Dr. Glenn Vallecillos

Listed below are a few of the reasons why an individual may decide on having cosmetic surgery.

1. Improve Appearance

If a person has suffered low self-esteem due to a crooked nose or another facial feature that is not satisfactory, cosmetic surgery can work wonders in correcting the problem. Self-confidence will soar when a noticeable improvement has been made in the appearance. Life is not enjoyable if it is lived under a black cloud, which is how a person may feel if he or she looks unattractive and is aware of this fact. Social situations may be avoided, and relationships can suffer. Cosmetic surgery can correct unbecoming facial flaws so that life can be enjoyed to the fullest.

An unattractive appearance due to a facial flaw can also be very detrimental for anyone who has a job that entails dealing with the public, such as a salesman. This individual knows how embarrassing it can be to face people on a daily basis with a noticeable flaw. Cosmetic surgery can be a blessing by creating an attractive appearance for someone who has been very dissatisfied. The appropriate procedure can certainly bring happiness back into a person's life and ensure that a job that entails handling public contact will not be a cause for embarrassment.

Cosmetic surgery is not just for the face. It can also be performed on various parts of the body that need some help, such as sagging breasts, a protruding belly, or flabby upper arms. There is no reason to go through life feeling embarrassed over an unattractive body part when there are ways to improve it.

Men and women can benefit from having cosmetic surgery performed to the face and body. Looking attractive is the best way to build confidence and enjoy life.

2. Correct a disfigurement

Accidents can often create a situation where disfigurement will be the result. With the proper cosmetic procedure, a disfigurement can be corrected so that a person can live a normal and happy life, satisfied with his or her appearance. Birth defects can also be corrected with cosmetic surgery. A child need not suffer with a noticeable defect when there is a procedure available to bring normalcy back to the situation.

3. Combat the signs of aging

When a person ages, there are going to be changes in the face and the body. In years gone by, the aging process was considered to be a part of life that had to be dealt with as best as possible. This is not the case now. There are cosmetic procedures that can be performed to combat the signs of aging and bring back rejuvenation. It was once thought to be inevitable to have the aging process show in the face and body, but now there are ways to handle this process and acquire a more youthful appearance.

It might be helpful to take a look at how cosmetic surgery can work for someone who has a problem. Lisa is a young housewife who has had two children. She has a good marriage, loves her husband and kids, but feels dissatisfied with the way she looks. After her second child was born, she found that she could not get her stomach back to its former firm appearance. Her figure is relatively good otherwise, but she has a tummy that she never had before, and it is starting to frustrate her.

Lisa finds herself feeling unattractive when she and her husband, Joe, are intimate. Even though Joe claims that he is not at all bothered by her "little tummy," Lisa is not sure she believes him. In any case, she herself is bothered by it, and she is conscious of her stomach more often than she would like.

Lisa used to dress in form-fitting, attractive clothes, but all of a sudden, she finds herself buying items that fit her more loosely. She does not want to draw attention to her stomach, and her friends have noticed that she actually dresses in a more matronly way.

Going to parties and outings at the beach used to be such fun for Lisa, but now she avoids them whenever possible. She feels self-conscious about her stomach and would not be caught dead in a bathing suit. It finally gets to the point where her husband sits down with her and tells her that she is allowing her tummy issue to ruin her life. It is even starting to affect their marriage.

Lisa finally decides that she must do something about her stomach. Even if her tummy does not seem very large to others, the fact that it bothers her so much is making the situation very uncomfortable and frustrating. She makes an appointment with a cosmetic surgeon to find out what can be done about her unattractive body part.

After a frank discussion with her doctor, Lisa decides that she wants to go ahead with a tummy tuck. All pertinent information is given to her about the surgery so that she will know what to expect.

The day of the surgery, Lisa is nervous, but she also feels excited. The surgery is performed, and the results are wonderful. Lisa has a stomach she is proud of, and she finds herself feeling even more confident about her appearance than she did before the birth of her two children. Joe and Lisa could not be happier with the way things turned out.

Cosmetic surgery can and does change lives. It can bring about a better appearance in a number of ways, helping individuals who were frustrated, embarrassed and dissatisfied to achieve happiness and contentment in their lives.

The numbers don't lie: Minimally-invasive cosmetic procedures have topped the charts, showing growth both in the past year and over the last decade. A 2011 report published by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons shows that the number of procedures being done, including injectables, soft tissue fillers, and laser hair removal treatments, have increased dramatically.

Take Botox, for example. In 2000, the number of patients receiving this wrinkle reduction treatment topped out at about 780,000; by 2011, that number had soared to over five million. With the introduction of competitors such as Dysport and Xeomin into the neurmodulator space, these numbers are predicted to increase to uncharted levels.

Laser hair removal treatments show similar gains, with a 47% increase in the number of procedures since 2000, and a 15% increase in the past year alone. Part of the reason for the recent increase can be explained by advances in hair removal technology, with the introduction of devices such as the Lumenis DUET, which offers near pain-free hair removal treatments at markedly increased treatment rates for all skin types and colors.

The Changing Landscape of Injectables

While the majority of these treatments are being conducted for cosmetic enhancement, new research is beginning to shed light on the possibility of using these procedures in a wider range of medical applications.

One such study suggests that Botox can reduce the frequency and severity of chronic migraines in some patients.¹

In this application, Botox is injected into the lower forehead, back of the neck, or the shoulders and works to minimize migraines in patients for 3-4 months.

Published earlier this month in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the benefits did not extend to sufferers of episodic or chronic tension headaches.

While the findings varied from patient to patient, this experimental use of the traditional wrinkle treatment is a promising new lead in putting plastic surgery techniques to use in a wider medical arena.

Increasing Longevity in Injectables

Non-surgical treatments like Botox can immediately reduce the appearance of moderate to severe wrinkles, but of course, the results are not permanent. However, a new study shows that a simple vitamin supplement can both enhance and prolong their effects.

The findings, published in the April 2012 issue of the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, show that in a study of 77 patients, 92% of subjects who received an oral zinc supplement reported an average increase in the duration of the treatment's effects.²

Although the results are preliminary, the study does point to a potentially meaningful role for the use of oral supplements in non-surgical cosmetic treatments.

Another promising lead in the field of injectables, the addition of a new matrix known as Selphyl in the fat grafting process can improve the quality and longevity of facelift results, according to a recent article in Cosmetic Surgery Times.³

When added to a fat transfer, now typical in facelifts, Selphyl led to higher blood vessel growth in the injected area and lessened the amount of injected fat being broken down and absorbed by the body.

Ultimately, this means better long-term results and a lower incidence of revisionary procedures.

Personalized Cell Therapy Injectables

Advances in aesthetic medicine are becoming more evident every day, with the application of stem cell technology and DNA replication strategies into clinical medicine. One such example is LaViv, the only FDA-approved personalized cell therapy injectable filler intended for management of moderate to severe nasolabial folds. The product, in its final state, is a concentration of a patient's own fibroblasts (cells responsible for producing collagen, which provides firmness and structure to skin). The injectable is created by taking a small skin sample from the back of a patient's ear, which is then sent to a laboratory where the fibroblasts are cultivated by the millions. The final product, specifically individualized for each patient, is then sent back to the surgeon's office for clinical application.

LaViv represents the forefront of personalized cell therapy for a multitude of aesthetic clinical applications.

Chin Up! Mentoplasty On The Rise

Another emerging trend demonstrates an increased interest in a lower facial focal point - the chin. The popularity of procedures to enhance or reduce the appearance of the chin, known as mentoplasty, has increased dramatically in recent years.

Why the sudden jump in jaws? Emerging technologies like video chatting may be the cause. According to statistics provided by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), the total number of chin augmentation procedures rose by 71% between 2010 and 2011, with the highest increases shown in adults aged 40-54 years.⁴

Even if Skype and FaceTime don't dominate your day to day, the benefits of the procedure include a stronger jawline and a more youthful appearance.

Looking Ahead

Cosmetic procedures are about more than just looks, and the benefits are much more than skin deep. Whether a result of genetics, environmental damage, or the inevitable process of aging, there are more methods to improve your appearance than ever before.

We invite you to meet Dr. Vallecillos and learn about our innovative treatments. A new outlook is just a consult away!

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¹http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2012/04/24/botox-a-boon-for-some-headaches-dud-for-others/
²http://jddonline.com/articles/current_issue
³http://cosmeticsurgerytimes.modernmedicine.com/cosmeticsurgerytimes/ModernMedicine+Now/Selphyl-boosts-blood-vessel-growth-in-fat-grafts/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/765525?ref=25
⁴http://www.plasticsurgery.org/News-and-Resources/Chin-Surgery-Skyrockets-Among-Women-and-Men.html