Transform your body with plastic surgery. If you’re considering making a change to your appearance, one of the best first steps is a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon like Dr. Mussat. This consultation provides an invaluable opportunity to explore your options, ask questions, and find out if you’re a good candidate for surgery. Take the first step toward a new you by giving us a call today. These tips will help you prepare for your consultation.
Check Your Surgeon’s Qualifications
The success of your plastic surgery procedure largely depends on the skill of your chosen surgeon. As you consider potential plastic surgeons, pay attention to their qualifications. Here are a few things to look for.
- Board Certification– Board certified plastic surgeons have demonstrated their skill, education, and expertise in the field. Dr. Mussat has been board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery since 1999.
- Advanced Training and Education– Look for a surgeon with specialized training and skill. Dr. Mussat has completed multiple fellowships at prestigious universities including a fellowship in Critical Care at the University of New York Health Science Center, a Microvascular Research fellowship at Mount Sinai Medical Center, and a fellowship in Burn Surgery at Cook County Hospital in Chicago. She also completed a Plastic Surgery residency at UIC in Chicago.
- Awards and Honors- Mussat is an award-winning doctor.
- Experience in the Field- Look for a surgeon with extensive experience, especially performing the procedures you’re considering.
- Positive Patient Reviews- Patient reviews can tell you a lot about a potential surgeon. Read some of Mussat’s reviews here.
One thing you shouldn’t focus on is finding the lowest price. When it comes to plastic surgery, quality matters. Focus on experience and skill, not on saving a few hundred dollars.
Do Your Research
Dr. Mussat takes the time to explain every detail of your procedure and to answer all questions you may have, but many patients find it helpful to come to their consultation with a little knowledge about their intended procedure. This makes it easier to communicate with the surgeon, helps you to focus your questions, and makes the consultation a more productive experience for you.
Our website provides an excellent starting point for plastic surgery research. We have detailed information on most of the procedures that we offer including:
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons also offers detailed information about common plastic surgery procedures.
Write Down Questions
As you learn more about your procedure, you’ll likely find that you have some questions. Write them down and bring your list with you to your consultation. During the excitement of a consultation, many patients forget their questions. This list of questions may give you some ideas.
Figure Out What You Want
What does your ideal body look like? Your anatomy may limit the results we’re able to achieve with plastic surgery, but it is a good idea to come to your consultation with a basic idea of what you want. Some patients bring pictures of friends and celebrities to illustrate their ideals.
Gather Your Medical History
During your consultation, we’ll discuss your medical history in depth. Come prepared to talk about other surgical procedures you’ve had, your medical conditions (and those of immediate family members), and the medications you take. Bring a list of any supplements, prescription medications, and over-the-counter medications you use. If you can, bring any relevant medical records.
Call to schedule your consultation with Dr. Mussat today.
What is beauty?
Ask anyone this question and you’ll hear varied answers. Some people would define beauty as purely physical. That it possess all the qualities that mainstream media define as beautiful, such as clear skin, long hair, slim body frame, or a tall height. Other individuals define it as something subjective or abstract. That it’s something that you feel inside yourself. That even if you don’t possess the beauty standards society have set, you’re beautiful if you’re kind and gentle.
For Dr. Florence Mussat, though, her philosophy about beauty is different. Not in a way that sets her apart from all other individuals, but that her philosophy has allowed her to provide beautiful results to all her patients consistently.
La Beaute en Harmonie
Dr. Mussat believes in beauty in harmony. In other words, an attractive person is someone who possesses not only physical attractiveness but also inner charm, refinement, elegance and grace. For her, there should be a balance between inner and outer beauty. They should go hand in hand.
Dr. Mussat, a recipient of the 2015 Top 10 Chicago Plastic Surgeon Award, views each person uniquely. This allowed her to tailor each plastic surgery procedure to each patient’s needs. As each person is unique, the course of treatment should also be one of a kind.
Her Secret to Success
Experience, artistry, and her deeply rooted philosophy about beauty have made this board-certified plastic surgeon successful in each of her surgical and non-surgical endeavors.
One of her secrets is personalized patient care, from the initial consultation up to the last day of follow-up visit. To achieve beautiful, natural-looking aesthetic results, Dr. Mussat meets with each patient, ask questions, and answer individuals concerns to ensure that both parties understand each other. There should be harmony on both sides. Dr. Mussat doesn’t proceed with the process until she fully comprehends the patient’s aesthetic goals. The patient should also have a full knowledge of the procedure he or she will undergo before making a commitment.
Mutual understanding is beneficial and critical to the success of each procedure.
Our cultural differences make it difficult to come up with a single definite answer as to what beauty is. Many individuals agree, though, that beauty is not all about flawless skin, perfect makeup, a sexy body, and/or shiny hair. One can feel beautiful when goodness also radiates inside.
To see how Dr. Mussat puts her beauty philosophy into action, consult with her about your aesthetic goals. Request a consultation today.
Like the skin, a woman’s breast goes through natural changes throughout her life. The changes may be subtle, but they occur. The alterations could range from appearance to size and from shape to texture. Sometimes, the changes are a result of pregnancy, weight gain, or a debilitating illness.
This is why women should know what is going on with their breasts at each stage of their lives. If you’re not familiar with the different stages that your breasts go through, read on so you can learn what you can expect as each year passes by.
During Your 20s
As you cross the teenage stage, your body will start to settle into your adult weight. Your metabolism may drop, so the size of your breast changes as you add or drop some weight.
Pregnancy may happen within this decade, and will enlarge your breasts to prepare for lactation. Pregnancy can also change the color of your areolas and the size of your nipples. After pregnancy and lactation, your breasts may return to their pre-baby state. It may be unlikely, however, especially after multiple pregnancies.
You may also feel some lumps and bumps in your breasts, which are due to fibrocystic changes and are common for women in their 20s. These common lumps are often normal. Regardless, you can check with your doctor if you notice lumps, especially the ones that aren’t painful, as they are usually associated with cancer.
During Your 30s
If you have multiple pregnancies in your 20s, your breasts’ skin may start to stretch. In most cases, extended skin leads to stretch marks and ptosis or drooping breasts. Ptosis can still occur even in the absence of pregnancy as you deal with weight changes in your 30s.
During Your 40s
Once you reach this period, your body will start to transition to the menopausal stage. As the estrogen production in your ovaries decreases, your breasts will go through a stage called involution, in which fat will replace the breast tissues and make them feel soft.
You may feel lumps in your breasts, but they’re mostly soft. If the lumps are firm, consider them a red flag and should be evaluated immediately.
It’s normal to see changes in your breasts. However, it’s difficult to determine whether the changes are normal or due to a disease. That’s why it’s always best to do a self-breast exam so you can notice differences that may be worth a visit to the doctor.
If you’re unhappy with your breast shape and size at this stage in your life, you have the option to have a breast enhancement surgery. Contact Dr. Mussat today if want to learn about the procedures that can enhance your breasts.
Regular exercise and a healthy diet play a role in giving you a sculpted figure. There are cases, though, that these two might not be enough. There will always be stubborn fat lying around in certain areas of your body that just won’t go away.
If you’re frustrated with the slow to zero progress of your efforts, consider getting a liposuction. This minimally invasive procedure will not only trim away excess fat around your abdomen, hips, buttocks and thighs, you can also use the procedure to vacuum away the fat in other areas of your body.
That’s right! The areas that liposuction targets are not limited to these four areas alone. It can also suction fat in areas that you didn’t know could benefit from a light or small procedure.
The following are the top areas that liposuction can target to give your body a more sculpted contour.
- Torso
The belly usually gets the most attention with liposuction, but other areas of the torso can also benefit from this procedure. For example, a small procedure can target the back part of the torso where the love handles usually poke out. Your surgeon can also target the excess fat deposit that bulges out along the bra band. By targeting the area with precision, you can wear a swimsuit or a low-cut backless dress with confidence.
- Legs
The thighs are not the only ones that can benefit from the procedure. If you have bulges and folds due to excess fat around your knees and ankles, you can definitely include them in your list of target areas. The procedure can add definition to your legs and make them look more toned. Plus, it can help banish the fat that gives you the infamous ‘chunky ankles’ or ‘cankles.’
- Neck
As you gain weight, some of the fat settles in the upper neck area. This leads to the formation of the double chin, which may make you feel self-conscious. If you have a double chin and it’s ruining every selfie shot you take, a light procedure can banish it. In addition to that, liposuction can also give your jawline definition.
- Chest
Weight gain or hormonal imbalance in men causes gynecomastia, a condition that results in the abnormal growth of breast tissue in men. Most men who have this condition can greatly benefit from a light liposuction procedure to remove excess breast tissue.
- Arms
If you want to have toned, well-defined arms, you can use liposuction to achieve your aesthetic goal. You can also use the procedure to target the fatty bulges in the underarms while you’re at it.
By targeting these areas, in addition to your abdomen, hips and buttocks, you can have a sculpted body sooner than expected. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Mussat, please call her Chicago practice today.
On the subject of breast enhancement, there’s a question that baffles many women who are considering it: Why do some women look great when they have large breasts, while others look appealing with small breasts? This question makes it confusing for women who can’t decide whether to get a breast augmentation or a breast reduction.
Well, ladies, the truth of the matter is, it’s not about getting the right size. It’s about enhancing your breasts, whether to augment or reduce, in order to have the breast size that’s ideal or proportionate to your frame. In other words, there is no perfect breast size suitable for all women.
The Ideal Breast Size
Now you know that having the perfect breasts is subjective, it’s time to learn how to determine your ideal breast size. While the best way to determine your ideal size is through an examination by a board-certified plastic surgeon, there are determining factors that can guide you.
There are eight major body types in women. Each of these has its own ideal breast size in order to make the body look proportionate. If you’re heavier in the lower part of your body, increasing your breast size can add proportion to your frame. If you have an inverted triangle body type, you certainly can benefit from breast reduction to make your bust proportionate to your small hips and waist.
Stand in front of a mirror and analyze your body carefully. Does your body have a strong build? Or, do you have a thin frame? If you have a strongly built body shape, a breast augmentation can be beneficial for you, as you can carry large-sized breasts with ease. If you’re lean or small, you might have to think long and hard about getting larger breasts as they can cause back pain. If you’re already experiencing such discomfort because of your breasts, a reduction surgery may alleviate the pain. Typically, it’s safe to augment your breasts by one size up if you want them to be bigger.
If you are in your childbearing years, you might want to forego getting breast augmentation for a while— unless you don’t have any plans of bearing children, because pregnancy can cause the breasts to grow larger. During this period, you’ll be able to see yourself with larger breasts and decide if you want to keep it that way or not.
These are deciding factors to help you determine your ideal breast size. At the end of the day, it’s still you who gets to decide whether you want bigger or smaller breasts.
You can get a professional opinion from Dr. Mussat, who is keen on providing you with natural-looking results that will make you truly happy. So schedule a consultation today.
