Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Articles

With the recent explosion of noninvasive cosmetic treatments, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that demand for noninvasive fat-reduction procedures has become insatiable. Already, there are a dozen noninvasive body-contouring procedures employing several different technologies on the market, and even more are set to launch later this year and in 2020.

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.

While all of this may make non- and minimally-invasive fat-reduction procedures sound like a modern holy grail, the truth is, not all treatments are made equal and not all procedures are right for every issue. With all this sudden interest and growth, body contouring has become an umbrella term for some very different kinds of treatments, including skin tightening, fat reduction, muscle tightening, and cellulite treatments.

Some treatments work for tough-to-reach body parts better than others, while others are more effective for targeted areas. Most treatments also take a couple of months for the results to fully materialize. Taking that under consideration, along with the technology’s rapid evolution, it’s difficult to point to one as the best treatment. But there are a couple that are more effective than the others.

Freezing fat away forever

CoolSculpting was one of the first noninvasive, fat-eliminating treatments to hit the market. The FDA-approved device uses controlled cooling to permanently freeze fat cells that are resistant to diet and exercise in areas like the inner thighs, upper arms, and stomach.

It takes about three months for the frozen cells to die and be eliminated naturally by the body, so a little patience is necessary. But once those cells are gone, new cells aren’t able to take their place, which makes CoolSculpting a fairly permanent solution.

Don’t forget about lipo

For all the leaps in technology, liposuction still reigns supreme when it comes to medical intervention for fat elimination. The same way that the rise of facial fillers has brought the facelift out of the shadows, the growth of non- and minimally-invasive body-contouring procedures has renewed interest in liposuction. And that’s because the former is intended as refinement for those within 10 pounds of their goal weight, not as a weight-loss method.

But liposuction’s done a lot of evolving itself, with improved techniques to reduce bruising and swelling, minimize scarring, and shorten recovery times. It’s not uncommon today for a patient to have liposuction on a specific area, like their thighs, and be back at work the next day. It’s also not a stretch to call liposuction the ultimate minimally-invasive fat reduction procedure.

The best way to find out which body-contouring procedure is the right fit for you is to consult with a board-certified plastic surgeon who can advise you based on a variety of physical and lifestyle factors.

In my last blog post, I discussed a few things you’ll want to consider when trying to figure out whether facial fillers are a good fit for you, including the various roles that the different fillers play and why your bestie’s favorite filler may not be the right choice for you.

Here, I’ll breakdown a few more considerations to round out our facial fillers guide.

Lip augmentation is an individualized treatment

We have the Kardashians to thank for the explosion of interest in lip augmentations. And while they’ve become the ideal for so many women, the truth is, everyone’s lips age a little differently once they hit 30. Consequently, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to achieving Kim’s luscious lips.

Hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers are the only kind used in the lips because they integrate well. But, from there, the treatment depends on you and your plastic surgeon. Soft, flexible HA fillers are a somewhat conservative approach, but they provide an appreciable volume boost without leaving the lips looking stiff or overdone.

For those interested in simply making their lips look a little more, well, pouty, the injection technique and placement matter as much as the filler. Even a tiny drop placed on the Cupid’s bow can have a meaningful effect.

Facial Fillers are full of possibility

When you think facial fillers, lips and wrinkles probably come rushing to mind. But they’re capable of so much more, like: elevating sunken scars, brightening hollowed-out under-eyes, and sharpening jawlines. They can also add more substance to bony hands.

More structural fillers, like Radiesse, Juvéderm Ultra, Restylane Lyft, are typically used in the hands and jawline. While a more fluid HA filler can lift the skin up and away from the underlying blood vessels, alleviating discoloration and hollowing under the eyes.

The acrylic-based Bellafill is the only filler technically approved by the FDA for treating acne scars, but plastic surgeons generally prefer to use reversible HA fillers instead because the injection placement can be tricky.

That said, facial fillers, on their own, aren’t miracle workers. They can help lift sagging skin to a degree, but a filler’s not going to have the same effect as a facelift. They’re also not going to be able to make deeply etched lines disappear. That’ll require a combination of procedures that may include filler, Botox, and laser resurfacing.

A tweak can make a big difference

It’s also a misconception that you need to be plagued by a specific problem before you can consider facial fillers. Just wanting to look a little different is enough. A plastic surgeon can refresh your look by placing tiny drops of filler in a few strategic locations. Allow your doctor to suggest a tweak that you never considered.

Injecting the temples is a great example. Almost no one asks for it, but it’s almost universally loved once it’s done.