What Can Be Done to Prolong the Lifespan of Breast Implants?
Breast implants from our Los Angeles-area practice are an ideal choice for patients who want to enhance the appearance of breasts that they feel are too small or to restore the shape and size of their breasts after pregnancy and other body changes. Implants offer numerous advantages, including allowing patients to feel less restricted in terms of what styles of clothing they are comfortable wearing. Perhaps the main benefit of having this procedure, however, is the significant boost to confidence and self-esteem that patients feel once they see themselves in the mirror.
Another great thing about getting breast augmentation is that it isn’t merely a short-term fix. While each patient’s experience is different, modern implants are made of sturdy materials and can last for decades after the initial surgery. Although implants aren’t guaranteed to last forever, and the risk of rupture increases each year, the way the patient takes care of the implants will have an impact on the longevity of their results. See below for some techniques patients can use to increase the lifespan of their implants.
Follow Instructions During Recovery
Proper care for implants starts during breast augmentation recovery. You need to provide adequate support for the implants by wearing a supportive garment or surgical bra as the surgeon advises. Patients will need to initially avoid exercise, especially anything that involves heavy lifting or causes the chest muscles to tighten.
Care for Your Skin
Sun damage on the chest area can weaken the skin there, causing the breasts to start to sag, so try to avoid tanning or allowing your skin to burn. Cover up in clothing to protect the skin, and wear sunscreen any time you head outside.
Live a Healthy Lifestyle
Avoid smoking, excessive drinking, and major weight fluctuations—all of which can contribute to weakening the skin and making it more likely to stretch.
Go to Check-Ups
Don’t skip annual check-ups with your surgeon, and remember to perform self-checks frequently to ensure that your implants are in good shape. Inspect your breasts for any lumps or changes, and don’t hesitate to call your doctor if you have any concerns or questions.
Want to learn more about long-term care for breast implants? Contact us at Cosmetic Surgery Institute for more details. Call (760) 837-0364 or submit a contact form to request a consultation and find out more about what to expect from the augmentation procedure.
BOTOX® Aftercare: Tips for Looking After Your Skin
Even if you have a great skincare routine, it’s difficult to completely prevent the effects of aging and skin damage from giving you a worn-down look over time. And it’s not just normal aging and reduced levels of collagen in the skin that we need to worry about. The repeated facial expressions we make each day cause wrinkles to become entrenched in the skin in the areas where it creases together each time we frown, smile, squint, raise our eyebrows or purse our lips. Once the wrinkles have become set into our skin, it’s difficult to minimize them just by using topical products. Fortunately there are other options. Botulinum toxin injectables like BOTOX® are sometimes called wrinkle relaxers. They address the underlying cause of the wrinkles by preventing the movements of facial muscles that cause lines and furrows to develop.While no recovery time is necessary and side effects are minor, what you do during the days after a treatment session will have an impact on the results. Here’s a simple guide to what you should and shouldn’t do after having wrinkle injections. Los Angeles-area folks used to the heat and an active lifestyle might find a couple of these challenging, but the results are worth it!
Avoid Exposure to High Temperatures
Avoid saunas, steam rooms, Jacuzzis, hot weather, sun beds, and other heat-related environments right after getting BOTOX®. Excessive heat can cause the product to diffuse and have a shorter lifespan while also increasing the risk of swelling, redness, and irritation.
Don’t Put Too Much Pressure on Your Skin
Your skin may feel tight after an injection session. Try to avoid massaging, rubbing, or applying too much pressure to the areas of your face that were injected for at least the first 24 hours. Pressure on the skin could cause the active ingredient in BOTOX® to not reach the necessary cells, and it might move into areas where diminished muscle action results in a less-than-ideal look.
Don’t Engage in Heavy Exercise
It’s best to avoid significant physical activity at first, as such exercise could cause the BOTOX® to be dispersed. Many experienced medical professionals recommend waiting at least 24 hours before resuming exercise, though some injectors may recommend waiting for a longer time.
Ready to learn more about wrinkle injections? Our team at Cosmetic Surgery Institute is available to answer any of your questions. Call us at (760) 837-0364 or submit a contact form to request a consultation.
Tummy Tuck: 5 Best Tips to Ensure a Speedy Recovery
Aging, weight fluctuations, and pregnancy can not only cause the skin on the abdominal area to lose its elasticity, but can also result in weakened sit-up muscles. Some people are self-conscious about having excess, loose skin and a lower-belly pooch from separated muscles, while other people may naturally always carry some extra fat on the stomach that they can’t get rid of, even when they lose overall body weight. Luckily, tummy tuck surgery is available to correct all of these issues and sculpt a smoother, flatter abdomen with stronger muscles. Patients who are planning to have an abdominoplasty from our Los Angeles-area Cosmetic Surgery Institute in Palm Desert might be interested in learning about how they can heal at a faster rate, have an easier time during recovery, and get back to work or their other activities sooner.
As technology has continued to advance, recovering from plastic surgery is now easier than it ever was before. Here are five ways to ensure that your recovery is as fast and complication-free as possible:
1. Before having a tummy tuck, think about whether you will be able to take enough time off to properly heal after the procedure. Talk to the surgeon so that you understand the timeframe for your recovery. You need to plan ahead and take time off from your activities to fully heal.
2. It’s critical to adhere to your surgeon’s post-operative instructions, even if some of them don’t seem like they would apply to you.
3. After a tummy tuck, you will likely feel tired and weak, as well as have difficulty with standing for long periods of time, moving objects, bending, or generally moving around. Have a support system in place with friends or loved ones to help you out with chores, caring for young children or pets, and performing small tasks.
4. Take your pain medication as prescribed at the onset of discomfort.
5. Your surgeon will give you advice on wound care, along with any potential signs of infection to be aware of. Care for your incision properly to make sure that it’s always clean and avoid infections.
Want to learn more about cosmetic surgery? Get more details on what to expect from an abdominoplasty by contacting our team at Cosmetic Surgery Institute. Call (760) 837-0364, or submit a contact form to request a consultation and talk to us about your goals.
4 Tips for Relaxing While You Recover from Liposuction
Even if you feel confident about having plastic surgery and can’t wait to show off the results, having any kind of procedure can still zap your energy. Once the procedure is over, it can take several weeks before the swelling goes down and you begin to “feel normal” again. Patients often feel a variety of emotions before and after surgical fat reduction in the Los Angeles area, with impatience, frustration, and depression common at first, followed by more positive emotions once they’ve fully recovered. These initial, more negative feelings are to be expected and are perfectly natural, so there’s nothing to be alarmed about. If you’re feeling bored or a little overwhelmed while in recovery, here are a few ways to ease your mind:
1. Use Breathing and Relaxation Techniques
To keep your stress levels down and relieve some discomfort, try techniques such as meditation, deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, or guided relaxation. Look for a quiet, comfortable area, close your eyes, try to center your mind, and repeat a calming mantra while meditating.
2. Try Listening to Music
If you’re feeling tense, consider looking for some new albums or go back to your favorite classics. Finding some new music to listen to is a great way to distract yourself. It quiets your mind, soothes you, and helps you decrease stress because of the chemical reactions it triggers in your brain.
3. Practice Visualization
Visualization is another highly effective way of releasing stress and tension. It involves using mental imagery to put yourself in a relaxed state. Rather than worrying about other things, imagine yourself healed and try to think more positively.
4. Get Exercise
As soon as your surgeon gives you approval to do so, you can gradually incorporate light exercise such as walks or even lifting light weights. Staying active will help you to heal faster and avoid blood circulation issues. It will also help you to cope with stress.
Think liposuction might be exactly what you need to sculpt your ideal body shape? For advice on what you can expect before and after surgical fat reduction, reach out to our team at Cosmetic Surgery Institute. Get in touch with us today by calling (760) 837-0364, or submit a contact form to request a consultation, and we’ll get back to you shortly.
The Negative Effects of Smoking on Liposuction Results
Liposuction
continues to be an ideal surgical technique for dramatic body-contouring
results. It produces new contours faster than non-invasive alternatives can, is
generally low risk, doesn’t require a long recovery time, and only causes small
scars. The procedure can be a useful tool for body contouring—also referred to
as body sculpting, a term referring to a range of procedures intended for
altering the contours of the body by modifying fat, skin or muscle. While it is
great for removing fat from almost any area of the body, doctors at Cosmetic
Surgery Institute explain to patients in the Los Angeles basin area that liposuction for body contouring's success hinges on them avoiding nicotine
before and after surgery.
You may have
noticed in your research before the big day that cigarette smoking is
emphasized on just about every list of things to avoid before going in for
plastic surgery. Some surgeons recommend staying away from cigarettes for a few
weeks or up to a month before the operation and for a long time afterward as
well. But why exactly is smoking so bad for you—in this specific case?
In short, smoking
makes you much more likely to develop post-operative complications after
liposuction surgery. If you’re a regular or heavy smoker, surgeons understand
that giving up the habit can be difficult, but they can also help you find support
during this time.
A chemical
called nicotine, which is contained in cigarettes—and such cigarette
substitutes as gum, patches, chewing tobacco, pipes, cigars, etc.—is the source
of the problem. When you have plastic surgery, some of the blood vessels are
severed, and it’s up to the remaining intact vessels to supply the oxygen and
nutrients needed by the rest of your body. This includes the incision sites and
tissues in the surgical site that need to heal. Poor healing can lead to poor
results. Scars may be more pronounced and visible, since nicotine restricts
blood flow and inhibits oxygen supply to cells.
If you still
continue smoking, your surgeon may not want to administer liposuction. Complications
from pre-op and post-op smoking may include infections, fat necrosis, blood
clots, increased pain, and thick scars.
Are you ready
for a new you? Get started on your plastic surgery journey today with help from
the Cosmetic
Surgery Institute team. To
schedule a consult regarding liposuction for body contouring in the Los Angeles
basin area, connect with us by phoning (760) 837-0364 or sending a message.