BodyTite Misconceptions and What You Need to Know

Am I a candidate for BodyTite?

 

Non-invasive and minimally invasive cosmetic procedures for the body have been having a serious moment in the past few years. With new treatment technologies available, patients now have the ability to choose between many different options that best fit their lifestyle and their specific needs. One of these procedures, is BodyTite, a versatile skin-tightening procedure that we are proud to offer at CosmetiCare in Newport Beach.

What is BodyTite?

In short, BodyTite uses radiofrequency technology, which serves a dual purpose: the radio waves can produce a type of thermal energy to melt targeted fat deposits and/or the energy can be harnessed to improve skin firmness and smoothness. It is a less invasive alternative to other traditional excisional procedures. It is marketed as a “scarless” procedure and can be performed under local anesthesia, as opposed to general anesthesia.

 

What’s the Difference Between BodyTite and Liposuction?

There is some confusion surrounding BodyTite and Liposuction because some patients are candidates for both procedures. However, BodyTite and Liposuction offer different approaches to body contouring. Any assumption that they’re basically the same treatment with different names is false.

In a liposuction procedure, the fat cells are manually broken up by the surgeon using the cannula tube and then “vacuumed” out through its suction. With BodyTite, radiofrequency produces a thermal energy field that can melt fat if desired, but more importantly, the radiofrequency technology stimulates collagen production and results in much tighter and smoother skin. This latter point is a big draw for many patients and what sets BodyTite apart from other procedures.

Additionally, liposuction is often paired with a skin excision and lift procedure, such as abdominoplasty (aka a Tummy Tuck), in order to achieve a tighter and smoother result. There is no skin removed with BodyTite. Some of the best BodyTite outcomes occur with patients who have recently experienced weight loss and who have a desire to tighten their resulting skin laxity without actually removing any skin.

Who is BodyTite For?

There is often a misguided belief that BodyTite can be effective for those with large amounts of unwanted body fat. In actuality, BodyTite is the perfect procedure for patients who have already lost weight on their own through diet and exercise.

Patients should be close to or at their ideal weight before considering BodyTite. BodyTite is not a weight loss solution. It is a solution for improving small regions of the body and tightening skin in those problem areas.

The most important take away is that when it comes to body contouring, there is not a “one-size fits all” procedure. For some, liposuction is a better option and for others, BodyTite, CoolSculpting, or other less invasive or non-invasive procedures are more appropriate. They can all offer incredible results, but you’ll need to consult with a board-certified plastic surgeon to effectively choose which is best for your needs and to achieve your desired outcome.

If you are considering BodyTite in Orange County, request a complimentary consultation with our team of experts. Consultation requests may be placed online or you can give us a call any time to learn more about your options and to find out if BodyTite is right for you.

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Questions You Should Ask Your Surgeon Before Going Under The Knife

Getting plastic surgery is an important, life-benefitting decision. It’s absolutely crucial that you, the patient, are comfortable with the procedure and, most importantly, the surgeon. In order to mentally prepare for the procedure and make sure your surgeon is qualified, here are a few questions you can ask at your initial consultation.

Their History

In order to instill your trust into a surgeon, it’s recommended that you ask questions about their history and experience as a plastic surgeon.

• Are you board certified in cosmetic surgery?

If your surgeon is certified, you’re ensured that they’ve had all of the necessary education and hands-on training to perform cosmetic procedures.

• How long have you been practicing cosmetic surgery?

While it’s important to know whether or not the surgeon is certified, it is also crucial to understand their experience. While many people do have successful results with less experienced surgeons, it is important to many patients that their surgeon has performed surgery for many years.

• How many times have you performed this surgery?

Your surgeon should be experienced in performing the exact surgery you want. Many plastic surgeons are specialists that focus on many different areas of cosmetic surgery. The more experience with the procedure, the easier it is to trust your surgeon.

The procedure

• Can I see before and after images?

Seeing is believing, so you can more readily trust a surgeon who can prove his/her ability through photos of past patients.

• What type of anesthesia will I need?

Understanding anesthesia is important for many patients as some patients are more comfortable with local anesthesia over general anesthesia and vice versa.

• Who will be administering my anesthesia?

Many patients don’t consider this. Your safety should be important not only to yourself but to your surgeon, so make sure that the person administering the anesthesia is certified and has received all of their proper education.

• How long will the procedure take to complete?

In most cases, patients will plan their day around surgery so that they can get family and friends to drop them off and pick them up to take them home after the procedure.

• What are the risks?

With any medical treatment, there might be some risks involved. Your surgeon should always be honest with you so that you can make the best decision for yourself.

• Are there other options?

Some patients may have other options apart from the procedure that they’ll initially discuss with their surgeons. If their plastic surgeon believes another option may be better for the patient, they will readily let them know and discuss all possible options.

• How long is recovery?

While your surgeon can’t give you an exact date of when your recovery will be complete, they can give you an estimate and let you know when you can resume normal daily activities.

• Can I contact you after surgery?

Many patients will feel more comfortable with their surgeon if they are offered the ability to contact them after surgery. Anxiety is completely normal for patients, so you’ll appreciate the ability to contact your surgeon post-surgery.  

Costs

• What are the total costs of the procedure?

It’s important to always consider the cost to make sure the procedure fits in your budget. Other than the procedure itself, it is advised to get the estimated cost for pre and post-op visits and medications.

• Does insurance cover this?

It’s possible that your insurance can cover part of your procedure. Your insurance company can also answer this question for you.

• Do you have payment plans or financial aid?

Many places will offer payment plans or some sort of help for patients who can’t afford to pay all costs up front. 

Post-Breast Augmentation At-Home Workouts That Work

 

Many women get breast augmentations to improve the look of their breasts, whether to enlarge or provide a more full, lifted appearance. For the best results, after your breast augmentation, you may be advised to perform certain exercises. If recommended, your surgeon will go over these with you after surgery.  As always, it’s important to follow all instructions to achieve the best results. For some, implant exercises are a vital part of the process to ensure soft, full breasts after surgery. As your breasts continue to change during the course of your recovery, these exercises aim to help breasts appear more natural. Here are some exercises your surgeon might recommend, depending on your procedure.  

Medial Displacement for Submuscular Implants

This exercise can be started the first day after surgery. Your cleavage is dictated by the width of your sternum and origin of your pectoralis muscles, so it’s important to not push the implant past a certain point, but instead, stretch the envelope wall so that the implant can reach the medial position. The medial displacement exercise is done by crossing your hands to either side of your chest, cupping your breasts, and compressing them towards the center to achieve cleavage. This exercise should be done twice a day, holding the stretch for two seconds and completing five cycles. It’s important to remember that this exercise is for submuscular implants only, so double check with your surgeon before performing these exercises.  

Upward Breast Implant Exercise

This exercise is performed to combat capsular contracture. After your implants have dropped into position, it is crucial to maintain a space for the implant to move within for a softer, more natural feel. Medial implant exercises help combat gravity and the pectoralis muscle as they try to push the implants downward. To perform the exercise, place your hand at the level of the inframammary fold. Keep your pinky finger at the same level of the chest while rotating the palm down and compressing the lower portion of your breast. Your implant should move away from the compression and you’ll see the fullness in the upper portion of the breast while feeling tightness. Perform this twice daily, 5 times each and hold the position for 2 seconds.  Again, always check with your surgeon first as they may have different recommendations.  

Downward Breast Implant Exercise

This implant exercise will help give your breasts a more natural look and feel and allow them to move about in a natural way. Basically the opposite of the Upward Breast Implant Exercise, this helps push the implants down so that they don’t always appear too high on the chest. To perform this exercise, place your hand flat and close on the upper portion of your breast just above the nipple. Apply gentle pressure to force the implant down until it slides to the lower area of the pocket and fills out the lower breast fold. Hold the position for 2 seconds and return to the original position. Like the other exercise, perform this twice daily, 5 times and hold the position for two seconds.  Your surgeon will advise if this is best for you. 

Planning Your Mommy Makeover After Pregnancy

 Congratulations on becoming a new mom! This is the most rewarding time of your life. Unfortunately, there are physical demands of pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding that can take a toll on your body. These effects may be difficult to reverse with regular diet and exercise, no matter how great of shape you are in. Mommy Makeover procedures are designed to help mothers get their bodies back after having a child.  

What’s involved in a Mommy Makeover?

After childbirth, women may notice changes to their body including stretch marks and pockets of fat that didn’t exist before pregnancy. A mommy makeover can involve many different procedures:

Breast Augmentation:

It’s common for new mothers to be left with sagging breasts. Augmentations help to perk-up the chest and improve the physical appearance of the breasts.

Breast Lift & Tummy Tuck:

Getting a breast lift and tummy tuck can completely enhance the aesthetics of the body. After pregnancy, you may experience stretch marks and loose skin that can’t be improved using other methods. Your breasts may also sag after breastfeeding because they’re no longer full. A breast lift and tummy tuck can improve the appearance of your body after childbirth that simple exercise and diet cannot.

Liposuction:

You may start noticing pockets of fat that didn’t exist before pregnancy and childbirth. Liposuction can help rid your body of these pockets when diet and exercise don’t work.

Vaginal Rejuvenation:  

Childbirth can affect the tightness of the vagina by stretching the tissues and separating the muscles. In some cases, women may experience incontinence. Vaginal Rejuvenation procedures such as labiaplasty, CO2RE Intima, or the O-Shot will help tighten those tissues, improve the appearance, and help with urinary incontinence.  

How long after giving birth do I have to wait to get a Mommy Makeover?

Typically, most surgeons will make you wait at least six months after childbirth before having plastic surgery. Your body needs time to heal itself. Throughout the pregnancy and childbirth process, your body has gone through immense stress, so it’s important to allow your body to heal before getting involved in invasive plastic surgery.

Consultation

When you visit your surgeon for the first time for the consultation, it’s best to be honest about your goals so that they can try to help you as best they can. It’s important to let them know what aspects of your body you believe are less than desirable. At your consultation, your surgeon will let you know if you are a good candidate for the procedures, and if not, they may recommend other procedures that are more appropriate for you to help you achieve your goals.  

Recovery

It typically takes about six to eight weeks to recover from a Mommy Makeover, although recovery time will differ depending on each patient and the procedures performed. For the first couple of weeks, you may feel some discomfort, so it’s important to rest so that your body can heal properly.  

After Recovery:

After you are fully recovered, you can maintain your new body with a good exercise program and a healthy diet. For long-lasting results, it’s important to speak to your surgeon and develop a healthy lifestyle plan so you can continue to look and feel your best for years to come.

Male rhinoplasty: Things you should know

Plastic surgeons are seeing more appointments from males for cosmetic procedures, including male rhinoplasty. Rhinoplasty, also known as a nose job, enables men to reshape their nose and enhance their overall facial aesthetic.  

Reasons for Male Rhinoplasty

There are many reasons why males might get rhinoplasty, but the end goal is always to improve their overall life in one way or another.

• To improve aesthetic: One of the main reasons why males may choose to have a rhinoplasty is to improve their facial aesthetic so that their nose is proportionate with their other facial features. Specific examples of common problems that can be fixed with male rhinoplasty are a dorsal hump, nasal width, asymmetry, and prominent or drooping nasal tip.
• Correct structural defects: Correcting structural defects is one of the main reasons we see patients for rhinoplasties as well. Defects such as a deviated septum can cause breathing issues, making a simple function difficult. The most common symptom is nasal congestion and difficulty breathing and deviated septums can also cause sinus infections and snoring. While they may not be hazardous to your health, deviated septums can cause an issue in your daily life.

 

Consultation

The first step in the process for male patients who are interested in rhinoplasty is to have a thorough consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon. This is when all of your questions are answered about your rhinoplasty procedure. There are a few questions we encourage you to ask during your consultation to make sure you’ve found the right plastic surgeon. Always make sure your surgeon is board-certified and has performed the procedure many times. At CosmetiCare in Orange County, board-certified plastic surgeons have performed thousands of rhinoplasty procedures. Wherever you choose to have a consultation, your surgeon should take a look at the inside of your nose to check for breathing issues and discuss the goals of the surgery with you. At your consultation, your plastic surgeon will tell you if you are a good candidate for the procedure.  

Procedures

Typically performed on an outpatient basis, male rhinoplasty can be done either open or closed. While both involve incisions within the internal nostril region, there are a few differences between them.

• Open Rhinoplasty: This method involves an external incision on the undersurface of the columella, which is the middle tissue between the nostrils. This method allows your surgeon to make changes to and reconstruct the nose easily. Open rhinoplasty is very common and sometimes used for noses that have been previously operated on or those with difficult anatomy.
• Closed Rhinoplasty: In this method, all incisions are made within the nose with no external cuts. Through these incisions, the nose is shaped for subtle changes to soften and improve the balance of the facial structure.

 

Recovery and Downtime

While recovery and downtime alter from patient to patient, downtime is typically a one to two week period. While you can resume most normal activities, it’s best to speak with your surgeon about what to avoid. It’s best to avoid situations where your nose can get bumped while it is healing. You may be required to alter the position in which you sleep so that your nose doesn’t shift while you’re asleep.

  

Important Facts About Tummy Tuck Every Mom Should Know About

 After pregnancy and childbirth, your body may have undergone some changes. Many women find that they have stretch marks and pockets of fat that just won’t go away with diet and regular exercise and they turn to a plastic surgery center for a tummy tuck procedure. This is one of the most popular cosmetic procedures as it’s effective at helping women address common aesthetic body concerns after becoming a mother. Every new mom deserves the confidence that comes from waking up every day feeling and looking their best. Whether you’ve recently had children or are a long-time mother who is looking to improve the appearance of your body, there are a few facts you should know when considering a tummy tuck.  

Stretch Marks and Loose Skin Begone

Your body has recently gone through a substantial amount of stress and changes. Stretch marks often appear along the stomach as skin loses elasticity. This loss of elasticity can also result in looseness or drooping of the skin after your child is born. While these concerns are completely normal for mothers, a customized tummy tuck can help address these issues to provide you with a firm, contoured stomach. Not only that but if you have excessive stretch marks on your lower abdomen, a tummy tuck will eliminate them completely as your body is sculpted and firmed.  

Diet and Exercise Can’t Fix It All

People who haven’t experienced pregnancy and childbirth may think that simple diet and exercise can eliminate all of the problem areas that women face. This simply isn’t true. Your body has gone through so many changes, that diet and exercise may not be able to solve all of your issues. While diet and exercise do have many health benefits and can help you stay thin and fit, sagging skin and outstretched muscles can persist despite a healthy lifestyle. A tummy tuck can help control any problem areas that diet and exercise cannot. The procedure not only removes excess skin to reduce sagging, but it also tightens the abdominals muscles to create a strong foundation and reduce a protruding belly. In some cases, mommies may opt for the complete mommy makeover to combine other types of surgeries that can address the stubborn fat.  

You Can’t Have a Tummy Tuck Immediately After Giving Birth

After childbirth, it’s best to let your body rest and go back to normalcy. Your muscles are not strong enough to handle plastic surgery and it simply isn’t safe. Start with diet and exercise as your body heals so that you can naturally remove any excess fat on your own. Then, if you realize you still would like some improvements to your body, consider a tummy tuck to help with loose and sagging skin and stubborn fat that just won’t go away no matter how hard you workout. A tummy tuck will give you that firmer, contoured body that will enhance your appearance after becoming a new mom. Looking and feeling your best will help improve your image so that you can start each day with the confidence every new mom needs. 

Different Types of Cosmetic Nose Surgeries

  Did you know that there are different types of cosmetic nose surgeries? Rhinoplasty, also called a nose job, is something people of any gender can choose to do to enhance their overall appearance. It’s also performed on patients with structural nasal defects that can result in breathing difficulties. There are a few different types of cosmetic nose surgeries, so it’s important to consult with your surgeon to find out which is best for you.

Here are the four different types of rhinoplasty:

Closed Rhinoplasty

This is the most common type of rhinoplasty. All of the incisions involved in the procedure are done within the nose, so there are no external scars. The procedure involves lifting the soft tissue upward so that the bone and cartilage is accessible to perform the procedure. There are many benefits to a closed rhinoplasty:

• Reduced Nasal Tissue Irritation: Because there is no columellar incision, patients don’t experience as much irritation as much as those who have an open rhinoplasty.
• Lessened detectable scarring: With all incisions done within the nose, there are no external scars.
• Faster Procedure and Recovery: Patients experience less time in the operating room and a faster recovery because there is no external incision.

Open Rhinoplasty

This type of rhinoplasty is used on patients who need extensive work done to their nose. Incisions are made in the skin between your nostrils underneath the nose, called the columella. That skin is then lifted so that the surgeon can see the inside of the nasal cavity so that they can more easily perform reshaping. After open rhinoplasty, your surgeon will place a splint on your nose to protect it and help support it so that it stays in the ideal position and works against gravity. Splints are typically worn for one week, but this will differ from patient to patient. Open rhinoplasty may work best for patients with these issues:

• Genetic Structural Defects: These may be from cleft lip palate that prevents the nose from taking in the air easily.
• Acquired Defects: Noses can get damaged from sports or other accidents. Open rhinoplasty may work best for patients who have experienced trauma to the nose and requires grafting.
• Previous Nose Job: Because the nose has been worked on before, open rhinoplasty may be necessary to more easily correct any issues.  

 

Filler Rhinoplasty (Non-Surgical Rhinoplasty)

It’s good to know that there are non-surgical options as well.  With non-surgical rhinoplasty, also sometimes referred to as a non-surgical nose job, no incisions are made, but an injectable filler is used to correct minor imperfections. Results from fillers are not permanent but are long-lasting.

Revision Rhinoplasty

This surgery is performed after the patient has already received a rhinoplasty. Patients may have a revision rhinoplasty if they went to another surgeon and are unhappy with the results. They may also simply seek further changes to their nose that weren’t corrected during the first surgery. The main reason for revision rhinoplasty is breathing difficulty or a bump that occurred after their previous surgery that they’d like touched-up.