Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Articles

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.

The foundation of the “Mommy Makeover” is a combination of a tummy tuck and breast surgery. But within that framework, there are lots of variations: the mini-tuck, full tuck, skin-only tuck (lax, stretch-marked skin is cut away, but the abdominal muscles are not repaired); and for breasts, there’s the lift, reduction, augmentation, or a hybrid therein.

A flood of interest, coupled with advances in plastic surgery techniques, has broadened the definition even further to include liposuction, fat and filler injections, and vaginal rejuvenation.

The fact that many new moms are millennials is believed to be one of the main driving forces behind the mommy makeover’s recent surge in popularity—and the larger de-stigmatization of plastic surgery. They tend to be more accepting of it than any other generation. According to RealSelf, an online plastic surgery library of sorts, the primary demographic researching mommy makeovers is 25- to 34-year-olds.

Millennials are also likely to be more open about their treatments, whether that means discussing them among friends or posting photos of themselves throughout the process on their social media feeds. Surgeons, too, have begun to pull back the curtain a bit, discretely posting procedures-in-progress and before-and-after photos with savvy hashtags. Together, they’ve helped popularize and demystify the various elements of the mommy makeover.

Mommy Makeover; Less discomfort

It’s not all a result of good timing and better promotion, though. Recent surgical advances are playing a big part as well by enhancing the safety of the operations and minimizing the recovery.

One of the most meaningful innovations is the use of long-acting numbing agents, which are injected into the surgical site and block much of the pain for up to three days following the procedure. Less discomfort during the recovery means less reliance on opioids and fewer side effects from those drugs. It also gets patients on their feet faster, which shrinks the risk of blood clots.

Surgical drains have long been a standard feature of tummy tucks. When the procedure’s done, there’s a large space that needs to be collapsed, and the tissue has to grow together. Drains help fluid from pooling and slowing this process. But they can be quite intrusive.

However, a new technique is increasingly making drains unnecessary. By using progressive tension sutures, which are special internal sutures that reduce potential fluid build-up, or incorporating tissue glues and compression garments, plastic surgeons are able to provide drain-free tummy tucks.

Alternative approaches

Plastic surgeons are also exploring new ways to tweak the protocol, including performing non-invasive fat-reduction treatments, like CoolSculpting, in the months leading up to the mommy makeover. That eliminates the need for liposuction, a more invasive procedure, at the time of the surgery, which shortens the operating time and the healing time.

The mommy makeover is becoming more comprehensive—and, perhaps, more attractive—because the surgery and recovery are becoming more efficient and less demanding.