Fall and winter are both great times to have liposuction: It’s usually easier to find time to recover during these seasons, and postoperative swelling can be disguised with thick sweaters and coats. However, like all forms of invasive surgery, liposuction needs to be planned carefully so it doesn’t interfere with your holiday plans. It’s therefore important to know what to expect during liposuction recovery: Knowing when you’ll feel better and experience optimum results can help you make the most of this winter’s festivities.
Liposuction Recovery: What to Expect, and When
Liposuction remains such a popular body contouring procedure because it produces results relatively quickly, with little downtime. Most people who have liposuction performed on a small area, e.g., under their chin or their inner thighs, can return to work after just one week of rest. Still, if you’re planning to have liposuction on a larger area, like your stomach or back, you may need two weeks of rest. Not everyone who has liposuction on a large area needs to rest this long, but older patients and patients with a strong inflammatory response usually do. Because it’s difficult to anticipate exactly how you’ll respond to surgery, it’s better to err on the side of caution and plan for at least two weeks of recovery time. In other words, if you want to feel better in time for December 24th, you should have surgery during the first week of December.
Another important factor to consider is residual swelling. Though symptoms of physical discomfort generally wane within just three to five days after having liposuction, deeper inflammation can take a while to fully resolve. In rare cases, patients have reported noticing swelling for up to four weeks after having liposuction. (Note that this is also more likely when the patient is having a large area treated.) Though this swelling isn’t dangerous and probably won’t cause you any pain, it can obscure your results. Swelling can cause treated areas to look “puffier” than they actually are, making you look a bit heavier than you will after you’re completely done healing.
How much this residual swelling will matter depends largely on what you plan to wear during the holidays. If you live in a cold climate and love to show off your favorite kitschy Christmas sweaters, most people probably won’t even notice that you’re still a bit swollen. If you have your heart set on slipping into a slinky dress, on the other hand, it could end up sabotaging your style. We, therefore, recommend having liposuction during the last week of November.
Though time is fast running out, if you contact us promptly, you’ll still have a chance to arrange a liposuction consultation in 2018. When you visit Dr. Florence Mussat, she’ll help you weigh your options and determine whether or not this procedure can fit into your busy holiday plans. Don’t let the opportunity to give yourself the gift of a better body pass you by—make this the year that you finally achieve your cosmetic goals.
All plastic surgery patients have one thing in common, regardless of which procedure they’re having: They want to achieve attractive, natural-looking results; they want to work with their innate beauty and not against it.
Fat transfer, an innovative surgical technique that’s behind some of today’s most popular procedures, accomplishes this objective safely and effectively. During fat transfer (also known as fat grafting), fat is harvested from one area of the body and processed in a centrifuge before being injected into another part of the body. This allows for the natural augmentation of the breasts and buttocks; it also provides a lasting solution for facial wrinkles and hollows if the face.
What are the Advantages of Having a Fat Transfer Procedure?
1. You’ll enjoy permanent results.
Unlike dermal fillers, fat will not dissolve over time. Once the harvested fat is injected into areas of the face where wrinkles and facial hollows have developed, the grafted cells establish a blood supply and remain in place permanently. A fat transfer after a facelift is an excellent way to treat all of the signs of facial aging without having to worry about the need for top-up injections.
2. Fat transfer is not associated with long-term health risks.
Though all invasive surgeries come with a slight risk of postoperative complications; however, unlike synthetic implants and fillers, injected fat cannot cause an allergic or autoimmune reaction. Likewise, patients who opt for fat transfer augmentation (of their breasts or buttocks) never have to worry about dealing with a ruptured implant or developing breast implant illness.
3. Fat transfer results not only look natural, they feel completely natural, too.
Though modern silicone gel implants do a good job of emulating human tissue, there’s no substitute for the real thing. Breasts and buttocks that are augmented with fat are soft and naturally rounded. Facial fat transfers will not create the “over-filled” look sometimes associated with the overzealous application of dermal fillers. No one will be able to tell you’ve had a fat transfer unless you discuss your surgical history with them.
4. You’ll be able to get rid of unwanted fat while you improve your contours.
Many patients who have fat transfer breast or buttock augmentation choose to use fat harvested from their belly or thighs. Removing fat from these areas makes them leaner and allows patients to develop visible muscle tone with exercise, as their abs or thigh muscles will no longer be hidden by stubborn subcutaneous fat deposits.
The only caveat of a fat transfer procedure is that you’ll need some fat to harvest. Extremely slim patients cannot always have fat grafting performed because they lack adequate fat stores. To find out whether you’re a good candidate for fat transfer, contact Dr. Florence Mussat to arrange a personal consultation. She is happy to explain the process of fat grafting to you in more depth.
After a busy summer spent running around after your kids, you’re probably ready to treat yourself to something special. For some moms, this means an afternoon at the spa or a romantic weekend getaway; for others, fall is the perfect time to finally schedule the cosmetic procedure they’ve been dreaming of. If a mommy makeover has been on your personal wish list for a while, we recommend booking your consultation in September, for a number of reasons:
Why Fall is a Great Time to Have a Mommy Makeover
1. You won’t miss out on spending quality time with your kids.
No mom wants to be bedridden during the summer holidays, when she might otherwise be taking her kids to the beach, the park, museums, etc. For this reason, most moms feel more comfortable having plastic surgery in the fall, when they know their kids will be occupied with homework and extracurricular activities.
2. Arranging help with childcare will be easier.
Most mommy makeovers involve more than one procedure. Usually, moms have combined breast lift-augmentation surgery and a tummy tuck. These procedures produce dramatic alterations in body shape, and tummy tuck surgery can correct potentially dangerous medical issues (like torn abdominal muscles, which increase a woman’s risk of developing hernias), but they’re undeniably invasive. This means that most women need to stay in bed and rest for at least two weeks after their mommy makeover.
During the school year, you can probably arrange to have your partner or a relative help you with childcare duties in the evenings while you rest. Securing all-day childcare services during the summer, on the other hand, is more challenging (and potentially costly).
3. Cool weather makes it easier to cover up while healing.
Mommy makeover procedures don’t usually create obvious scarring. (The scar from tummy tuck surgery, for example, is concealed within the bikini line, while the scar from breast augmentation can be hidden within the armpit or inframammary crease.) Scars take a while to fade and become smooth, however, sporting fresh incisions during bikini season isn’t considered ideal. Likewise, all invasive surgeries create some temporary swelling that can leave patients feeling less than sleek and beach-ready. During the cooler months, this redness and puffiness can easily be concealed by sweaters and long coats.
4. If you have surgery in the fall, your new body will be ready in time for the holidays.
Many people think that plastic surgery creates results virtually overnight, but in reality, all good things take time. Though you’ll certainly see some changes immediately after your operation, most procedures take a while to really “settle.” If you’re having breast augmentation, for example, your implants will continue to “drop and fluff” (move lower on your chest and fill out your breasts) for up to six months. Scheduling your mommy makeover soon after your kids go back to school is therefore strongly recommended; this way, by the time the winter holidays roll around, you’ll look (and feel) great.
Planning Your Mommy Makeover
Though fall offers moms a low-stress window in which to have surgery, planning a mommy makeover can still be daunting. If you’re not sure where to get started, contact female plastic surgeon, Dr. Florence Mussat, for guidance. She’ll be happy to assist you throughout your mommy makeover journey.
Our lips play a vital role in everyday life: We need them to speak properly, eat, and make recognizable facial expressions. Lips are also one of our most prominent features; after our eyes, they’re the first thing strangers notice about us.
A severe lip injury can have lasting detrimental effects on a person’s quality of life, affecting everything from confidence to self-expression. This is why a small number of skilled facial surgeons in the United States provide a specialized procedure to patients who have sustained a disfiguring lip injury: Lip reconstruction surgery.
Who Can Benefit from Lip Reconstruction Surgery?
Lip reconstruction surgery is usually recommended for patients whose lips have been damaged as a result of the following situations:
Lip Cancer
Both oral cancer and skin cancer frequently develop on or near the lips. These cancers can usually be successfully treated with a combination of excision surgery and targeted cancer therapies, but this cure comes at a cost: Patients are often left with a pitted scar around the excision site.
Traumatic Injury
Deep lacerations, like those frequently sustained during motor vehicle accidents, can damage both the form and the function of the lips.
Surgical Disfigurement
Though permanent lip implants are rarely used to enhance the lips (most plastic surgeons prefer to use dermal fillers instead), some patients pursue this option. If they develop complications (e.g., post-surgical infection) or later choose to have their lip implants removed, they can experience unsightly scarring.
Finally, some patients opt to have minor lip reconstruction for purely cosmetic reasons. For instance, they may wish to have a large benign mole or cyst removed and then use reconstructive surgery to hide the scar.
What Happens During Lip Reconstruction Surgery?
The aim of lip reconstruction surgery is to restore both the appearance and the functionality of the patient’s lips so that they look and feel like they did before the patient was injured. When performing this procedure, plastic surgeons do their best to preserve sensation and limit additional scarring.
Lip reconstruction begins with alignment: Dr. Mussat will make sure the primary features that comprise your lips (the philtrum, vermilion border, and commissures) are lined up correctly. Sutures will be used to keep these critical features in place while they heal. Once she’s treated any deep tissue injuries, she’ll carefully position skin and muscle tissue over the wound. A final set of sutures will then be used to close your wounds.
Sometimes, the lips become so badly damaged that an extra step is required to complete the lip reconstruction process: Grafting. Grafting uses skin (and sometimes fat and muscle tissue) from another site on the body to cover a large area on the lips. (The “donor tissue” is taken from a part of the body that’s not usually exposed.) This technique is used when the patient’s wound is so large that pulling a flap of nearby skin over it would create a puckered, obvious scar.
When Should I Schedule Lip Reconstruction Surgery?
The best time to have lip reconstruction surgery is immediately after you’ve been injured, provided you’re in stable condition. For this reason, many plastic surgeons will coordinate with general surgeons to make sure that patients can have lip reconstruction within 24 hours of their cancer excision surgery. This option is also available for patients who are having a benign growth removed. Dr. Mussat offers cyst and lesion removal, so she can perform both procedures if needed.
If you’re planning to have lip surgery or your lips have been injured during an accident, contact Dr. Mussat to learn more about your options for lip reconstruction. The restoration of your bright, confident smile begins with a personal consultation.
You probably don’t still love the same hairstyle or clothing that you loved ten years ago… Why should your physical preferences be any different? As we learn and grow, our tastes change, and this can sometimes reshape our views on cosmetic enhancements. It therefore probably won’t surprise you to learn that some women eventually choose to have their breast implants removed.
Whether you’re considering breast augmentation or breast implant removal, it’s a good idea to review the reasons why women decide to undergo explant surgery. Understanding how breast implants might impact your lifestyle can help you make the right choices.
The Top 4 Reasons Why Women have Their Implants Removed
1. Changing activity levels.
Breast implants weigh about the same amount as natural breast tissue. This means that for every 1000 cc of implant fluid, you’re adding two pounds to your frame. Though you probably won’t notice this additional weight when you’re walking or sitting down, it can feel cumbersome during high-impact activities. With the increasing popularity of cardio workouts, many women are choosing to have their implants removed in favor of creating a lean, toned physique.
2. A desire to keep up with the latest trends.
Large breasts used to be all the rage, but today, their place has been usurped by full, curvaceous buttocks. In keeping with this trend, we’ve seen an increased demand for Brazilian Butt Lift surgery and a decreased desire for large breast implants. That’s not to suggest that breast augmentation isn’t still popular—it is—women are just more likely to pursue a C cup than a DD cup. Likewise, some women who had large implants placed in the past are choosing to either downsize or have their implants removed altogether.
3. Physical illness or discomfort.
Some women report that their implants begin to feel sore or hard years after their initial operation; they may also experience a broad range of health issues that resolve after their implants are removed. Scientists are not sure why breast implant illness occurs, but it’s possible that the patient’s immune system plays a role. Sometimes, when foreign objects are placed in the body, the immune system reacts to them adversely (as if they are an “invader”). This is why patients who have organ transplants and medical implants are at risk of having their bodies reject them.
In patients with breast implants, this immune response can create generalized inflammation, cognitive problems, flu-like symptoms, gastrointestinal distress, dizziness, infection, etc. During breast implant removal surgery, Dr. Mussat carefully removes the entire implant without rupturing it. She also removes the capsule of scar tissue around the implant. This approach ensures that no contaminants from the implant enter the patient’s body during the explant procedure.
4. The wish to return to a more natural look.
In the past, many slender women opted to have mid-sized or even large implants inserted. Because slim women don’t usually have enough natural breast tissue to cover large implants, doing this sometimes resulted in an overly round, artificial look. Today, these women frequently ask to have their large implants removed and replaced with smaller implants that better suit their frame.
Breast Implant Removal: Understanding Your Options
If your implants are causing you discomfort, Dr. Mussat can help you heal. Her approach of combining breast implant removal with breast lift surgery can address both medical and aesthetic concerns. Patients often leave her office with perkier, more even breasts (as compared to their pre-implant breasts) owing to her expertise in performing breast lifts. If you’d like to learn more about how she performs explant surgery, feel free to contact us to arrange a consultation.
