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Even if you eat right and exercise regularly, it can be challenging to shed abdominal fat, particularly as you age. Whether your “belly pooch” is the result of weight gain or loss, pregnancy, or the natural aging process, abdominoplasty can be an effective way to achieve a smoother, more contoured abdomen.
Napa Solano Plastic Surgery uses leading-edge plastic surgery techniques to perform abdominoplasty surgery that slims and tightens the midsection to reestablish your waistline. Our professional staff is known for its compassionate patient care and can help you achieve your desired aesthetic results.
What Is an Abdominoplasty?
Also known as “tummy tucks,” abdominoplasties are surgical procedures that tighten stomach muscles and help eliminate excess skin and abdominal creases. It’s a popular choice for people who want a more toned stomach and flattering body appearance.
There are various cosmetic and medical reasons people get tummy tucks, including to:
- Tighten abdominal muscles
- Remove excess skin
- Remove fat
- Repair a ventral hernia
- Remove scars
- Improve stress-related urinary incontinence
- Decrease back pain and improve posture
Patients who get a tummy tuck for purely cosmetic reasons report that it helps improve their self-confidence. And women who struggle to get back to their former selves post-pregnancy find that an abdominoplasty as part of a “mommy makeover” helps them look and feel their best.
Risks and Rewards of Abdominoplasty
Tummy tucks are popular, but they’re also major surgical procedures that require general anesthesia, take up to five hours or more to complete, and call for several weeks in recovery. Complications are rare, but diabetic patients in particular are more susceptible to problems like infections, as they are with most cosmetic surgery procedures.
Are Tummy Tucks Good for Weight Loss?
Only a certain amount of body fat is safe to remove during abdominoplasty, so the procedure shouldn’t be viewed as a weight-loss method. Plus, a tummy tuck doesn’t typically improve a person’s blood pressure, cholesterol level, or other obesity-related issues. Most doctors recommend changes to diet and lifestyle as safer, more practical ways to lose weight.
Is Abdominoplasty Right For You?
If you think a tummy tuck is the right decision for you, it’s time to consult with one of the board-certified plastic surgeons at Napa Solano Plastic Surgery. We’ll discuss everything you need to know about what’s involved with the procedure, how you should prepare for it, the risks involved, and what you should expect during recovery.
Contact us today to learn more about how a tummy tuck can deliver physical and psychological dividends that can last a lifetime.
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Autologous fat grafting (also referred to as autologous fat transfer or fat injection) transfers your body’s fat from one area to another to:
- Create volume
- Enhance contours
- Smooth depressions
It produces long-lasting results and is most commonly used for lip, buttock (Brazilian butt lift), and breast augmentation, as well as facial rejuvenation. It can also be used to fill out depressed scars on any part of your body.
Autologous Fat Grafting v. Liposuction
We’re often asked if fat grafting is the same as liposuction. The two procedures do focus on fat, but they offer different results.
- Liposuction removes fat from unwanted areas like the waist, hips, and thighs.
- Autologous fat grafting takes fat from one area of your body and places it where you want more fullness and shape, such as the breasts, buttocks, or face.
Some people choose to combine the two procedures, such as a facelift with fat grafting or liposuction with fat transfer to the buttocks or breasts.
Is Autologous Fat Grafting Safe?
Fat grafting is seen as a major breakthrough in reconstructive plastic surgery, with research involving over 50 studies showing it to be safe when performed by a qualified plastic surgeon.
During the procedure, fat is harvested from anywhere in your body, including the abdomen and flanks. The fat cells are then processed and transferred back into the body area you want to enhance. Approximately 60 to 70% of the transplanted fat cells typically survive and become permanent live cells in their new location.
Typical areas of fat augmentation include:
Breast Augmentation
Natural breast augmentation with fat transfer can enhance your breasts’ size, shape, and contour while eliminating the need for artificial breast implants. Women who choose augmentation say they love how the results are softer, subtler, and more natural-looking. The procedure is also a popular choice for breast reconstruction after surgery.
Buttocks
People who want to increase the size of their buttocks to achieve a more pleasing shape can choose fat grafting over implants. During the procedure, liposuction is used to remove excess fat from the thighs, hips, and lower back which is then strategically injected in small volume into the buttocks.
Face
Fat grafting is an effective way to transfer fat to facial areas that could benefit from volume and structural support. The procedure uses your own fat cells to restore fullness and support, improving the signs of aging. The most commonly treated areas are the undereye and cheeks, but some people use the procedure to treat other areas, such as the chin and eye creases.
Are You a Good Candidate for Autologous Fat Grafting?
Breast, buttock, and face augmentation are some of the most popular and frequently requested body-enhancing procedures. To learn more about whether autologous fat grafting is right for you, schedule an appointment to speak with one of the doctors at Napa Solano Plastic Surgery. We’ll answer any questions you might have and help determine if you’re a good candidate.
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Facelift surgery can help smooth wrinkles and tighten loose skin. While the procedure is considered extremely safe when performed by a qualified plastic surgeon, many people who consult us ask if there are other, non-surgical treatments they can try first.
If you’re seeking an alternative path to reducing the appearance of wrinkles and sagging skin, you might be interested in exploring treatments like:
- FaceTite radio frequency skin tightening
- SCITON® erbium laser skin resurfacing
- LiteLift® is a “mini-facelift” performed under local anesthesia and gentle sedation. It’s best for those who only need minimal improvement around the lower face.
Looking for yet another great way to put off or avoid plastic surgery? Adopting a healthier lifestyle that includes a better skincare routine can enhance your natural beauty and prevent aging skin. Lastly, you can complement your at-home skincare regimen with other facial services from Napa Solano MediSpa, like microneedling, hydrafacials, micro and other chemical peels, and jelly mask cleansing facials.
When to Consider a Facelift
Most people start looking into cosmetic surgery when they hear friends and relatives talking about it. It sparks an interest in what they might look like with an improved jawline and fewer wrinkles.
In most cases, the best age for a facelift is in your 40s, 50, and 60s, when aging signs become more noticeable and prevalent, and you begin to see an increase in fine and deep lines, wrinkles, and sagging skin. That said, there’s no specific “best” age for a facelift, as everyone’s face ages at different rates. However, the best time to consider a facelift is when you’re bothered by the signs of aging and non-surgical treatments are no longer producing the results you desire.
Keep in mind that the longer you wait to have cosmetic surgery, the work will be more extensive, and the results will be more noticeable. Having surgery at a younger age comes with some additional benefits, too:
- Any surgery, including plastic surgery, is generally safer the younger you are.
- Your body heals more quickly when you’re younger.
- Results are less dramatic.
No matter what route you choose, you should not make the decision to invest in cosmetic surgery lightly. It’s not the solution to an emotional upheaval or a way to get the latest celebrity look.
Before making up your mind, you should give a lot of thought to:
- Your expectations. Do you hope plastic surgery will turn you into a model or a sexier version of yourself at 40? That isn’t what happens. But it can boost your confidence, which can lead to positive changes in your life. People who report the greatest satisfaction after a facelift are those who keep expectations realistic and do the procedure for their own well-being.
- Whether you can afford it. Elective procedures like facelifts are rarely if ever covered by health insurance. And you don’t want to settle for a bargain procedure. A facelift is a time and financial investment. Some surgeries are more complex than others, and they may include additional procedures. Talk to your cosmetic surgeon about all your options and what the final costs will be before making up your mind.
- The risks and recovery time. Every surgery comes with risk, and recovery times differ depending on the procedure and what you do to assist your healing post-surgery. You should discuss these items at length with your plastic physician.
As mentioned, people often choose to have other cosmetic facial procedures such as browlifts, eyelid lifts, and neck lifts done at the same time as their facelifts. This is often more effective than having multiple surgeries over an extended time.
Can a Skincare Routine Work Like Cosmetic Surgery?
Beware of skincare products that claim to work “just like cosmetic surgery.” No product can do that. However, a comprehensive skincare routine that includes well-formulated, proven products can make a significant difference in your skin’s appearance.
The skilled and compassionate aestheticians at Napa Solano MediSpa perform a range of services that pamper your skin and keep it looking younger longer. While these non-surgical treatments won’t give you the dramatic results of a surgical facelift, they can be highly effective in improving wrinkles and deep creases, lost facial volume, and skin tone and texture.
Plastic Surgery or Improved Skincare Routine?
Ultimately, the decision to invest in a facelift or not is deeply personal. And while other, non-invasive options are available, plastic surgery can be an excellent choice if you want improved facial definition and a more sizable youthful appearance.
Our best advice is to take your time before making up your mind. Do your research and then talk to one of the trusted surgeons at Napa Solano Plastic Surgery about what you’d like to have done. Our doctors have been providing plastic surgery care, including facelifts, to Northern California patients since 1984. During your consultation, your surgeon will carefully and thoroughly walk you through the procedure, so you feel informed and empowered to make the right decision for yourself.
To learn more or to get any other questions you might have about facelifts vs. better skincare routines answered, contact Napa Solano Plastic Surgery today.
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While you may worry about the onset of facial lines that will appear as time passes, you should know that scientists have developed non-invasive injectables known as Neuromodulators that help to keep you looking as young as you feel. Treatments can hide and even retard the effects of aging on one’s appearance.
Administered by a cosmetic surgery professional, injections of botulinum toxin, commercially known as Botox, Dysport, Xeomin, or Jeuveau, will reduce or even eliminate fine facial lines and wrinkles like crow’s feet, frown lines, and forehead creases. These substances can also slow the increasing intensity of those lines as you age.
How Do Neuromodulators Work?
Over time, repetitive muscle action from common facial expressions will cause lines and wrinkles to appear. Injecting Botulinum toxin (or Botox), a purified wrinkle-relaxing solution, blocks the nerve signals to the muscles nearest the injection. When this occurs, the muscles will not contract, and the unwanted facial lines and wrinkles will begin to disappear.
Neurotoxin treatments work best on “dynamic” lines that result from particular facial expressions. More permanent or “static” lines are better treated with fillers or plastic surgery procedures, completely different medical approaches.
Botox or neuromodulator treatments are effective for glabellar lines or furrows between the eyebrows, crow’s feet, bunny lines on the nose, TMJ (jaw) disorders, masseter hypertrophy bruxism, neck bands, and even excessive sweating.
Also, “micro-botox” treatments, injections of a smaller dose of neurotoxin, will diminish less prominent fine lines, texture issues, large pores, and rosacea.
Consultation with a plastic surgery specialist at Napa Solano Plastic Surgery will help you determine which procedure is best. Factors like metabolism and the amount of neuromodulation and muscle relaxation you may need will help determine the amount of product to be injected.
When to Consider a Neuromodulator Discussion and Treatment
Subjects should not wait until those facial lines and creases become severe before considering treatments. Many people forestall the development of severe lines and wrinkles by undergoing Botox treatments before those lines become apparent. Waiting longer, after the creases are more notably etched into the skin, makes erasing them more difficult.
Contact Napa Solano Plastic Surgery
If you are concerned about your appearance and the effects of aging on your facial features and other parts of your body, contact Napa Solano Plastic Surgery for a confidential consultation. Whether the solution is a Botox Neuromodulator injection to erase those “dynamic” facial lines or a more aggressive solution to restore that youthful appearance, the award-winning, highly professional team at Napa Solano will provide the best solutions.
Learn more about their many appearance-enhancing solutions by visiting the Napa Solano Plastic Surgery website, where you can review the many procedures and options the group offers.
Complete the Contact Us Page on the Napa Solano Plastic Surgery website to schedule your private consultation. One of our professional staff will be pleased to schedule an appointment.
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Eventually, most people will start noticing their neck contours changing, usually while viewing themselves in a mirror or a photograph. A common problem, virtually everyone will experience these changes to some degree.
The good news is that there are solutions.
Sagging and laxity of neck skin are correctible problems thanks to several advanced non-surgical and surgical treatment options administered by skilled professionals.
Neck contour problems manifest themselves in several ways. The issue may be fullness caused by excess fat, loose skin, prominent neck muscle bands, or, in most cases, a combination of these.
And depending on the severity of the condition, one or more professionally administered treatments can improve the situation and restore that neck contour of prior times.
A reputable, professional plastic surgeon will tailor a neck lift program that will work best, employing the lowest level of invasiveness possible to achieve the desired result. The surgeon may recommend multiple solutions in instances where more than one issue is present.
Non-Invasive Technologies
Each treatment is designed to correct different issues and locations. These non-invasive options are typically effective in cases where skin laxity is not extensive.
Depending on the objective, the following procedures can be effective for melting fat or tightening skin in the neck area:
Fat Melting:
- Mesotherapy
- Kybella
- Coolsculpting
Skin Tightening:
Your plastic surgery professionals can describe how each procedure works and how one may be the most effective option for your circumstances.
Surgical Solutions: Liposuction
Moderate to severe skin laxity may require a more aggressive approach, including surgery and neck liposuction procedures for a lasting and effective neck lift.
Fat can be effectively removed by liposuction or direct excision with a surgical neck lift.
Less severe Platysmal or neck band problems may be “softened” with Botox injections, while severe banding must be corrected with surgery. The surgery may require a small incision beneath the chin or an additional incision around the ear and hairline if the laxity is considered more severe.
Consult with Napa Solano Plastic Surgery
An in-person evaluation by a respected plastic surgeon is essential to establishing a perfectly tailored treatment for each patient.
The essential first step to addressing a sagging neck or any other cosmetic issue
is to arrange a confidential consultation with the professionals at Napa
Solano Plastic Surgery. While there, one of their expert physicians will tailor a program that best meets your needs.
The Napa Solano Plastic Surgery professionals are committed to three basic principles:
- Operations are absolutely safe.
- Selected Operations have low complication rates.
- Patients will look Natural after any procedure.
You can schedule your consultation by visiting the Napa Solano Plastic Surgery website. While viewing their site, learn about this award-winning clinic, the professional staff of doctors and aestheticians, and the full range of procedures available.
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Napa Solano Plastic Surgery offers some essential suggestions for taking the best care and protecting your skin to preserve a healthful, youthful look. These hints address application procedures and are divided into ones that you should do and others that you shouldn’t.
DO:
- Apply facial products by density from thinnest to thickest. For example, if you use a light, easily absorbed water or oil-based serum, it should be applied first. Next might be a tretinoin to clarify skin pores, and finally, apply your moisturizer.
- When applying more than one product, allow one to two minutes for the prior product to dry before adding the next.
- While applying your products to your facial area, make sure you extend the applications down to your neck and décolletage.
- Develop both morning and evening application routines. For example, you’re A.M. application might consist of a cleanser, toner, Vitamin C, hydroquinone, moisturizer, and an SPF protection product.
Your P.M. routine may involve a cleanser, toner, serum ((hyaluronic acid, growth factors, niacinamide, etc.), tretinoin, and moisturizer.
- Make sure you always read the ingredients in the products you use to verify the concentration and instructions for applying.
- Too much exposure to direct sunlight is your skin’s worst nightmare. Always reapply sunscreen every two hours.
DON’T
- Don’t neglect the area under your eyes. A quality eye serum offers the best results.
- Don’t over-exfoliate or pull on your skin excessively while applying your products. Be gentle to your skin, especially around the eyes.
- Don’t forget to pay close attention to any product’s storage instructions and shelf-life.
- Don’t forget to apply sunscreen to your ears and other areas that may be exposed.
Protecting your skin from the hazards of too much sunlight is your most important strategy. Let your SPF products always be part of your skincare regimen.
Napa Solano Plastic Surgery
Aging is inevitable, and we all wish to live long, happy lives and look healthy. A methodical skincare routine effectively maintains that healthy, youthful glow well into your latter decades.
The highly regarded physicians and technicians at Napa Solano Plastic Surgery recognize additional ways to keep your skin looking and feeling its best as time passes.
Skin resurfacing or chemical peel is Napa Solano’s less invasive option designed to counter the effects of sun exposure and damage, causing it to wrinkle, develop “age” spots and even cause the individual to appear fatigued.
TCA Chemical Peel
Napa Solano’s TCA (trichloroacetic acid) chemical peel is a physician-administered deep resurfacing facial procedure that is effective for removing wrinkles, uneven pigmentation, sun damage spots, blemishes, and superficial acne scars.
This procedure is more aggressive and successful than the exfoliative peels offered by many non-physicians everywhere. While not as aggressive as a laser resurfacing process, the procedure demands a shorter recovery time and is performed while the patient is under only mild oral sedation.
During the very safe TCA chemical peel procedure, which can be performed in Napa Solano’s Medical Spa setting, the physician applies the TCA chemical, after which the patient returns home for a five-to-seven-day recovery during which the outer layer of skin will peel away gently.
Learn more about Napa Solano Plastic Surgery’s various options for skin enhancement and their professional staff of physicians and technicians by visiting the company’s website. While online, you may request a private consultation with one of the professionals.
Or, you may phone Napa Solano Plastic Surgery to schedule a consultation at (707) 258-6053.
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