-all, preventative cosmetic surgery should really be viewed as a fluid process that begins early in your adulthood and evolves to meet your needs as you mature.

For a more explicit illustration of what I mean, here’s a brief look at some of the most popular ways people are using preventative cosmetic surgery and how cosmetic surgery is different at each age.

In your 20’s

People who seek out a plastic surgeon in their twenties tend to do so to help them feel more confident in their own skin. Often, that means breast augmentation. But, nose jobs and ear reshaping are also popular. Gone are the days of carrying the indelible marks of puberty with us through the rest of our lives.

In your 30’s

Many of the same procedures are performed on patients in their thirties—breast augmentation, breast lifts, and liposuction—only in much greater numbers. Tummy tucks, as a means to remedy the lingering effects of pregnancy, are also prevalent. The earliest signs of aging also begin to become apparent in our thirties. Jeuveau, also known as Newtox, is particularly effective at treating frown lines and those pesky wrinkles between your eyebrows at their onset.

In your 40’s

As our skin starts losing some of its elasticity in our forties, attention shifts to ways to pick up where nature left off, like dermal fillers, which can reduce wrinkles and fine lines, add volume to facial skin, and enhance facial contours. Fractional laser resurfacing and Ultherapy, both noninvasive procedures, are also popular facial rejuvenation treatments. Of course, our faces are rarely our only trouble spot in our forties. With our metabolisms slowing to a crawl, unwanted fat can undermine everything we do. But recent advances, like CoolSculpting, are not only effective, they’re easy. Book an appointment before heading into the office and barely break stride.

In your 50’s and beyond

Sagging skin is unavoidable once we enter our fifties. But that doesn’t mean we should grin and bear it. Yes, there will come a point when Botox and dermal fillers become less effective. It’s then that most turn to a second line of defense: a facelift, usually performed in conjunction with a neck lift and/or a brow lift. Facelifts come in a variety of types these days, but they all smooth and tighten the skin to different extents for a natural-looking, younger face.

Here’s another reason to develop a long-term relationship with a board-certified plastic surgeon: Where your attention may be focused on a specific trouble spot, your physician is always considering the impact to your entire body, both in the moment and years down the line. Seeking preventative treatment with a single surgeon allows for a continuity of care that only enhances the natural-looking results of each treatment.

When you’re considering a breast augmentation, it’s natural for your mind to drift to one place: size. How large should I go? And while the size of your breast implants is, of course, a significant consideration, it shouldn’t be your only consideration. Here are a few others that’ll help ensure that your breast augmentation results in natural-looking (or striking) breasts that complement your body shape.

Fullness

Breast implant sizes aren’t the same as bra cup sizes, which can be a little disorienting. It’s important to know how they’re measured in order to have a good reference point.  Breast implants are measured by volume, usually in cubic centimeters or milliliters. The higher that number, the larger the implant and the more it will project outward.

An implant’s diameter—its width at its widest point—is also going to affect its projection. Two implants with the same volume but different diameters will project differently. The one with the wider diameter is going to be a bit flatter and project outward less than the narrower implant.

Shape

Not all breast implants are the same shape, either. They can be round or teardrop-shaped. Round implants basically have the same level of fullness all the way around, whereas the teardrop variety is fuller below the nipple, mimicking a breast’s natural contour.

Profile

Profile also plays a role in the fullness of your breast implants. Think of it this way: High-profile implants sit higher on your chest and appear more rounded, while moderate-profile implants look comparatively subtle. The latter tends to be favored by women seeking a natural-looking upgrade, while the former is preferred by those with a more dramatic flair.

Your own inherent qualities

Much as you may be dreaming of much larger breasts, it’s not quite as simple as just picking the right type of implant. Your body shape and frame are going to dictate, to a certain extent, the magnitude of your augmentation. If, for example, you have a narrow chest or a small frame, you’ll be limited in the size of the implants you can wear safely and comfortably. But you could still opt for high-profile implants, which will help them appear even larger than they actually are.

You’ll also want to consider the entirety of your lifestyle. Tempting as it may be to picture yourself flirting with your significant other in a new, low-cut black dress, ignoring your HIIT Saturday-morning workouts and that adventure-seeking other side of yourself could eventually make your high-profile breast implants feel like more of a hindrance than a step up.

Your plastic surgeon will have all of this in mind when you sit down for your consultation. But having at least a basic familiarity with these nuances should go a long way toward shaping breasts that you’ll love for years to come.

For more on breast augmentation and how to select the right breast implant, tune into Dr. Steven Davis’s podcast, The Plastic Surgery Revolution.

We’re seeing new med spas pop up all the time, but what are they, exactly? The reality is they run the gamut from glorified nail salon to state-of-the-art skincare clinic.

Med spa (short for medical spa) is actually more of an umbrella term than a precise descriptor. It encompasses everything from a treatment room within a plastic surgeon’s office to a storefront in a strip mall where you can get a mani-pedi with a side of Botox.

A big reason for the discrepancy is that med spas are pretty loosely regulated. A med spa, for example, can be affiliated with a doctor, but even that can mean anything from having a board-certified plastic surgeon on site, supervising every procedure, to a doctor who doesn’t even specialize in skincare merely lending his or her name to the establishment (for a cut of the profits, naturally).

Which, then, begs the question: Why take the risk, even for a procedure in which the risk of complication is relatively slight?

So, beyond the extent of the treatments, the differences between most med spas and a board-certified plastic surgeon’s practice basically come down to mission and expertise.

If you like that, you’ll love this

A med spa, in a nutshell, provides treatments that target cosmetic concerns. But its aim is to capitalize on those treatments, yes, by luring you back for additional treatments but also by selling you products that supposedly complement your treatment.

Back in the day, when department stores were a thing, you’d step up to the glass skincare display and ask for a particular facial moisturizer. But it was never that simple because the woman behind the display was compelled to show you serums and oils and other creams from the same collection, all of them meant to function as a whole, not in pieces, she’d say.

Most med spas are kind of like the modern-day department store skincare counter. You may come in for a particular treatment, but you shouldn’t expect to leave without being bombarded with multiple sales pitches.

What’s really going on here?

Now, if you anticipate it, there’s not necessarily anything wrong with that—unless you interpret it as a truly comprehensive approach to your skincare and wellbeing. The treatments at a med spa are provided by an aesthetician, not a board-certified plastic surgeon, which means that no diagnosis is being made. Nor is the treatment taking into consideration anything other than your immediate concern.

An aesthetician specializes in skincare from a purely cosmetic perspective, not a medical one. You could walk into a plastic surgeon’s office and ask for the same treatment, but that doctor’s going to take a much different approach, a more clinical one. He or she understands the nuance of the anatomy and aging, so they’ll consider your medical history, skin type, and sensitivities that influence the use certain products and procedures.

It’s a more meticulous approach to your concern. The surgeon is not only treating it but also trying to pinpoint the underlying reason for it. So, where a med spa may send you home with an armful of products and the promise of a better tomorrow, the surgeon is the only one actively working toward that end.

Brides, with any luck, you’re reading this in a calm, confident state-of-mind. Months (and months) of planning are behind you, and now you’re down to the last handful of details, the icing on the proverbial cake. Included among them should be a bit of self-care.

A massage is great for alleviating stress, but is it going to have an appreciable effect on your appearance? Not really. You know what will? Microdermabrasion. It can help reduce the appearance of sun damage, age spots, acne scarring, wrinkles and fine lines, and other skin imperfections, all within a single treatment, ensuring your face is glowing all day long. How does it work, you ask? Read on.

Buffing and polishing

While you’ve probably heard of microdermabrasion before now—it was the fourth-most popular minimally-invasive cosmetic procedure performed last year—it’s one of those treatments that everyone other than the truly skin-obsessed don’t know much about.

It works by exfoliating the skin with microscopic crystal free diamond-tips that remove the superficial outer layer of dry, dead skin cells to reveal a fresh, rejuvenated face. Several diamond-tip hand-pieces will gently exfoliate and simultaneously suction up the dead skin cells. Essentially, they’re buffing and polishing your face. It’s done as an in-office procedure without any downtime or a numbing agent, and it usually takes about an hour.

Those with fine lines, uneven pigmentation, or clogged pores stand to benefit the most from microdermabrasion, but it’s considered a safe and effective treatment for almost every kind of skin type and color.

You should also have an aesthetician approved home care system to further compliment your microdermabrasion treatment and for long lasting results.  It will help you with your wedding glow, long after you say ‘I do!’

Immediate results and no downtime

The best part about microdermabrasion is that you’ll see the results right after your treatment. Even more, there’s little to no downtime. You should be able to get right back to your day as soon as you leave the doctor’s office.  You can even apply makeup if necessary for those last minute errands.

You’ll want to keep your skin hydrated and stay out of the sun—your face can be more sensitive to it for a few weeks after the treatment—but you won’t miss a step. Which means you can schedule a treatment while you’re checking off the other assorted loose ends over the last few days before your big day.

Just imagine yourself: As beautiful as you’ve ever looked, and not even a hint of the stress that wreaked havoc on your life for the last several months. All of it gone in less than an hour.

Who among us doesn’t envy or want a pair of plumper lips?

Angelina Jolie. Scarlett Johansson. Rhianna. All stunning by any measure, but what feature of theirs leaves the deepest impression? Their pillow-y lips, of course.

So prized are plumper lips that Kylie Jenner once admitted to spending 40 minutes a day lining her lips. There’s solace to be found in that confession: Voluptuous lips are something that elude most of us—even the stars who appear to be slightly more than human. And aging doesn’t help that cause.

But hope isn’t lost. In fact, there are a number of cosmetic procedures available to enhance your lips. As a not-so-insignificant side benefit, they’re all also an effective means to erase fine lines around the mouth. Too good to be true? Read on.

Dermal fillers

Hyaluronic acid fillers have become a popular option because they’re temporary and they’re affordable. Think of them as the equivalent of dipping a toe in the pool. The procedure is usually performed with a specially formulated topical numbing cream. The filler is then artistically placed in to the lip to help you achieve perfect pout you’ve always wanted.

Depending on the product, the results will last between six and 12 months. Though, the results will last a little longer with each subsequent treatment. And because hyaluronic acid is a natural element, the filler will simply dissolve and leave your lips the same as they were prior to the treatment.

Fat injections

It’s common for patients to progress from a dermal filler to a longer-lasting treatment, like fat injections. Here, fat is removed from one part of the body, usually through liposuction, and used as a lip filler—all without a single incision on the face or lips.

Fat injections create a very natural-looking lip contour that will last for years. Even more, it’s a very safe procedure that can be done in an office setting.

Lip implants

Lip implants have gotten a bad rap through the years because of celebrities who’ve undergone the procedure and come out looking like Daisy Duck. That should serve less as a reason to avoid them, though, and more as an incentive to seek out an experienced, skilled, board-certified plastic surgeon.

The implants are made from a soft, pliable silicone rubber or biodegradable substance. The procedure itself actually takes only about a half-hour. And despite what you’ve seen online, you should only need a couple of days to recover.

Still, I recommend it only for those who are seeking an appreciable increase in their lip volume. Even then, it’s usually a good idea to wade in and try on the look on a more temporary basis first.

Body contouring is a term that’s been steadily gaining attention as major weight-loss surgery, or bariatric surgery, becomes more prominent in our society. And that’s because the two commonly go hand-in-hand.

There were 228,000 bariatric procedures were performed in the United States in 2017—and most of them were done right here in the Northeast. And yet that amount only accounts for one percent of the eligible population.

In other words, we may be standing at the very beginning of what’s likely to become a pretty significant trend over the years ahead.

Weight-loss surgery assumes several different forms. Body contouring can, too. It refers to the surgery to remove excess skin and fat following a major weight-loss surgery, improving the tone of the underlying tissue in the process. It can be done on your lower body (tummy tuck, lower body lift), upper body (breast lift, back lift), and extremities (arms, thighs, and buttocks).

And, depending on the extent of your weight loss, it may entail several procedures. Which is why the decision to have this surgery is often a deeply personal one. While there are lots of benefits (more on those in a moment), it’s a process that can require months of commitment.

It’s not the daunting obstacle it may seem at first glance, though. After all, a new you is waiting for you on the other side.

Beyond aesthetics

There are more immediate rewards, too. As you shed your excess skin, you’ll lose even more weight. And while it’ll take some time to heal, you’ll start gaining confidence in your appearance right after the surgery.

But this isn’t purely about aesthetics. Excess skin will encumber your daily life in any number of ways, from the basic stuff, such as walking, to the things that should be entirely pleasurable, like sex. So, body contouring should really be seen as a means to improve your quality of life.

Enduring results

The results of body contouring are generally long-lasting as long as you stick to a balanced diet and a challenging exercise regimen. That’s what the textbooks say. It’s not inaccurate, but it only tells part of the story. Recent research has indicated that body contouring often becomes a springboard.

Here’s an example: In a study that compared the progress of those who had weight-loss surgery and body contouring with those who only had weight-loss surgery, the weight-loss surgery and body contouring patients lost more weight and had a lower body mass index five years later.

In another study, patients who had body contouring had a better body image six and 12 months after their procedures.

So, for all the anxiety that may precede it, body contouring frequently proves to be the right choice.

It’s bathing suit and sleeveless top season—which may not be welcome news if you’re particularly sensitive about your upper arms.

Rest assured, you’re hardly alone. Sagging upper arms can occur not just as a result of having lost some weight but also simply from aging and heredity. So it’s a concern that plagues millions of women.

More positively, there’s a pretty straightforward solution for it. It’s a cosmetic procedure known as brachioplasty, or an arm lift. An arm lift is a surgical procedure that:

• Reduces the excess skin from the underarm between the elbow and the armpit
• Tightens and smoothes the supportive tissue that defines the upper arm
• Reduces localized pockets of fat in the upper arm

So, what’s the procedure like?

Once you’re sedated with a general anesthesia, the plastic surgeon will remove an elliptical segment of skin from the inner backside of your arm. Depending on the extent of the excess skin, the surgeon may also take some from the very top of the arm, into the armpit.

In the process, some of the fat is also removed either surgically, with the aid of liposuction, or through a combination of both. Liposuction alone may seem like the preferred treatment for sagging upper arms because there’s no scarring, but liposuction doesn’t address the excess skin.

From there, the muscles are tightened and the incision is sutured. In all, an arm lift generally takes two to three hours.

And, how long do the results last?

The results of an arm lift are permanent—and dramatic. Most describe a significant improvement in their upper-body appearance as a result of the surgery.

The smoother, tighter contours should be apparent almost immediately after the procedure, even with some initial swelling and bruising. (A compression garment will help control the swelling.) And the scar will fade with time.

You should be able to resume most of your normal activities within just a few days. And you could likely go back to more strenuous activities within three to four weeks, which is important because your upper arms will maintain those sinewy contours for years to come as long as you stick to a nutritious diet and a challenging exercise regimen.

Aging may eventually diminish a bit of the firmness, but you’ll still be much better off than you were before the procedure.