As Winter is persisting, our skin really pays the price. Heat, cold, and dryness really takes their toll, and we feel it. Irritated winter skin isn’t just uncomfortable, it can look noticeably aged and dull. Giving your skin some extra TLC during this season can assist your cosmetic procedures in helping your skin look its best. Here are some ideas for your skin to stay soft and supple in the winter.

Moisture Reviving Skin Care

Your skincare routine cannot remain the same in the winter. Here are some beauty habits to replenish your skin of moisture:

• Stay away from very sudsy washes, as the soaping agent is sodium laurel sulfate, which is irritating. Also, toners containing alcohol are too harsh for already dry skin. Use a cream or gel cleanser and a gentle toner that helps the skin keep its natural oils rather than stripping it.
• If you’re using a lotion as your moisturizer, it’s time to switch to a cream. If you’re already using a cream, you can add a moisture tincture to it or a mid day moisture mister will hydrate without disturbing makeup.
• Speaking of makeup, this would be a great time of year to try cream eye shadow and cream blushes, so you can limit the oil absorbing powders you put on. You won’t have to worry about sweating and it not staying put.
• Using a wax based lip balm may actually be contributing to your dry, chapped lips. Try a lipstick or gloss with healing agents like vitamin E, not wax.
• Gently exfoliating away the dull, dead skin will help your moisturizers absorb and keep your skin glowing. The key is not to overdo it this time of year and cause irritation. Exfoliating wash or mask no more than once a week, and alternate with a moisturizing mask along with your moisturizing creams to keep your skin hydrated and radiant.
• Be sure to moisturize both morning and night. Especially your face, neck and hands, but don’t forget to take care of your skin everywhere.
• We’ve all seen the “ski mask” tan lines. It’s a good reminder that the even though the winter skies are gray and the sun seems to be gone, you should continue to use your sunscreen. The snow can actually reflect up to 80 percent UV.
• Although a steaming hot shower or bath always feels great after coming in from the cold, this strips the skin’s natural lubrication. Keep it short or not too hot.

You can have supple, healthy skin this winter. Keep these beauty routine tips in mind, and also consider one of the premier medical grade, physician prescribed skincare, SkinMedica. Its products effectively address many skin issues for every season of the year and season of your life. Learn more at www.davinciplastic.com.

Steven Davison M.D.

Board Certified Plastic/Reconstructive Surgeon

Breast SIZE isn’t the only concern women have when assessing their satisfaction with their breasts. Other factors are the width between breasts, torso positioning (drooping), symmetry between the breasts, and breast shape. How these breast features are perceived determines satisfaction, confidence, and feelings of femininity and sexuality.

Tuberous breasts, also known as constricted breasts, are a congenital (from birth) condition that affects all of these physical characteristics:

• ptosis (drooping)
• symmetry
• breast shape
• nipple and areola shape

This difference in breast formation becomes apparent at the earliest stages of breast development during puberty. Fortunately, once breast development is complete, the dissatisfaction with tuberous breasts can be corrected through well experienced hands via a specialized Breast Augmentation, though the procedure is much more complicated.

What Are Tuberous Breasts?

Normally, tuberous breasts are small, a result of underdevelopment called Breast Hypoplasia, however this isn’t the extent of desired correction. Correcting tuberous breasts usually requires addressing the size, shape, symmetry and placement. These factors stem from such issues as related to connective breast tissue, such as breast constriction, breast skin deficiency, bulging areola (areolar herniation), and or malposition of the crease beneath the breast (inframammary fold). These factors usually differ for each breast, as tuberous breast asymmetry is the norm.

Treatment for Tuberous Breasts

The correction for tuberous breasts can generally be considered a Breast Augmentation, but not in the strict definition, since what is needed involves much more. This process requires a series of specialized technical procedures since there is a wide variance from breast to breast. Generally correcting tuberous breasts will necessitate breast reshaping, areola balancing and in most cases, size augmentation to compensate for Breast Hypoplasia and asymmetry.

These are the decisions that will be determined by the patient’s preferences and the severity of the constriction causing the tuberous breasts:

1. The incision location to address breast constriction (usually a technique called “radial scoring”) & ptosis (corrected by breast lift), insert the implant (if applicable), and correct areolar herniation
2. The type of breast implant (saline or silicone)
3. The placement of the implant above (subglandular) or below the chest muscle (submuscular). Submuscular is usually what is needed in the case of correcting tuberous breasts. There is also a specific kind of submuscular augmentation to compensate for the often lacking of fullness in the lower breast gland.
4. Only in more extreme correction cases would a 2 stage surgical approach be required to gradually stretch the skin and breast tissue before the final implant insertion.

This nuanced procedure requires the most expert of hands to meticulously address all the facets of correction. There is hope for beautiful results in the skilled hands of triple board certified surgeon, such as myself. Please contact us to talk about how we can help you, www.davinciplastic.com.

Steven Davison M.D.

Board Certified Plastic/Reconstructive Surgeon

Want a new smile in 2018 without any cosmetic or dental surgery? There are many non surgical options to transform your smile, whether it’s whiter or straighter teeth, fuller lips or reducing a “gummy smile.” Here are some solutions to these smile problems:

1. Gummy Smile

One way you can enhance your already beautiful smile is to reduce the amount of your gums that show between your lips and teeth. Using Botox in a very precise and careful placement, the injection is made into the muscle that is near the junction of your nostrils with the cheek, called the levator labii. Also, a very small amount can be injected into where the upper lip’s midline meets the nose at the columella (center column of the nose).

The necessity to use a highly experienced injector is crucial, as placement and the amount of Botox can easily ruin a smile rather than enhance it. Remember, the Botox is weakening the muscle so if too much is injected or its improperly placed, results won’t be as desired. For example, the lip will be completely flat, droopy or produce an uneven, half smile where one side lifts more than the other.

When properly placed, the upper lip still has movement, but won’t retract all the way to reveal the gums when you’re smiling. Botox to the upper lip can also reduce the vertical wrinkles and smokers lines. As with any injection, the results are temporary, which is actually a good thing as it gives you a chance to get used to the new look and decide if you’re more comfortable with your smile as it was naturally or would like to continue.

2. Thin Lips

One of the contributors to discontent with smiles is that the lips are too thin. This can even increase the look of a “gummy smile.” This improvement is an easy one, as Juvederm can provide beautiful, natural looking plumping effect for a full, luscious lipped smile.

3. Teeth Discoloration

The over the counter teeth whitenen systems are considered part of the beauty industry and not regulated by the FDA, as would a doctor prescribed system. You should proceed with caution with these. In regards to whitening procedures provided by dentists and technicians, it’s also important to consider the level of experience. Generally, you can be prescribed a custom gel with a tray to be used over night for a number of nights in order to match your desired lightening and contour to your teeth. This can be done in conjunction with certain high powered lights, but educate yourself on the kind of lights used since some can produce sensitivity and even damage the tooth’s inner pulp.

4. Crooked Teeth

Depending on the significance of your alignment or bite correction needed, there are some good options including alternatives to metal braces. Other kinds of permanent fixtures like clear braces and removable “invisible” aligning trays, such as Invisalign or Clear Correct, can be worn over time to adjust the teeth. There are now 5 tray system options for minor alignment issues.

You can have the radiant smile you want in 2018. Let’s discuss your non surgical smile enhancements to address issues such as “gummy smile” and thinning lips. Please visit www.davinciplastic.com to schedule a consultation.

Steven Davison M.D.

Board Certified Plastic/Reconstructive Surgeon

Looking ahead to 2018, what procedures do we expect to hear more about? While there is a general rise in consumer awareness and participation in the cosmetic surgery industry, some procedures have flown under the radar until recently. Such procedures as Otoplasty, Labiaplasty had begun to hit the main stream in 2017 and are expected to rise even more, but even more recently has been awareness about inverted nipple correction surgery. Last year was also big for very full, pillowy lips, which may tame down a bit in 2018, but there are more and more uses for fillers that are being requested by patients. Let’s take a look at some procedures that are going to get more play in 2018.

Otoplasty

Streamlining the ear profile with Otoplasty surfaced onto the mainstream over the summer a year or 2 ago. It has been a common surgery for children and youths, as it can take ears that stick out or fold abnormally and bring them closer to the head; therefore eliminating teasing or bullying and the resulting self esteem issues because of “Dumbo ears.” While this has continued to be the main reason for this surgery, it has expanded into “trend status” by adults perfecting their ear profile and also wanting to give the earlobes a pleasant shape, even after the holes from earrings have distorted them.

Labiaplasty

Even as this surgery addresses a very private area, it has gained more public awareness. Women want to feel confident with how their labia look and more comfortable with how they feel. There is no reason to have discomfort over elongated, uneven labia. Labiaplasty can help increase comfort, confidence and even possibly of increased enjoyment of intimacy.

Inverted Nipple Correction

It is estimated that up to 20 percent of women have inverted nipples, which means the nipple retracts inward, usually since birth. Typically it occurs because the breast tissue adheres tightly to the base of the nipple and constricts it. While this nipple status may cause some challenges with breastfeeding, they can usually be overcome, and it is otherwise harmless. The desired correction can be surgical, or combined with a nipple ring that would hold the nipple out, as well as a small fat graft or filler injection.

Fillers

While fillers, such as Juvederm for the lips have received a great amount of attention, and will continue to, there are a few other areas springing up that fillers are helping that might be surprising. For example, filling in the sunken under eyes, shriveled ear lobes, veiny thin hands, dimples of cellulite, and shrinking nipples.Keep in mind, many of these creative uses for fillers are considered “off label,” which means there isn’t a standardized protocol, so be sure you’re only working with trusted “expert injectors” like in my office.

If any of these procedures have piqued an interest in you or coincide with your beauty and rejuvenation goals for 2018, please schedule a consultation so that we can discuss your options at www.davinciplastic.com

Steven Davison M.D.

Board Certified Plastic/Reconstructive Surgeon

In recent years we’ve seen an increased awareness about vaginal revitalization surgeries, such as Labiaplasty. Surgery on this sensitive area, which can be referred to as the “V zone” or FemGen (short for female genitalia), has existed previously in the context of correction of birth defects, trauma, such as through labor, addressing discomfort, etc.

Now it seems that requests for “designer vaginas” have significantly increased. There’s even a term for a desired look called the “Barbie.” This implies a flat vaginal area, which results in either a reduction in labia majora or removal of the labia minora all together. While I have many years of experience and have supported many women in their vaginal surgery journey, it’s important to know that the popularity of this procedure has to come with caution as to their health and safety when choosing a surgeon because of the lack of official oversight and training in this particular area of surgery.

So whether you’re interested in a FemGen surgery because you want to feel confident with how your labia look or more comfortable with how they feel, I can support you. Working on this area takes delicate artistry and anatomical knowledge to provide the best results. Here is some more information about your FemGen revitalization options.

Labiaplasty Compared to Vaginoplasty

Vaginoplasty addresses internal muscles and tissue of the vaginal corridor. This is normally done to correct birth defects that could prevent complications of childbirth or even repair damage from childbirth. It also can result in enhanced sensation and sexual pleasure during intercourse, which has become an increasing reason for women requesting this surgery. Recovery takes several weeks.

Labiaplasty corrects concerns with the labia minora or majora. There is a wide variety of normal labia sizes, shapes, colors and textures. The reason for Labiaplasty may be to address bothersome labial imbalances, discomfort during intercourse, or self consciousness when wearing tight workout clothes or swimsuits. Labiaplasty is also called Labial Revision, Labial Beautification, Labial Reduction or Labial Augmentation, and has a minimal recovery time.

Other FemGen Options

FemGen issues also extend to the perineum, which can experience trauma during childbirth. Perineoplasty can correct poor healing from drastic tearing or irregular scarring from episiotomy.

Volume loss is not an issue that just affects the face, but with age, volume in the “V zone” decreases also. This is visible as deflated labia or pubic mons, which is the fatty tissue over the pubic bone. This loss of padding on the pubic mons and labia majora can result in discomfort during intercourse. Fortunately, Fat Transfer, also known as Fat Grafting, is a great natural V zone volume replacement option.

So whether your desires are feature or function related, this topic is not taboo and you can receive help. If you’d like to talk about your options in the caring confidence of an experienced FemGen surgeon, please schedule a consultation at www.davinciplastic.com.

Steven Davison M.D.

Board Certified Plastic/Reconstructive Surgeon

Men and women in their 20s and 30s are heading to the plastic surgeons office in abundance like never before. The celebrity culture has removed any embarrassment or negativity regarding people knowing that they’ve had plastic surgery and injectables, like Botox and Juvederm. These treatments and the results are indeed celebrated and shared among peers and social media. The desires and needs of this group are different than other generations, which I’ll discuss below.

POPULAR TRENDS & CELEBRITY TELL ALL

Access to media and open sharing about plastic surgery among celebrities has not only removed any taboo, but created a normalcy and excitement to experience the benefits my industry can provide. The more seasoned actress Patricia Heaton was one of the early adapters to celebrity sharing about surgery. In 2003, she talked openly about her surgeries and how women shouldn’t compare themselves to Hollywood because things aren’t always as they seem. These days, more and more celebrities are talking about surgery, such as actress Kaley Cuoco and singer Iggy Azalea, who are popular among Millennials. Many express that they don’t want to keep secrets from their fans and Iggy even posted a picture of her with her surgeon thanking him for her perky breasts.

For the Millennials, Kylie Jenner has almost single handedly been the greatest influence for lip injections for young people. Her full lipped pout is one of the most requested outcomes for this age group, who happily share before and after photos on Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook (although Facebook is getting the reputation as the main platform for mostly for the “older” Millennials and above). As of 2 years ago, no one was taking selfies in the plastic surgeons’ office, but this is now commonplace.

PREVENTION ORIENTED

Millennials are viewing cosmetic treatments as preventative with hopes of putting off signs of aging. Before wrinkles even occur, men and women in their 20s are asking for Botox. This can be a great opportunity to work with relaxing the muscles before they create rhytids, however expectations need to be managed because there won’t be any drastic immediate results.

Also, it is important to keep in mind that a little bit goes a long way. Overdoing injectables can actually have the opposite affect and make Millennials look older or create distorted facial features. If done incorrectly, Botox to the forehead can result in a heavy brow. Instead, better results could be accomplished by injecting small amounts to the glabella, which is where the frown lines form in between the brows. Immediately noticeable results for someone who doesn’t have very visible wrinkles to reverse, would be a little brow lift that can be accomplished with injections to the outer eye where crow’s feet would form.

PROCEEDING WITH WISDOM

As with anyone considering surgery or cosmetic enhancements, it’s important to realize this isn’t a quick fix mentality. To really have a preventative affect, a one time Juvederm or Botox injection won’t be enough. The goal of wrinkle prevention with Botox involves weakening the muscles so they are smooth. This may take regular injections of small amounts about every 3 months for a year or 2, and then we can slow down.

In addition, the best results also involve protecting the skin from sun damage, using good skin care, eating well and drinking water. We should develop a relationship where there’s open communication and a comprehensive treatment plan. To get started, schedule a consultation at www.davinciplastic.com.

Steven Davison M.D.

Board Certified Plastic/Reconstructive Surgeon

The more you learn about your breasts the better you can care for them and appreciate them. Here are some more fun facts to help you know more about your girls.

Side sleeping is best for breast shape. They even could use some pillow support while you sleep. This is just another reason that belly sleeping isn’t best for your body.

Breasts can be a breeding ground for bacteria. This happens because sweat can collect and the abundant oil glands above and between your breasts to make the area vulnerable to clogged pores and pimples. Prevent problems by wiping the area right after workouts or if you’ve been outside sweating a lot, and never staying long in sweaty bras because they can harbor bacteria that love dark, damp places.

They have growth potential through your early to mid 20s. This is especially important for younger women when considering breast augmentation. Though most breast growth does happen through the puberty years, they do continue to grow into early adulthood. How big they do get is actually determined by genetics from both parents. After the mid 20s, it’s unlikely for them to grow unless you gain weight, get pregnant, breastfeed (however they will go back down afterwards) or sometimes with birth control.

Nipples usually get darker during pregnancy. The body does this because it is anticipating breastfeeding the baby, which can better see darker colors. The darker nipple makes it a more visible target. No reason to freak out though, most women’s nipples lighten back to normal a little while after baby is born, while some may stay just slightly darker.

The creation of cleavage isn’t just based on breast size. While the larger ladies do have a cleavage creating advantage, breast shape and location on the torso also come into play. This means that the same cup size can vary in their ability to create cleavage. If the breasts are fuller in the outer breast or positioned wider apart, cleavage may not come as readily. A narrow torso, breasts set closer together or fuller in the center have an easier time creating cleavage.

Exercise can’t increase breast size, but the right ones can help their appearance. Breasts aren’t made of muscle, but they’re resting on top of muscle. These exercises can help firm up the pectoral muscles, which can slightly perk up the breasts: pushups, bench presses, dumb bell flies, medicine ball slams or pullovers. If this doesn’t provide enough of the lift and firmness you’re looking for, a Breast Lift can definitely enhance the positioning and perkiness of the breast.

If you’re considering any cosmetic surgery related to the breasts, it’s worthwhile to talk to an expert in this area. As a triple board certified plastic surgeon, I’ve had extensive training and expertise in all areas of Breast Augmentation and Reconstruction. Schedule a consultation to see how I can help you enjoy your desired breasts, by visiting www.davinciplastic.com.

Steven Davison M.D.

Board Certified Plastic/Reconstructive Surgeon

Beyond the face, the neck is one of the most visible of the body’s features that can reveal age. Fortunately, there are some effective treatments to refine and rejuvenate the neck and minimize the “turkey neck” or “double chin.” This is especially important to many people coming into the holiday season where there will be pictures and parties galore. Today I’m going to highlight 2 non surgical treatments for making the neck area look younger and that won’t take you away from your busy schedule leading up to the holidays: Kybella and Botox.

Kybella

If your concern with your neck is the double chin or bulge, Kybella could be your answer. It is a non surgical alternative to liposuction since the treatment simply involves a series of injections. They contain a naturally occurring molecule called deoxycholic acid. This natural acid dissolves fat and then the body flushes it out naturally. The extensive clinical trials conducted with Kybella demonstrated a 50% improvement in fat reduction with 2 treatments a month apart.

The injection treatment itself only lasts about 15 to 20 minutes, with a little prep time before and after. These precisely placed injections can be done on any part of the neck and can treat the largest to smallest bulge. Some people have a double chin due to carrying extra weight, yet others may be thin but have a genetic predisposition to a double chin. Also, Kybella can help to slightly tighten the skin, but it cannot remedy loose, hanging skin.

Even though Kybella is considered an “in and out” procedure, it does have mild side effects to which the degree varies for each person. While some people tolerate the injections with only a level 3 of 10 pain ranking, others would consider them more painful. Also, while everyone can return to regular activity immediately, some patients will experience some temporary swelling and redness or some soreness and numbness depending on how much Kybella is being injected in a session. The winter is actually the perfect time to hide any of these issues with a turtleneck sweater or scarf.

Botox

If your concern with your neck is the prominent vertical bands, Botox may be able to help. While it is most known for eliminating frown lines between the eyebrows or forehead, the basic function of Botox is to relax the muscles so it can be used on most any muscle groups that are contracting to create lines, which includes the neck. Over time the neck develops bands in a V shape from the platysma muscle, which can accentuate any neck bulge or waddle. Botox will relax these muscles and so good clients are those who have a prominent platysma muscle along with good skin tone.

There is no need to feel self conscious of your neck even if you want to avoid surgery and don’t have time for recovery. Kybella and Botox could be your answer to get rid of your turkey neck for Thanksgiving and beyond. Schedule a consultation to see if these effective treatments are a good fit for you at www.davinciplastic.com.

Steven Davison M.D.

Board Certified Plastic/Reconstructive Surgeon

Your precious pair can surely be assets of enjoyment and wonder. Hopefully, you’ll have your set for life, so it’s a great idea to get to know them more. Here are some facts about your bosom buddies that may be surprising.

Breasts have their own monthly cycle so there is a better time of the month to schedule your breast exam. Fluctuating hormones cause changes in breast tissue. Level hormones in the week after your period help even out any lumpiness or swelling, which makes it easier to diagnose any abnormalities. They’re also less sensitive, making the exam more comfortable.

You should be using anti aging cream on your breasts. Breasts consist of fat, milk glands and firm, connective tissue called collagen. As we age the glands shrink, collagen decreases and fat may increase. Along with gravity, this results in the drooping over time. It doesn’t help that the skin of the breasts is quite thin. This means that you shouldn’t neglect to moisturize your breasts and nipples and event can use collagen building creams to help keep the skin supple.

They weigh less than you think, but still need support. Surprisingly, with an A cup size, you’ve got about a half pound of weight all together in your breasts, a pound total for B cups, C cups add up to about a pound and a half, and about 2 pounds total for D. Even though it doesn’t sound like a lot of weight, the thin skin and loss of collagen with age, mean that it’s best to help your girls with supporting them with a bra, especially during exercise.

Nipple hair is completely normal. It’s very common to have 2 to 20 nipple hairs on each breast. Heritage, skin and hair darkness, and hormonal stages play a big part in how much hair each woman deals with. Generally, darker skin and hair on the head means more nipple hair. To remove them, waxing and plucking is completely fine, just be sure to clean the area before and after to prevent infection.

They come in different sizes, shapes and directions even on the same person. No one is completely symmetrical with any part of their body. Most women actually have their left breast with a little more tissue so it’s slightly larger. Also, nipples point in different directions and come in varying shapes and sizes.

Breast implants are more common than you may think because they can look more natural than you may realize. The statistics say that about 250,000 women get them every year and estimates are that currently 2 million women have them. While the extreme makeover cases get the most attention, most women simply wanting to go back to their before children breasts or just making slight improvements, with just a 2 cup size increase on average.

Learn more about your breasts and if you’d like to talk about improving them, schedule a consultation at www.davinciplastic.com.

Steven Davison M.D.

Board Certified Plastic/Reconstructive Surgeon

When considering Breast Reconstruction after cancer, I will guide you through the possibilities for creating the most natural, beautiful breasts. There are a couple of different types of surgery that you may want to familiarize yourself with beforehand. These are the kinds of Breast Reconstruction surgeries available through my office. Some options utilize the body’s own tissue taken from areas with a little extra, such as the abdomen or thighs, and the others use silicone or saline implants.

DIEP Flap Breast Reconstruction

DIEP stands for Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator. This technique uses excess skin and fat from the lower abdominal area. The incision is similar to the one used for a Tummy Tuck and can be easily hidden by clothing or bathing suit. Another benefit to this surgery is that it flattens the abdomen for an overall beautiful body contour. It spares the abdominal muscle and there is significantly less pain in the shorter recovery process. Since the muscles are in tact, the abdominal wall strength is not affected.

Tram Flap Breast Reconstruction

This is another technique that uses the abdominal tissue to rebuild the breasts, however the difference from the DIEP is that it does use abdominal muscle in addition to the skin and fat. The incision will still be discreet and hidden by the clothing or bathing suit, but recovery will take longer due to harvesting muscle. I am skilled in offering options within this surgery, which are to take the tissue connected to a blood supply, which is called pedicled, or not attached to the original blood supply and requires connection to a new one, which is called free flap. Both of these methods require immense skill and unique challenges. For example the pedicled technique is to avoid muscle rotation, which can create an abdominal bulge, and the free flap technique is even more intricate of a surgery as it requires successful reconnection of arteries using microsurgery.

Gracilis Flap Breast Reconstruction

This surgical technique uses excess skin and fat from the inner thigh to reconstruct a natural appearing breast. This can be done without taking any muscle, which it would then be called the Transverse Upper Thigh Flap surgery. Sometimes the inner thigh flap requires a small amount of muscle in order to assure an adequate blood supply to the flap. The muscle that’s used to do this is the gracilis muscle, which is what the surgery is named after. Unlike missing a part of the abdomen muscle, the gracilis muscle is often not missed unless you do a lot of exercises or sports mostly depending on quick changes of going side to side. A side benefit of taking tissue from the inner thigh is that it often can reduce inner thigh friction.

Latissmus Flap Breast Reconstruction

This surgery reconstructs the breasts using a flap of skin and muscle from the back of the same side as the operated breast. This living tissue is used to recreate the breast mound. It is mostly used for women who don’t have enough abdominal tissue or have had previous abdominal incisions. There are usually no complications and the blood supply is highly dependable. The use of the latissmus flap can be combined with implants.

Breast Reconstruction with Implants

Because of the familiarity with implants for Breast Augmentation, this is an option chosen by thousands of women each year who undergo a mastectomy. It is also commonly used for women who are thin and don’t have extra tissue to use. A major benefit is that this can be done sequentially under the same anesthesia as the mastectomy surgery, called immediate reconstruction. This process still usually requires 2 or more surgeries, as we will have to navigate unique issues with the skin stretching (possible loss of elasticity due to radiation treatments) and addressing scar tissue.

You can rest assured that I am using the most cutting edge and advanced techniques along with my immense experience to help guide you to the right surgical options for your Breast Reconstruction. Please schedule a consultation to discuss what might be the best option for you, www.davinciplastic.com.

Sincerely,

Steven Davison M.D.

Board Certified Plastic/Reconstructive Surgeon

One of the many considerations of breast cancer that requires a mastectomy is Breast Reconstruction surgery. This can be a time of overwhelming choices and so my goal with each Breast Reconstruction patient is to provide compassionate care and the best natural looking results possible. This is a specialty I give the utmost attention to and have developed knowledge and skills that have provided beautiful results that have been very healing and satisfying to many clients.

Why Reconstruction?

While considering being in surgery again most certainly is not appealing after going through cancer treatments, I have found that it does help empower women to regain their feelings of femininity and sense of normalcy. Most times I’m helping to rebuild a breast mound after lumpectomy or mastectomy surgery, however I can also correct previous breast surgeries and nipple replacement.

Deciding on the Surgeon

Through my many years of experience and artistry, as well as using the most sophisticated and cutting edge techniques, I can help to create natural looking breasts to enhance body shape. Breast reconstruction surgery requires a thorough understanding of the intricacies of the human anatomy, as this is not the same process as the standard Breast Augmentation. I have extensive experience and years of specialized training in Breast Reconstruction surgeries to provide my patients with the most beautiful, natural looking results possible.

Making Decisions

Working alongside your oncologist, we will patiently and thoroughly discuss your options regarding Breast Reconstruction surgery. We will cover many topics, such as the possibility of performing Breast Reconstruction at the same time as the cancer removal under the same anesthetic, or if we should wait until after other treatments.

You also have options as to what you’d like to replace the breast tissue with, including your own living tissue from an area with some extra to spare, such as your inner thigh, or implants made of silicone or saline. All of these can be used to create beautiful, natural looking breasts. The best choice differs for each individual based on many factors so we will discuss this extensively. Some of these factors are (but not limited to):

• cancer type
• stage of breast cancer
• your personal preferences
• overall health

If you’re considering Breast Reconstruction after cancer, and you’re looking for compassionate and expert care for the best results possible, please visit our website to schedule a consultation at www.davinciplastic.com.

Sincerely,

Steven Davison M.D.

Board Certified Plastic/Reconstructive Surgeon

This tried and true surgery for removing fat has proven its effectiveness over decades. If you’re looking into Lipo, there are a few ways to tell if it’s the best option for you. It may be perfect alone or in combination with other procedures for your ideal results.

WHAT IT IS:

Goodbye Stubborn Bulges

Liposuction is great for people who have already reached or are near their ideal weight yet are struggling to lose those fat bulges in stubborn spots. After getting healthy with a good diet and exercise routine, Liposuction is perfect for contouring those areas of the body with that hard to lose fat. Liposuction has these wonderful effects:

• smoothes the thighs to eliminate saddle bags or create less inner thigh friction
• lumps above or behind the knees are contoured so that this area of the leg is not prominent
• flattens out that lower abdomen to take care of fat, for example from that stubborn post baby belly pooch
• minimizes the hip’s muffin top for a more comfortable and flattering fit in your clothes
• bra fat bulges aren’t detracting from the upper body curves that should be there
• even eliminates double chin if the skin has good elasticity

Farewell Fat Cells

Liposuction permanently removes fat cells from the body so they are gone forever. This gives you a great benefit in keeping the weight off because we don’t produce any new fat cells. However, the fat cells that aren’t removed can expand, so this means it’s incredibly important to maintain a healthy lifestyle to continue enjoying the beautiful benefits from Liposuction.

WHAT IT IS NOT:

Skin and the Scale

A common misconception is that Liposuction can be used to remove fat instead of healthy diet and exercise. It is not intended as a way for you to lose weight. You might actually not see a huge difference in that number on the scale. However, you will see it in inches and how your clothes fit.

Another consideration is the elasticity of the skin. We don’t want to have loose, hanging skin left in the area where the fat was removed. If there is stretched skin from previous weight loss, and liposuction is needed to eliminate those last stubborn fat cells, it can be combined with Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), Neck Lift or other skin trimming procedure for the best body contouring results. It also can be combined with the non invasive laser treatment SculpSure to melt away small mounts of fat and slightly tighten the skin.

MAKING THE MOST OF LIPO

An additional benefit of Liposuction is that you can use the fat that is removed from where you DON’T want it and insert it to areas where you DO want it. Using your own fat is the most natural way to restore volume to the areas of your face and body that you’d like to plump up. This could be used to enhance your breasts, butt, facial features and even boost the look of your six pack or other muscles. This additional body rejuvenation can be done in the same session as the Liposuction for an overall body benefit.

So if you’re looking into Liposuction as a body contouring option, let’s talk about what it can do for you. Schedule a consultation at www.davinciplastic.com.

Steven Davison M.D.

Board Certified Plastic/Reconstructive Surgeon