Seven Things You Should Know About a Tummy Tuck

You have discovered that ending your relationship with your love handles is harder than finding help in a box store. Your efforts at diet and exercise have not gotten rid of stubborn fatty bulges, and the loose skin from multiple pregnancies or weight loss simply hangs and hangs. For a smoother and shapelier torso your remaining option is the tummy tuck, also known as abdominoplasty.

With a tummy tuck, excess skin and fat are removed surgically from the abdominal region and the underlying muscles are tightened to create a slimmer and smoother contour. The procedure also better defines the waist. This plastic surgery procedure is a major surgery and does require some recovery. Like any plastic surgery, not everyone is a candidate, but if you are considering a tummy tuck, consider these facts about this common cosmetic procedure.

1. Your physical condition determines whether you are a suitable candidate for a tummy tuck. Ideally, men or women who are in reasonably good physical condition make the best candidates for the removal of excess fat bulges and loose skin, especially if they have already tried to get rid of it with diet and exercise.

2. If your excess skin and fat is mostly concentrated below the belly button, you may be a candidate for a mini tummy tuck. In this procedure, there is a shorter incision and the belly button is not moved. There is also a shorter recovery from a mini tummy tuck than from a standard or full tummy tuck.

3. Because a tummy tuck is a surgery that requires a long incision, you will be left with a scar. To reduce this negative consequence, we place the scar in the lower abdomen that will typically be covered by underwear and bathing suits. And, with proper healing, the scar often becomes very faint.

4. Smoking interferes with recovering from surgery and increases the risks of complications following a tummy tuck. If you are a smoker, you will have to face quitting smoking two weeks before your surgery and during your recovery. Permanently quitting would certainly be best for many reasons.

5. You should be aware that liposuction may be used in conjunction with your tummy tuck. Indeed, liposuction might be all that is needed to achieve the desired result on your abdomen. Be open to the possibility that you may only need the less invasive procedure of liposuction. When you meet your plastic surgeon, he or she will examine you and help determine the best option.

6. When you visit your Beverly Hills plastic surgeon for a consultation about a tummy tuck, be candid about your body-shaping goals. Your surgeon will be evaluating the skin and fat deposits of your body along with your expectations about results. Then, your surgeon will discuss with you what can be realistically achieved with a tummy tuck.

7. The results of a tummy tuck can be very long lasting if you eat sensibly and stay active. If you overeat and gain weight excessively, then your skin and tissues will be forced to stretch out into new bulges.

A final thought for you to consider about tummy tucks is that nothing is standard with plastic surgery. Each body is unique with its own shape and underlying physical attributes. A plastic surgeon must assess each person individually and perform a tummy tuck that is suited to each body. If you get a tummy tuck, it will be the tummy tuck for your body and it will not necessarily look like the tummy of another person who also had the procedure.

Men Flock to Plastic Surgery But Need Different Procedures and Techniques

Plastic surgery has undergone a change lately. When I first started training 15 years ago, I met only a few men who wanted to go under the knife. Plastic surgery was the domain of young women working on their bodies, and women over 35 refreshing their faces. Men picked up their wives and girlfriends after the procedures. They stayed away from the operating room themselves. Not anymore.

Last year more than 1,000,000 men had plastic surgery procedures, according the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. The number is growing: I see more and more men every month. Sports Illustrated now sits with Vogue in our magazine rack.

Men are turning to plastic surgery to feel better, look younger, and help with their careers. But just as men are from Mars and women are from Venus in relationships, so too are they different when it comes to plastic surgery. With the wrong procedures, or the right procedures done the wrong way, men wind up looking less like they did when they were in college -- and more like their college-aged daughters.

Where women tend to undergo lifts, men steer more toward reshaping and recontouring. Nationally, the top three surgical procedures for men are liposuction, rhinoplasty (nose work), and blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery). Men are going for Botox and skin treatments as well.

Even in-shape guys have love handles that tend to scream "flab." These areas usually can be eliminated with liposuction. Likewise, many men I see complain of fullness in the chest (and I am not talking pecs here) that diminishes their masculine look. Los Angeles liposuction provides excellent results here too. This surgery can help bring back the abs men had in college.

Liposuction often provides desired outcomes that often cannot be achieved at the gym. Localized fat deposits that are hard to exercise away stand as inviting targets for liposuction. I had one patient nickname my Beverly Hills liposuction machine his "mechanical personal trainer." Results like this are improved still more as men head back to the gym after their procedures.

Like rings in a tree trunk, lines reveal our age. In men, they tend to develop around the eyes and forehead. When treated early, Botox smooths fine lines on the face. By weakening tiny facial muscles, it stops the constant pulling that leads to lines on the overlying skin. Though the results only last between three and six months, the changes look very impressive -- and this Beverly Hills plastic surgery procedure has one of the highest rates of patient satisfaction.

When fine lines around the eyes graduate to true wrinkles, eyelid surgery turns back the clock. By removing excess skin and fat of either the upper or lower eyelid, men look refreshed without changing their overall appearance.

Men have different goals from women in seeking plastic surgery. And their distinct anatomy means that simply offering the same cosmetic surgery procedure to men as women will leave men dissatisfied with the results.

Plastic surgery is no longer for women only. Men have great results, just like women. But their bodies, goals, and temperaments are different. So the correct procedures, done in the right way, need to be selected to give men the outcomes they're looking for so they can get the most out of plastic surgery for men.

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We are pleased to have started a Twitter page! In some ways, our use of Twitter is the opposite of the use of this blog. Here, on the blog, we present long form articles designed to give a good background into cosmetic surgery. If you are seriously considering a procedure, such as Beverly Hills breast augmentation, this is the place to go. We have articles here on many different procedures, a good sampling of the things people come to see us about at our Rodeo Drive Office. Come here for good and deep background.

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Plastic Surgery and Dating

As people try to get the most from their dating experiences, it is important to feel their best. Confidence comes from many sources, and one of them is feeling comfortable with how you look. Plastic surgery and other cosmetic enhancements might offer options for looking the way you always hoped to.

As a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, I can say that cosmetic surgery is not for everyone and is not a decision to be taken lightly. My best patients are the most informed about what plastic surgery can and cannot do. They understand their own goals and how plastic surgery might help accomplish them. If you are seeking changes from plastic surgery, it is useful to understand what sorts of procedures are most helpful at different ages.

Teens: Focus on the center of the face.
We see a lot of people in their teens who are concerned about their noses. Sometimes they feel their nose is too large, or has a bump in its bridge, or that it simply does not match the rest of their face. Rhinoplasty (sometimes called a “nose job”) can bring the nose into harmony with the rest of one’s features. The nose is at the center of the face. If people feel their nose has improved its appearance, they tend to feel much more confident in their overall appearance.

20’s: Tune-up for bodies.
That means liposuction for men and women, and often breast procedures for women. Liposuction works best for people who are in good shape overall, but have stubborn areas that resist the good effects of diet and exercise. We do a lot of Los Angeles liposculpture on men on their chests and “love handles” and for women on their thighs and tummies. Recovery from the procedure is usually rather quick, with most returning to work in several days.

Many women have breast augmentations to become larger or to make the breasts more even in size or position. Others have breast reduction procedures if they have always felt top-heavy. Increasingly, many men are having male chest reduction procedures in their 20’s, if they are overly full in this area. This might be part of a situation called “gynecomastia” in which the male chest appears uncomfortably large.

30’s: Time to bring out the eyes and smooth those first lines.
We see both men and women in their 30’s who have full or baggy upper eyelids or puffiness of their lower eyelids. An eyelift can refresh the entire face and get rid of that tired-looking appearance. Fine lines often benefit from Botox treatments. This medicine works to quiet the tiny muscles in the face. When the muscles are quiet, they do not contract as deeply so they do not pull the overlying skin inward to cause wrinkles.

40’s: Another body tune-up time.
By the time we reach our 40’s, our bodies can show a bit of age. Sometimes a tummy tuck provides dramatic changes to the midsection. For men and women who have gained or lost a fair amount of weight, or for women who have had babies, a Los Angeles tummy tuck removes excess skin and tightens the muscles beneath. The result is a new and flat contour. For women, the procedure can be combined with a breast lift, or a small breast implant to reshape the entire torso – a procedure we call the Rodeo Drive Mommy Makeover.

50’s and 60’s: Back to the face.
As we age, our skin tends to sag. In our 50’s and 60’s this loose skin usually is most noticeable in the neck, along the jaw line, and in the cheeks. A facelift tightens the muscles of the face and neck along with the skin. Modern techniques emphasize work on the deeper tissues, so the skin is not pulled very tightly. This provides a natural appearance to the result, and avoids the “windswept” appearance common from facelifts in the past. A gentle touch when working on the skin is especially important for facelifts in men, who can look somewhat feminized when the skin is pulled too tightly.

Plastic surgery works best when people have specific concerns they want to address. If you are using plastic surgery to look your best for dating, think carefully about what specifically you would like to improve about your appearance. Beverly Hills plastic surgery will not solve social, family, or work problems. But it can help you feel comfortable in your own skin, and this sort of self-confidence goes a long way in the world of dating.

Healing from Liposuction and Getting the Feel of the New You

Liposuction offers the potential to dramatically improve body contour. Among all our Beverly Hills plastic surgery patients, liposuction patients are among our very happiest. But there is recovery involved, and it is best to understand your body’s reaction to the procedure prior to planning the surgery.

If you are considering liposuction, you are likely concerned about the recovery process. This procedure, sometimes called liposculpture or lipo, offers the potential to improve both appearance and self-confidence.

We find that our patients have very little discomfort following the procedure, because we administer local anesthetic to all the areas where we do liposuction. With this pain medicine on board, the body generates few if any pain signals. As with most plastic surgery, the discomfort level is highest in the first days after the liposuction procedure. Pain medications are sometimes used to help people overcome the pain, and it is important that you accept the reality that healing is a gradual process. Improvement comes in small advances each day until the desirable results of liposuction replace the discomfort of the procedure.

Often, in the beginning of your recovery from Beverly Hills liposuction as we do it at our center, you will be fitted with a snug elastic garment. Snug but stretchy garments over the treated body area are very helpful for controlling swelling and shaping your skin to the new contours of your body. Another method for controlling swelling is light activity, and you will be advised to get up and walk around as soon as reasonable after your liposuction. Walking will also reduce the chance of blood clots forming in your legs. We tell all our patients that there is no bedrest following the procedure: Get up and walk!

After just a few days, most of out liposuction patients tell us that they begin to feel better, and if your experience follows these typical results, you will be back to work in a few days. Although you can expect to return to a moderate level of activity in two weeks, this does not mean that your healing is complete.

Here are a few points to remember in the typical liposuction recovery experience:

1. Shape change will be noticeable quite soon after liposuction, but the final result of your desired body shape may take a few months to appear while residual swelling goes away.

2. Your stitches will dissolve naturally in 10 days to two weeks.

3. You should avoid strenuous activity for at least a month, depending on how extensive your liposuction was and the rate of your recovery as assessed by your plastic surgeon.

4. Bruising and major swelling may be present for one to two weeks before fading.

5. Minor swelling can persist for up to six months or more.

Of course, unusual symptoms like a sudden increase in pain should be reported immediately to your plastic surgeon. Even if you experience nothing abnormal during your recovery process, you will meet with your plastic surgeon on routine follow up visits so your progress can be monitored. As the swelling goes away you will be able to assess the results of your liposuction to determine if you have achieved the shape you were seeking. Going back for an additional Los Angeles lipo procedure to fine tune your contours may be an option.

Overall, it is important that you approach liposuction with realistic expectations about your recovery. It is not a difficult procedure from which to recover, but you will need to be patient as your sleeker body emerges.

How to Select Your Plastic Surgeon

Your selection of a plastic surgeon to alter a physical feature of your body is a very intimate decision. You need to find a professional who makes you feel comfortable personally and in whose skill and competence you feel confident. Whether you have already met with a plastic surgeon or are just beginning to look for one, you need to be satisfied by what you discover in these three essential areas: education, experience, and communication.

Educational Credentials for Your Plastic Surgeon

The educational background of a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon should be made easily available to you both at the surgeon's office and at the surgeon's website, if one exists. Many doctors do not put their diplomas on the wall because of vanity. It is important for doctors to openly disclose and display their educational credentials.

When considering a plastic surgery California, you should also feel free to verify the educational background. This can be done fairly easily by doing an internet search for your state's medical licensing board. You would be able to verify that your potential plastic surgeon has an active medical license, and often the medical school where the plastic surgeon graduated will be listed as well – as it is at California's medical board.

The Experience of a Plastic Surgeon

Even if a plastic surgeon has excellent educational credentials, it does not mean that he or she is necessarily the right plastic surgeon for you. Specialties and expertise vary among plastic surgeons. For example, a plastic surgeon might focus on and be very accomplished in breast augmentation surgery. But if you are looking for a plastic surgeon to do a facelift, then this would not be a good match.

It is important that you ask your potential plastic surgeon what procedures he or she does most often. The plastic surgeon should be up front about areas of expertise and willing to refer you to someone else if what you need would be better done by someone else.

Communication with a Plastic Surgeon

Speaking with your plastic surgeon during a consultation is when you will discover the surgeon's interpersonal skills. You should feel that this individual is attentive and responsive to your deeply personal concerns about your body. The plastic surgeon should also answer all your questions with candor and explain the details of your desired procedure, including possible risks and recovery time. Some procedures might be a bit difficult to speak about, such as Beverly Hills breast enlargement, but your surgeon should make you feel comfortable.

Additionally, a plastic surgeon should also query you about your reasons for seeking plastic surgery. You should not be allowed to jump into a plastic surgery without thinking through your motivations. A well-informed decision on your part is in the best interests of you and the plastic surgeon.

As you search for a plastic surgeon, be sure to carefully weigh all your concerns and the skill set offered by any plastic surgeon with whom you meet.

What to Expect After Your Rhinoplasty

Many people are unhappy with their noses. Sometimes they dislike the shape of their noses or they suffer from nasal breathing problems. If you fall into these groups and feel that nose surgery would improve your quality of life, then you might be a candidate for rhinoplasty, the plastic surgery procedure that reshapes the nose. This procedure is sometimes also called a “nose job.”

Many physical alterations can be achieved with rhinoplasty. This plastic surgery can increase or decrease the size of your nose, change the shape of the tip, narrow the nostrils, change your nose's angle, and correct breathing problems. Rhinoplasty is a very commonly performed plastic surgery procedure on both women and men, but the recovery process has several factors worth noting.

Your First 24 Hours After Rhinoplasty
Right after your rhinoplasty surgery your face will feel puffy and you may feel that your nose is stuffy. Naturally, you will have a sore nose. Pain medications will alleviate most of the discomfort, but puffiness and pressure will remain. You will need to relax during the first day after surgery and keep your head elevated. Keeping your head elevated decreases the swelling, and with less swelling you will have a faster recovery and less soreness. You may have packing in your nose for the first few days. You may also have a splint on the outside of your nose.

Your Next Three Days After Rhinoplasty
During the first two or three days after your surgery, swelling and bruising around your eyes and face may increase. Cold compresses to the face will help you relieve your discomfort, but at this point you will admittedly not be looking your best. However, you would typically be out of bed at this point and feeling better. You should still keep your head elevated as much as possible. When you are resting or sleeping in bed, you should keep your head propped up on three pillows. You should remain out of the sun.

The Next Six to Eight Weeks After Rhinoplasty
As the weeks go by after your surgery, improvement will gradually become very noticeable. Most likely you will have returned to work and resumed normal non-strenuous activity after about one week. Some light nose bleeding and stuffiness may persist, but it is important that you not blow your nose. By the end of one week following your rhinoplasty, you will be free of your nasal packing, splints, dressings, and stitches, which will make you much more comfortable. This is ture in all cases, including ethnic rhinoplasty.

Within two or three weeks, the swelling and bruising normally go away, except for some very minor swelling. People who wear glasses find these weeks after rhinoplasty surgery a bit of a challenge. Although you can wear contacts, depending on what was done during your surgery, your Beverly Hills plastic surgeon may recommend that you not wear glasses for a month or so after your rhinoplasty. Your glasses will need to be held in place with tape so they do not put pressure on your nose, and this is not the most stylish look. Still, it is a temporary inconvenience.

As the weeks and months go by, you will begin to enjoy your new nose and gradually resume your normal activities while your plastic surgeon monitors your progress. If you decide to go ahead with rhinoplasty be sure that you have considered the patience that is required during the recovery process. Sometimes people become a bit disheartened in the initial recovery phase because they are sore and their faces are bruised. Just know that these problems will pass and your new nose awaits you. If you understand what you are looking for from your rhinoplasty surgery, and what the stages of recovery entail, you are very likely to be delighted that you decided to have this surgery done.

Making Your Decision About Breast Implants

The cosmetic surgery procedure that increases the size of a woman's bust is known as breast augmentation. The enlargement is achieved with the use of breast implants that are surgically placed behind a woman's breasts, either underneath the chest muscle tissue or under the breast tissue itself. Two types of implants are readily available: saline implants or silicone implants. Each type has its advantages and disadvantages which are important to understand as part of planning your surgery.

Saline Breast Implants

A saline breast implant is filled with a sterile salt water solution that is harmless to the body. Saline implants are commonly used in breast augmentation procedures and they have the distinct advantage of leaving shorter surgery scars on a woman's body. There is also some thought that since these implants contain less material which your body recognizes as foreign, your body has less reaction to this type of implant. Obviously this can be an advantage in Los Angeles breast implants.

The Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved saline implants for use in breast augmentation. This type of implant is also considered to cause fewer problems on the rare occasions when an implant ruptures. Furthermore, the saline implant seems to be less prone to the breast augmentation complication of capsular contracture, which is the tightening of the natural tissue lining that forms around any type of implant, breast or otherwise. We are doing the majority of our procedures with saline implants.

Silicone Breast Implants

The material within a silicone breast implant is derived from the element silicon that has metal-like properties. However, during chemical processing the silicon is transformed into the silicone molecule that is a polymer that can be formed into a liquid, gel, or rubbery substance.

The FDA has also approved silicone breast implants for breast augmentation, and they enjoy some advantages over saline implants. For example, silicone breast implants are lighter weight and therefore more resistant to the normal forces of sagging over the years. Also silicone breast implants have a more natural look and feel. They are less likely than saline implants to show any rippling or palpable edges through your flesh.

As with any implant, the possibility of capsular contracture remains, and some in the medical community consider the silicone implants to have a higher incidence of this condition.

Choosing Your Implant for Breast Augmentation

The type of implant selected for your breast augmentation surgery will be decided by you and your doctor. The structure of your body and your breast enlargement goals will be assessed by your plastic surgeon and used to make this decision. Right now, saline implants are used the majority of the time. But in other countries, such as in Europe, the majority of patients and plastic surgeons choose silicone gel breast implants. It remains to be seen if this will be the case with Los Angeles plastic surgery, though we are starting to see more interest in silicone implants.

Your motivations for seeking breast augmentation are likely similar to the reasons of other women. Typically, women desire a fuller bust or they want to rebuild their figure that has been changed by pregnancy. Although it is natural to desire the full bloom of youth for your body, it is important to be well informed about breast augmentation as you consider your options before going forward with surgery.

It is best to go into the procedure with as much advance knowledge as possible. Detailed information and before & after photographs of Beverly Hills breast augmentation are available at the web site of this Los Angeles plastic surgeon.

Ten Questions To Ask Your Cosmetic Surgeon

Cosmetic surgery offers you many possibilities for increasing your personal satisfaction with your body. It can be easy to get excited about what cosmetic surgery can do, but you need to proceed thoughtfully through the process of deciding to undergo an elective surgery. Your consultation with your cosmetic surgeon is a crucial time to communicate your concerns, goals, and have all of your questions answered to your satisfaction.

As you begin to search for a cosmetic surgeon, use the following list of questions as an aid to help you reach a decision.

1. What results can I expect from my cosmetic procedure? No matter which cosmetic procedure you are considering, you need to be given a clear idea of what a cosmetic surgeon can accomplish with your body.
   
2. How many times do you perform this procedure every year? You would ask this regarding your specific procedure to gauge the experience of the cosmetic surgeon.
   
3. How many years have you been specializing in cosmetic surgery? This question will also help you assess the experience of the cosmetic surgeon.
   
4. What are your educational credentials and training? Ideally you are looking for a cosmetic surgeon who has been specifically trained in cosmetic surgery during residency after medical school.
   
5. What will my recovery be like? In relation to your specific procedure you need to find out how long you can expect recovery to take and what limitations on your activities will be necessary. This information is very important to know when you need to take time off from work. It varies by procedure, such as for beverly hills tummy tuck or Beverly Hills breast enlargement.
   
6. What are the risks of my cosmetic surgery? Any surgery presents a chance for complications like infection or bleeding. You should seriously consider any possible risks and their consequences for you. Your potential cosmetic surgeon should be willing to discuss them.
   
7. Where will the surgery take place? You will want to know if your surgery will be at a hospital, surgeon's office, or outpatient surgery center. Any of these locations can be appropriate depending on your procedure.
   
8. Who will administer anesthesia? This question is particularly important if you will need to have general anesthesia during your procedure.
   
9. What will my procedure cost? There is no need to be shy about discussing the cost. Your cosmetic surgeon should be forthright about the cost of his or her services. Be sure to get an estimate of total costs, including lab work and follow up visits so you will not have any budgetary surprises after your surgery.
   
10. What will happen during my surgery? Your cosmetic surgeon should be willing to explain the technical details of your surgery. You have a right to know what will be done to your body.
    

These questions are not an exhaustive list of what you may want to discuss with your cosmetic surgeon, but they are a good starting point for understanding the many issues that you need to assess when selecting a cosmetic surgeon. In addition to basic questions, you will likely have unique concerns and medical issues that you will need to address during your consultation. Check out our other plastic surgery blog for more information.

Silicone Implants Grow In Popularity

After more than ten years of controversy and scientific study, the US Food and Drug Administration has approved silicone gel breast implants for general usage. They are now available to all women ages 22 and higher for both reconstructive and cosmetic breast surgery. People like choices, whether it is in their breast implants or in other plastic surgery procedures such as rhinoplasty Los Angeles.

The availability of silicone implants will greatly expand the options for women seeking cosmetic breast augmentation. In many situations, they have real advantages over saline breast implants. They tend to look and feel more natural than saline implants. They are less prone to rippling or crinkling which can sometimes be felt and occasionally can become visible under the skin. They are lighter than silicone implants. However, they are thought by some to have a higher rate of capsular contracture, which is scarring around the implant and can make the breasts hard.

In countries where both silicone and saline implants have been available the vast majority of patients and surgeons select silicone implants. This is testimony to their advantages. In the US, we are likely to see a large number of patients select silicone breast implants.But there will still be a place for saline implants. Some people might simply prefer not to have silicone placed in their body. Silicone implants are more expensive than saline implants. In some cases, the implant is used as a sort of platform to elevate the normal breast tissue rather than to give the breast the entirety of its shape. In this situation, saline implants function just about as effectively as silicone implants.

Silicone implants have not been shown to cause autoimmune diseases such as arthritis and lupus, as had been feared. But patients should realize that any breast augmentation procedure is essentially temporary. Body shape and anatomy can change, there might be problems with healing or the body's reaction to the implant. At some point, it is likely that additional procedures may be necessary. At Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery, we are already doing quite a few breast augmentations with silicone implants. I expect we will see many more people interested in the procedure in the next few months as we do Los Angeles breast augmentation.

As these trends develop, keep an eye on our plastic surgery blog.

Ethnic Rhinoplasty

Modern rhinoplasty or nose job techniques stress retaining overall ethnic appearance and facial harmony. The steps to make this happen can be complex, but the benefits can be pleasing.

People of different ethnic groups often come to plastic surgeons seeking to refine the appearance of their noses. Innovative ethnic rhinoplasty techniques like those done at Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery stress preservation of ethnic appearance along with overall facial balance. The nose should match the rest of the face. Ethnic rhinoplasty or nose job works to achieve this while providing the improvements and enhancements sought in the nose.

Ethnic groups often tend to have certain characteristics to their noses, both in terms of their outer appearance and of their internal structures. For this reason, it is best to address the noses of various ethnic groups such as African Americans and Hispanics and Asians individually. “Cookie cutter” approaches to rhinoplasty rarely work well, and this is especially the case with non-caucasian nose surgery.

There are many examples of how this individualized approach offers the best outcome in ethnic rhinoplasty. For instance, many people of Asian and African and Latino descent have noses with wide bases and broad tips. They often also have thick skin at the tip of the nose. This can give the tip a rounded or “bulbous” appearance. Non-caucasian noses often also have a bump at the bridge, along with a wide and flat bridge.

Because of these anatomic tendencies, ethnic noses frequently require extensive work on their internal structures to create the desired appearance. This includes using plastic surgery to change the shape of the bone and cartilage inside the nose, while working to create little or no external scarring. Since this internal structural work is extensive, it can have important effects on the function as well as the appearance of the nose. For this reason, the Rodeo Drive Breathe Easy RhinoplastyTM technique -- which works to improve both the appearance and the breathing function of the nose – is especially well-suited to providing good results in ethnic rhinoplasty.

Some rhinoplasty and plastic surgery techniques are commonly used for African American, Hispanic, and Asian noses. The flatter noses common in many ethnic people can be addressed by grafting cartilage from elsewhere in the body to shape the skin of the nose’s tip more finely, and provide it with a refined appearance. In some cases, the nostrils are noticeably wide and benefit from direct steps to narrow them during surgery.

Prior to your procedure, you will meet with your Southern California plastic surgeon to discuss your goals from rhinoplasty. It is important to have clear ideas of what you want to change about your nose so we can come up with the best plan for your nose surgery. This is how it should be for any procedure, such as Los Angeles breast implants.

Protecting Your Plastic Surgery Privacy

Plastic surgery is a private undertaking and a very personal decision. At Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery, the first and only plastic surgery center on world-famous Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, we have developed a unique patient privacy program to assure the utmost discretion for our clients. Whether someone is coming in for a quick Botox touch-up or a more extensive procedure such as Beverly Hills liposuction or our “Rodeo Drive Mommy Makeover,” they can have confidence that their privacy will be closely guarded.

Because of our unique location and relationships, our plastic surgery center caters to members of the entertainment industry. But when it comes to privacy, we adhere to the same standards for celebrity plastic surgery as for all of our patients. Patient privacy is and so we have taken concrete steps to make sure it is always maintained.

The program starts with the physical layout of our offices and on-site surgery center. We built a hidden back entrance -- far from prying eyes of paparazzi celebrity photographers -- that leads to a discreet service elevator. This elevator opens deep in the building's parking structure and also on the alley behind Rodeo Drive. Our back entrance is unusual among medical offices and assures discretion. This novel feature of our design and layout has been featured in numerous media outlets.

Our plastic surgery staff, in our offices and our in operating rooms, is thoroughly trained in patient privacy issues. Our plastic surgeons, nurses, and office coordinators all go through privacy training prior to starting work. Our organization has a designated privacy officer to oversee the routine work of the staff and confirm that our strict confidentiality policies are enforced. No member of our staff will discuss any aspect of patient care (or even that someone is receiving care) with anyone at any time, unless that person have given us permission to do so.

Each employee signs an agreement to maintain patient privacy at all times -- again, this applies to all patients who go our Beverly Hills plastic surgery center. Patients also are asked to designate how they would like to be contracted (such as cell phone only), so communication is always done in the manner that makes the patient most comfortable and allows for the most discretion.

As a plastic surgeon I have found these steps offer reassurance to all our patients that their confidentiality will be maintained. And since we treat every patient like a celebrity, we take firm steps to maintain discretion and safeguard confidentiality for all our patients.

Breast Augmentation Backgrounder: Learn Before You Commit

No single approach to breast enhancement surgery is the best for every woman. If you are considering enlarging your breasts with breast augmentation, then you need to understand the options for the surgical process because you will need to discuss them with your plastic surgeon.

Women seek to enlarge their breasts with breast augmentation surgery for various reasons. Foremost is the desire for a fuller bustline and a well-proportioned figure, but breast augmentation can also rejuvenate breasts that lost some of their form and volume during pregnancy and nursing, correct a bustline in which the breasts differ in size, or reconstruct breasts after they have undergone a previous other surgery. This procedure is sometimes called breast enlargement and breast enhancement as well as breast implants.

Your Body and Breast Augmentation

Your body type will influence the results of breast augmentation as well as your surgeon's decisions about the surgical approach. This is not a bad thing. It just means that the unique characteristics of your body and your goals for breast augmentation will guide the process. Your plastic surgeon will describe to you what results you can reasonably expect.

As for the surgical approach, your California plastic surgeon will seek to limit the visibility of the scars from your surgical incisions. For breast augmentation, the incisions can be made beneath the breast in the crease where it meets your chest, around the areola (nipple region) or at the armpits. You should discuss with your surgeon the pros and cons of these approaches and consider how you feel about where the scars will be.

What Happens During Breast Augmentation Surgery

You may be placed under general anesthesia so that you will sleep painlessly through the entire breast augmentation Los Angeles. In some cases, the option of only using a local anesthetic along with sedation might be appropriate for your situation as well. Your preferences along with the surgeon's judgment will guide the decision about your anesthesia.

Once you are anesthetized, your plastic surgeon will make the incisions to access the breasts, insert breast implants (either saline or silicone) and position them behind your nipples. At a minimum, your soft breast tissues will be lifted and the implant placed underneath them. However, there is the option to also lift the pectoral muscles of your chest and put the implants beneath the muscle and breast tissue.

Where the implant is placed in your body, whether beneath only breast tissue or all the way beneath the muscle tissue, is an important option to be discussed with your plastic surgeon. The choice of implant position depends on your anatomy. For example, if you have some drooping of the breasts the final appearance often looks more natural if the implants are placed under the breast tissue itself and over the muscle.

The type of breast implant used is also a very important consideration. Saline or silicone breast implants each have their advantages and disadvantages that your plastic surgeon will help you assess as your surgery is planned.

At the conclusion of the surgery, which may last up to two hours, your incisions will be stitched and taping is often used to further hold the breasts in place while you heal. Sometimes gauze dressings will be applied as well.

As you consider this elective cosmetic surgery procedure, it is important to obtain as much information and background as possible. This goes for all procedures, such as tummy tuck Beverly Hills. The careful choices you make about the location of scars, placement of implants, and what type of implants to use will increase the likelihood of a good outcome as you seek to enhance your body.

Get the Most Out of Your Rhinoplasty

The nose is the center of our face. As such, it always grabs the attention of those who look at us. Its appearance helps create our overall facial harmony. The nose also has an important functional component. It does our breathing. Its function is complex, and any alterations done to the nose can have profound effects on our ease of breathing.

Among plastic surgery procedures, rhinoplasty is perhaps the most challenging. This procedure is often called a nose job. Paying attention only to aesthetics can lead to problems with breathing following this plastic surgery procedure. Paying attention only to breath flow can compromise aesthetics. To best deal with these issues, our plastic surgeons work to overcome these potential difficulties by using their different perspectives to focus simultaneously on improving both appearance and function.

Because of its equal importance in appearance and breathing, our plastic surgery California have developed The Rodeo Drive Breathe Easy Rhinoplasty. Our two plastic surgeons do all of our rhinoplasties as a team. We have different but complementary training and backgrounds that they apply to your rhinoplasty. This interdisciplinary approach provides you with the benefit of a broad perspective and skills during your evaluation and treatment. We give equal focus to the cosmetic and functional aspects of rhinoplasty.

During nose surgery, people sometimes want to remove the bump in their nose, make the nose more narrow, help with breathing, make the nose less crooked, or refine the tip. It is important that people communicate their concerns about their nose to the surgeon in order to obtain the best outcome.

The Rodeo Drive Breathe Easy Rhinoplasty is beneficial for all rhinoplasties, and that’s why we always bring this approach to nose surgery. But in some cases, we believe it is especially useful. Some of these complex situations where our approach brings added benefit include ethnic rhinoplasty, revision rhinoplasty, and rhinoplasty for men. These types of procedures can be especially challenging and this approach serves to help provide the best possible results from the Bevery Hills rhinoplasty.

The recovery from rhinoplasty varies for each person, just like for any plastic surgery procedure. Sometimes there will be some bruising for a week or so. We sometimes put packing in the nose for a few days, and you will have to breathe through your mouth during this period. You may have a plaster or silicone splint on your nose for about a week. Most people have very little discomfort following the procedure. Almost everyone tells us that the improvements in their appearance and function are well worth any short-term inconvenience! In this way, the reaction is similar to breast augmentation in Los Angeles.

You can read more at another plastic surgery blog.

How Botox Makes Those Lines Disappear

You can add wrinkles to death and taxes on the short list of things that are certain in life. As you age, the supple skin of youth gradually gives way to fine lines around your eyes, across your forehead, and between your brows. The non-surgical wrinkle reducer BOTOX ® Cosmetic now lets you graciously decline encroaching wrinkles instead of accepting the frown lines of the over-30 crowd.

BOTOX ® treatments for the temporary reduction of brow wrinkles have been approved by the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) since 2002. It is an extremely popular cosmetic treatment and over one million people have indulged in its face smoothing benefits.

To understand how BOTOX ® works, you need to understand how you develop frown lines. As years go by, your skin loses some of its natural elasticity and fails to bounce back from the movement and stretching that takes place as your facial muscles continually flex and release. This wear on your skin is evident in the fine lines that begin to form as early as your late 20s or early 30s when your skin stops returning completely to its smooth form.

How BOTOX ® Reduces Your Wrinkles

The basis for the BOTOX ® Cosmetic plastic surgery treatment is a protein obtained from the Clostridium botulinum bacteria. When small amounts of this protein are injected into muscle tissue, the nerve impulses to the muscles are blocked and paralyze the muscle. Because BOTOX ® is only used on small facial muscles around your brow, the paralysis is minute but the effect on the lines of your upper face is quite noticeable. Without the continual movement of muscles wearing on your skin, the skin has a chance to return to a smoother state.

After receiving a BOTOX ® treatment, people usually see results within a few days and improvement continues to rise for the first month. The wrinkle reduction is typically visible for up to four months before the protein is cleansed from the body and the effect fades.

What Is a BOTOX ® Treatment Like?

If you were to get a treatment, you would receive several tiny injections of BOTOX ® to the facial muscles around your brows. The process takes approximately 10 minutes and involves brief discomfort. The momentary pain of the injections can be reduced with the application of an anesthetic cream beforehand. The short amount of time needed for a BOTOX ® treatment and the absence of recovery time contribute to its rising popularity for cosmetic relief of wrinkles.

It is important to note that who administers BOTOX® treatments varies. It can, of course, be done by a physician, but many service providers have nurses or physicians' assistants handling the injections. It will be up to you to consider who should administer your BOTOX ® treatments should you choose to get them. The treatment can also be done along with other procedures, such as rhinoplasty. We have even administered the treatment to our liposuction patients!

As you explore your options for rejuvenating your face, keep in mind that Los Angeles Botox ® has only temporary results. However, the treatment can be repeated as you need it, and its speedy application and affordability have tremendous appeal for wrinkle relief.

Cosmetic Surgery Is No Longer Just for the Rich and Famous

Plastic surgery has historically been viewed as an exclusive and exorbitant luxury that only the rich and famous could afford. Not anymore.

With even the most dramatic and promising cosmetic surgery procedures becoming safer, more common and far less complicated than ever, as well as a growing list of options now available for financing, plastic surgery of all forms is becoming an increasingly popular life-enhancement choice for members of all class and ethnic groups.

As a California cosmetic surgeon, I can say that my experience is a good case in point. People in the entertainment industry seeking enhancement surgeries and other cosmetic reconstruction now share seats in our waiting room with mothers from the suburbs, college coeds and a growing number of men from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds. We may have many clients from the entertainment industry, but our policy is simple: We treat everybody like a celebrity.

When it comes to California cosmetic surgery, there is a demographic shift taking place today. Plastic surgery is becoming ever-more popular among the middle class because the perception that it is exclusively an option for rich white women is waning. We are seeing people from all walks of life seeking cosmetic surgery – people from a wide variety of age groups, ethnicities, family situations, and economic stations.

Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery also offers our patients customized financing packages to cover cosmetic surgery procedures, such the "Rodeo Drive Mommy Makeover." This combination of procedures is popular choice for large numbers of Latino women in their 20's and 30's. The mommy makeover includes a tummy tuck, breast lift and often a breast augmentation using a small breast implant. The procedure helps the moms get their body back to the way it was before they began having babies.

Financing is becoming a popular option for those who do not have cash set aside for cosmetic surgery. Others sock money away for a variety of procedures, much as they would for any luxury item or family vacation. They are shifting their views on the expenses involved and see surgery as an investment in themselves and first step toward an enhancement plan for the rest of their lives.

Part of the change comes from the fact that today’s plastic surgery is performed using improved technology. This results in less expensive and safer procedures. There is less down time following procedures, even large ones like tummy tuck in Los Angeles and breast augmentation in Beverly Hills. So now people with responsibilities both at work and at home can take time out for procedures, removing plastic surgery from the exclusive provenance of the leisure class. We also are doing most cosmetic surgery procedures in outpatient surgery centers. This setting and mode of providing cosmetic surgery greatly improves the ease and convenience of procedures when compared to those done in the hospital.

Botox Backgrounder

No one's skin escapes the effects of aging. The years are bestowing fine lines on your face, and you may have begun to wonder what BOTOX ® Cosmetic is like. The BOTOX ® Cosmetic treatment for the relief of frown lines and crow's feet has become extremely popular since its approval in 2002 by the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Because BOTOX ® is a medical, albeit non-surgical, treatment, you should weigh its benefits and possible problems before rushing out to get a treatment.

To briefly explain BOTOX ®, it is a protein derived from the bacteria Clostridium botulinum. Very small amounts of this protein are injected into the muscle tissue beneath the skin on your forehead, between your brows, and near your eyes. BOTOX ® paralyzes these small facial muscles and causes the fine wrinkles to diminish within a couple days. The effect is temporary and lasts for approximately four months.

When applied appropriately and under the correct medical supervision by a California plastic surgeon, the risks of using BOTOX ® are minimal. The problems generally go away after a few days.

Problems experienced by people receiving a BOTOX ® treatment include:

1. Headache soon after treatment

2. Respiratory infection

3. Flu syndrome

4. Forehead and/or eyelid drooping

5. Nausea

The side effects listed above are short term. Other problems at the site of injection can occur in some people. These injection site difficulties include:

1. Pain (often treated with a topical anesthetic)

2. Redness and swelling

3. Bruising

4. Bleeding

5. Numbness

6. Muscle weakness

The chance of these uncomfortable problems can be reduced by making sure you do not rub the injection sites and by having a skilled medical professional administer the treatment. It is important to note that if you have allergies to egg products, then you may react negatively to a BOTOX ® treatment. Discussing your medical background and health with a physician is the best way to determine if you are an appropriate candidate for BOTOX ®.

The benefits of BOTOX ® are why it is so popular and you have probably heard about it. The treatment has proven to be very effective for most people, who enjoy the reduction of fine lines between their brows and on their foreheads. Although the treatment only remains effective for about four months, you can repeat treatment when necessary.

Benefits of BOTOX ® Cosmetic treatments:

1. Fast application – A treatment typically only takes 10 or 15 minutes.

2. Affordable, especially when compared to facelift surgery.

3. Non-surgical. The treatment only consists of small injections.

4. No down time from work or play.

The development of BOTOX ® for the temporary reduction of frown lines and crow's feet has allowed many people to revisit the faces of their youth. Whether an indulgence for a special occasion or part of an ongoing beauty regimen, BOTOX ® is an attractive option for many people. It has risks, just like any procedure such as Beverly Hills tummy tuck, but these risks are quite minimal.

Is There Really a Lunchtime Facelift?

After years of frustrated efforts, new techniques and products have allowed plastic surgeons to deliver noticeable improvements and freshening with little or no downtime.

The "lunchtime facelift" has been the holy grail in plastic surgery for quite a while. The idea of providing facial rejuvenation with no downtime appeals to both plastic surgeons and patients. Get your treatment, look improved and freshened, and immediately go back to work, out on the town or, for some of our entertainment patients here in Beverly Hills, head over to the red carpet at an awards show. Who wouldn't want to get their facial rejuvenation and then have no recovery?

Essentially all of the so called "no downtime facelifts" or "lunchtime facelifts" simply did not live up to their billing. As a plastic surgeon, I know that plastic surgery involves recovery. It is just the way the body responds to a surgical procedure. Traditionally, if the body did not react to the procedure, nothing much was really done and few changes were visible when all was said and done.But now we have many nonsurgical techniques that can create instant facial freshening -- removing or smoothing wrinkles, plumping lips -- with no recovery.

Botox, Restylane, Juvederm, Radiesse, Sculptra and other new products provide facial rejuvenation and do not create scars or undue swelling. They can help achieve that elusive goal of improvements without downtime. This is perhaps the biggest revolution in plastic surgery in thirty years.These products work very differently. When we do Botox in Los Angeles we are using the medicine to paralyze some of the tiny muscles in the face. The twitching of these muscles creates a skin wrinkle on the skin that lies above it. If the muscles lay quietly, they do not tense and cause a wrinkle in the skin above.

Botox is extremely safe, its results are predictable, and it can create fantastic improvements in facial appearance. Certainly this has been my experience as a cosmetic surgeon California. My sister recently had it for the first time, and it dramatically improved and freshened the look of her face – just like I have seen it do for countless other of my patients.The we use skin fillers such as Restylane and Juvederm we work to provide bulk under the skin to fill in wrinkles from below. They are very effective for both small lines and larger ones, such as the nasolabial folds which run from the sides of the nose toward the outside edges of the side of the mouth and the so-called marionette lines that go along the side of the chin.

Each person's face is different, so each person will do best with a different noninvasive treatment and nonsurgical skin rejuvenation. But the various procedures do provide fast changes with little or no recovery. In this respect, they are quite different from surgery such as tummy tuck in California, which does involve some recuperation. Where in the past the “weekend facelift” was illusory, it is now possible to create dramatic changes without downtime.

Your Recovery from Breast Augmentation

The results of breast augmentation are quite apparent immediately after surgery. However, you will need time to recover before you can start to fully and comfortably enjoy your new and improved bustline. The healing process is an important consideration when you are thinking about Los Angeles breast augmentation. A well-informed commitment to surgery will include taking account of the post surgical steps to achieving your body goals.

Breast augmentation entails the surgical insertion of breast implants, either silicone or saline, beneath your breast tissue and possibly even beneath the muscle tissue of your chest. The surgery is typically an outpatient procedure that lasts from one to two hours.

Depending on what you want for your body and what your physical form can accommodate, breast augmentation can increase your breast size by one or more bra cup sizes. Desiring a fuller bustline and a figure with more pronounced proportions are the primary motivations for women to seek breast augmentation. Reconstruction after breast surgery or injury, rejuvenation after pregnancy and nursing, and correction of breasts that have markedly differing sizes also are appropriate reasons for breast augmentation.

Your First Week After Breast Augmentation

Initially after your breast augmentation in Los Angeles, you will feel tired and sore for several days, but you should be up and walking after 24 to 48 hours. Pain medication will be prescribed as necessary to help you with post-surgical discomfort. You will have to completely avoid strenuous activity and monitor for any post-surgical problems like extreme swelling or bleeding.

After a few days, your gauze dressings will be removed and your plastic surgeon may direct you to wear a surgical bra. At the end of your first week of recovery you could typically return to your job unless your occupation is physically demanding. Then your plastic surgeon would have to gauge your recovery and advise you on the appropriate time to resume working.

Your Second Week After Breast Augmentation

At about the 10 day point, your stitches will be removed. If you have been experiencing a burning sensation in your nipples, this can often persist through the second week. Although your fuller breasts are in place, they will remain sore and you should limit physical contact with them as you continue to heal from this Los Angeles plastic surgery.

Your Next Six Weeks After Breast Augmentation

Under the supervision of your surgeon, you will begin to resume your regular physical activities in the ensuing weeks. Breast soreness typically lasts for three to four weeks before fading. Swelling should also diminish during this period, except for perhaps minor swelling. The scars from your surgery will be pink and firm for roughly six weeks. It will take months for the scars to soften and lighten. They will never be completely gone, but the scars often will diminish to barely noticeable.

The recovery timelines described above are what you can typically expect after breast augmentation surgery. Individual cases vary depending on physical characteristics, overall health, and how well you follow guidelines for limiting strenuous activity. Although Los Angeles breast augmentation requires a moderate recovery time, many women are immensely pleased with the results and agree that the discomfort was worth the opportunity to fulfill their dreams of an enhanced bust.

Time to Get the Fat Out? A Description of Liposuction

Liposuction is a commonly performed plastic surgery procedure. It is a very effective technique for removing areas of fatty bulge that are non-responsive to diet and exercise. Liposuction can be performed on a wide variety of body locations such as the abdomen, thighs, hips, arms, chin, and “love handles.”

If you have an area on your body with more fat than you would like, then liposuction in Beverly Hills may be a viable option for you if a plastic surgeon deems you to be an appropriate candidate. But before you can make a serious decision about pursuing liposuction, you naturally want to know something about it. Essentially, how does liposuction get the fat out?

During a liposuction procedure, the area of your body that is going to be treated will have a fluid injected into the fat tissues in order to make it easier for the plastic surgeon to sculpt the tissue and remove fat. Of course, anesthetic is injected into the same area as well so you don't experience pain during the procedure and also helps to keep you comfortable following the procedure. A third set of ingredients uses a blood vessel constricting medicine that reduces bleeding.

Once the body area has been prepared, your plastic surgeon will make multiple small incisions to access the fat tissues beneath the skin. The incisions are strategically located in natural skin folds to reduce the visibility of scars. Through the incisions, small tubes are inserted to pull out the fat. Unlike in a procedure like a tummy tuck, there are basically no scars with liposuction.

Beyond the basics of the liposuction procedure, there are various techniques that your plastic surgeon may employ on a case-by-case basis depending on what you may need. Examples of types of liposuction are microliposuction and ultrasound-assisted liposuction. Many liposuction approaches are available and more techniques are being developed all the time. Your cosmetic surgeon will help you consider your options based on your body and what you hope to achieve.

For the most part, liposuction is an outpatient surgery. The extent of your liposuction surgery and your preferences along with your surgeon's judgment will determine whether you have a general or local anesthesia. It is also quite common for long-lasting local anesthetics to be injected into the surgery site to reduce pain for a couple days while you ease into recovery.

As you consider liposuction in Beverly Hills, it is important that you accept that liposuction is not a cure-all for weight problems. In fact, liposuction is best applied to people of normal or near-normal weight who want to address fatty areas and smooth away bulges.

More Choices in Breast Augmentation

Silicone breast implants have been the subject of a great deal of controversy. But now, after more than ten years of scientific study, the US Food and Drug Administration has approved silicone gel breast implants for general usage. They are now available to all women ages 22 and higher for both reconstructive and cosmetic breast surgery.

One prominent plastic surgeon in California notes that the availability of silicone implants will greatly expand the options for women seeking cosmetic breast augmentation. Dr. Lloyd Krieger, the founder and Medical Director of Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery in Beverly Hills notes that in many situations, they have real advantages over saline breast implants.

Dr. Krieger goes on, "They tend to look and feel more natural than saline implants. They are less prone to rippling or crinkling which can sometimes be felt and occasionally can become visible under the skin. They are lighter than silicone implants." However, Dr. Krieger says, they are thought by some to have a higher rate of capsular contracture, which is scarring around the implant and can make the breasts hard. This is of concern to people seeking breast augmentation Beverly Hills.

California cosmetic surgery is likely to see an increase to in the use of silicone breast implants. In countries where both silicone and saline implants have been available the vast majority of patients and surgeons select silicone implants. This is testimony to their advantages. Krieger describes that "In the US, we are likely to see a large number of patients select silicone breast implants. That is already the case as I see people interested in breast augmentation."

But plastic surgeon Krieger says there will still be a place for saline implants. "Some people might simply prefer not to have silicone placed in their body. Silicone implants are more expensive than saline implants. In some cases, the implant is used as a sort of platform to elevate the normal breast tissue rather than to give the breast the entirety of its shape. In this situation, saline implants function just about as effectively as silicone implants. When people seek plastic surgery in Southern California, whether its is breast enlargement or Beverly Hills rhinoplasty they want to know all their options," Krieger concludes.

Silicone implants have not been shown to cause autoimmune diseases such as arthritis and lupus, as had been feared. But patients should realize that any breast augmentation procedure is essentially temporary. Body shape and anatomy can change, there might be problems with healing or the body’s reaction to the implant. At some point, it is likely that additional procedures may be necessary.

"California breast augmentation has many benefits, but a lifetime with the same implants in place is usually not one of them. Even when do the perfect augmentation," according to Krieger.

"At Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery, where we do a lot of breast augmentation in Los Angeles, we are already doing quite a few breast augmentations with silicone breast implants. I expect we will see many more people interested in the procedure in the next few months," Krieger concludes.

About Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery:
Nestled next to Chanel, Armani, Cartier and others, Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery is the first and only plastic surgery center at Beverly Hills’ ultimate address, Rodeo Drive. It specializes in rhinoplasty and tummy tuck as well as all plastic surgery in Southern California. The center provides silicone breast implants to perform Beverly Hills breast enhancement. Their web site provides views of Los Angeles plastic surgery pictures and their plastic surgery blog has up to the minute news.

Why Do You Want Plastic Surgery?

The criticism of plastic surgery as pandering to the vanity of people is unfair. The desire for self improvement is a natural impulse, and typically people who seek plastic surgery are simply unhappy about an aspect of their appearance. They feel sufficiently displeased to pursue a solution to make themselves more content. In some cases, plastic surgery even opens the door to greater self confidence.

Maybe you want to ease back the inevitable effects of age, repair the sagging legacy of childbearing, or augment or reduce your breasts. Employing plastic surgery as a means to improve physical traits is essentially the same as getting braces to straighten your teeth. No one would call you vain if you wanted straighter teeth. However, plastic surgery is generally more drastic than teeth straightening, which is why you should carefully examine your feelings for wanting plastic surgery. It is not a step to be taken lightly.

In 2005, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons conducted a survey to study the motivations people had for plastic surgery and their demographics. You might be surprised to learn that the study indicated that plastic surgery is not limited to higher income people. Members of diverse socioeconomic classes have an interest in and even undergo plastic surgery procedures.

According to the ASPS study, a broad range of age groups seeks plastic surgery, from ages 18 on up. Certainly the younger surgery candidates are seeking cosmetic modifications, typically to the nose or breasts, as opposed to older surgery candidates who also take the effects of aging into their plastic surgery plans.

In depth interviews with a selection of survey participants in the ASPS study revealed that most people who were interested in plastic surgery were deeply bothered by a physical feature. They wanted plastic surgery because they believed it would provide emotional, psychological, or social improvements.

As a practicing California plastic surgeon, it is part of my job to help potential plastic surgery patients examine and understand their motivations. A patient with a healthy perspective will want to modify his or her body so as to overcome a physical trait that is personally unpleasant. The rest of the world may not be judging you as harshly as judge yourself, but your self-confidence comes from your self-judgment, which is at the heart of the matter.

If you are considering plastic surgery, you should make sure to do some soul searching about your physical dissatisfaction and compare that carefully to the costs and risks of surgery. Make sure that the plastic surgeon you meet with is attentive to your goals and motivations. A plastic surgeon should not promise you the moon. Plastic surgery is not going to turn you into a movie star. Plastic surgery may be able to improve your body, but it will not produce a new body. However, California plastic surgery can be a positive experience that frequently helps people gain greater satisfaction with their physical appearances.

Plastic Surgery Blogs

Plastic surgery is a rapidly changing specialty. It is also much in the media lately, with news about celebrity plastic surgery and reality shows. This makes for a combination of lots of interest and plenty of information -- but sometimes the information is not accurate. It is important to have the facts prior to undergoing any sort of Beverly Hills plastic surgery procedure, or prior to having cosmetic surgery anywhere.

One good way to become educated is to take a look at some plastic surgery blogs. When these are written by a plastic surgeon, they can provide important background and understanding as people decide about a procedure. Below is a list of some plastic surgery blogs. They are worth taking a look if you are considering having plastic surgery of any kind.

http://clearblogs.com/plasticsurgery/

http://www.xanga.com/lkrieger

http://lloyd-krieger.livejournal.com/

http://lmkrieger.wordpress.com/

http://rodeodriveplasticsurgery.blogspot.com/

http://plasticsurgeryinbeverlyhills.blogspot.com/

Beverly Hills Nose Job

Beverly Hills nose job, or surgery to reshape the nose, is one of the most common of all plastic surgery procedures. Rhinoplasty or nose job in Beverly Hills can reduce or increase the size of your nose, change the shape of the tip or the bridge, narrow the span of the nostrils, or change the angle between your nose and your upper lip. It may also correct a birth defect or injury, or help relieve some breathing problems.

Rhinoplasty can enhance your appearance and your self-confidence, but it won't necessarily change your looks to match your ideal, or cause other people to treat you differently. Before you decide to have surgery, think carefully about your expectations and discuss them with your surgeon.

The best candidates for Los Angeles nose surgery are people who are looking for improvement, not perfection, in how they look. If you're physically healthy, psychologically stable, and realistic in your expectations, you may be a good candidate.

Rhinoplasty can be performed to meet aesthetic goals or for reconstructive purposes-to correct birth defects or breathing problems.

Age may also be a consideration. Many surgeons prefer not to operate on teenagers until after they've completed their growth spurt-around 14 or 15 for girls, a bit later for boys. It's important to consider teenagers' social and emotional adjustment, too, and to make sure it's what they, and not their parents, really want.

When Beverly Hills nose job is performed by a qualified plastic surgeon, complications are infrequent and usually minor. Nevertheless, there is always a possibility of complications, including infection, nosebleed, or a reaction to the anesthesia. You can reduce your risks by closely following your surgeon's instructions both before and after surgery.

Travel for Plastic Surgery

Here at Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery we have many patients that travel from out of town. Not only do they travel from within the United States, we have many patients that travel internationally as well.

There are several steps that we must go through to make sure the process of plastic surgery travel is safe and smooth as possible. One of the main steps is to decide if you are going to be a candidate for the surgery. Patients will send us a digital photo of the area that they have concerns about. The surgeon will take a look at these photos. We will then set up a phone consultation so you can speak directly with the medical director and ask any questions that you may have. We may ask you to see your regular doctor at home if there are any necessary lab or other tests to be done.

Once you do arrive in Los Angeles the surgeon must see you the day before we do the procedure. If you are traveling alone we will arrange for you to stay one or more nights with a nurse either in the hotel you are staying at or a specialized recovery center. We have a wide variety of hotels we use along with car services in the area. If you are traveling with a family member or friend they must stay with you the night after surgery in the hotel.

Each procedure varies in how long you will need to stay in town for. It will range anywhere between five to fourteen days. Within these five to fourteen days you will have follow-up visits with the surgeon. It will be important to not miss these follow up visits. Once you return home you may send photos of your healing process and speak to the surgeon so we remain in touch for even more than a year following your procedure.

How to Pay for Rhinoplasty

Your eyes and bright smile may be what charm people, but your nose is the central feature of your face that shapes your appearance. Most people are content with their noses, more or less, but other people are dissatisfied with their noses. The shape may bother them or they think that it is too large. If you are in this discontented group, you may be a candidate for rhinoplasty, a plastic surgery that reshapes your nose.

However, even if you live under a rock, you are aware that the cost of medical services easily runs into the thousands of dollars. But this is not an insurmountable barrier to your wish for rhinoplasty. Do not write off the possibility of rhinoplasty. You do have options for paying for this surgery.

The most obvious method of playing for rhinoplasty is to save your money and pay for it. You could consult with a plastic surgeon and find out what your surgery would cost and then start saving. This approach can reduce your unhappiness with your current nose because you are working toward your self improvement goal. You are taking care of the problem. Another advantage is that once you have the surgery, you will simply pay for it. No hassles with insurance companies. No debt. You have simply earned what you wanted. The disadvantage, of course, is that saving money takes time.

Financing Your Rhinoplasty

Another option that you may not realize is available is financing your rhinoplasty and paying for it with installment payments after your surgery. Just like when you remodel your kitchen or buy a car, rhinoplasty can be financed as a major purchase. Plastic surgery practices often can aid you in setting up financing. The attractive advantage with this payment option is its immediacy. You can change the appearance of your nose, and then pay for the procedure.

Your Insurance Might Pay for Rhinoplasty

You might think that plastic surgery is universally excluded from all medical insurance coverage, but some policies will cover rhinoplasty in limited situations. If you have breathing problems caused by septal deviation, birth defects, or an injury to your nose, check your policy to see if it will cover corrective nose surgery. Because rhinoplasty in such a situation will be delivering medical benefit, such as to alleviate breathing problems, it is not automatically rejected as a purely cosmetic elective surgery. Not every insurance policy will have these allowances. It is important that you check with your insurance provider because it could be a source of funds for your surgery. You may be pleased to hear the answer to your queries about insurance coverage for rhinoplasty.

If you are unhappy with the appearance of your nose or have breathing problems, know that rhinoplasty is a commonly performed plastic surgery that offers many people pleasing results. Payment options are available if you wish to pursue your self improvement goals. This is similar for other procedures, such as Beverly Hills breast reduction. You do not have to dismiss nose surgery as a fanciful notion.