We’ve all done it: spent too much time in the sun, not always with the proper amount of sunscreen. We all have them: imperfections that make us feel everything from bugged and distracted to frustrated and self-conscious. And we’re all doing it: getting older every day! What do all these activities and emotions have in common? They all affect the appearance of our skin in ways that can make us unhappy.
If only there was a treatment that could improve our skin both quickly and effectively. If only there was one way to take care of the top 10 skin complaints; a treatment that didn’t require surgery or anesthesia… there is.
Do you suffer from any of these skin problems?
- Sun damage spots
- Freckles
- Rosacea
- Hyperpigmentation
- Large pores
- Wrinkles
- Birth mark
- Sagging
- Broken capillaries
- Scars
Get happier about your skin with an IPL photofacial
IPL is a nonabrasive, noninvasive treatment that uses high-energy pulses of light to improve your skin’s appearance, and can remove red and brown pigment spots and splotches from your face, neck and hands. The intense pulses of light penetrate deep into the skin, causing collagen and blood vessels below the epidermis to constrict, reducing redness and age lines. It’s a gentle skin rejuvenation procedure that can allow you to transform damaged, blotchy skin into a smoother, more uniform complexion.
- The procedure
It involves relatively little discomfort and no downtime. Unlike other laser techniques, the treatment doesn’t remove any skin, so recovery is relatively quick and easy. You can plan to return to your daily routine fairly soon after the procedure because any redness or swelling disappears shortly.
- The benefits
They occur gradually, in the weeks following your treatment. You should see improved skin texture, less discoloration, reduced pore size and minimized wrinkles and fine lines.
The place to go
IPL is a popular procedure for patients at Noone Plastic Surgery. And it could be the one that makes multiple improvements to your skin. Call for an appointment today: 610.527.4833
We don’t like using unflattering, slang terms when we discuss cosmetic and plastic surgery procedures. But we’ve heard them all, and understand where some of those descriptive terms come from. We also know that appearance problems are serious to our patients, and often the procedures to correct them are serious as well. But you can call your “problem areas” whatever you want, and we can help you get rid of them.
Crow’s feet, marionette lines, saddlebags, turkey neck, muffin top?
We’ve all heard these imaginative words for body and facial issues that can negatively affect our appearance and our self-esteem. And we’ve all got one or more of our personal imperfections that bothers us the most. Luckily, today’s modern aesthetic procedures, surgical and non-surgical, can do a lot to improve just about any of our imperfections, no matter what we choose to call them.
Are you unhappy with your “bat wings?”
Many of our patients come to us unhappy about the loose skin that can hang down on the underside of the arm, usually due to weight loss or gain or aging – and the resulting loss of skin elasticity. You may have heard that saggy skin condition referred to as bat wings. And you might think it’s easier to hide your arms rather than trying to change them!
When your arms don’t respond to diet or exercise
You may have tried just about everything you can to tighten that saggy arm skin, with little or no results. That’s why a surgical solution may be right for you. Brachioplasty, also called arm lift surgery, is used to tighten the skin and give your arms an attractive contour that no amount of weight lifting or healthy eating can accomplish.
Wave, raise, shake, flex?
Raise your hand if you want more attractive arms! We can help you achieve your goal of shedding your bat wings and revealing shapely, tighter, attractive arms. And that can mean more showing them off every chance you get. So say yes to going sleeveless by scheduling a consultation appointment for your arm lift today. Call 610.527.4833
Scars on the abdominal wall may cause contour deformities and adhesions. These may result in undesirable aesthetic appearance. Treatment for scar adherence and cicatricial tethering may also indicate reduced tissue mobility which may also be undesirable.
Scars have altered blood flow and thus consideration to changes in vascular supply are part of the consideration while surgery for abdominal rejuvenation is being contemplated. The altered blood supply may lead to innovative approach to abdominal rejuvenation.
This may mean a combination of liposuction and minimal lower abdominal skin excision such as a mini abdominoplasty is a possibility.
Check with a board certified plastic surgeon who is a member of ASAPS as you make you evaluation.
Before & After Gallery
Dr. Brannon Claytor uses advanced techniques to provide natural-looking outcomes. See the results for yourself in our patient gallery.
The female body has significant hormone and physiologic changes following delivery of an infant. The surgery of a Cesarian section involves cutting through tissue adjacent to the surgical site of a tummy tuck.
Initially the patient has the adjustment of a new baby to care for as well as the healing from the surgery. This may be a reasonable time to consult with a plastic surgeon; however, timing of a tummy tuck will be dictated by the rate of your recovery and the additional burdens on your life.
It is not unreasonable to consider upwards of a 6-month interval between C-section and tummy tuck. With that in mind each patient is different and some patients may be ready sooner and some may take longer.
A Board certified plastic surgeon who is a member of ASAPS is a good place to start.
Also consider a surgeon who has experience using “No Drain” surgery with concomitant liposuction for results which may be superior.
Dr. Claytor has taught the Tummy Tuck Course as an instructor at The Aesthetic Society meeting for the past 3 years.
For abdominal rejuvenation there are 4 types of abdomen anatomy.
Type 1 is amenable to liposuction alone.
Type 2 is best suited for a mini tummy tuck which takes out loose skin from below the belly button and does not address the upper abdomen.
Type 3 is a limited situation where the belly button is high and can be lowered or “floated”. The elevation of the tissue up to the level of the xiphoid allows for tightening of the abdomen.
Sometimes if the lower abdomen is tight and the upper abdomen is loose, a reverse abdominoplasty or tummy tuck can remove this skin. However it does create a scar across both lower inframammary folds of th/procedures/body/tummy-tuck-abdominoplasty/e breast and a scar across the lower chest which is not possible to “hide”
Type four is the patient who is a full tummy tuck candidate.
Minimally invasive options are Smart Lipo suction which can provide tissue tightening with laser based technology.
It is best to obtain a consult with a board certified plastic surgeon who is a member of ASAPS. Check the Smart Beauty Guide.
Before & After Gallery
Dr. Brannon Claytor uses advanced techniques to provide natural-looking outcomes. See the results for yourself in our patient gallery.
The operative swelling has a progressive resolution over time.
Your best results should be more apparent at 3 to 6 months. More extensive surgery will often require longer time to achieve final results. This is also a great time to consider your nutritional choices and exercise program. Once you clear these with you plastic surgeon you may find that the surgery that you underwent now allows you further sculpt and define you abdominal shape and contours.
A follow up visit with your plastic surgeon with these questions will give you an opportunity to further clarify what nutritional and exercise options are best for you.
Before & After Gallery
Dr. Brannon Claytor uses advanced techniques to provide natural-looking outcomes. See the results for yourself in our patient gallery.
Recovery from your tummy tuck is both physical and emotional.
The physical recovery is significant and blocking out time from work and ensuring that you have the right support system in place prior to undergoing surgery will promote your success in your transformation. Often is will take 4 weeks before you are able to resume full activity. Setting a bench mark of being at 50% activity level at 2 weeks provides appropriate levels of expectations and minimizes disappointment.
Another import aspect of being ready is acknowledging your emotional state leading up to surgery and during your recovery. This may not be a large consideration as you prepare for surgery but being emotionally prepared will enhance your mental wellbeing and smooth out your recovery.
You may have some doubts, (“why did I choose this procedure”) during recovery just as often as the thoughts of joy and elation (“I am so glad that I finally fixed that sagging belly!”). It is comforting to know that these mood swings are not uncommon and natural.
Several suggestions to help you prepare emotionally for your recovery:
1) Have your support team set up prior to surgery. If you can have several meals prepared ahead of time, this will decrease the stress on everyone in the family.
2) Expect that you will feel a little “run down” and fatigued in the post operative period. Often this is from the effects of the anesthesia and will resolve with time.
3) Plan for a light work load at work so that you are not stressed about taking some time off.
4) Patience with the healing process and not expecting too much of yourself in the early post operative period
5) Keeping active mentally. Get some good books that you have been meaning to read anyway.
6) Check in with your plastic surgeon regularly and call if any questions come up. We would rather hear from you and put you at ease than have you worry.
Before & After Gallery
Dr. Brannon Claytor uses advanced techniques to provide natural-looking outcomes. See the results for yourself in our patient gallery.
What option you choose to take is based on your anatomy and your desired outcomes.
Some patients are concerned about keloid scars. These scars are often associated with individuals who are a higher Fitzpatrick number, meaning that patients with more melanin in their skin have darker skin and are more prone to keloids. Some patients mistake hypertrophic scars with keloids. Hypertrophic scars may be from tension across a wound and increased collagen production as a result during the healing process. Scar management during wound healing may aid in final results.
The options for a patient who is 5’7″ and weighs 145 pounds translates into a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 22. This is considered a Normal Weight BMI.
Meaning that stable body weight is achieved and no additional weight loss would be indicated prior to surgery.
If you have had a pregnancy, that would suggest that rectus muscles have been pulled apart and central diastasis of the rectus muscles has resulted in abdominal muscle imbalance. A full or modified tummy tuck will be able to address rectus diastasis during the procedure which allows the surgeon to address rectus fascia from the pubis all the way up to the xiphoid (Central lower portion of the rib cage) during the repair.
Minimal skin stretch or striae of the abdomen from pregnancy means that the skin has relatively good elasticity still present. Once the skin develops striae it cannot be repaired or restored with topical treatments such as lasers or cream. Often the only option is to surgically remove it with a full abdominoplasty or tummy tuck.
If the skin is not injured from striae then, liposuction or mini tummy tuck may be a reasonable option to address lipodystrophy (or unwanted fat in the lower abdomen)
Best options are determined with a full consultation and physical exam with a board-certified plastic surgeon like Dr. Brannon Claytor. Call our office today to schedule your abdominoplasty on its own, or as part of a comprehensive mommy makeover.
Dr. Claytor discusses the challenges for aesthetic breast augmentation of a 24-year-old patient who is self-conscious of her small breasts. She is not able to find clothes that fit comfortably. She desires a more natural shape and would like to feel comfortable in a bikini.
The challenges for the surgeon are to achieve symmetry and place the implants in the area behind the nipple-areola complex. The inframammary fold is too high and the base of the breast is constricted.
Treatment for her includes lowering her inframammary fold, and releasing the pectoralis muscle with a dual plane technique to achieve an aesthetic curve shape to the lower pole of the breast. The patient requested a silicone implant which is a good option for her anatomic challenge.
Before & After Gallery
Dr. Brannon Claytor uses advanced techniques to provide natural-looking outcomes. See the results for yourself in our patient gallery.
Dr. Claytor teaches the advanced course in abdominoplasty and liposuction at The Aesthetic Society. The meeting is the national meeting for aesthetic plastic surgeons and brings together the thought leaders to teach the membership of the society the latest and safest innovations in cosmetic surgery.
This year the meeting has a more international feel as it is located in Montreal.
Dr. Claytor invited Dr Vasconez to present Dr Costa-Ferrera’s level 1 evidence on abdominoplasty which was published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Journal this year.
While surgical correction of loose skin and excess adipose tissue is frequently the best option for treatment with an abdominoplasty, some patients are candidates for a non-surgical treatment.
Dr. Claytor is on staff as a Plastic Surgeon at Bryn Mawr Hospital which is in the Main Line Health Network.