The Unofficial Guide to Cosmetic Surgery » (FIRST)

Americans are becoming more and more dissatisfied with their features, and many of these bothersome details are now treatable with cosmetic surgery. Consumers are more willing to explore available options to treating these problems, but they don't know which ones to trust. Written by a health and beauty journalist who has experienced cosmetic surgery first hand, this book is the only one that thoroughly guides the reader through all surgical options. In this Unofficial Guide readers find out: the lowdown on what cosmetic surgery can and can't accomplish; the current mini-procedures and surgeries explained in detail; and the inside scoop on how to cut costs and find the best doctors and facilities.

The Unofficial Guide Panel of Experts.

Introduction.

I. Planning Your Surgery.

1. Is Cosmetic Surgery for You?

No Such Thing As Normal: What Motivates Us to Have Cosmetic Surgery?

How Do You Measure Up?

The Best Candidates for Cosmetic Surgery.

Health and Lifestyle Considerations.

The Insider's Body Analysis.

What Surgery Can and Cannot Do.

Key Questions to Ask Yourself.

Have You Assessed the Risks, Both Major and Minor?

Are You Hiding Your Plans from Loved Ones?

Are You Considering Surgery to Please Others?

Other Questions to Ask Yourself.

Nonsurgical Options.

Diet.

Exercise.

Image Consultants.

Therapy.

Deciding What You Can Live With.

Just the Facts.

2. You've Decided That You're a Candidate … Now What?

Basics to Consider.

Age and Lifestyle Don't Preclude Certain Risks.

Elective Means Expensive.

Even the Insured Must Pay.

Scheduling Your Surgery.

You Can't Hurry Time.

Get By With a Little Help from Your Friends.

Special Needs of Men and Minorities.

Male Considerations.

Aesthetics for Latinos and African-Americans.

Interpreting the Almond Eyes and High Cheekbones of Asians.

The Burgeoning Teen Segment.

Just the Facts.

II. Proactive Strategies.

3. Making Truly Smart Choices.

Planning a Winning Strategy.

Elements of a Successful Cosmetic Surgery.

Be Open-Minded.

Know Your Medical History.

Avoid Dangerous Mistakes.

Accept Responsibility.

Don't Mislead Your Doctor.

Don't Spend Money You Don't Have.

How Will I Pay for Cosmetic Surgery?

Planning and Budgeting.

Teaching Hospitals.

Look Nearby for the BestLeads.

Deciphering a Doctor's Credentials.

Unqualified Doctors Who Deliberately Mislead.

American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS).

American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (ASPRS).

American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS).

American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA).

Sleuthing References.

Narrowing Your List.

Cosmetic Consultants.

Just the Facts.

4. Essential Presurgery Steps.

Making the Most of the Consultation.

Things Surgeons Never Tell You.

Smart Questions to Ask.

When to Head for the Door.

Evaluating Staff and Operating Facilities.

Getting Ready for the Surgery.

Becoming Informed About Anesthesia.

Painkillers and Other Prescribed Medicines.

Medical Tests, Lab Reports, and "Before" Photos.

Lifestyle Considerations.

Using Hair Coloring and Cosmetics.

Wearing Eyeglasses or Contact Lenses.

Potential Reactions and Side Effects.

Preparing for a More Comfortable Recovery.

Lining Up Help.

Approach Your Surgery in Top Shape.

Just the Facts.

III. Common Corrections and Anti-Aging Approaches.

5. Understanding How We Age.

How Do We Age?

I Feel Great, So Why Do I Look Old?

Why Facial Aging Is Different.

The Changes that Come with Aging.

The Aging Process, Decade by Decade.

Evaluating Facial Balance.

Appreciating Your Body's Anatomy.

What Is Beauty, Anyway?

Variables by Sex and Age.

What a Face Lift Can and Cannot Do.

Just the Facts.

6. Methodologies: The Basic Cosmetic Procedures.

Which Methodology Is Best for You?

Liposuction.

The Forerunner: Traditional Liposuction.

The Fat Zapper: UAL.

First You Swell, Then You Shrink: Tumescent Liposuction.

Lifts.

Implants.

Tucks.

Skin Resurfacing.

Getting Back Your Soft Baby Skin.

Buffing Skin Smooth.

Zapping Imperfections with Lasers.

Soft-Tissue Fillers that Plump.

Endoscopy.

Flaps.

Cosmetic Tattooing.

Just the Facts.

7. Rejuvenating the Face.

Face Lifts: Making the Face Look Naturally Refreshed and Younger.

Common Name: Face Lift (Facioplasty).

Common Name: Face Lift (Endoscopic Facioplasty).

Skin Resurfacing for a Smoother You.

Common Name: Face Peel (Chemosurgery).

Common Name: Dermabrasion.

Common Name: Wrinkle Filler (Injectable Collagen).

Common Name: Laser Resurfacing (Ultrapulsed Laser).

Common Name: Eye Job (Blepharoplasty).

Common Name: Brow Lift (Coronal Lift).

Common Name: Botox (Botulism Toxin).

Cost Efficiencies.

Just the Facts.

8. Special Surgical Considerations for Men.

You Always Knew You Were Different.

Getting the Most from Your Face Lift.

Common Name: Face Lift (Facioplasty).

Common Name: Face Lift (Endoscopic Facioplasty).

Can't See Your Shirt Collar?

Common Name: Chin Lift (Liposuction).

Other Anti-Aging Tricks for the Male Face.

Common Name: Face Peel (Chemosurgery).

The Benefits of Liposuction for Men.

Not Just Reducing--Reshaping.

Recovery Issues for Men.

Breast Reduction and Potbelly Liposuction.

Common Name: Fatty Chest Reduction (Gynecomastia).

Common Name: Mini-Tummy Tuck (Mini-Abdominoplasty).

Washboard Chest and Other Body Sculpting.

UAL Experience Is Critical.

Making the Penis Appear Larger.

Common Name: Penile Enhancement.

Just the Facts.

9. Other Innovative Procedures.

Traditional Neck Procedures.

Redraping the Neck As an Adjunct Procedure.

Neck Resculpting.

The Turkey Gobbler.

The Weekend Lift.

The Genesis of An Idea.

The Procedure's Point of Difference.

Just the Facts.

IV. Reshaping Facial Features.

10. Procedures for Eyes, Nose, and Ears.

Eye Procedures that Freshen Your Look.

Common Name: Pouch Removal, Eye-Bag Job (Subconjunctival Blepharoplasty).

Common Name: Rounding the Eastern or Asian Eye.

Common Name: Minor Laser or Lower-Lid Clamp.

Reshaping the Nose.

Common Name: Nose Job, Nose Resculpting (Rhinoplasty).

Common Name: Athletic Nose or French Bridge, Nasal Implant.

Procedures for the Ears.

Common Name: Ear Job (Otoplasty).

Common Name: Keloid Surgery.

Common Name: Earlobe Repair.

Common Name: Earlobe Reduction or Augmentation.

Just the Facts.

11. Recontouring the Face: Cheeks, Chin, and Lips.

Sculpting and Reshaping Facial Features.

Plumping Cheeks.

Common Name: Cheek Implants (Malar Augmentation).

Understanding the Aesthetics of the Jaw.

Common Name: Weak Chin Enlargement (Mentoplasty, Which Is Inserting an Implant; or Sliding Genioplasty, Which Is Repositioning Bone).

Common Name: Chin Reduction (Chin Osteotomy).

Lip and Mouth Considerations.

Common Name: Lip Enhancement Through Reposition of Upper and Lower Lip.

Common Name: Lip Implants.

Common Name: Lip Reduction.

Common Name: Reducing Laugh Lines (Nasolabial Fold).

Common Name: Collagen and Fat Injections.

Just the Facts.

V. Upper/Lower Body and Skin Corrections.

12. Procedures for the Chest, Abdomen, and Arms.

Breast Implants.

Common Name: Breast Implants (Augmentation Mammoplasty).

Common Name: Chest Buffing or Pectoral Implants.

Breast Lift and Reduction Approaches.

Common Name: Breast Reduction (Reduction Mammoplasty).

Common Name: Breast Lift (Mastopexy).

Procedures for More Beautiful Arms and Hands.

Common Name: Upper Arm Shaping (Brachialectomy).

Improving the Appearance of Hands.

Where Flat Is Desirable.

Common Name: Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty).

Just the Facts.

13. The Lower Body: How to Get the Results You Want.

Some Basics About Liposuction and Your Lower Body.

Endermologie: Results Without Surgery.

Managing Lower-Body Liposuction Risks.

How Dermolipectomy Helps the Lower Body Bounce Back.

If the Surgery Is Small, Why So Much Anesthetic?

Common Procedures.

Common Name: Liposuction, Buttock Area.

Common Name: Fanny Tuck.

Common Name: Buttock Implants.

Common Name: Endermologie.

Common Name: Thigh Liposuction.

Combining Lipo for Varied Areas.

Common Name: Thigh Lift.

Common Name: Calf Buffing, Calf Implants.

Just the Facts.

14. Skin Corrections.

Everything You Care to Know About Scars.

Common Name: Z-Plasty or W-Plasty Scar Revision.

Common Name: Acne Scar Treatment.

Treating Unsightly Veins.

Varicose Veins.

Common Name: Vein Injection (Sclerotherapy).

Spider Veins.

Common Name: Spider Vein Removal (Laser).

Common Name: Permanent Make-Up.

Common Name: Tattoo Removal.

Common Name: Removal of Birth Marks (Port Wine Stains).

Common Name: Body Peels.

Just the Facts.

VI. Postoperative Survival Guide.

15. Managing the Healing Process.

Effective Wound Management.

Closed Wounds.

Open Wounds.

Scars and Healing.

Blood and Bleeding.

Bruising Is a Natural Part of Healing.

Blood Transfusions.

Your Role in Recovery.

Age Counts.

Nutrition and Following a Healthy Diet.

Be Vigilant About Infection.

Sterile Dressings.

Postoperative Medications.

Elevation and Sutures.

Fastidiously Follow Protocol.

Postsurgery Follow-Up.

Just the Facts.

16. Managing Postoperative Discomfort.

Making the Most of Aftercare.

Recovery at Retreats.

Recovery at Home.

Getting Back to a Comfortable Sleeping Routine.

Don't Skimp Now: Get a Pro.

Making Yourself Comfortable.

Beating the Postsurgery Blues.

Relaxation Techniques.

Managing Stress.

Making the Most of Follow-Up Visits.

Taking Care of Yourself.

Sleep and a Healthy Diet.

Getting Enough Exercise.

Just the Facts.

VII. Appendices.

A. Glossary.

B. Resources.

C. Further Reading.

D. Statistics.

E. Documents.

Index.