Plastic surgery is growing in popularity – according to an American Society of Plastic Surgeons’ 2015 report, more than 15.9 million cosmetic procedures were performed in the U.S. in 2015 -- 1.7 million cosmetic surgical procedures and 14.2 million cosmetic minimally-invasive procedures. Breast augmentation surgery leads the pack as the most popular. Clearly we’re getting more comfortable with the idea of making small or even moderate changes to our appearance either to enhance features or to remain youthful looking. Thus, there are a host of new, “innovative” and sometimes even controversial procedures that are popping up in the news that you may have heard of. If you’re looking for some information about what’s real and what’s fantasy, I’m here to answer your questions about some of the most recent one’s I’ve seen: lunchtime facelift, lunchtime boob job and fat freezing.
Lunchtime facelift
The lunchtime facelift is often advertised as a minimally-invasive, in-office procedure that will take years off your face and not require more time than a long lunch at the bistro with your good friend. As with most things, if it sounds too good to be true it probably is. Some offices accomplish this “facelift” with fillers alone which, in my book, is simply false advertising! Others are using lasers that supposedly tighten and lift. While I often use fillers to add volume to aging faces before a patient is ready for facelift surgery, I wouldn’t suggest that these treatments could replace facelift surgery performed by an accredited, skilled plastic surgeon.
Lunchtime boob job
Ladies, a lunch time boob job is nothing more than adding fillers to your cleavage area to add volume and plumpness, giving the illusion of a fuller chest. If you’re looking for adding a cup size or lifting saggy breasts, having fillers in this area will not be your answer!
Fat Freezing
Freezing off fat to lose inches? Sounds COLD – and it certainly must be. The CoolSculpting brand has come into the market with a bang (and a lot of marketing dollars!) to offer a solution for people with fat in localized areas, usually the center of the tummy. Long-term results are still unknown and likely vary widely from patient to patient. If you’re interested in guaranteed, permanent removal of fat from your stubborn areas, liposuction is the tried and true answer, if it’s performed by a skilled, and Board-certified surgeon.