Picture perfect

The Liposuction promise: Getting the skinny on fat

Let’s face it, we Americans tend to obsess over our weight and our figure, or to put it bluntly, fat.

Since making its debut in North America 30 years ago, liposuction has promised to permanently remove excess fat from stubborn areas (unless one experienced a major weight gain).

New research reveals liposuction lives up to its promise: According to a recent study published in The Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, fat cells neither return to treated areas nor get redistributed to untreated areas of the body after liposuction.

The new study refutes a report published in 2011 in the journal Obesity, which said that fat often returns to untreated areas of the body, especially the abdomen, shoulders, and arms within one year after liposuction.

In a follow-up article, the New York Times featured a caricature of a distorted woman, looking trim in the lower body but looking like the Incredible Hulk in the upper body. The cartoon was widely publicized on the web, but is an inaccurate rendition of what one may look like after liposuction and subsequent weight gain.

It is important to know that liposuction does not work miracles, does not change your ability to gain or lose weight and that diet and exercise are recommended after the procedure to keep the fat off.

Its value is in permanently reducing the number of fat cells in problem areas for individuals who are at or near their ideal body weight but have trouble getting rid of stubborn isolated pockets of fat despite a thousand crunches. It is nice to know that for any given weight you may be in the future, your proportions will be better after liposuction, barring major fluctuations in weight.

According to statistics provided by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, liposuction has been among the top five most popular cosmetic surgical procedures since 1992; last year, nearly 205,000 liposuction procedures were performed.

What about the relatively new laser liposuction procedures that have gained traction within that past few years? With laser-assisted liposuction, a laser probe is inserted into the target area through a small incision, which the surgeon aims at fatty tissue, rupturing the fat cells. The laser is then directed toward the skin layer to stimulate these cells in order to achieve a purported “tightening” of the skin; fat and disrupted tissue is then liposuctioned out using the traditional technique.

Laser liposuction has received significant media attention as a popular “fat-melting” treatment with a celebrity following. However, initial data shows this procedure is no better than traditional liposuction. So if you are considering a new type of liposuction procedure, be sure and ask about long-term results and possible complications and look at how long that technology or device has been on the market in the United States.

Looking for a quick fix without having to go under the knife? The demand for non-invasive aesthetic treatments has increased dramatically in the past few years. In 2011, over 12 million minimally invasive cosmetic procedures were performed in the USA alone, accounting for the majority of procedures performed.

Let’s take a look at a few non-invasive fat reducing procedures that are making us all consider, ahem, a few more visits to the doctor this year:

Cellulite is mainly caused by genetic factors outside of our own control. Many believe it’s a fat problem, which can be addressed through diet and exercise, but that isn’t necessarily so.

The Venus Freeze® is a patented technology that combines multi-polar radiofrequency (RF) with pulsed magnetic fields. These two types of energy work in synergy to effect skin tightening and moderate fat reduction. The results for this pain-free noninvasive technology are promising and this machine has been used successfully outside the United States for years.

A relatively new fat freezing procedure (otherwise known as cryolipolysis) is called CoolSculpting® by Zeltiq. This technique freezes fat cells by the application of a noninvasive device to your skin. It is known to be a bit painful, so brace yourself, but can also be effective after multiple treatments.

Ultrasound fat reduction techniques such Liposonix® and UltraShape® are both in development and Liposonix® is the only one currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These are ultrasound-based body sculpting devices that may offer some patients a non-surgical alternative to traditional suction-based liposuction. In both techniques, ultrasound is administered via an external device. The excess fat targeted by the ultrasound is destroyed and then naturally absorbed and removed by the body.

Data from studies on these devices has shown that this ultrasonic technology produces measurable reductions in the circumference of treatment areas, no serious adverse events and high patient satisfaction with minimal to no pain or discomfort. This technique is still being refined and improved for more consistent results.

Ultrasound, fat freezing, and radio-frequency devices may provide convenience for patients who don't want surgery or invasive treatment for contouring of the abdomen, flanks and thighs. But these procedures do have limitations in the amount of fat reduction and body contouring that can be achieved; traditional liposuction is still considered the gold standard for a permanent and relatively quick means of fat removal all other things being considered.

In general, the success of any body contouring technique requires selecting the right treatment for the right patient and making sure the patient has realistic expectations.

So what about that pesky problem called cellulite? Cellulite is mainly caused by genetic factors outside of our own control. Many believe it’s a fat problem, which can be addressed through diet and exercise, but that isn’t necessarily so. Cellulite is a structural problem below the skin caused by the way the dermis, or undersurface of the skin, attaches to underlying structures with fat in between the fibers causing dimpling. A popular new treatment Cellulaze® is currently the only treatment that attacks the structural problems beneath the skin that cause cellulite.

A minimally invasive, laser-assisted procedure, Cellulaze® is a new anti-cellulite treatment that aims to increase the skin's natural thickness and disrupt the fibers and fat causing dimples for a smoother look that lasts. Preliminary studies are promising for this new technology; we’ll know more about it’s long term effectiveness as time goes on.
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If you are interesting in a consultation for liposuction or body contouring with Dr. Jennifer Walden, visit her Map Details page here.

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Picture Perfect

Your holiday wish list for the picture perfect new you

Each year, many of us wrap presents for loved ones and put up elaborate decorations in preparation for the Christmas holiday. However, holiday décor isn’t the only important thing we put on display, go ahead and admit it, ourownappearance is undeniably important. For some, the holidays provide that extra incentive to undergo a beauty treatment or procedure that has been considered for awhile.

According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, there has been an increase of more than 155 percent in the total number of cosmetic procedures since 1997; surgical procedures increased by more than 71 percent, and nonsurgical procedures increased by 228 percent. From 2009 to 2010, there was a 9 percent increase in the total number of cosmetic surgical procedures, with more than 1.6 million surgical procedures this year.

Even though the countdown to Christmas has begun, there is still time to give one's natural beauty a boost. Because time can be a somewhat limiting factor, let’s examine the possibilities:

Generally speaking, a facelift can provide “party ready” results in just two to three weeks (although bruising and swelling will vary among patients). Modern facelift techniques can produce dramatic improvements to your face and neck and would allow you to attend a holiday social in 10 days to two weeks. Short-incision facelifts can produce results in just seven to 10 days for many patients.

Brow lift

While makeup can improve the appearance of a woman’s face, eye shadow won’t do much if others can’t see it. Often times, eyelid skin can droop as we age, making eyelids appear hidden. Blepharoplasty, or an “eye lift,” can “open” eyes up in as little as two weeks. Modern brow lift techniques will not leave a long, old-fashioned scar across the hairline, and they can lift the brow into a more youthful position with just a couple of very small incisions that are fully hidden in your hair. As with any surgery, individual healing times vary. In most cases, though, bruising and swelling fade within about 10 days, and most people can wear makeup even sooner.

Fillers

Some people lose facial fat volume as they age, and they may benefit from fat grafts (removing fat from one area of the body and injecting it into the face) or fillers. Injectable filler solutions fall into two main categories:

Man-made substances, such as Restylane, Perlane, Juvederm, Sculptra, or Radiesse
Fat

Recovery from injectable fillers varies greatly and is dependent on the amount of substance injected, as well as individual healing. Limited amounts of injectables can offer significantly shorter recovery times — usually up to one week.

While injectables are the ideal solution for some patients, they are not the best solution for the fine lines around the eyes or upper lip. However, laser technology allows clinicians to target the fine lines on the surface of the skin to reveal refreshed, smoother, younger-looking skin. Resurfacing laser procedures usually cause some redness that will fade over the course of a few weeks, but it can easily be covered with makeup after about seven days.

Botox

If you’re like most people, though, you have only a few days to spare before the holidays, which can still be enough time to enhance appearance significantly. Botox injections, for example, can give a more refreshed look in just a few days. Skillfully placed Botox injections can leave you looking refreshed and rested with no down time — all it takes is 10 minutes with your qualified provider. Botox is one of the least-invasive options, and with skilled delivery, you will not look "overdone."

Botox decreases the contraction of facial muscles, which subsequently decreases the amount of skin wrinkling that occurs in certain regions of the face, such as the forehead and the area between the brows. Botox usually begins to take effect within three to four days. Though Botox is popular and widely available, it is not a permanent solution, and it is not risk-free (and therefore should be performed by a trained medical professional who can skillfully inject the Botox without causing distortions in your facial expression).

Venus Freeze

The Venus Freeze device is the latest in advanced non-invasive fat reduction and skin tightening systems and is now offered at the office of Dr. Jennifer Walden. The Venus Freeze system was developed based on clinically proven medical technology for non-invasive skin tightening and modest fat reduction, it uses pulsed magnetic fields and radio frequency to consistently and uniformly heat the skin from the inside out without the threat of laser burns. The collagen fibers heat up resulting in skin tightening to attain very nice results.

Venus Freeze treatments are non-invasive and painless. The treatment is also quick and effortless — only 15 minutes for the face and 40 minutes for the body.

Other new noninvasive technologies — such as fat reduction by external freezing of cells, or cryolipolysis (CoolSculpting™ by Zeltiq™) and skin tightening of the face and neck using sound waves (Ultherapy™) — offer no downtime and are easy ways to get ready for the holiday season!

If you are interested in targeting troublesome areas of your body (rather than your face), you will have an easier time concealing bruising and swelling under your party clothes. For example, breast augmentation and moderate liposuction procedures only require several days of recovery (allowing you to return to normal, not rigorous, activity). Larger volume liposuction procedures, breast reductions, breast lifts and abdominoplasty procedures (“tummy tucks”) require around two weeks to recover.

So there you have it... the skinny on the treatments and procedures that can be done on the final countdown to 2013. Here's to a "picture perfect" you!

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To learn more about these or any of the other cosmetic procedures Dr. Jennifer Walden offers, please visit her places page or call the Austin plastic surgery office at (512) 328-4100 to schedule your complimentary holiday consultation.

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