Historically, anytime there was excess fat that a person wanted to have removed from the body, plastic surgeons would turn to liposuction. Over the years, the liposuction procedure has evolved in significant ways. Innovative uses of energy such as ultrasound and lasers have improved patient outcomes and expanded the reach of the liposuction procedure (not to mention the safety).
As streamlined as liposuction has become, there has continued to be a keen interest in non-surgical treatment options. Botox has made it possible for some people to put off that brow lift, for example. Injectables have also made it appear as though the need for liposuction may go away, at least in some cases. In our Bryn Mawr office, we routinely use Kybella to reduce double chin fat. However, liposuction is still an option. To choose the best approach for your desired outcome, it helps to know how your two options stack up against one another.
Liposuction for a More Contoured Neck and Jawline
Neck and chin liposuction has been performed using the SmartLipo technique for many years. This procedure has a proven track record of reliable outcomes. Because the laser portion of the procedure melts fat cells before they are removed with a cannula, the overall process usually takes less than an hour. Because heat is involved in dissolving fat cells, there is also the pleasant side effect of skin tightening. SmartLipo of the chin and neck is minimally invasive and requires little downtime. Some patients are advised to wear a compression garment for a few weeks to support healing tissue. The initial improvement in the chin area can usually be seen within a week or so, but swelling continues to dissipate over several weeks, so patience is necessary as recovery progresses.
Kybella for Double Chin Removal
Kybella treatment takes place in the office using local anesthetic such as numbing cream, if necessary. The process includes mapping the treatment area with a grid and marking the numerous injection sites. A few dozen injections may be required depending on the degree of fat removal desired and size of the neck and chin areas. The region that can be treated with this injectable solution lies between the crease of the chin and the “Adam’s Apple” on the neck. The area below the jowls can also be treated, but not the jowls themselves. The reason for these boundaries is that it is vital to keep Kybella away from structures such as blood vessels and nerves, which may be affected by the deoxycholic acid in the injectable.
Kybella or Liposuction: Which Do You Choose?
During your consultation in our Bryn Mawr office, we will observe your skin and listen to your concerns before recommending treatment. We will explain what can be achieved surgically as well as non-surgically, so your choice is made easier.
Learn more about the assistance available for reducing double chin fat: Contact us by calling 610-527-4833.
Over the past two decades, we have witnessed the development of multiple non-surgical treatments to fight the signs of aging. Because we have Botox and dermal fillers and lasers and light therapies and more, the idea of a facelift may seem outlandish. Not so. As many adults learn, facelift surgery is still the best way to achieve the long-term results that are desired. A Philadelphia facelift can restore a youthful appearance without disrupting natural features. To know if a facelift is right for you, it is important to become familiar with the finite details of this procedure.
What You Should Know About Facelifts
- Facelift surgery doesn’t eliminate all wrinkles. A facelift focuses on the lower face and neck. It does not address the lines and creases that may develop around the eyes. A facelift also will not lift the brow. What patients do notice after this procedure is that the lines and creases around their nose and mouth are gone, and so are their jowls.
- A facelift doesn’t restore volume. Recent research has taught plastic surgeons that tightening the skin is only one of the valuable aspects of a facelift. While we reposition tissue that has drooped over bony structure during facelift surgery, this does not bring back the full extent of volume. To achieve optimal results, we often complement the facelift technique with volume replacement using fat or fillers.
- Effects last for years. A facelift is an investment that offers lasting rewards. The only caveat is that you need to take good care of your body and skin. Sun exposure without the protection of sunscreen will cause your face to age more quickly even after a facelift. So will smoking. It is possible for a facelift to take ten or more years off the face and for those results to last ten years or more. Maximize the return on your investment with quality skin care and healthy lifestyle habits.
Schedule a Consultation
The techniques involved in Philadelphia facelift surgery focus on restoring the proper position of tissue to reduce the signs of aging. The results of our efforts look like you, only younger. We offer facelifts for women and facelifts for men. To learn more about how a facelift can help you feel better in your skin, contact our Bryn Mawr office at (610) 527-4833.
Whether it is for the first time or the fifth, becoming a mother is a powerfully meaningful experience. Anytime a child is birthed into a family; there are bound to be some big changes ahead. Interestingly, the small and subtle changes to a woman’s body may become even more glaringly obvious to her than the significant ways in which life has been transformed. There is no ignoring the fact that pregnancy and childbirth affect the body.
There is also no reason to overlook the frustration a woman may feel about her appearance. It is possible – and entirely reasonable – to feel both grateful about being a mother and disappointed in the way the body looks.
If you are in this boat, it’s time to sail on over to our Philadelphia area office to discuss what a mommy makeover can do for you. But first, let’s talk about a few particular items of interest.
- A mommy makeover is a fraction of a whole. The procedures involved in a mommy makeover are intended to achieve specific goals. One may lift and shape the breasts; another may remove stubborn fat from a stomach pooch, the buttocks, or the thighs. As beneficial as each technique is, the makeover process is only a complement to healthy living. For a woman to optimize her mommy makeover, we suggest that a diet and exercise routine be well-established before surgery. This way, the body is faster to recover and easier to maintain for many years.
- Beauty sleep is crucial. Mommy makeovers are no joke. The series of surgical techniques involved in this process creates an intense need for rest. Moms should prepare for at least one week of feeling pretty depleted. Like bedrest depleted. After the first week, physical movement will gradually become more comfortable. This can feel like a slow process. Emotional preparation is as necessary as the physical preparation for surgery. Even the best-prepared patients can experience mood swings. Make sure to get plenty of help at home so your primary focus can be where it belongs: on your recovery.
- Future pregnancies are not forbidden. Because doctors recommend that patients wait until they are finished having children to undergo their mommy makeover, there is a misconception that pregnancy after a collection of surgeries may be unhealthy or unsafe. The treatments involved in a mommy makeover do not inhibit a woman from carrying a child. Future pregnancies may, however, degrade the results of a mommy makeover.
Discover what a mommy makeover can do for you. Call 610-527-4833.
Body contouring and facial rejuvenation procedures have become popular across all age groups. However, the cosmetic concerns that a person faces do change with age. Whatever those concerns are and whatever age you happen to be, we realize that a desire to improve something about appearance can create a chronic sensation of self-consciousness. We prioritize hearing each of our patients and developing a customized approach to help them resolve what is troubling them about their aesthetic. Here, we discuss some of the common complaints of varying age groups.
Children and Teens
Ear pinning is the only cosmetic plastic surgery procedure that is commonly performed before adulthood. One reason that doctors encourage early treatment for ear protrusion is that surgery is easier to conduct when cartilage is softer. The ears are one of the only physical aspects of the body that reaches maturation in childhood. Otoplasty during childhood is also beneficial for the patient’s emotional well-being. In some instances, such as deformity or breathing problems, rhinoplasty may be performed during childhood.
Twenty-Somethings
The twenties may just be the decade of life during which appearance is relatively stable. No apparent signs of aging have developed at this point (all degradation is happening below the surface). The common complaints expressed by patients in their twenties typically revolve around breast size and shape, nose size and shape, and sometimes excess body fat. Many twenty-somethings are now seeking preventive treatment with Botox to postpone the onset of lines and wrinkles.
Thirty-Somethings
By the time adults reach their thirties, the face and body may have begun to change to the point of concern. Weight fluctuations and the effects of pregnancy and breastfeeding lead many women to seek some type of body contouring, such as abdominoplasty or breast augmentation. During this decade, the early signs of facial aging are also commonly treated with injectables like Botox and dermal fillers.
Forty-,Fifty-, and Sixty-Somethings
It is during our forties and fifties when we see the most dramatic changes in the face and other areas of the body. By age 60, the problems that developed years prior intensify. This is because collagen and elastin have depleted enough for visible manifestation to occur. Physical changes include fat displacement from the cheeks to the lower face, loss of muscle tone (including the vagina), facial hollowness, skin and tissue sagging, and more. Facelift surgery is commonly sought by men and women in their forties and fifties, as are injectables to reduce double-chin fat and sagging brows.
Claytor Noone Plastic Surgery offers an array of services to meet cosmetic concerns for patients of all ages. Contact us online or call our Bryn Mawr office at 610-527-4833.
The eyes are one of the primary facial features that get noticed. We may wear dark sunglasses at times, but we cannot hide cosmetic eye concerns from everyone, least of all ourselves. Often, we discuss the frustration of age-related eyelid changes. There’s just something about undereye puffiness and upper eyelid sagging that makes a face appear older and less friendly. These are widespread concerns that may worsen as we age. But there’s something else, something that can affect younger adults as much as older adults: dark circles.
Why do some people get dark circles?
Dark circles under the eyes are not related to age. In fact, statistics indicate that many younger adults are seeking treatment for this frustrating problem. When darkness exists during early adulthood, there is a chance that it may worsen as collagen-depletion progresses. This isn’t because more pigment accumulates in the delicate skin around the eyes; it is because more shadowing occurs.
The undereye area is a particularly interesting part of the face. The skin is thinner and more fragile here than on other facial structures, which makes it susceptible to damage. For instance, rubbing the eyes can lead to lines, wrinkles, and sagging. Younger adults may notice dark circles because their natural facial structure exhibits slight hollowness beneath the eyes. The degradation of delicate skin can exacerbate this. In combination, these two very small factors can lead to the very big problem of shadowing beneath the eyes.
What can be done about dark circles?
Products exist to lighten the skin. However, if dark undereye circles is a shadow problem created by hollowness and loss of volume in the mid-face, no amount of topical lightening cream will achieve the desired result. In our Bryn Mawr office, we can administer dermal fillers into the cheeks and tear troughs (the curved boundary between the lower eyelid and the cheek) to plump superficial tissue. When tissue is raised to a consistent level, shadows disappear and, along with them, dark circles.
Not all dermal fillers are appropriate for use around the eyes. It is important to obtain treatment for dark circles, undereye puffiness, and other concerns from an experienced clinical injector. We would love to help you feel your best. To learn more about dermal filler treatment or to schedule your visit, contact us online or call 610-527-4833.
Millions of people around the world have undergone liposuction to spot-reduce fat. They’ve done this because they have come to realize that there is no other way to accomplish spot-reduction. We here this from fitness trainers all the time, and yet the accumulation of stubborn fat in specific areas continues to be something we try to manage with diet and exercise. If you’re like the millions who have grown tired of this rut, you may have thought about liposuction for your hips, thighs, or love handles. If you’ve thought about liposuction, you may also be questioning the validity of this procedure for long-term results.
It is valuable to question how liposuction can work for you. The more you know about what this procedure can and cannot do, the more realistic you can be about the potential for your situation. We appreciate questions like this because it indicates a sense of seriousness about expectations. The fact is that liposuction has been performed millions of times because it works. Now we just need to discuss how to take what has worked and make those results last.
Fat Cells: One of These Things is Not Like the Others
The body has hundreds of thousands of cells. Many of them go through the cycle of life, death, and life. For instance, the skin cells that make up your epidermis today won’t be there a year from now; they will have died and fallen off so healthy new cells can take their place. Fat cells aren’t like this. The fat cells that you have today are pretty much all you’re going to get.
The way that fat cells work is that they expand and shrink. This is why we can gain weight and lose it without changing the number of fat cells we have. This is something to celebrate because if you’re considering liposuction to remove a certain amount of fat from a trouble spot, you can know that no new cells will grow in that area. You can also feel confident knowing that the body will not compensate for those missing cells by holding on to fat or shifting fat from one area to another.
So What About Post-Lipo Weight Gain?
We have seen evidence that liposuction “doesn’t work.” That’s not the full truth, though. Liposuction works. It provides a clean slate for body contouring. It removes unwanted fat and refines the shape of the body. What happens from there is up to the individual patient.
Remembering that existing fat cells can grow and shrink, your liposuction results can be easily maintained. Choosing to exercise at least several days a week and to feed your body well, you have the ability to keep looking and feeling your best years after your liposuction spot-reduction treatment.
Contact us to learn more about liposuction and our non-surgical body contouring treatments at 610-527-4833. We would love to see you in our Bryn Mawr office.
Anti-aging is a booming business. What can we say; we like looking young! The idea of graceful aging originated centuries ago. We hear about this concept a lot these days not because it has become more important but because we have numerous strategies that can help us achieve our goals. Some people who visit our cosmetic surgery practice do so to get a head start on graceful aging with injectables and high-tech treatments. Others question if they are the right age for more; and by more, we mean facelift surgery.
The Progression of Aging Through the Ages
We begin to age as early as our twenties. The thing is, we don’t see the effects of biological aging right away. Collagen degradation resulting from UV exposure compounds the collagen decline that begins during this decade of life, but we don’t see how this affects the skin until sometime during our thirties. During this decade, we may start to see a few sunspots on the cheeks or nose. Subtle laugh lines or frown lines may also take up residence. By the mid-forties, most people start to become somewhat preoccupied with the way their face has changed. Perhaps this is why the average facelift patient is about 50 years old. Dr. Claytor offers facelift for men too.
Your Time is the Right Time
To think that facelift surgery is something you do later in life, or at a certain age, can keep you from feeling your best at the earliest opportunity to do so. Only you can determine the perfect time for facelift surgery. Because so many options exist, from injectables to eyelid rejuvenation and more, you may find that you continue to postpone that facelift because you love the way your face is aging. On the other hand, if you grow tired of seeing jowls and sagging facial tissue or sunken cheeks, a facelift may be ideal.
However you decide you want to age, we can help you do so gracefully. To schedule a consultation in our Philadelphia area office, call 610-527-4833. In-depth discussion of your concerns and goals and a brief evaluation of your skin is all that is needed to begin your exploration of suitable treatment options.
Every year for the past several years running, millions of people have been getting Botox injections. This product, the original injectable anti-ager, has been well-studied and widely used in its decades-long life. Within that time, we have seen good Botox – a lot of it. We have also seen effects that can only be described as going too far. The sensational nature of modern-day media makes these situations available for all to see. If there is even one high-profile celebrity you can point to and say “too far,” there is a chance that you may be avoiding Botox treatment due to a false perception of what it might do to your face. We’d like to discuss this.
Let’s see Botox for What It Really Is
Botox is one of the most popular non-surgical treatments for a reason; for several reasons, actually. Botox is commonly used to reduce the appearance of frown lines and crow’s feet. Botox can correct a downturned mouth and eliminate mild to moderate neck bands. This injectable is also one of the best ways to raise eyebrows that have started to droop. In lifting the brow line subtly, Botox is an excellent treatment for men and women interested eyelid rejuvenation related to the sagging brow. More recently, we have seen younger patients seek Botox. Their reason? They want to get ahead of the aging process by gently softening muscular tension on the upper face.
When referring to Botox, it is important to realize that some stories are nothing more than sensationalism. Yes, some individuals have gone too far with their treatments. This happens with dermal fillers and cosmetic surgery, too. Many of the mishaps that happened with Botox occurred during early use when injectors were learning the nuances of treatment and how each patient may respond differently. Today, we’ve got a much deeper understanding of Botox and what it can do.
Natural is the Norm
Millions of people are still getting Botox on a regular basis because it works. It’s an incredibly effective alternative to surgical facial rejuvenation procedures. In our office near Philadelphia, Botox treatments are performed only after thoughtful discussion about the desired result. Our conservative approach to treatment achieves natural results – that’s just the norm. For more information on Botox, call 610-527-4833.
One of the biggest complaints that we hear has nothing to do with lines and wrinkles; it has to do with the falling of the lower face. The loss of volume in the cheeks and the loss of collagen to support dermal thickness and firmness eventually leads to a collection of tissue at the jawline. This decrease in firmness may be one of the most obvious signs of aging to occur on the face. Historically, surgical facelifts has been the go-to method of raising tissue. Not anymore.
In our Philadelphia office, we frequently consult with patients who want to restore a more youthful appearance without a surgical lift. The widespread assumption is that the alternative to a non-surgical facelift is to reduce signs of aging with injectables. There is an in-between, and it may be exactly what you’re looking for. We are proud to offer lower facelifts using the PrecisionTxTM method.
PrecisionTx for Precision Results
The turkey neck, double-chin, and jowls that may develop with age can present an enormous challenge regarding self-confidence. To correct them with surgery typically means a few weeks of downtime. The PrecisionTx method of lower face lifting utilizes safe and effective laser energy. The Nd:YAG 1440-nm wavelength laser used during the single, hour-long procedure targets the fat and connective tissue that sits superficially beneath the surface of the skin.
To target these two aspects of the dermis requires only a few tiny incisions that, when healed, are not noticeable. No general anesthesia is necessary due to the small size of incisions and also due to the gentleness of the procedure overall. Through each incision, a tiny probe is inserted across the jawline. This probe emits powerful laser energy inward, toward fat cells that have accumulated beneath the chin and at the jowls. The liquefied fat is then removed through the small cannula. Dr. Claytor will then rotate the probe to target connective tissue, where fibroblasts live. These cells produce collagen. When stimulated by laser energy, their activity increases so, over time, collagen strands beneath the skin become tighter and stronger.
Schedule a Consultation
If you want longer-lasting results than what is possible with injectables, but you’re not ready for a surgical facelift, come by our office to explore the in-between. Call 610-527-4833 for your appointment to learn more about the PrecisionTx laser facelift in Philadelphia.
Facial aging isn’t characterized only by the appearance of lines and creases on the forehead or around the nose and mouth. Over time, what begins to plague many of the men and women we meet is expressed more like this: “my face is falling.” You may know what we’re talking about and, if you do, you know the frustration well.
Many of our patients say they don’t mind a few wrinkles here and there. They realize that subtle laugh lines and crow’s feet actually give the face character. What concerns them is the way tissue drapes facial skeletal structure in a droopier fashion than it had in the past. Patients can accomplish this extent of change in the appearance of the face in one of two ways: with facial surgery, or without. The question is, which approach is right for you?
A Look at the “Liquid Facelift”
Since the development of injectables like Botox and Juvederm, there has been no looking back at the way things used to be. Facial aging is not something we take anymore. We act early, and we act consistently to diminish problems like volume loss and sagging jowls. Why wouldn’t we when treatments are so easy?
The term “liquid facelift” describes a process that rejuvenates the face using injectable solutions. Botox or other neuromodulators relax muscles around the eyes and across the forehead, giving a lifted appearance to the eyes. This same mechanism of muscle-relaxation can turn the corners of the mouth upward, as well. Finally, the vial holds solutions to cheek flattening, undereye bags and dark circles, and a softening jawline. What stands out most to patients is that treatment immediately refreshes their appearance. Additionally, there is no downtime, bruising, swelling, or scarring to contend with.
But is that enough?
We are happy to accommodate patients’ wishes for non-surgical treatments, and we are familiar with the numerous benefits of injectable facial rejuvenation. At the same time, we recognize certain situations for which a liquid facelift may not be appropriate. A primary factor in the success of treatment is the condition of the skin. Injectable cannot improve the appearance of skin that has become moderately lax and loose. For this concern, a surgical facelift may be the most appropriate treatment. In addition to lifting skin and superficial tissue, a facelift also secures longer-lasting results.
Schedule a Consultation
Explore the many options for facial rejuvenation available in our Philadelphia area office. Call 610-527-4833.