Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Articles

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.