Make up has been part of human civilization ever since the dawn of recorded history. From ancient Egyptian women, to modern cosmopolitan females, makeup has spanned the history of man. Like makeup, tattoos too have also spanned the millennia, which are permanent skin designs that, in many cultures, augment a female’s beauty and visage. Fast forward to the modern age, and these two historical icons have spawned a new form of beauty enhancement; permanent makeup. What Is Micropigmentation? More technically known as micropigmentation, and also known as permanent cosmetics, permanent makeup is used to enhance, sometimes create, facial features like eyebrows, lashes, lips, even delicate areas like the nipples and areola area of the woman’s breasts. There are both cosmetic and practical reasons to get micropigmentation. Is Micropigmentation Safe and Long-Lasting? One of the most common questions about micropigmentation is whether it’s safe and how long it lasts. The procedure is considered low-risk when performed by a qualified and experienced technician using sterile equipment and FDA-approved pigments. While the results are long-lasting, they are not truly “permanent” in the way a traditional tattoo might be. Most permanent makeup results last anywhere from 1 to 5 years, depending on factors such as skin type, sun exposure, and lifestyle habits. Over time, the pigments can fade naturally, and many patients opt for touch-up sessions to maintain the vibrancy and definition of their features. Reasons for Considering Micropigmentation Cosmetic Reasons Cosmetic reasons include the possible loss of beauty in these facial features due to old age or traumatic injuries. For example, eyebrows falling off, or lips losing their natural luster and color....
There are many plastic surgery treatments aimed at tightening the skin and rejuvenating it, giving the appearance of healthier, younger complexion, all by eliminating the wrinkles and fine lines that are present. A lot of these, however, are very invasive, requiring surgery that could very well be traumatic to the patient, and requires a long recovery time. What is Thermage However, there is a procedure that can do skin tightening, line and wrinkle reduction, and eliminating sagging skin, all without pain, surgery, and best of all, has no need for long recovery times. This technology is called Thermage, a system that uses heat to tighten the layers beneath the skin in order to have a tightening effect. Thermage facelift is ideal for people who wish to have the beneficial effects of traditional facelift, but do not want to contend with the accompanying surgical trauma and recovery time needed. The results from Thermage are more subtle, but requires almost no recovery time. This is ideal for patients who are very busy and cannot afford the time, or very conscious about the possible appearance of scars resulting from incisions. Procedure A thermage treatment does not need any anesthesia or sedatives, because patients generally do not feel any pain whatsoever during the procedure. The surgeon then uses the Thermage Thermacool device, an instrument that uses radiofrequency energy, on the target area, tightening the skin’s collagen to fill out any fine lines and wrinkles. This in turn eliminates the prominence of these lines and wrinkles, resulting in a smoother, more youthful look. The Thermage treatment targets all three layers of the face’s skin,...
The facelift is the most popular and arguably most effective way of shaving years off a patient’s face. Facelifts can reduce the skin that is sagging around the jawline, the cheeks, and the neck, and can also make the existing skin firmer and look more young. But the traditional facelift is invasive, and will require a significant amount of incisions and operations that can prove to be a traumatic experience to some, even with anesthesia or when under. There is a non-invasive alternative available, however, called the thread facelift. What Is the Thread Facelift? Sometimes called the lunchtime facelift, because of its quick and painless method, thread facelift is a less invasive procedure, compared to the more traditional facelift operation. This operation is done in merely one to two hours and often even without anesthesia. This is done by using thin threads with tiny notches or barbs on the side that are inserted through small incisions that are made in key points of the face. These threads go into the subcutaneous portion of the facial skin, and the skin is caught into the barbs. Then the threads are pulled back, lifting the skin, eliminating sagging skin, and making the face smoother, giving a facelift appearance and a rejuvenated look. This procedure is often done without anesthesia and without going under, which means that with the patient awake, surgeons can immediately get feedback, and more importantly, patients can have instant results. Since the procedure is reversible, patients can ask surgeons to make modifications before finally knotting the threads to finalize the procedure. After the threads have been knotted, they are...
One would think that having imposing and prominent jaws should be reserved for men, after all, it is a sign of masculinity. There are very few women who can pull off having prominent jaws without looking too masculine, such as Kiera Knightley and Courtney Thorne-Smith. While having too much of a jaw can have a masculine impact on a woman’s visage, the lack thereof can easily make a beautiful face lose its good proportion. It can cause the look of the face to be asymmetrical, and out of proportion, making the face look weak, and can have the effect of having a large neck, nose, forehead, or cranium. Ideal Candidates for Jawline Enhancement Surgery Jaw implants are ideal for individuals seeking a more balanced or defined facial structure. Candidates typically include those with congenital jawline asymmetry, trauma-related deformities, or individuals who simply have a naturally weak or recessed jawline. Both men and women can benefit from jawline enhancement surgery, though the desired outcomes may vary—men often want a stronger, more chiseled look, while women may seek subtle refinement that enhances their overall facial harmony. A consultation with a board-certified facial plastic surgeon is essential to determine candidacy and establish realistic expectations. The Jaw Implant Surgery Procedure Fortunately, plastic surgery solves the lack of a properly sized jaw with the use of jaw implants, which augment the look of a patient’s jaw to create the proper proportions needed to have a beautiful face. This, if used in conjunction with chin or cheek implants can create an even more proportioned look, and while it can severely alter a person’s face, it...
The face is the first thing noticed by people, and the cheeks, being the biggest area visible in the face, can have a very significant impression. The cheeks can make even thin people look chubby or round, simply because of their shape and size. This can make people very self-conscious about the appearance of their cheeks, but unlike most body parts, the cheeks are very hard to reduce in size without adversely affecting the rest of the body. This cheek fat, or buccal fat, can be very hard to reduce. Fortunately, modern plastic surgery has advanced enough to have an answer for this; buccal fat removal. What Is Buccal Fat Removal Surgery? Buccal fat removal, or cheek reduction surgery, is the cosmetic process of removing the buccal fat that is the cause of chubby or chipmunk cheeks. This is usually done by creating an incision in the back of the mouth, typically near the second upper molar, and through what is called the buccinator muscle. Once these incisions are in place, pressure is applied outside the cheek, which causes the buccal fat pad to protrude through the incisions, allowing the surgeon to grip it with forceps, pulling it enough so a big portion of the pad is available and can easily be cut away. Once enough fat is removed, the remaining buccal fat is inserted back in its place and the incisions are sutured. If done properly, the procedure results in thinner cheeks, more defined cheekbones, and a slimmer, thinner profile of the face. The procedure typically takes one to three hours to complete, depending on the doctor’s skill...
The cheeks are a very big part of the face, and can easily determine a person’s impression. A lack of cheeks can result in a gaunt expression, leaving the person looking far older than what their real age is. This can be countered by having cheek implants inserted via cheek implant surgery. Cheek implant surgery can be done by placing implants over the cheekbone, or directly into the cheeks themselves. And because cheek implant surgery requires the same incisions as other procedures like face lifts, the implants are often placed in conjunction with these other procedures in order to save time and save the patient from double the physical trauma. Cheek Implants vs. Dermal Fillers While dermal fillers like Juvederm or Voluma can temporarily enhance cheek volume, they require regular maintenance and touch-ups. In contrast, cheek implants offer a permanent solution for individuals seeking long-term facial enhancement. Patients often weigh the benefits of cheek implants versus fillers based on cost, recovery time, and desired results. If you’re searching for a lasting improvement in facial contour without ongoing injections, cheek implant surgery may be the more cost-effective and sustainable option. Who Is a Suitable Candidate for Cheek Implants? Cheek augmentation is best suited for individuals with flat or sunken cheeks due to genetics, aging, or weight loss. Many patients choose this procedure to restore youthful facial volume, enhance facial symmetry, or achieve a more sculpted appearance. Those who have undergone previous facial surgery or trauma may also benefit from cheek implants as part of facial reconstruction or rejuvenation. Types of Cheek Implant Materials The cheek implants themselves can be made...
Lasers have made their way into virtually every facet of health care. Nowhere is the presence of lasers felt more strongly than in cosmetic surgery and aesthetic medicine. By changing the wavelength of the focused light energy, the duration of the pulse and the power of the beam, doctors can cut away diseased brain tissue in one instance and remove unwanted hair in another. What Is the Idea Behind Photo Rejuvenation? Photo rejuvenation is a cosmetic procedure in which laser light energy is delivered to the skin to improve its appearance. The cosmetic benefit that the patient enjoys is determined by the energy, wavelength and duration of the laser pulse and on how it is applied. Melanin is one of the main pigments that determine the color of our skin. The more melanin in the skin, the darker it appears. When they are exposed to the sun, the skin cells produce more melanin, which results in a suntan. While a single, darker shade distributed over the whole body can look very nice, discrete areas, freckles or blotches of darkened skin are rarely desirable. In people with naturally darker skin tones, sun damage may appear as light spots or ashy skin. Sadly, while a suntan will fade, sun damaged areas may not. Who Should Consider Laser Photo Rejuvenation? Laser photo rejuvenation is ideal for individuals who want to improve their skin tone, texture, and pigmentation without undergoing invasive cosmetic surgery. People suffering from age spots, sun damage, rosacea, acne scars, or uneven skin tone can benefit significantly from this treatment. It’s especially effective for those with fair to medium skin...
If we have not said it out loud, most of us have thought of how nice it would be to take fat from one place in our body and move it to another (In men, this is more often wished about hair!). Fat is unappealing when it is in some places but attractive when it is in others. Plastic surgeons, much like patients asked themselves the question: Since we have liposuction and dermal fillers, why can’t we just move fat from the undesirable areas to the chosen locations. The answer, it turns out, is autologous fat transfer (fat injections). What Is Autologous Fat Transfer? The word autologous simply means that instead of taking tissue from a donor, tissue is taken from the person themselves. Perhaps you have heard of the term autologous skin graft. Essentially the fat is removed through liposuction, cleaned, purified and injected into another place in the body. Of course the actual fat injection process is a more complicated than that, but the result is mostly as advertised: fat is redistributed from where you do not want it to where you do want it. Longevity of Fat Transfer Results One of the main advantages of autologous fat transfer is the potential for long-lasting results compared to synthetic dermal fillers. While some of the transferred fat will naturally be reabsorbed by the body during the healing process, the remaining fat cells can establish a new blood supply and survive permanently in the treated area. This makes fat grafting a more sustainable option for patients seeking volume restoration in areas such as the cheeks, lips, or buttocks. Many...
A forehead lift, also known by some as a brow lift, can dramatically improve the appearance of the face by removing wrinkles, eliminating deep lines and raising the eyebrows to a more youthful position. Remove Wrinkles with Forehead Lift Surgery Aging is obviously a normal part of life but many women and men alike are unhappy with what time does to the face. Wrinkles can form on the forehead because skin stretches due to gravity leaving excess skin. A forehead lift surgery can remove the extra skin that is causing the appearance of wrinkles both on the forehead and between the eyebrows. Eliminate Deep Lines with Forehead Lift Procedure Over time, repeated facial expressions such as frowning or raising of the eyebrows may cause deep furrow or lines to develop laterally across the forehead. A deep crease may also develop vertically between the eyebrows. Many women are embarrassed about these creases and though they can be covered with bangs or treated with temporary cosmetic procedures such as Botox or injectable fillers, a forehead lift surgery offers a permanent solution. Advantage of Forehead Brow Lift In addition to the development of wrinkles and deep lines on the forehead, sagging of the brows is a common result of aging. Not only will a forehead surgery remove the wrinkles and eliminate the lines, it can lift the eyebrows into a more youthful position. This will improve not only appearance, it may actually improve eyesight as sagging eyebrows may contribute to excess skin around the eyes which may eventually begin to impede vision. Forehead Lift vs. Botox: Which Is Right for You? While...
Permanent cosmetics offer women the appearance of facial makeup without the daily chore of applying it. The idea is enticing to most, but apprehensions and reservations exist about a “permanent” makeup solution. For select applications, permanent cosmetics do offer freedom from this necessary evil but certain things should be considered before submitting to the procedure. Permanent Eyeliner and Lip Liner Applications The best results of permanent cosmetics are those that mimic eyeliner. Most women can live with the permanence of permanent eyeliner—it is black and always in the same location. Eyeliner is also one of the least favorite parts of the makeup application process since it requires accurate work and patience. Another popular permanent cosmetic is lip liner. Lip liner application is another process that requires careful work. Also, properly applied permanent cosmetics as lip liner can give the lips a fuller appearance. Unfortunately women run into an issue of color choice, here. Fortunately if a woman with permanent lip liner wants a different color, regular makeup can be applied over the permanent cosmetics. Limitations of Permanent Eye Shadow and Blush While it has been tried, using permanent cosmetics for other applications like eye shadow and blush have not been as cosmetically favorable. Many professionals will not offer these options because of the highly variable results. The permanent cosmetic process does not always allow for adequate blending yielding a “clown” look. If you are considering these forms of permanent cosmetics you should ask to see real before and after photos to judge the quality of a provider’s work. How Long Do Permanent Cosmetics Last? One common question is, “How...
