You Can Improve Your Sun-Damaged Skin With Laser Treatments

Currently, there are many lasers used for facial and skin rejuvenation and to treat sun damage and photo-aging of the skin. One older laser system, the carbon dioxide laser, has been very effective for treating sun damaged skin but has fallen out of favor. This is because it routinely caused extensive rawness of the skin that typically required over 2 weeks of “hiding out” or “downtime” to recover. In addition to the time it took to heal, it frequently caused skin discoloration and occasionally scarring. Many lasers available today require very little downtime and yield some improvement of the skin but are not nearly as effective as the carbon dioxide laser. As with any procedure, anyone considering laser skin treatments should first consult with a plastic surgeon prior to under going their chosen procedure.

What Is A Chemical Peel?

A chemical peel procedure is a non-surgical procedure designed to eliminate the fine wrinkles in the facial skin that develop as we age. This procedure can be performed by itself or after face lift surgery procedure. Subjects with fair complexions are better suited candidates for this procedure, because a chemical peel procedure can remove pigment from the skin by creating a layer of demarcation between treated and untreated skin in those with darker complexions.
The chemical peel procedure creates a raw surface by removing the top layer of skin. This will heal in approximately ten days. Once the raw skin has healed, makeup can once again be used. The skin affected by a chemical peel procedure is initially red and then fades to pink fairly quickly. This pink color can last for months. After having a chemical peel procedure, the patient must care for the skin by protecting it from exposure to the sun and elements for six months minimum. Sun screen and similar lotions are ideal to use for protecting ones skin following a chemical peel procedure.

A skilled and experienced plastic surgeon can perform a less invasive version of the procedure called a 'Light Peel" in his or her office, while a full chemical peel procedure is performed in a surgical facility on an out patient basis.

The Different Types of Breast Implants

A lot of people these days are well aware of the popularity of Breast Augmentation surgery. What most do not realize is that there are different types of breast implants, and each type has its own use and application, depending on the preferences of the patient, her surgeon and lastly, the technique used for the placement of the implants also has some bearing over the choice of implant used.

The saline breast implant has an exterior shell made of solid silicone, which is filled with a sterile saline solution much like the salt-water solution that is administered for intravenous fluids during and after a surgical procedure. One of the advantages of this saline solution is its safety. Should a saline implant leak, the saline solution is absorbed by your body, just as the intravenous fluids would. Another notable advantage of saline breast implants is a very low infection rate, which has been reported to be less than two percent.

The silicone implants are filled with a silicone gel surrounded by a solid silicone shell. More than one million women in America currently have silicone breast implants. Some feel that the silicone implant results in a more natural appearing breast.

Cohesive gel implants (commonly referred to as the "gummy bear" implant) are silicone implants that are filled with a thicker silicone gel that will hold its shape and form much like a "gummy bear" candy. If you were to cut open a standard gel implant, the liquid silicone gel leaks out of the implant shell. However, when you cut into a cohesive gel implant, the implant itself maintains its shape and integrity and the thicker silicone gel does not leak out. These shaped implants were designed with a focus upon a natural look, rather than for the sole purpose of breast enlargement. "Gummy bear" implants maintain their shape in an upright position, which decreases the incidence of the implants shell folding or rippling. If a cohesive gel implant ruptures, it maintains both its shape and integrity.

When electing to have breast implant surgery, one should always consult with a plastic surgeon prior to the surgical procedure. This is an important step and one that should not be taken lightly. As with any surgical procedure, there is some level of risk, and it is important that anyone considering Breast Augmentation surgery become informed of the risks involved, and that person fully understand the procedure, and be realistic about her results.

What is a MicroLaserPeel?

The Microlaser peel is an intra-skin laser peel that 'melts away' the outermost layers of the skin. The Microlaser peel procedure is customized for each individual to the nature of the skin condition needing correction. Skin conditions such as wrinkles, scars, acne scars, keratoses, or pigmentary problems have been successfully treated with a MicroLaserPeel procedure. MicroLaserPeel was designed for those people looking for more than microdermabrasion or light chemical peel procedure, and have do not have the time for a prolonged healing process. Now you too can have younger looking, healthier feeling skin with a Microlaser Peel. This "weekend" skin peel, treats the skin conditions associated with aging and active lifestyle. You can see real improvements in your skin within only a few days.

Bigger, Easier, Better - LookingYourBest.com Reaches for the Next Level

LookingYourBest.com, the nationwide reference guide to a Who's Who of America's Plastic and Cosmetic Surgeons, offers more than just a bold new look with its comprehensive re-tooling. It offers an enhanced experience.

The first aspect of the new LookingYourBest.com that will surely catch the eye is the new layout and color scheme. The old, sterile layout with its pastel colors blending out to the window's edge has been supplanted by a sharp, clean page set against a rich chocolate tone, with deep rose accents and a commanding presence. In all the site wears a more focused, sophisticated feel that visitors are sure to appreciate.

The visual changes, however, belie the underlying metamorphosis that now makes it even easier to seek out doctors and procedures by multiple criteria. A simplified menu and site structure are two of the keys to the improved ease of use, despite the addition of even more data than before. LookingYourBest has long been an excellent source for finding and comparing professionals in aesthetic medicine, both locally and nationally. Now, the search function in both the gallery and surgeon areas has been simplified and visitors are treated to informative videos and 3D procedure animations to further enhance their search.

There's an important difference in the underpinnings as well, though a casual visitor may not even notice. Nevertheless, by streamlining the site's code, the programmers at LookingYourBest have sought to improve what is often the most important aspect of a web site; browsing speed. The new LookingYourBest.com loads faster and is more intuitive than ever.

Reshaping the Chin and Upper Neck

The chin, jaw line and upper neck play a vital role in your facial appearance
When we think about what makes an attractive face, we often consider the beauty of the eyes, the curve of the brows, the size and angle of the nose, or the shape of the lips. We may not focus as specifically on the chin and the jaw line, yet these features are, in fact, an important part of the skeletal framework that defines our facial appearance.

For a woman, a well-defined jaw line that is slightly curved contributes to attractive facial proportions. A delicate but adequately projecting chin generally is the ideal of feminine beauty. For a man, somewhat greater chin projection combined with a more angular jaw line is perceived as conveying a strong, masculine appearance.

For both women and men, the transition from the jaw line to the upper neck should be a "clean," smooth line without excess fat or sagging skin. Unfortunately, the jaw line is one of the first areas to show early signs of aging, losing its youthful angles and definition. Heredity, as well as age, often plays a role in aesthetic problems of the lower face. Younger patients may be dissatisfied with a recessive, or "weak," chin, a chin that is too long relative to their other facial proportions, or excess fatty tissue underneath the chin. Plastic surgery can help solve all these problems, either by restoring lost facial contours or creating new contours in better harmony with your other facial features.

Breast Feeding And Elongated Nipples

Elongated nipples are usually the result of prolonged breast-feeding, but may be an anatomical variant in some women. The elongated nipple (or papule, in medical terms) can be a source of embarrassment to some women. The nipples show through bras, even with padding. A simple procedure to reduce the length or projection of the nipple is available. This procedure involves removing a strip of outer nipple skin. The inner breast ducts are allowed to telescope in, and when the skin edges are then sewn together, the nipple protrudes far less.

The procedure can be done under a local anesthetic with or without intravenous sedation, and is often done at the same time as a breast augmentation. The scar that results is located at the base of the nipple and is hardly noticeable. Sutures are self-absorbing, making post-operative care simple and relatively painless. Incisions heal in a week or so, but the nipples may be a bit sensitive for several weeks. Long term sensation of the nipple is rarely affected. Patients are usually very satisfied with the results of this simple procedure.

It is recommended that anyone considering a plastic surgery procedure so their research prior to having the chosen procedure. Plastic and cosmetic surgery procedures, carry with them some level of risk, the same as any surgery. Consult with a skilled, experienced and qualified plastic surgeon and learn about your chosen procedure through research. There are many great website on the internet, my personal favorite is Lookingyourbest.com -a free site that offers up an in depth and accurate library of plastic surgery information, and the website even as a free service to help you locate the right surgeon in your area.