In reality, it has little to do with your hands. Some surgeons link to think of themselves as artists, and that's fine, but I can assure you that being talented with a brush or pen does not translate into excellent surgical outcomes. On the other hand, an eye for beauty or fashion is useful, but again, it's in the head. Knowledge, creativity and wisdom are key components in the value of using your head. Knowledge is crucial because it's just as important to know what we can't do, as knowing what we can do.
Creativity is required when the problems we face are unique or when the old solutions won't work. And it is just as important, if not more so, having the wisdom of knowing what operation not to perform. One of my favorite mantras is, "just because you can, doesn't mean you should.
We must start with our heads on straight. With so many wonderful patients singing our praises, we should be walking on cloud nine. But the reality is, the small few that are not happy and may never be weighs on us far more than all the positive outcomes combined. During a consultation, we sometimes come across patients who we feel cannot be satisfied and we do our best to identify this group, choosing not to take them as a patient in the first place and saving ourselves a headache.
But it's not a reliable system and people slip through the cracks. Despite all our efforts before surgery to make sure a patient's expectations are realistic and doing what we can to achieve their desired results, we can't make everyone happy all the time.
Some surgeons aren't affected by it and seem just to brush it off; others are outright mean and divert the blame on the patient. That's not how things are handled in my or my partners' practices. We take it to heart, probably too much, and it can be crushing.
Ask anyone in their 40s, 50s or 60s who looks younger than their actual age about aging gracefully, and they'll have the same advice: take care of your skin and protect it from the sun. I repeat Even if it's overcast, UV light damages DNA in the skin along with smoking , and once the damage is done, it's permanent.
With damaged skin comes the appearance of fine lines and age spots associated with old age. If you haven't been religious about applying sunscreen, it's not too late to start, and you can prevent future DNA damage. To repair existing damage, you may need to wind the clock back with a chemical peel or some skin lasering. The tan somethings of today will be the lined- and older-looking somethings of tomorrow.
I hear from so many patients and plenty of surgeons that bigger is always better when it comes to breast implants , but this is shortsighted advice. If a patient feels this way now, they will change their mind eventually even if it's 20 years down the road. Breast implants are not a three or six-month journey — many patients who have surgery will only need one operation in their lifetime. And as something women get into their 30s, 40s and 50s, they will appreciate that larger breasts aren't always better.
Being a surgeon in a mature practice, I see more patients in their 50s and 60s interested in a breast reduction or breast lift, rather than wanting to go larger. Bigger is definitely not always better.
A tummy tuck is a very common procedure — I did almost last year alone! It's a major surgery and usually has spectacular results. Male breast reduction treats gynecomastia, an enlargement of the mammary tissue in men. It may be done by liposuction or with various scar patterns, often hidden around the nipple and areola. Liposuction, or suction-assisted lipectomy, uses thin cannulas, or hollow metal tubes, to vacuum fat from various parts of the body, usually the abdomen, thighs, buttocks, hips, backs of the arms, and neck.
Liposuction may also be used for male breast reduction. Tools used in liposuction include standard, ultrasound , mechanical, and laser devices. They all tend to involve suction of fat through a tube. To prevent complications, there is a limit to the amount of fat that the surgeon can safely remove, depending on whether the patient will be discharged immediately after surgery or admitted to the hospital.
Liposuction should not be intended as a weight-loss procedure. When performed in the right patient, the goal is to improve contour and decrease limited areas of fat deposits.
Complications are rare but possible. They include the accumulation of blood under the skin, known as hematoma, infection, changes in sensation, allergic reactions, damage to underyling structures, and unsatisfactory results.
The doctor must discuss these with the patient beforehand. Liposuction does not reduce the risk of developing diabetes , heart disease , or high blood pressure. Labiaplasty, labioplasty, labia minor reduction, or labial reduction involves surgery of the labia majora or labia minora of the vulva, a part of the female genitalia.
It aims to reduce elongated labia, usually as part of a vaginoplasty. There is a lack of clinical or scientific evidence to guide gynecological surgeons as to the safety and effectiveness of cosmetic vaginal procedures.
Excess skin and fat is removed from the middle and lower abdomen, with the aim of tightening the muscle and fascia of the abdominal wall. Buttock augmentation enhances the appearance of the buttocks by making them larger. A buttock lift, or lower body lift involves removing excess skin from the hips, buttocks, and thighs in order to tighten and lift them. These procedures are often combined with abdominoplasty in patients who have lost a considerable amount of weight after bariatric, or weight loss, surgery, for example.
Blepharoplasty, or eyelid surgery , aims to reshape the eyelids. With age, the skin becomes lax, and there may be drooping or hooding of the upper lids, and bags on the lower lids. Eyelid surgery may be functional, cosmetic, or both. It usually involves removing or repositioning excess skin and fat, and the procedure may reinforce surrounding muscles and tendons. It may involve reshaping the tip and reducing the bony hump at the upper aspect of the nose. It can be performed with small incisions that are well hidden, often inside the nostrils.
Surgeons do not recommend rhinoplasty until the patient is at least 15 years old, to allow for full growth of the cartilage and bone of the nose. One or both ears may be treated. It is most commonly performed in children after of 5 or 6 years as the ears have essentially reached adult size by that age.
Rhytidectomy , also known as a facelift , aims to surgically remove wrinkles and tighten facial skin in order to achieve a more youthful appearance. Typically, the incision is placed in front of and behind the ears, extending into the hairline in the temple area. The skin is lifted off the deeper facial tissue, redraped more tightly, and the excess skin is removed. The incisions are then closed with sutures. The deeper tissues of the face and neck may also be tightened.
Blepharoplasty, or eyelid surgery may be done at the same time. A brow lift , browplasty, or forehead lift aims to remove signs of aging by raising drooping eyebrows and removing forehead wrinkles, or worry lines. It is often done alongside other cosmetic procedures to achieve a more harmonious facial appearance. Chin augmentation aims to make the chin more prominent and provide a better balance of facial features.
It may be done at the same time as rhinoplasty, depending on the measurements taken before surgery. It can be performed with either a prosthetic implant or through manipulation of the chin bone. Malar, or cheek, augmentation can make the cheekbones more prominent. The surgeon may place an implant at the top of the cheekbones. Chemical peels may help treat acne , pock marks, scars, or wrinkles. A number of active agents may be used. People who want to change the size of their stomachs, breasts, or other body parts because they see it done so easily on TV?
Those are common images of plastic surgery, but what about the 4-year-old boy who has his chin rebuilt after a dog bit him? Or the young woman who has the birthmark on her forehead lightened with a laser? Just because the name includes the word "plastic" doesn't mean patients who have this surgery end up with a face full of fake stuff. The name isn't taken from the synthetic substance but from the Greek word plastikos , which means to form or mold and which gives the material plastic its name as well.
Plastic surgery is a special type of surgery that can change a person's appearance and ability to function. Most teens don't, of course. But some do. Interestingly, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons ASPS reports a difference in the reasons teens give for having plastic surgery and the reasons adults do: Teens view plastic surgery as a way to fit in and look acceptable to friends and peers.
Adults, on the other hand, frequently see plastic surgery as a way to stand out from the crowd. According to the ASPS, more than , people 19 years and younger had either major or minor plastic surgical procedures in Some people turn to plastic surgery to correct a physical defect or to alter a part of the body that makes them feel uncomfortable. For example, guys with a condition called gynecomastia excess breast tissue that doesn't go away with time or weight loss may opt for reduction surgery.
A girl or guy with a birthmark may turn to laser treatment to lessen its appearance. Teens who have cosmetic procedures — such as otoplasty surgery to pin back ears that stick out or dermabrasion a procedure that can help smooth or camouflage severe acne scars — sometimes feel more comfortable with their appearance after the procedure.
The most common procedures teens choose include nose reshaping, ear surgery, acne and acne scar treatment, and breast reduction. Reconstructive surgery helps repair significant defects or problems.
But what about having cosmetic surgery just to change your appearance? Is it a good idea for teens? As with everything, there are right and wrong reasons to have surgery. Cosmetic surgery is unlikely to change your life.
Most board-certified plastic surgeons spend a lot of time interviewing teens who want plastic surgery to decide if they are good candidates for the surgery.
Doctors want to know that teens are emotionally mature enough to handle the surgery and that they're doing it for the right reasons.
0コメント