Athletic, toned legs are most often associated with young, healthy women. But the truth is, women of all ages may be unhappy with their legs – most notably, their thighs. While gravity is the enemy of high, firm thighs during the aging process, illness or extreme weight loss can also change the contour of a younger woman’s legs.

Some cosmetic procedures — like face lifts and tummy tucks — are everyday phrases, and people generally understand what they mean. Thigh lifts are more of a mystery, perhaps because fewer patients have experienced them. Still, as word gets out about this method of regaining youthful-looking legs, the procedure is sure to become more popular.

Thigh lift surgery is fairly straightforward. Your surgeon will make an incision below the bikini line, in the upper inner thigh. This incision allows him to remove fat and excess skin. Surgeons typically use liposuction to get to those stubborn pockets of fat that prevent a taut, toned appearance. The remaining skin is then pulled tight in order to create a smooth look and deep sutures are used to hold the skin firmly in place. Patients go home with temporary drains and wear a compression garment that helps reduces discomfort and maintain the new contours of the thighs as they heal. Ideal candidates for a thigh lift include:

• Those with relatively stable weight
• Patients with excess soft tissue along the inner and outer thigh
• Healthy people with no medical conditions that could impair healing or heighten the risks associated with surgery
• Non-smokers
• Patients with a realistic view of what a thigh lift can accomplish
• Individuals who are committed to leading a healthy lifestyle, including nutrition and exercise

It is important for anyone considering a thigh lift to put a good amount of work into looking for a capable surgeon. Finding the right surgeon for the job is about making sure that a physician is willing to answer questions and explain the process. A good surgeon will perform a rigorous preoperative examination and openly discuss all aspects of the thigh lift procedure. The preoperative appointment will likely include:

• A discussion of any medical treatments a patient is undergoing, drug allergies, and medical conditions that can impact the outcome of elective surgery
• Previous surgeries and how the patient reacted and healed from those
• All medications, herbal supplements, and vitamins the patient takes
• An evaluation of general health status, including pre-existing conditions
• Detailed body measurements
• A discussion of thigh lift options
• A recommended course of treatment
• Honest discussion of likely outcome of thigh lift surgery
• Any risk or potential complications and how those are handled
• Questions about who will be caring for the patient at home

A surgeon may also use the preoperative appointment as an opportunity to educate a patient as to what she can expect after thigh lift surgery. The surgeon will likely tell a patient to take it easy so that incisions are not subjected to swelling or abrasion as they heal. The surgeon may also emphasize that patients who experience shortness of breath, unusual heart rate, or chest pains should seek immediate medical attention. Finally, a surgeon should leave plenty of time for a patient to ask questions of her own and should not seem in a hurry to give pat answers. The best surgeons understand that patients are nervous about surgical procedures and respect those concerns by offering honest answers.

They never said being a mother would be easy, and it has definitely taken a toll on your body. Although you’re happy with your little bundle of joy, the stretch marks, sagging, and misplaced skin are probably leaving you less than elated.  You aren’t the only new mom wanting to get back to your best; we’ve compiled a list of the most common post-baby procedures.

Breast Implants

Topping the charts on the most popular post-pregnancy procedure, breast implants aren’t so surprising. Most mothers note that their breasts sag or seem less full following the birth of their baby and/or breastfeeding. Even after breast implants, mothers can breastfeed—just talk to your doctor and ensure you leave enough time for healing. As an outpatient procedure, you’ll typically be able to return home the same day of the surgery. However, heavy lifting should be avoided for at least two weeks — and that includes baby.

Tummy Tuck

Your stomach took a huge toll: loose muscles, skin, and stretch marks have left a mess of chaos behind. A tummy tuck requires a small incision around the pubic line, which will pull the muscles tight again. Although this is also an outpatient procedure, there are some lifting restrictions that can be in place for a large amount of time.

Breast Reduction

Every mother knows your breasts grow during pregnancy—but sometimes the sheer amount of the growth can be astounding. If breast size begins to contribute to back pain, a reduction may be an option. Following surgery, recovery can take up to six weeks. If you’re breastfeeding, it may be best to wait a few months after weaning before consultation—breast size will generally diminish slightly once milk production has ended.

Liposuction

The troublesome pockets of excess fat that accumulated during pregnancy can be difficult to get rid of—but liposuction can take care of that with a simple procedure. Usually meant for small amounts of fat removal, liposuction can be performed within an hour and may leave your body sore for several days. Recovery itself may take weeks, depending on your body.

 

If motherhood is everything you hoped it would be but your post-baby body isn’t, we can help. Talk to your doctor about your concerns regarding lift restrictions, breastfeeding and recovery time. While some procedures are best left until you’re finished having children, others may be able to be performed now.  Call us today to set up a consultation and discuss your post-baby body concerns!

People do it at the hair salon all the time. You might sit down in the chair and say, “I want that new Jennifer Aniston cut,” or, “I like how David Beckham styles his hair.” It’s a way to give the person doing the work a visual representation of what you want to see in the mirror.

If you are contemplating a makeover that includes fuller lips or reshaping of the nose, why wouldn’t you take the same approach? There is some question about whether the trend of people getting plastic surgery to look like a celebrity is really a healthy one, but ultimately, it comes down to picking a style for most patients. They see a famous face and body and decide that’s the look they want.

Creating a Doppelganger

This is by no means a new trend, but it’s certainly getting a lot of attention these days. Nino Dean, a freelance fashion stylist living in Manhattan, had surgery over a decade ago to look like French singer Vanessa Paradis. For Dean, Paradis’s baby face appealed to him, according to the New York Times. The truth is that even the best plastic surgeon cannot create a doppelganger. It most cases, the patient isolates a specific body part and uses the celebrity as an example. Is it wrong to want Angelina Jolie lips or Kim Kardashian curves?

Cause for Alarm?

Some would argue that paying thousands of dollars to look like someone else is unhealthy. Even celebrities have intervened on social media sites to prevent these makeovers. In 2010, Kim Kardashian communicated with a fan via Twitter asking her to reconsider surgery, emphasizing that you should focus on being yourself. Doctors will tell you any plastic surgery is a case-by-case scenario. Wanting to be beautiful is a healthy goal, as long as you have a practical understanding of the process and not an unhealthy obsession or a type of psychosis.

Celebrity Style

Sometimes, a surgical makeover is a strategic business move. Miki Jay spent over $16,000 because she could make money imitating Michael Jackson. Her celebrity impersonation became more realistic after plastic surgery. Justin Jedlica made a similar career move when he had 144 procedures to look like a Ken doll.

Real estate technology consultant Deborah Davenport didn’t start out wanting to do anything but improve the way she looked. Davenport was unhappy with her aging face, so she decided to get surgery. She used Kate Winslet as an example of what she would like to look like. The surgeon shaved cartilage from her nose to thin it out and used nonsurgical approaches like Botox to change other aspects of her face. The final bill for the Winslet look was about $15,000. 

Ashley Horn invested $25,000 to look more like her famous sister Lindsay Lohan. That might be taking sibling rivalry too far, but Ashley wants to make it in Hollywood, too. It took five separate procedures to get there, including rhinoplasty and fillers.

Any time a patient considers plastic surgery, doctors evaluate the reasons behind the request. Wanting to look like your favorite celebrity is one way of identifying the style you like. An extreme makeover to get the exact look of a star, however, is not a practical or healthy option.

I’ll read this article, but first, let me take a selfie.

If there is a single totem for the current state of digital dependence and online presence, it would be the self-portrait—dubbed the “selfie.” From the Oscars all the way to your timeline, and every space in between, it has done more than clog our newsfeeds: it’s become a brain-changer. Here’s the skinny on how trends like Selfie Sunday could be impacting your body and your brain.

The Short Story

Social media has influenced many aspects of our lives, and quickly gave rise to the selfie—encouraging people of all ages to stray from vacation pictures to a more intimate view of the individual. Often, selfies have sexual undertones: offering the internet audience a glimpse into the personal life of someone in their pajamas, laying on their bed or at the beach, posing. They’re designed to leave a positive impression or elicit some affirmation to the selfie-taker’s physical appearance. While social media focuses on the appearance of your life, the selfie was all about taking control of who sees your life and how they perceive it.

Naturally, this can lead to a few problems.

Psychology Today featured an article on the very same subject, emphasizing how the age of the self-portrait has encouraged narcissism today.  Citing a study from the UK, the magazine said that excessive photo sharing could be damaging to real-world relationships. Especially with the types of photos in mind, the photo-sharer may seem less likable in person due to their online habits.

In addition to altering how our friends perceive us on- and off-line, our online pictures may also heighten self-esteem issues with the pressure to constantly be camera-ready and to have the perception of a good, exciting life. Because self-image is a very important part of how we carry ourselves as individuals, the negative impact selfies and online images may have can be devastating. However, it doesn’t all have to be that way. While selfies have heightened, and in some cases, distorted, our self-awareness, it has also changed how we view photographs.

Dr. Pamela Rutledge, director of Media Psychology Research Center, explains that there is a vast difference in how we view ourselves in the mirror versus a photograph: a mirror will also give you movement, life, and color that a photograph cannot capture. “For some, this presents a more attractive—and therefore satisfactory—image as the movement and life tend to overcome flaws that might be more noticeable to an individual were the person to see him or herself in a photo,” said Rutledge.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly Selfies

Much like anything else in life, selfies aren’t wholly terrible. While it has been proven that technology—social media and selfies included—have helped to rewire how our brain works, it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. With a heightened sense of awareness, we are more likely to take better care of our bodies—and that includes fully discussing with your doctor the reason for your plastic surgery. Is it to look and feel better with the body you have—or are you trying to compete with Ellen’s selfie game?

For more information about altering your body, or any questions you may have, contact your doctor. You can schedule a consultation with us here to discuss your options. We look forward to hearing from you!

I’ll read this article, but first, let me take a selfie.

If there is a single totem for the current state of digital dependence and online presence, it would be the self-portrait—dubbed the “selfie.” From the Oscars all the way to your timeline, and every space in between, it has done more than clog our newsfeeds: it’s become a brain-changer. Here’s the skinny on how trends like Selfie Sunday could be impacting your body and your brain.

The Short Story

Social media has influenced many aspects of our lives, and quickly gave rise to the selfie—encouraging people of all ages to stray from vacation pictures to a more intimate view of the individual. Often, selfies have sexual undertones: offering the internet audience a glimpse into the personal life of someone in their pajamas, laying on their bed or at the beach, posing. They’re designed to leave a positive impression or elicit some affirmation to the selfie-taker’s physical appearance. While social media focuses on the appearance of your life, the selfie was all about taking control of who sees your life and how they perceive it.

Naturally, this can lead to a few problems.

Psychology Today featured an article on the very same subject, emphasizing how the age of the self-portrait has encouraged narcissism today.  Citing a study from the UK, the magazine said that excessive photo sharing could be damaging to real-world relationships. Especially with the types of photos in mind, the photo-sharer may seem less likable in person due to their online habits.

In addition to altering how our friends perceive us on- and off-line, our online pictures may also heighten self-esteem issues with the pressure to constantly be camera-ready and to have the perception of a good, exciting life. Because self-image is a very important part of how we carry ourselves as individuals, the negative impact selfies and online images may have can be devastating. However, it doesn’t all have to be that way. While selfies have heightened, and in some cases, distorted, our self-awareness, it has also changed how we view photographs.

Dr. Pamela Rutledge, director of Media Psychology Research Center, explains that there is a vast difference in how we view ourselves in the mirror versus a photograph: a mirror will also give you movement, life, and color that a photograph cannot capture. “For some, this presents a more attractive—and therefore satisfactory—image as the movement and life tend to overcome flaws that might be more noticeable to an individual were the person to see him or herself in a photo,” said Rutledge.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly Selfies

Much like anything else in life, selfies aren’t wholly terrible. While it has been proven that technology—social media and selfies included—have helped to rewire how our brain works, it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. With a heightened sense of awareness, we are more likely to take better care of our bodies—and that includes fully discussing with your doctor the reason for your plastic surgery. Is it to look and feel better with the body you have—or are you trying to compete with Ellen’s selfie game?

For more information about altering your body, or any questions you may have, contact your doctor. You can schedule a consultation with us here to discuss your options. We look forward to hearing from you!