Womens Health in the News

While many of the procedures listed below are used purely for cosmetic reasons they are also used for a variety of medical reasons too, however, whenever you are thinking about any kind of cosmetic surgery for whatever reasons you should always give it a lot of thought beforehand and not go rushing into anything.

You should always talk it over with the surgeon at the initial consultation and they should make you fully aware of how the surgery could affect you and give you realistic expectations that the procedure could bring.

The tummy-tuck

This procedure removes excess fat and can lead to a flatter, trimmer stomach and tighter abdominal walls. The length of the surgery is roughly around 2 hours and a general or local anaesthetic can be used during the procedure. Side effects can be bruising, swelling, pain, soreness and general tiredness for some months after the surgery.

Breast enlargement

This procedure can enhance the breast size using implants filled with a salt water based saline solution and takes around 1 to 2 hours to complete. It is performed either using a local or general anaesthetic and there can be temporary soreness, swelling, changes in nipple sensation, tingling and numbness and bruising for a couple of weeks after the surgery.

Breast lift

This procedure raises and reshapes sagging breasts and it usually takes around 1 to 2 hours to complete. Both a local or general anaesthetic can be used and swelling, general discomfort, numbness, dry breast skin and temporary bruising can all be felt for up to a month after the surgery.

Chemical peel

This procedure helps to restore blemished, uneven, wrinkled or sun damaged skin and usually takes around 1 to 1 ½ hours and can be performed just using a sedative. Temporary swelling, tingling, redness and acute sensitivity to the sun can all be side effects.

Dermabrasion

This type of procedure requires the surgeon to scrape off the top layer of skin using a rotary wheel; it is used to soften the edges of scars, surface irregularities, fine wrinkles and acne scars. It can take anything from a few minutes to an hour depending on the work needed and usually a local anaesthetic or numbing spray will be used. Side effects following the surgery can include redness, itching, swelling, burning and extreme sensitivity to the sun.

Face-lift

This type of surgery helps to improve facial sagging, loose jowl and neck skin and can take several hours depending on the area to be treated. Surgery is usually performed with a general or local anaesthetic depending on the extent of the surgery and side effects can be swelling, bruising, numbness, pain and general tenderness of the skin.

Forehead-lift

The forehead-lift is used to help minimize forehead creases, drooping eyebrows, frown lines and forehead furrows by removing excess tissue. The surgery is normally done under local anaesthetic with some sedation for relaxation and can take around 1 to 2 hours to complete. Temporary swelling, numbness, headaches and bruising are all common side effects.

Resurfacing

This type of surgery is used to smooth fine wrinkles from the face using a laser device that only treats the damaged areas of skin. It can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour or more to complete depending on the area to be treated and more than one treatment may be necessary.

Local anaesthetic with sedation is normal though if the treatment is over a large area then the surgeon might suggest a general anaesthetic. Side effects are temporary swelling and discomfort, pain, pinkness or redness of the skin for several months following the surgery and acute sensitivity to the sun.

Liposuction

This type of surgery removes fatty deposits by way of a vacuum type device which sucks the fatty deposits from small insertions made into the skin. The surgery will take anywhere from 1 to 2 hours or more and can be performed using either local, general or epidural anaesthetic. Side effects common after the procedure are bruising, numbness, soreness, swelling and a burning sensation.

Nose surgery

This type of surgery can be used to reshape the nose, making it bigger or smaller or change virtually any other aspect of it. The surgery can vary from 1 to 2 hours or more depending on the work involved and is usually performed under general or local anaesthetic with sedation. Common side effects are heavy bruising around and under the eyes, soreness and tenderness, headaches and bleeding from the nose.

Related posts:

1. Cosmetic surgery FAQs
2. Plastic surgery risks
3. Liposuction
4. The brow lift or forehead lift
5. Facial implants