There are many ways to improve the appearance of teeth, lips, and gums. While many of these procedures are highly effective and may be the best treatment option under certain circumstances, they also can require anesthesia, discomfort, and significant downtime. Not so with veneers – for a specific group of patients, veneers can provide significant cosmetic improvement without some of the drawbacks associated with other dental procedures.

When to Choose Veneers

Veneers improve the appearance of existing teeth. They are a good option for men or women bothered by chipped teeth, irregularly shaped teeth, or gaps between their teeth. If this sounds like you, I encourage you to meet with a cosmetic dentist and find out if veneers can accomplish your goals.

If you have missing teeth, you may want to consider dental bridges or dental implants in Beverly Hills. Even if you need dental implants, you may also be a candidate for veneers on some of your teeth. A skilled cosmetic dentist will be able to address a variety of complex dental issues, combining treatment techniques to achieve comprehensive improvement.

Getting Veneers

Getting your veneers is relatively simple, although several office visits are required.

• Your first visit: Outer tooth enamel will be roughened so that it is better suited for bonding. Impressions will be taken of your teeth so that a dental lab can create your veneers.
• Your second visit: When your veneers are ready, you will visit your dentist or periodontist to try them on and make sure they fit properly and are the right size and color.
• Additional visits: You should be happy with your new smile, so it’s important to “get it right” with your veneers. Don’t hesitate to ask for additional shaping of your veneers, even if it means you have to schedule another appointment.

As you can see, veneers are a great option for certain improvements. Beautiful teeth are an essential component of any healthy and vibrant smile.

A “Mommy Makeover” can be very rewarding, helping women regain their pre-baby figure (and their self-confidence). Many Mommy Makeover patients feel that they get a new lease on life – and that’s a truly wonderful thing. But what about dads? They stay up with fussy babies, change diapers, and get worn out too. While it’s not as common, the “Daddy Makeover” does exist, and the procedures men tend to choose for their cosmetic enhancement may surprise you.

Tummy tucks are usually included in my Sacramento Mommy Makeovers. Tummy tucks can reduce excess skin and fat in the midsection and mend separated abdominal muscles – conditions encountered by most moms. But women aren’t the only ones frustrated by the changes they see in their midsection; men may also benefit from a tummy tuck procedure.

I’ve found that liposuction is often an even better body contouring procedure for most men because it can address love handles, male breasts, and other areas besides the abdomen. I can adjust the liposuction procedure specifically for the areas that concern men the most.

Most men aren’t just worried about the changes they see in their bodies – they’re unhappy about changes in their faces as well. For a refreshed, stronger, and more virile look, men may want to consider eyelid surgery, a brow lift, chin augmentation, or a face lift.

As you can see, a skilled plastic surgeon can help men get exactly the kind of makeover they want. For slight improvements or more dramatic changes, Daddy Makeovers just might be the next big thing.

A 10-year Danish study released in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that the location of body fat in middle-aged women and men affects their risk of developing blood clots. As a plastic surgeon who specializes in Sacramento body contouring procedures, I found one highlight of the study particularly interesting: women are at higher risk for blood clots when they carry extra pounds on their hips, while men are at elevated risk when fat is around the waist.

When discussing body contouring procedures with my patients I often explain how that extra weight is making physical demands on their body. I take the time to find out what areas of the body my patients are most concerned about from a cosmetic perspective, but I also make an extra effort to educate them about how these procedures can contribute to staying fit and healthy.

Other Key Highlights of the Study

• The risk of life-threatening blood clots increases with obesity, but may also depend on the location of excess body fat and gender.
• The results challenge research that has suggested increased hip circumference is protective against blood clots.

It has become quite clear to most physicians that obesity has numerous negative effects on the body, making it all the more frightening that obesity has become an epidemic in America. Even people who are overweight need to look at this study carefully and consider that those few extra pounds – if in the wrong spot – can increase their risk for a potentially life-threatening condition.

This year, the oldest of the Baby Boomer generation will be turning 64 years old according to the U.S. Census Bureau. We’ve all heard of this generation of Americans born after World War II between 1946 and 1964, and now some people are talking about what they’re calling a “Baby Boomer Face Lift.” What is this procedure all about?

Otherwise known as a short-scar or mini-face lift, the “Baby Boomer” face lift is a quicker, less invasive, and more affordable alternative to a traditional face lift, and can be appropriate for certain patients in their 40s and 50s in particular who do not need as extensive surgical correction as a traditional face lift provides.

This type of face lift in Dallas uses significantly smaller incisions, ending at the earlobe so that scarring behind the earis largely or completely eliminated.

Even if they don’t have a “Baby Boomer” procedure, more and more people in the 40-65 age bracket are considering facial rejuvenation. That’s not just what I’m seeing, but also a national trend, at least according to researchers from Boston University School of Medicine and the Laser and Skin Cancer Center of Indiana. They found a dramatic increase in procedures performed and patient demand for dermatologic health care since 2000, and I expect the same holds true for facial cosmetic surgery.

What do you think? Will Boomers continue to take advantage of cosmetic surgery in the years to come?

Despite the argument that comes up from time to time (and currently is being forwarded by some professionals in the tanning industry), it’s not just wealthy Americans who benefit from cosmetic surgery. In fact, the majority of people choosing cosmetic surgery fall squarely in the middle class.

Many in the tanning industry are upset now that a tax in the health care legislation making its way through Congress has been changed from a tax on cosmetic procedures to a tax on tanning bed sessions. Instead of fighting the tax on its merits (or lack thereof), some are pointing the finger back at cosmetic plastic surgery. In the Dallas market where I see patients, people come from all walks of life, making the stereotype of the wealthy housewife that much more offensive and out of touch with reality.

Just One Example

As women age, despite social status or tax bracket, their bodies change. For most women, this becomes evident with drooping or sagging breasts. As with many signs of aging, there’s a cosmetic surgery procedure to combat this change: a breast lift. My breast lift patients – who, by the way, represent a broad socioeconomic range – discover a whole new confidence once they have their youthful breasts back. It’s a change that enriches the rest of their lives and is as meaningful for women without a lot of money as it is for very wealthy women.

The so-called “Bo-tax” didn’t make it into the healthcare reform legislation because enough people all across the country recognized its fundamental unfairness. Congress made the right call, keeping cosmetic surgery procedures affordable for the broad range of women and men choosing them.

By: Andrew Smith, MD

Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) for men involves all the same steps as the procedure for women, but men often have very different goals for this type of procedure than women do, so they require a specific approach. At my Orange County, California plastic surgery offices, I treat a number of male patients each year with treatments ranging from BOTOX® Cosmetic to liposuction, rhinoplasty, and surgery for the ears or the eyelids. Each of these procedures requires specific approaches for men, not only because men often have different reasons for undergoing plastic surgery, but also because the sense of balance for male features is entirely different from the aesthetic “ideal” for female features.

Abdominoplasty Goals:

Where most women are concerned with balancing and softening their natural curves, male abdominoplasty patients typically want to accomplish two things:

• Eliminate the “gut” that the loose abdominal muscles allow to hang out
• Create a more toned, chiseled look that compliments a more muscular frame

Abdominoplasty Basics:

Typically, belly flab is just loose fat above the abdominal muscles, but in some cases the abdominal muscles themselves have overstretched, becoming permanently loose and allowing the organs to press forward out of the small area where they would normally be contained.

When the muscles tear or overstretch this way, exercise cannot tighten them effectively or completely, so many men will choose to have a plastic surgeon stitch the muscles back where they belong. In an Irvine tummy tuck procedure, the surgeon simply tightens loose muscle strands with a line of stitched down the center of the abdomen and removes excess skin and fat from above the muscles, before closing and bandaging the incision site.

Important Differences for Men:

The basic abdominoplasty procedure involves the same steps for women as for men, but the surgeon needs to adjust these steps in order to create a result that accomplishes what men want it to:

• The upper abdomen is typically more of a concern. While women often undergo Irvine tummy tuck procedures to restore a smaller, firmer waist, men generally want to flatten and firm their upper as well as their lower abdomen. Men tend to develop excess flab above the belt line, so they will often need to remove fat from the fibrous area between the pectorals and the belly button, in addition to the typical lower-belly areas.
• Liposuction often plays a bigger role. While women will typically pair abdominoplasty with breast enhancement or liposuction of the lower body, men often focus much more on delineating muscle tone by eliminating excess fat in the pectoral muscles, abs, and back.

What to Look For in a Surgeon:

When you meet with your surgeon, you want to know that he or she can get great results for the male body, specifically. Find out:

• Whether they offer multiple liposuction options
• How many procedures they have performed for men, specifically
• Whether they can show before-and-after photos of male tummy tuck procedures

By: John K. Wakelin, MD

According to the recently-released ASPS plastic surgery statistics, over 1.1 million male cosmetic surgical and nonsurgical procedures were performed in 2008 alone, and each year more men visit with me to learn more about options like laser hair removal, aesthetic skin laser treatments, and Columbus, Ohio BOTOX® treatments.

Men have unique goals for their procedures, and last week my colleague Dr. Timothy Treece outlined some of the ways surgeons typically adapt top male facial cosmetic surgery procedures to create results that enhance masculine features. This week, my focus is on enhancements to create a better body shape.

Part 2: Body and Skin Correction

Aesthetic Skin Laser Treatments

• Popularity: 49,000 procedures in 2008 (according to the ASPS)
• Why: Good facial skin tone is important for the firm, sharp-looking features most men want. Loose, sagging tissues, fine lines, broken veins, or uneven pigmentation can change the way the skin appears and detract from balanced, attractively masculine features. Laser treatments like IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) can correct many of these problems quickly, without the downtime of facial surgery.
• How: Like any aesthetic skin laser treatment, Columbus, Ohio laser skin rejuvenation requires an accurate, professional assessment for good results. Men tend to have slightly thicker skin than women, but a skilled skin specialist can account for these differences and create smooth results with very little downtime.

Gynecomastia Treatment

• Popularity: 17,900 procedures in 2008 (according to the ASPS)
• Why: Many men develop extra tissue around their nipples during puberty, but in most cases this disappears when they reach adulthood. For some, though, these stubborn fatty patches will persist, creating an awkwardly feminine breast shape. Male liposuction of the upper body and in some cases surgical removal of excess breast tissue can generally correct this problem.
• How: Male “breast” reduction, unlike female breast reduction, often can be performed using liposuction alone. Because men tend to want a more angular, squared-off pectoral shape, a good surgeon will typically design this procedure with a focus on flattening the nipple area as much as possible and emphasizing the horizontal shape of the pectoral muscles. Many men will also follow upper-body liposuction with laser hair removal in Columbus, Ohio so that unwanted hair will not obscure their new, sculpted shape.

Interact with this Topic:

• Read Post 1 – Top Facial Cosmetic Enhancements for Men
• View the American Society of Plastic Surgeons statistics on male cosmetic surgery trends
• Learn more about male plastic surgery in Columbus

By: Thomas Buonassisi, MD

At my plastic surgery clinic in Vancouver, BC, I perform rhinoplasty, face lifts, and a number of other facial procedures for both men and women. While each patient has different goals and challenges that need to be met individually, male patients create some specific challenges. Here are some important questions men need to ask before their Vancouver rhinoplasty to help plan for good results.

Technical Challenges

• What to ask your surgeon: What kind of special considerations do you take to ensure good results in male rhinoplasty, specifically?
• Why: Most men’s noses are naturally larger than women’s and tend to have a higher amount of bone and cartilage that they would like to reduce or reshape. This leads some surgeons to overcompensate surgically for very large or very prominent noses, and in the process reduce the nose far too much. More experienced surgeons will in most cases opt for a more conservative approach that will prevent an “over-aggressive” procedure and help avoid the need for revision surgery. An honest surgeon will also be upfront with you about whether thicker skin or other factors will limit the extent of change you can achieve.

Aesthetic Challenges

• What to ask your surgeon: May I see pictures of past male rhinoplasty patients to evaluate their results?
• Why: At my facial plastic surgery clinic in Vancouver, BC, my personal goal is to make sure each patient’s results are a “good fit” for their natural features. I mentioned already how some surgeons tend to “overcompensate” for larger noses, but some will also tend to narrow the nostrils or nose tip and / or reduce the nasal bridge too far. This can damage the masculinity of the features by softening the nose and creating a more feminized appearance, so when you look at your surgeon’s rhinoplasty photos, take into account how well he or she created a nose structure that matched the patient’s natural facial angles.

Expectations

• What to ask yourself: What specific characteristics about my nose would I like to see changed, and which ones do I think look good already?
• Why: Younger male patients are typically the hardest to please when it comes to rhinoplasty results. Partly, studies suggest that this is because men, and young men in particular, tend to come to their rhinoplasty consultations with a much more general idea of how and why they want to see improvements.

A good Vancouver rhinoplasty surgeon will take the time to help you make your goals and expectations much more specific, and make sure they match up with reasonable and healthy objectives. Before you meet with your surgeon, ask yourself how and why you want to see these changes, look at your nose from multiple angles, and don’t be shy of getting input from other people. Healthy expectations can go a long way to promote a more effective surgical plan and more satisfying results.

By: Thomas McNemar, MD

Men tend to build muscle quickly, so after significant weight loss, many men enjoy a better physique to match their healthy new lifestyle. However, after weight loss surgery in San Francisco, areas of loose, sagging skin can be very frustrating for men in particular. This is why I perform post weight loss cosmetic surgery – to help men achieve a body contour that more accurately reflects their hard work.

Some of the top goals and procedures options for male body cosmetic surgery after weight loss include:

Firmer Upper Body: Pectoral-Area Liposuction

Most men want a firmer, flatter chest area, but unfortunately weight loss often leaves loose skin or fat. A surgeon may need to remove excess skin and tissue through a series of incisions, but in many cases liposuction surgery tightens up this area very well, giving a firmer and more defined appearance to the pectoral muscles.

Flatter Mid Body: Abdominoplasty and Body Lift

Ideally, the midsection will look flatter and firmer after weight loss surgery, but in reality weight loss surgery often leaves San Francisco area men with a large amount of excess abdominal tissue. Abdominoplasty (tummy tucks) are used to correct this problem by tightening stretched-out abdominal muscles and trimming away loose skin from the lower belly. For very large amounts of excess skin, a body lift may be necessary to retighten the hips, upper and lower abdomen, flanks, belly, and thighs.

Tighter Lower Body: Inner Thigh Lift, Liposuction

The hips and thighs are typically less of a problem for men than for the women who need post weight loss surgery in Walnut Creek, but depending on your physiology these areas can still pose problems. Loose, wrinkled skin on the lower thighs and small, isolated patches of fat on the flanks and lower belly can look and feel awkward, so many men choose to correct these areas with liposuction or lift procedures. Typically, I will perform these as a combination procedure that may integrate abdominoplasty or body lift, but they can also be performed as single procedures.

By: Michael Bogdan, MD, FACS

For both men and women, eyelid surgery and face lift in Dallas are a favorite plastic surgery “pair” because they both address some of the most obvious and troublesome signs of aging – sagging skin and noticeable wrinkles. But many patients hesitant to have two cosmetic surgery procedures at once are not sure how to choose between these options that seem equally beneficial. Here are some guidelines to help you decide:

Eyelid Surgery Alone

Plastic surgery in Dallas can correct loose, puffy-looking tissues above or below the eyes by refining or removing the fatty patches and loose skin that creates a sagging, tired look. Eyelid surgery is relatively quick, and from a qualified plastic surgeon can significantly improve the appearance of the whole upper face.

Face Lift Surgery Alone

Face lift surgery is the gold standard to reverse obvious signs of aging like naso-labial folds, fine facial wrinkles, and even loose skin near the lower cheeks. When I perform a face lift in Dallas, I re-drape the facial muscles in a more youthful position and tighten up loose skin and soft tissue.

For patients of advancing age and those experiencing negative physical effects of significant weight loss, a combined procedure may be more appropriate, so be sure to select a plastic surgeon who has experience in a wide range of facial procedures and can help you decide which approach offers the best results for you.