A tummy tuck relies on the plastic surgeon and facility you choose. Read the following tummy tuck myths and the real facts to make sure you are prepared for your tummy tuck surgery and recovery. You’ll be glad you did.

Myth #1: Men don’t have tummy tucks.

Fact: Men are having more tummy tucks every year. Men have become more health conscious, are losing weight and working out to look their best. Tummy tucks get rid of men’s middle age expansion. They also have a tummy tuck after a drastic weight loss.

Myth #2: Tummy tuck surgery leaves terrible scars /no scars.

Fact: Plastic surgeons are very adept at hiding scars. Tummy tuck scars are usually hidden just below the bikini line. However, everyone’s scars are a little different. Remember, one of the facets of a tummy tuck is to remove excess skin so some kind of scar will remain.

Myth #3: Tummy tucks are a temporary fix.

Fact: With proper diet and exercise, your tummy will stay slim and tight. If you are prone to overeating or hate exercise, you can still gain weight. As you grow older, especially in women after menopause, excess weight tends to gather around the waistline. Be good to yourself and develop good eating and exercise habits after your tummy tuck surgery.

Myth #4: Liposuction is an alternative to a tummy tuck.

Fact: Liposuction eliminates fatty deposits and is often used in coordination with a tummy tuck. Laser liposuction has some skin tightening properties, but a tummy tuck takes away loose, baggy skin. Some tummy tucks actually tighten the stomach muscles as well.

Myth #5: Tummy tuck is a good weight loss solution.

Fact: Tummy tuck surgery is not for weight loss. The abdomen appears slimmer because of the removal of excess fat and skin. If stomach muscles are tightened, the result is a firmer, toned appearance. So you may look thinner and sleeker, but not from weight loss.

Myth #6: A tummy tuck is just minor surgery.

Fact: Tummy tuck is a not minor by any means. You are given a general anesthetic, which always carries some risk. Your incisions must heal properly and there is always a risk of infection. Scarring may occur, and recovery time should be considered.

Myth #7: I’ll be back at work in a week after a tummy tuck.

Fact: Healing time varies for everyone based on age, health, the nature of the surgery and how you take care of yourself after the surgery. Give yourself time to heal and don’t push too hard to get back to your normal routine. It’s major surgery, and you want your body to heal properly.

Myth # 8: I can get rid of my sagging belly with exercise.

Fact: Sagging skin doesn’t respond to exercise or diet. If pregnancy or weight loss has left you with a saggy belly, your only real choice is a tummy tuck. Unless you can live with your figure the way it is now. Further weight loss will only make the problem worse.

Myth # 9: Tummy tuck surgery costs the same no matter who performs them or where they are performed.

Fact: Tummy tuck surgery costs vary depending on: your location, surgeons fees, complexity of your surgery, anesthesia costs, the facility used (hospital or clinic, and lab costs.

Myth #11: It’s rude to ask to speak to former patients.

Fact: You can read reviews online, but talking to former patients gives you a better idea of the treatment you will receive from your plastic surgeon and his staff. The follow up treatment is very important, especially if there are any problems. Is your doctor going to give you his cell phone number, just in case? Some do.

Myth # 12: All tummy tuck plastic surgeries are performed in accredited clinics or hospitals.

Fact: You don’t know unless you ask. Some surgeons perform surgery in non-accredited facilities. Ask for verification of the locations credentials. Worry about the quality of the doctor if he is using a second rate, unaccredited operating room. Be safe, and check out the location as well as the surgeon.

Myth # 13: All surgeons board certifications mean the same.

Fact: Be sure your surgeon is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery – a group designated by the American Board of Medical Specialties to oversee credentialing in plastic surgery. This will assure you that he/she has the proper training and experience to successfully complete your surgery.

Myth # 14: Tummy tucks are not painful.

Fact: Some patients heal without too much pain, and some experience pain and soreness for up to a year after the procedure.

Myth #15: A tummy tuck cannot be combined with other cosmetic surgery procedures.

Fact: A tummy tuck can be performed alone, but is often combined with other procedures like liposuction. After drastic weight loss, tummy tucks are often combined with thigh lifts, butt lifts and even breast surgery. Combining other procedures probably increases your recovery time, but also decreases risks associated with surgery, like anesthesia risks.

There are many important factors to consider when opting for a tummy tuck, and you should do your research on the right surgeon, facility and anesthesiologist for optimal results.

Research tummy tuck myths and the reality of the surgery before you decide to have a tummy tuck – or to try some alternative procedure. Don’t believe everything you hear.

Blepharoplasty – Eyelid Lift Surgery

Blepharoplasty surgery, or eye lift surgery removes excess skin from either the upper and lower eyelids, or both. The result is a more rested, refreshed, and youthful look.

Reshaping of the eyelid is often requested even by young people. If the outside corner of their eye is lower than the inside corner they sometimes describe this as a “puppy dog look.” They often prefer an almond-shaped eye similar to Tiger Woods or Beyonce. Others patients request a widening of the eye.

Later in life, usually in the mid-thirties, the skin on the eyelids relaxes and becomes thinner. When the cheek and the eyebrow also descend, people feel like the outer corner of the eye is pulled down.

To increase the eye opening, if the lid has drooped down enough to affect vision, the eye fat removal is done through a tiny incision inside the eyelid. This effectively raises the eyelid back to its previous position.

During eyelid lift surgery, a special protective shield is in place over the eyeball, however most of the surgery occurs on the outside of the eye, there is very little risk of damage to the eyeball.

After an eye lid lift, you will have bruising in the area around your eyes for about 10 days. Sometimes the eye remains swollen for longer. Massaging the eye area can help.

A blepharoplasty is either performed under local anesthesia in the office or in the out-patient hospital setting with ‘twilight’ anesthesia. Even with local anesthetic, patients are comfortable and feel no pain.

Reportedly, patients have said that the most painful part is the removal of the stitches. However, in our offices the stitches are placed so that their removal is virtually painless.

Rhinoplasty, nose surgery, is a cosmetic surgery to reshape your nose. People can opt for nose surgery for purely aesthetic reasons, but also for breathing problems or because a broken nose healed poorly.

Rhinoplasty, often referred to as a “nose job,” is a popular procedure that can balance the facial features, and make a difference in a persons opinion of themselves. Plastic surgeons can increase or decrease the size of the nose, alter the tip or bridge of the nose, remove bumps, and even narrow or change the shape of the nostrils.

Nose surgery candidates should be at least 14 to 15 years old if they are girls, and a little older than that for boys. It isn’t until this age that the nasal bone has matured and the shape of the nose is stable.

All rhinoplasty patients should know what they hope to achieve with the surgery and what they want to look like when the surgery is completed. It is important to make sure the surgeon is aware of the patient’s goals.

Rhinoplasty can correct any defects for your nose including it’s size, shape, tip structure or nostril size. You can “try on” different noses with your plastic surgeons 3D Animation program to see how you’ll look after the nose surgery is completed.

If you are thinking about a face lift plastic surgeons recommend endoscopic face lifts which use the latest technology. By making only small incisions (an inch or less in length) to insert the endoscope probe and a small camera for the surgeon to be able to view the procedure on monitors above the operating table, endoscopic face lifts are the least invasive face lifts available.

With a face lift physicians, using endoscopic face lift techniques, usually makes only a couple of short incisions easily concealed in the hairline or behind the ears. The small incisions significantly reduce the risk of sensory loss from nerve damage as well as reducing bleeding, bruising and swelling. Patients tend to recover more quickly and return to normal activities within a week of the surgery.

Another advantage is that the procedure is usually performed on an outpatient basis, under local anesthesia reducing risk and costs even more.

We find that patients opting for endoscopic facial surgery have less risk, less bruising, and recover much more quickly plus they are very satisfied with the results of the surgery.

With endoscopic surgery, the cosmetic surgeon can tighten loose muscles of the neck, smooth and tighten the tissues of the mid-face including repositioning the cheeks.

Male Liposuction

Men who are experiencing an expanding waistline (among other body parts) have taken advantage of male liposuction offers to have better body contour. The liposuction men choose is usually done on the abdominal, flank, and chest area. One procedure that has been especially helpful for men solves a problem called gynecomastia, or male breast enlargement. Liposuction can be performed on the neck and chin area as well to tighten up areas that are not helped by exercise alone.

Liposuction is becoming a common plastic surgery procedure for men. One of the most helpful prerequisites for liposuction is to quit smoking before the procedure. You should also report all current medications to your plastic surgeon prior to the procedure.

Always check whether your doctor is board certified and whether the facilities that are used are state of the art. Power Assisted Liposuction, Ultrasonic Assisted Lipectomy (UAL), Smartlipo, Slimlipo, Ulthera, and Laser are among the techniques available for liposuction procedures.

During some types of lipo procedures, you will be under general anesthesia, but now Twilight and even local anesthesia can be used in some cases. A “cannula” or small suction tube will be used to suction off fat between the muscle and the skin. Due to the size of the instruments used, scarring is only minimal – usually only 1/4″ or so. However, the patient will experience some soreness after the procedure and are advised to take it easy during the first week after the procedure. Some bruising and swelling may occur.

Some male liposuction procedures do not require general anesthesia, which reduces risk, and as a result, the recovery period is much faster. Slim Lipo is one type of liposuction that uses lasers to essentially melt the fat to aid in the removal of the unwanted fatty deposits. Check with your plastic surgeon to see if this kind of liposuction is appropriate for you and the goals you hope to achieve.

Diet and exercise do help to reduce fat, but some areas just don’t seem to reduce no matter how much effort is expended. Although liposuction shouldn’t be considered a weight loss solution, it can remove some of these recalcitrant pockets of fat. Liposuction not only improves a man’s physical appearance by taking out unwanted body fat, it can also help improve self-esteem, and act as a self-motivator to maintain normal weight. A lean body, six-pack pecs, or a younger-looking face may be worth any pain from a liposuction procedure.

Liposuction should be considered when you exercise, eat right, and have a healthy lifestyle, but find that there are still stubborn fatty deposits that stay firmly in place.

Although liposuction shouldn’t be considered a weight loss alternative, some fat is just not in places that are affected by your daily exercise routine. Now with the new techniques that are available, you can have that fat melted and suctioned off during lunchtime and still make it back to the office for the rest of the afternoon. Incredible, right? With laser liposuction procedures like SlimLipo and SmartLipo, the recovery times and risks are reduced remarkably.

Laser liposuction relies on actually melting the fat and then suctioning it out of the area, rather than trying to suction solid fat particles out. As you can imagine, this reduces the possibility of lumpiness that used to threaten traditional liposuction patients.

In addition, the laser reaches down to the bodies collagen and encourages it to regenerate, producing a secondary result of firmer and tighter skin in the immediate area. You can see why this is an integral part of any Mommy makeover. But even if you aren’t seeking relief from pregnancy body issues, imagine having those little poochy areas on your stomach or thighs disappear in an afternoon!

Liposuction actually removes the fat from the body, so the areas that have been the hardest to firm up can be helped along with a laser liposuction procedure like SmartLipo or SlimLipo. Laser liposuction is also a viable alternative for under the chin, neck and arms, or anywhere that small resistant pockets of fat reside.

When deciding on breast implants, every potential patient should consider the newest kind of silicone breast implant – the Gummy Bear Breast Implant.

The gummy bear breast implant is comprised of a covering of solid silicone polymer, which is filled with a gel-like substance instead of a liquid. Rather than using a liquid, such as saline, inside as the filling, the cohesive silicone gel in the gummy bear implant is thought to be a more natural feeling and looking breast.

These gel-filled shells are less prone to be deformed with dimples or wrinkles once they are inserted. This means, that the gummy bear breast implant is more of a solid compared to other breast implants and even in the case of a rupture, the gel material will adhere to itself rather than leaking out into the surrounding tissue. This “cohesiveness” means that the silicone gel, while maintaining a degree of softness, will tend to stay together in one place much like a gummy bear candy. This characteristic of the newer silicone Gummy Bear type implants decreases the risks of rupture related complications.

More and more of the gummy bear breast implants are being used because of both their consistency and reduced long-term risk. Although they are still considered part of the silicone implant family, they have faced and vanquished many of the worries of older style traditional breast implants.

Plastic Surgeons will tell you, “If you are over 40-years-old, male, Caucasian, and an outdoor sportsman, you are in the highest risk group for skin cancer.”

Skin cancer is more than a mild risk, with an average of 320 days of sunshine each year. Knowing the symptoms of skin cancer could literally save your life.

First, the risk is higher for people with lighter skin color, and for people who have already been treated for it your risk is almost doubled. Be aware that fair-skinned men and women aged 65 and older, and people with atypical moles or more than 50 moles, are at greater risk for developing melanoma.

Symptoms of skin cancer include: sores which take too long to heal or as moles that have changed form or multiplied rapidly. Most signs can be seen by the naked eye so self-examination is critical.

According to the Cancer Treatment Centers of America, surgical removal is only one of the treatments available for skin cancer. Others include: Radiation therapy, Photodynamic therapy, and chemotherapy. Nonetheless, almost ALL skin cancers are best treated with surgery as the first option.

Find a plastic surgeon who deals regularly with skin cancer. Your physician can not only remove the cancer as soon as it is discovered but can also reconstruct the cancer site defect and revise any resulting scars.

Malignancies of the skin are clearly the most common form of cancer, so it is important to identify these lesions and perform the skin cancer surgery as soon as possible.

Take these precautions to protect yourself from skin care

For any outdoor enthusiast, to follow these simple rules will reduce your risk of skin cancer:

• Use sunscreen with SPF (sun protective factor) of at least 15, and both UVA and UVB protection.
• Wear a hat to protect and shade the face, head, ears, and neck.
• Wear wrap around sunglasses to block as close to 100% of both UVA and UVB rays as possible.
• Find a shaded area especially during midday.
• Protect exposed skin with clothing.
• Remember hazy and cloudy days are just as dangerous as sunny ones.

Fight Skin Cancer the only way you can – protect yourself!

After choosing either silicone or saline breast implants for your breast enlargement , your next decision is to choose the kind of placement you want for the implant.

There are three types of placements: subglandular, subfascial and submuscular. Most Plastic Surgeons offer to provide any of the three methods of breast implant placement depending on your requirements and other factors. What are the three types of placement? What criteria is used to decide the best placement for you?

Subglandular Placement

Subglandular positioning is when the implant is situated beneath the tissue of the breast but above pectoral muscles. In this case, only the skin and fat are disrupted as opposed to muscle tissues. With a subglandular placement the surgery is less complex and recovery times are minimal.

Submuscular Placement

The recovery periods for submuscular positioning are slightly longer when compared to the subglandular type of placement, because the breast implant is placed underneath the muscle tissue. This placement results in the implants being more undetectable by touch and hence is more preferable for many women because it produces more natural looking breasts.

Subfascial Positioning

In subfascial placement, the breast implants are placed beneath the fascia, which is the connecting tissue that covers muscle but lies above the pectoralis muscle. Since the implants are placed under a firm but thin connective tissue, it provides the most natural looking breasts and also reduces recovery times. The main advantage of the subfascial type of positioning is that even with strenuous physical activity, the implants are less likely to shift, making it a good choice for active women.

The Mommy Makeover has been developed for women who want to regain the body they have misplaced after multiple pregnancies. They target areas of the body that have been badly affected in the process of having children.

Unfortunately, this usually requires a combination of breast, body and vaginal rejuvenation procedures, which can include some combination of the following options: breast augmentation, tummy tuck, breast lift, breast reduction, mini tummy tuck, Brazilian Butt Augmentation or liposuction.

Even with diet and exercise, many women find that they cannot accomplish their goals for their body. Fortunately, plastic surgery offers a woman the opportunity to regain a pre-pregnancy figure to feel confident about her body again. Other more private areas may be affecting her after pregnancy relationship with her mate. These areas too can be surgically re-vitalized.

A Mommy Makeover requires that you must be at least 3 to 6 months post-childbirth and have lost as much pre-pregnancy weight as possible before undergoing surgery. Patients who are close to their ideal body weight tend to be more satisfied with the results of the procedures.

Candidates for abdominal surgery (tummy tucks) must not be breast feeding and patients who desire breast augmentation/lift or reduction surgery must have finished breast feeding six months before surgery. For lasting results, tummy tucks should only be undertaken after you have finished with childbearing, as another pregnancy can undo prior results.

During your initial consultation with your plastic surgeon, you should discuss a prioritized list of your goals, so that you can decide on the combination of procedures that is both possible and will bring you the results you want.

A Mommy Makeover usually refers to opting for multiple procedures at a time or a series of procedures over time. The choice is difficult, but if you choose to undergo multiple procedures in a single surgery session the financial requirements are also greater up front.

Recovery costs are also probably higher, when you consider the amount of time it will take to be back to normal activities. However over the long run, overall cost is less as you have bundled the facility costs as well as the auxiliary costs of anesthesia, labs and staffing costs. Risks may be diminished as well, since you will be going under anesthesia once rather than multiple times. After taking all the factors under consideration and discussing them with your doctor, we make ever effort to make your dreams of a svelte body come true.

Mommy Makeover gives mothers a chance to revitalize their body which often revitalizes their spirit as well. As we know, small children take priority when you are a mother. A Mommy Makeover is an opportunity to take just a little time for yourself, in a way that makes life better for the whole family.