Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Articles

In case you missed it, back in August, Chrissy Teigen had Botox injected into her underarms.

It was notable not because of the procedure—Botox injections are a relatively new treatment for hyperhidrosis, also known as excessive sweating, though it’s becoming fairly commonplace—but because of how the model and entrepreneur very openly broadcast the procedure—literally.

Teigen gave her 26 million Instagram followers a front-row seat to an appointment with her plastic surgeon by posting a live feed of the procedure. “Botoxed my armpits,” she captioned the post. “Truly the best move I have ever made.”

So, how’s it work?

The FDA approved Botox for those, like Teigen, who sweat excessively from their armpits, but it can also be used “off-label” to reduce sweating from the hands, feet, and face.

Normally, when your body temperature rises, your nervous system activates your sweat glands. It’s the body’s natural cooling method. But for someone who suffers from hyperhidrosis, the nerves that send that signal are overactive.

Essentially, Botox works the same way for your armpits as it does for temporarily reducing the appearance of frown lines, forehead wrinkles, and crow’s feet. It paralyzes the muscle where you’re injecting.

The sweat glands in our armpits are surrounded by muscle fibers. When we sweat, the muscle fibers contract and milk the sweat glands. By paralyzing these muscle fibers, you stop the sweating process.

And, how effective is it?

It’s a pretty simple procedure that can be done during an office visit. To begin your journey against hyperhidrosis, you’ll receive several injections. This is done with a fine needle in each armpit that’ll form a sort of grid pattern.

The risk of a potential injury is minimal, but there are a few nerves and large blood vessels that travel from the armpit down to the hands, so it’s important to seek treatment from a board-certified plastic surgeon who has experience with the procedure.

You’ll be able to resume your day as soon as it’s done. There may be some swelling and sensitivity immediately after, but it shouldn’t be anything that would interfere with your normal activities.

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

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

Just how transformative does it feel to go from uncontrollable sweating to stopping it in its tracks? Just ask Teigen, who wrote, “I can wear silk again without soaking woohoo!”

As body contouring has grown from a buzzword among beauty insiders to big business*, CoolSculpting has emerged as the safest and most effective noninvasive treatment available.

(*One industry analyst projects that noninvasive and minimally-invasive fat reduction procedures will be a $1.1 billion industry by 2022, as patients, increasingly, are prioritizing in-office treatments with minimal downtime over surgical solutions.)

CoolSculpting targets pockets of stubborn fat, the sort resistant to dieting and exercising, and delivers permanent results. Board-certified plastic surgeons can now sculpt and re-contour most areas of the body, especially with the new CoolAdvantage heads that can treat even the smallest of areas.

The most commonly treated spots include the abdomen, “muffin top,” back fat, the bulges that can appear around a bra, and the double chin. (Yes, it’s safe for use around the face.)

Could body contouring work for you, too?

No doubt you’ve read about body contouring before, probably even admired some impressive before/after posts among your Instagram Stories. If you’ve started wondering, Is this something that could work for me? The answer, without getting all infomercial-y about it, is most likely a resounding yes.

CoolSculpting delivers the best results for those of us who eat a healthy diet and exercise on the regular, but who just can’t seem to shed a pinchable amount of subcutaneous fat. It’s also appropriate for curvier patients to reduce fat as part of a weight-loss program, though CoolSculpting itself is not considered a weight-loss procedure.

About the procedure

CoolSculpting is a noninvasive (meaning there are no incisions) and generally comfortable treatment. You may feel a pulling sensation as the applicator goes on. And the cold may be a little unpleasant initially, but the targeted area will become numb after a few minutes.

The treatment time lasts between 35 and 45 minutes per applicator. (You can have more than one area treated at once.) The applicator, which looks like a small box, is placed over the designated spot. It’ll apply a strong suction and freeze the fat cells underneath.

Usually, there’s no downtime at all. You may feel a bit tender and numb in the treated spot for a few days afterward, but it won’t be enough to interfere with your daily life. You can head right back to the office without missing a beat, and even hit the gym after work.

Why it’s so effective

The results won’t be immediately apparent. That will occur gradually. After about eight weeks, most of the improvement should become visible. Depending on the size of the treated area, most patients see the best results with two to three treatments over the course of a three-month period.

The process requires some patience because the affected fat cells are excreted naturally once they’re destroyed. The process, which is known as cryoliposis, cools the fatty tissue and destroys up to 25% of the fat cells in the treated area. And because the body only produces a certain number of fat cells, those particular fat cells are never coming back.

In other words, as long as you maintain a healthy lifestyle, you can expect to never again be plagued by that pocket of stubborn fat.