Did you play with Silly Putty as a child?
I did, and it was clear at a very young age that I had an interest in body contouring. I liked nothing better than to use my putty to create images of people from the newspaper. Then, I could pull and push and reshape their faces and bodies into whatever proportions I found attractive … or hilarious.
Flash forward to today, and I’m still fascinated by everything in aesthetics. I’m fascinated, but sometimes a bit confused. You too? I don’t blame us. The incredible world of cosmetic surgery is constantly changing for the better (well, usually). Today, patients and their doctors focus on creating finely tuned and highly personalised treatment plans.
To help you become an informed patient, the team here at Costhetics scoured the ‘net to gather the best information and news about contouring your body. Here’s what we found…
Body Sculpting without Major Surgery
This is a boom time for aesthetic enhancement. More focused than ever before on their looks, people are coming out from behind their computer screens with a new sense of self. Traditional surgeries, new techniques, and a host of non-invasive treatments are making it easy, if confusing, to make positive changes to the face and body.
A quick sweep of the internet and a visit to the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery website reveals the most popular ways to, “selectively break down fat cells in specific areas to reduce the size of subcutaneous fat pockets (fat deposits that sit beneath the skin, but above the muscle).” Standing out as top of the trends are these non-surgical choices:
- Cold laser
- Cryolipolysis (fat freezing)
- Light therapy (red light, blue light)
- Ultrasound
If your bum is bulging, this last treatment may be just what you’ve been looking for.
Ultrasound: Targeting Bum Fat
Are you in generally good shape, but just can’t seem to sculpt the abdomen of your dreams? This is a common problem and one that is often addressed with surgical liposuction. For patients who are seeking a less invasive solution, ultrasound is an excellent alternative. It is frequently used to address fat around the bum, waist, abdomen, and thighs, as fat in these areas is typically resistant to diet and exercise.
Ultrasound is a type of energy which, when focused correctly, liquefies fatty tissue beneath the skin. In this liquefied state, the fat can be removed with a small tube. The tube (cannula) is quite small and can be easily inserted under the skin. Surgical cutting and stitching are unnecessary. This is different from liposuction, where the fat is left whole, and surgery is necessary to accommodate the large cannula required to remove the fat.
Ultrasound treatments take under an hour and provide results that are visible immediately. The fat loss is permanent as fat cells do not grow back. Unfortunately, you can grow new fat cells, making it important to keep to a good program of diet and exercise.
Surgical Procedures for Body Contouring
Of course, surgical procedures for the face and body are still popular too. Topping the list in post-pandemic ‘Straya are:
- Breast Augmentation
- Facelift
- Rhinoplasty
- Tummy Tuck
Facial rejuvenation is always a trending topic. Here is a part of the face that has been getting a lot of extra attention recently…
Creating Chiselled Cheeks with Buccal Fat Removal
Chipmunk cheeks may be adorable in cartoon characters, but in humans, they tend to detract from the graceful contours of our upper cheekbones and lower jawbone. Buccal fat is the culprit. “The buccal fat pad is a deep pocket from temple to cheek that exerts a tremendous amount of impact on the shape of the face,” Dr Babak Azizzadeh tells Allure Magazine. He explains that typical fat reduction procedures are not appropriate for this area of the face as the buccal pad, “… exists under the facial muscles and nerves, which could be damaged.”
Take the Next Step
Making changes to your appearance can be an incredibly rewarding experience. If you’d like to know more about things you can do to bring your outer reality into sync with your inner self-image, Costhetics asks just one thing: contact a veteran doctor skilled in the specialty you care about. It will make all the difference in your experience.
For help finding a terrific surgeon, dermatologist, aesthetician, or other doctor near you, contact Costhetics. We love playing matchmaker.