You Can Improve Your Sun-Damaged Skin With Laser Treatments

Currently, there are many lasers used for facial and skin rejuvenation and to treat sun damage and photo-aging of the skin. One older laser system, the carbon dioxide laser, has been very effective for treating sun damaged skin but has fallen out of favor. This is because it routinely caused extensive rawness of the skin that typically required over 2 weeks of “hiding out” or “downtime” to recover. In addition to the time it took to heal, it frequently caused skin discoloration and occasionally scarring. Many lasers available today require very little downtime and yield some improvement of the skin but are not nearly as effective as the carbon dioxide laser. As with any procedure, anyone considering laser skin treatments should first consult with a plastic surgeon prior to under going their chosen procedure.

As Tattoos Become Increasingly Popular, Tattoo Removal Follows Suit

As tattoos are gaining popularity, so has the need for tattoo removal as many people want to remove an old tattoo that no longer fits their personal image. Fortunately for those who have made the decision to have a tattoo removed, advances in modern lasers offer the safe removal of a tattoo, with a reduced risk of scarring.

Modern lasers use specific wavelengths of light that are absorbed by the ink in a tattoo essentially vaporizing the ink in the tattoo. The body then removes the remaining ink through the body's own cleansing, leaving the skin intact. Because the body takes responsibility for cleansing itself of the debris and fragments left behind by the laser, the removal treatment sessions are performed weeks apart and most tattoos, especially larger tattoos, will require several treatment sessions. Of Course, the number of treatments required differ and are based on the size, colors used, location and age of the tattoo being removed. Because professional tattoos tend to be deeper, and darker than tattoos by an amateur, professional tattoos usually require a higher number of treatments to achieve complete removal.

Also, because tattoo removal is gaining popularity, there are many clinics, cosmetic surgeons and 'specialists' offering tattoo removal services. When one makes the decision to have a tattoo removed, that person should make sure they he/she understands that tattoo removal process, and locate a skilled, experienced and properly trained specialist or cosmetic surgeon to perform the tattoo removal. Just as it is easy to find yourself on the receiving end of a bad tattoo from an inexperienced tattoo artist, one can also find him or herself under going removal treatments from a specialist that is under-qualified and inexperienced. This can cause problems resulting in excess scarring, damage to skin in the location of removal, and incomplete removal, resulting in a faded tattoo that does not fully disappear.

Rhinoplasty Surgery: What Makes A Good Candidate For This Procedure?

The best candidates for rhinoplasty, more commonly known as nose surgery, have a nose that is unattractive or does not "fit" with other facial features. Deformities, breathing problems, birth defects injury, disease and noses that seem large in comparison to other facial features are all excellent indications that rhinoplasty surgery can help. Nose reshaping is intended to produce a more attractive nose shape and/or create better proportion to other facial features. Rhinoplasty surgery is usually done on an outpatient basis under sedation, and local or general anesthesia. During your consultation, your plastic surgeon will decide which rhinoplasty techniques will be used.

There are three types of nose surgery procedure techniques:

In a standard rhinoplasty procedure, the incisions are made inside the nostrils. The nasal bones, cartilage, and soft tissues are all reshaped to improve the external contour. With an open rhinoplasty procedure, which is frequently used for difficult or larger noses, a single external incision across the the part of the nose referred to as columella or the strut between the nostrils. In an open rhinoplasty procedure, the bones, cartilage, and soft tissues are reshaped under direct vision as opposed to a standard rhinoplasty procedure where the bone and soft tissues are reshaped through the small incisions inside the nostrils. Finally, a 'Tip-Plasty" technique is used when only the nasal tip is abnormal. This may be corrected with either a standard or external (open) approach to the surgery. Large nostrils can be reshaped and made smaller through tiny incisions at the outer base of the nostrils with either type of rhinoplasty surgery procedure.

Bigger, Easier, Better - LookingYourBest.com Reaches for the Next Level

LookingYourBest.com, the nationwide reference guide to a Who's Who of America's Plastic and Cosmetic Surgeons, offers more than just a bold new look with its comprehensive re-tooling. It offers an enhanced experience.

The first aspect of the new LookingYourBest.com that will surely catch the eye is the new layout and color scheme. The old, sterile layout with its pastel colors blending out to the window's edge has been supplanted by a sharp, clean page set against a rich chocolate tone, with deep rose accents and a commanding presence. In all the site wears a more focused, sophisticated feel that visitors are sure to appreciate.

The visual changes, however, belie the underlying metamorphosis that now makes it even easier to seek out doctors and procedures by multiple criteria. A simplified menu and site structure are two of the keys to the improved ease of use, despite the addition of even more data than before. LookingYourBest has long been an excellent source for finding and comparing professionals in aesthetic medicine, both locally and nationally. Now, the search function in both the gallery and surgeon areas has been simplified and visitors are treated to informative videos and 3D procedure animations to further enhance their search.

There's an important difference in the underpinnings as well, though a casual visitor may not even notice. Nevertheless, by streamlining the site's code, the programmers at LookingYourBest have sought to improve what is often the most important aspect of a web site; browsing speed. The new LookingYourBest.com loads faster and is more intuitive than ever.

Reshaping the Chin and Upper Neck

The chin, jaw line and upper neck play a vital role in your facial appearance
When we think about what makes an attractive face, we often consider the beauty of the eyes, the curve of the brows, the size and angle of the nose, or the shape of the lips. We may not focus as specifically on the chin and the jaw line, yet these features are, in fact, an important part of the skeletal framework that defines our facial appearance.

For a woman, a well-defined jaw line that is slightly curved contributes to attractive facial proportions. A delicate but adequately projecting chin generally is the ideal of feminine beauty. For a man, somewhat greater chin projection combined with a more angular jaw line is perceived as conveying a strong, masculine appearance.

For both women and men, the transition from the jaw line to the upper neck should be a "clean," smooth line without excess fat or sagging skin. Unfortunately, the jaw line is one of the first areas to show early signs of aging, losing its youthful angles and definition. Heredity, as well as age, often plays a role in aesthetic problems of the lower face. Younger patients may be dissatisfied with a recessive, or "weak," chin, a chin that is too long relative to their other facial proportions, or excess fatty tissue underneath the chin. Plastic surgery can help solve all these problems, either by restoring lost facial contours or creating new contours in better harmony with your other facial features.

Breast Implant Malposition

Following breast enlargement, breast implants may settle into an incorrect position. This is usually a technical or judgmental error by the surgeon, but may be due to the inherent asymmetry of the patient, unpredicted excessive tissue laxity, or positional variations after surgery (e.g. sleeping with one arm over the head). The most common form of undesirable implant location is commonly known as “bottoming out”, or a location lower than optimal aesthetically. Another is excessive spacing between the breasts.

In any event, the proper term used to describe this problem is implant malposition. The treatment is to relocate the implant by reconstructing the proper implant pocket. Sometimes the pectoralis muscle has been incompletely released, or over-released from the ribs or breastbone. Sometimes relocation of the implant to a different level of placement (subglandular or subpectoral) is necessary to correct the problem. It can be a difficult problem to correct precisely, but usually can be improved significantly with revisionary surgery. Your plastic surgeon will analyze the particular problem in each patient and tailor the surgical approach to that specific situation.

Breast Reconstruction Options

It is important to be informed about each of the reconstruction options in order to determine the best possible treatment plan for each individual patient.

The unique circumstances of each patient help to determine the best option for the method of reconstruction that can be used. The goals of breast reconstruction surgery are to re-create a breast which matches the opposite breast, or in bilateral cases, to reconstruct two breasts of a patients’s desired size. The nipple and areola (the pigmented area surrounding the nipple) are also reconstructed. It is ideal to consult with a plastic surgeon prior to mastectomy. This allows the surgical teams to plan the treatment that is best suited for the patient, even if the patient decides to wait to have reconstructive surgery at a later date.

Immediate breast reconstruction occurs when reconstruction is performed at the time of mastectomy. Immediate reconstruction has the advantage of usually saving the patient at least one subsequent operation, and has been shown to have a significant psychological benefit, as the patient never has to experience the total loss of a breast. All of the reconstruction options listed below can be performed at the time of mastectomy.

Delayed breast reconstruction is done at a later time. For some women, this may be advised, especially if radiation to the chest area is needed after the mastectomy. Delayed reconstruction is appropriate for these women because radiation therapy following breast reconstruction can increase complications after reconstructive surgery.