Davis

Botox injections are the fastest-growing cosmetic procedure at the moment. Last year, almost 7.5 million of them were performed in the United States, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. That’s an 845 percent increase over 2000.

So, its power to reduce fine lines and wrinkles is real. But that’s not the only reason for its explosive growth. Did you know doctors also use Botox to treat migraines and hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating)? In fact, Botox was originally used to treat migraines. Later on, doctors realized it also smoothed wrinkles.

Migraine relief

The FDA, in 2010, approved Botox as a treatment for chronic migraines in adults 18 and over, meaning that you need to experience a headache on 15 or more days of the month. (It’s considered an “off-label” treatment for kids and adolescents, which means it can be prescribed, but it may not be covered by insurance.)

Botox enters the nerve endings around where it’s injected and blocks the release of chemicals involved in pain transmission. Essentially, it halts a migraine before it has a chance to start. But it typically takes a couple of treatments for it to take effect, and the benefits seem to grow with each treatment cycle thereafter. (One treatment lasts 10 to 12 weeks.)

According to the American Migraine Foundation, patients reported that two Botox treatments reduced the number of their headache days by half.

A treatment usually takes about 20 minutes and entails 31 injections with a very small needle—it feels like a pinprick—in several key areas of the head and neck.

It’s covered by most insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid, but they typically require you to have first tried and failed to respond to two other preventative treatments.

No more sweating

Botox injections are a relatively new treatment for hyperhidrosis. The FDA approved it for those who sweat excessively from their armpits, but it may also be used “off-label” to reduce sweating from hands, feet, and the face.

Not unlike its application with migraine sufferers, Botox blocks the nerves responsible for activating your sweat glands. Normally, when your body temperature rises, your nervous system activates your sweat glands. It’s the body’s natural cooling method. But the nerves that send that signal are overactive in those with hyperhidrosis.

Botox essentially paralyzes those nerves and prevents the sweating, but only in the specific area where the Botox was injected. You’ll receive several injections with a fine needle that’ll form a sort of grid pattern around the area of concern. It’s a pretty simple procedure that can be done during an office visit. And you’ll be able to resume your day as soon as it’s done.

It’ll take between two and seven days to stop sweating in the treated area and up to two weeks for total dryness. But that dryness will last between four and 14 months (for the armpits).

Insurance providers usually cover the full cost, but, like the migraine treatments, they may ask that you try other options first, like a prescription antiperspirant.

The first hint of warmth can never come too soon. March, anymore, feels as long as two or three months. But, despite what the 10-day forecast may say, spring is on the horizon.

As welcome as that realization is, it’s usually chased by another more daunting one: What has the winter done to me? Buried under chunky sweaters and wooly hats, it’s easy to lose sight of just how harsh that bitter-cold air has been to our skin.

The combination of the cold, stiff winds and the dry air inside and out gradually robs our skin of vital moisture during the long winter months, which can have a long-term negative effect on its elasticity and health.

To counter those effects and begin to restore a healthy glow just in time for spring, I recommend a couple of minimally invasive treatments that can be done during an office visit.

Starting fresh

Microdermabrasion is a chemical-free procedure that removes the dead, dry outer layer of the skin to reveal fresh, healthy skin underneath. A machine with tiny crystals gently exfoliates the surface of your skin removing dead skin cells and debris. It can feel like a gritty facial massage.

It’s suitable for all skin types and colors, and it won’t cause any scarring or color changes.

Almost immediately, you’ll see and appreciate the difference. There are a few more benefits at work beneath the surface. For one, microdermabrasion can improve circulation deep within the skin. Better blood flow means the cells are receiving more oxygen and nutrients, which will gradually improve cell processes and, in turn, elasticity.

Removing dead skin and improving circulation also helps to not only unclog pores—which will improve the absorption of skincare products by up to 50 percent—but reduce the size of them.

Offsetting all that screen time

It turns out that winter’s threats to our skin go beyond the extreme elements outside. The research is still in its infancy, but a few groundbreaking studies have indicated that the blue light from our phone, tablet, and computer screens is leading to premature aging and hyperpigmentation.

A 2010 study found that exposing skin to the amount of blue light we get from the sun caused more pigment, redness, and swelling than when the same person’s skin was exposed to comparable levels of UVA rays. Another suggested that blue light might stimulate the production of free radicals in skin, which can speed up the appearance of aging.

Even if this is the first you’re hearing of the news, you may have already noticed the overnight-influx of cosmetic products that are intended to address these concerns. I offer what I believe to be the most effective formula on the market, SkinMedica’s LUMIVIVE. It’s described as “full atmospheric protection against blue light and pollution.”

LUMIVIVE is a two-step system. The Day Damage Defense Serum provides protection all day long against blue light and pollution while the Night Revitalize Repair Complex enhances the critical sleep-repair cycle. Together, they can offset the 10 hours, on average, we spend in front of a screen each day and restore your skin’s radiant glow within 14 days.

Forget what they say; restore a healthy glow and meet spring with your best face forward.

In the past, for all of its potential to transform, there was no getting around the long weeks of recovery that a tummy tuck requires. But that’s finally changing.

Recent advances have enabled new variations of the tummy tuck to be more efficient and easier to recover from while still effectively reshaping the midsection.

The mini tummy tuck and the drainless tummy tuck are two such advancements. Let’s take a closer look at them.

The mini tummy tuck

While there’s no universal definition for the mini tummy tuck, the procedure is used most commonly to remove loose skin from below the belly button. A mini tummy tuck scar is about half the size of one from a full tummy tuck, and it can be placed lower on the pubic bone so it’s less likely to be seen above a bikini line.

The mini tummy tuck can tighten the look of the lower belly, making it the ideal solution for women with a small but persistent pooch. It also affords more flexibility than the full tummy tuck, which is a procedure best performed once. The mini tummy tuck can be updated or even repeated, which makes it an option between pregnancies.

Generally, you’ll want to take it easy for a week to two weeks after the mini tummy tuck. By that point, the bruising and swelling should have subsided enough to allow you to return to work, but it may be another week or two before you’ll want to attempt anything strenuous.

The drainless tuck

Drains play a key role in a full tummy tuck, helping to rid the body of natural fluid buildup. They can, however, be a major inconvenience during the recovery process. And they come with their own set of risks.

The drainless tummy tuck basically combines liposuction with a full tummy tuck using a particular suturing technique that eliminates the needs for the drains. Liposuction is used to remove stubborn fat from isolated areas of the abdominal area, which tones and sculpts abdominal contours while minimizing the amount of surgical intervention that’s needed.

From there, an incision is made along the abdomen, through which the plastic surgeon can remove loose skin and tighten muscle tissue. The surgeon then uses a technique called progressive tension sutures to secure the abdominal skin to the underlying tissue layers. That creates a tighter bond, leaving little room for fluid build-up.

You should be able to return to work and light physical activity within a week or two of the surgery. And gradually, over the next several weeks, you’ll start to notice improvements in your body contours. In all, it’ll take about six to eight weeks for the final results to become visible.

No doubt you’ve heard about breast implants. And, if you’ve ever spent a few minutes Googling them, you also probably have a pretty good idea about what the procedure entails.

A breast lift may be less clear. Breast lift and breast augmentation (implant surgery) tend to be used interchangeably when, really, they’re two distinct procedures. The augmentation gets all the attention, but breast lift surgeries are outpacing implant surgeries by two to one, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. So, clearly, there’s value in understanding the difference.

What’s a breast augmentation?

Just to make sure we’re starting on the same page, a breast augmentation refers to a breast implant surgery. They’re one in the same. It’s a cosmetic procedure where a silicone or saline implant is placed into the breast to enhance its size, shape, and volume.

Check out my earlier blog post for a more detailed description of the procedure and the differences between the two kinds of implants. But, for our purpose here, I’m going to keep this to more of a general overview. Like I said, most of us already have a pretty good running knowledge of breast augmentation.

While it remains popular among women who simply want to increase the overall size of their breasts, implants have helped with a much wider range of concerns over recent years, from correcting asymmetry and volume disparities to restoring fullness following pregnancy and significant weight loss to reconstructing a natural-looking breast following a mastectomy.

What’s a breast lift?

With a breast lift, the surgeon removes excess, stretched-out skin, reshapes the breast tissue, and raises the nipple and areola to a more forward position, creating a more youthful contour. The procedure doesn’t add volume, but it does make the breasts look firmer, perkier, and more youthful.

Women commonly have a breast lift following pregnancy and breastfeeding, or a significant weight-loss. We’re also seeing a growing number of women come forward who’ve had drooping or asymmetrical breasts since their teens. A lift can correct such an imbalance.

A breast lift is typically performed as an outpatient procedure using general anesthesia or local anesthesia and IV sedation. It takes about an hour or two. Afterward, most patients experience some soreness and swelling. They’re usually fit to return to work within a few days, as long as it isn’t too physically demanding, and to most normal activities within a week.

There’s no halting the aging process, but a breast lift (plus proper care) is capable of providing many years of perkier, more youthful breasts.

Can I have both?

Yes. In fact, it’s becoming pretty common to combine a lift with an augmentation.

Women who have had children generally benefit the most from the combined surgery because of the toll pregnancy and breastfeeding take on their bodies. Though, there’s a big upside for any woman who wants to boost the fullness and perkiness of her breasts to any degree. Talk to a board-certified plastic surgeon to learn more about how you could benefit.