5 Things Your Plastic Surgeon Doesn’t Want You to Know (But Will Tell You Anyway)
1. Witch Hazel is one of the most affordable over-the-counter solutions to temporarily help combat puffy eyes.
While prescription eye creams or blepharoplasties will have more lasting effects and put extra money in your surgeon’s pocket, some patients may see a noticeable reduction in the amount of under-eye puffiness with use of this cheap, drugstore astringent. Dr. Brought says, “Witch hazel has been shown to be effective at constricting blood vessels and tightening skin proteins resulting in less puffy, and less dark, bags under the eyes. However, witch hazel products often contain alcohol and have other properties,which can lead to drier, and even irritated skin, especially with regular application” Therefore, we often advise patients to consider saving witch hazel use for special occasions such as red carpet events and weddings. Found in astringent and oil form, witch hazel should be applied using a cotton pad.
2. Wearing a good, supportive bra will help combat the negative effects of gravity and extend the life of your lift or augmentation.
While letting your goods hang loose may get you back into your plastic surgeon’s office sooner (and put more money in his/her pockets), there is something to be said for keeping your breasts secured during the day. “Following breast augmentation and lift procedures, I advise patients to wear a snug, supportive wire-free bra for at least 6 weeks,” says Dr. Brought. “But, even after patients have fully recovered, regularly wearing supportive bras helps keep breasts where they should be, limits the amount of tension on delicate breast tissue, lightens the load on supporting tissues, and may help slow the effects of breast weight and gravity.”
3. It is not always necessary to do a “tune-up” or replace/exchange breast implants every 10, 15 or 20 years.
“If only I had a dollar for every time I’ve had a patient come into my office requesting a breast implant exchange, because she had her original augmentation 10 years ago,” says Dr. Brought. Whether patients have read about it online or have been advised by physicians, Dr. Brought says breast implants don’t necessarily require regularly scheduled maintenance or exchange. Dr. Brought adds, “Unless the implants are defective or the patient has experienced complications such as contracture, trauma, or symptoms of pain, deformity, or an abnormal radiological study, there is no reason to have an implant replaced periodically.” However, Dr. Brought cautions, “In some cases, especially after pregnancy or extreme weight loss or gain, patients may want to change from saline to silicone (or vice versa), may want to increase or decrease the size of an implant, or may benefit from a breast lift.” Nonetheless, it is still necessary to do regular self breast exams in addition to scheduled physician evaluations and recommended mammograms.
4. Wearing sunscreen and using a retinol product are two of the best ways to protect your skin and delay the onset of wrinkles.
Injectable wrinkle treatments like Botox and Juvederm are among some of the top less-invasive cosmetic treatments requested by Dr. Brought’s patients. However, Dr. Brought suggests a daily skin care routine that often includes a retinol product (i.e., Obagi® Tretinoin) and sunscreen with SPF 30 or greater (i.e., Revision Intellishade®) which can help delay the onset of wrinkles – thus, delaying the need for injectable wrinkle treatments and fillers like Juvederm. Dr. Brought says, “I can always tell when my patients take good care of their skin. Regular use of a retinol product increases collagen production and cell turnover while sunscreen protects the skin from the deleterious effects of UVA and UVB radiation. These two therapies will help maintain the skin’s overall integrity, which helps diminish the appearance of wrinkles, with or without the use of injectable treatments.”
5. If a pregnancy is part of your plans in the near future, you may want to delay your breast augmentation.
Pregnancy can do strange things to a woman’s body. Along with inevitable weight gain, wider hips, and a baby bump, a woman will also experience a variety of changes to her breasts, during the course of a pregnancy (and postpartum), as her body adjusts to varying levels of hormones. And, while the size and condition of one’s postpartum breasts may vary significantly by individual, one thing is certain: the breasts you start with are rarely the breasts you end with. It is for that very reason that Dr. Brought advises breast augmentation patients, whom may be considering pregnancies in the near future, to wait. “Because breasts stretch and ‘deflate’ during pregnancy and breast feeding, patients may require additional surgery, such as larger implants or a lift to correct cosmetic concerns,” says Dr. Brought.
