By Lyndsey Smith

Posted: 15th April 2013 13:47

More and more, people are turning to cosmetic surgery to improve the appearance of some aspect of their body and increase their self esteem.  Choosing to undergo a procedure to reduce wrinkles can make you feel better about your age or having your teeth altered can make smiling easier.  Now is the time to become a new you. 
 
Eliminate Wrinkles
 
Wrinkles are one of the main signs of ageing but there are now procedures to reduce their appearance.  There are different types of wrinkles with different treatments available.  One of the most well known treatments is Botox injections which relax muscles in the face and block the nerve impulses which stop the wrinkles forming.  The procedure is relatively quick with the results taking a couple of days to appear but lasting an average of four months.
 
Other treatments for wrinkles include laser therapy which uses lasers to remove the top layer of skin and stimulate new skin growth, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.  A chemical peel can also be used to remove the top lasers of skin reduces the appearance of wrinkles.  The practice of fat transfer can also be used to reduce facial wrinkles, fat is taken from one part of the body, usually the abdomen or hips, and then injected to approve the contours of the face.
 
There is also the option of a facelift to make the skin appear more youthful.  Facelifts can be done both surgically and non-surgically with different types of facelift procedures available that produce different results.
 
Hair Transplant
 
Hair transplants are used to treat both male and female pattern baldness.  One procedure is the Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) method of hair transplanting has moved away from previous types of procedure and is less invasive.  In this method healthy hair follicles are plucked from the head and then re-implanting them into incisions.  The procedure can take the length of a morning or afternoon to complete and leaves the patient with minimal scarring.
 
Another method is micrografting sometimes called micro hair transplanting, where a strip of hair is removed from the back of the scalp and the hair follicles are then implanted into the affected area.  After the treatment new hair will begin to grow between three and six months after the procedure. 
 
Liposuction
 
Liposuction sometimes called lipoplasty or liposculpture is the removal of fat from the body, most commonly from the hips, thighs and abdomen.  It is not designed for a way of controlling weight but as a way to remove small pockets of fat that diet and exercise cant.  Unless a large amount of fat is being removed patients can usually have the procedure completed within a day with no overnight stay needed.  The length of time taken also relates to the amount of fat being removed but the procedure but on average lasts between one and three hours.  The affects should last a relatively long time as the body does not replace the fat cells that have been removed.
 
The area being treated is likely to be placed under local anaesthetic but if a large area is being treated general anaesthetic could be used.  An injection of salty water, local anaesthetic and adrenaline is injected into the area to help reduce bleeding and swelling and makes the fat easier to remove.  The fat is removed via a metal tube inserted under the skin and the fat is removed via a vacuum pump. 
 
Teeth and Gums
 
There are a number of procedures now available to improve the appearance of teeth and gums.  Teeth whitening can be completed in just a couple of hours using the laser method.  This technique involves using a peroxide based gel and a laser to bleach the teeth resulting in a much whiter smile.
Another way improve your smile is with the use of veneers, thin pieces of porcelain or ceramic that are cemented over existing teeth to give a them a more even appearance.  Lumineers are also available similar to veneers they are thinner with very little preparation of the teeth needed before they can be fitted. 
 
The appearance of gums can also be changed via gum contouring, a procedure that reduces the amount the gum that covers the surface of the teeth.  The gum is usually reduced through the use of a scalpel but newer techniques using lasers have started to emerge.  The procedure is usually very quick and the use of local anaesthetic means that pain is kept to minimum.
 
A New Nose
 
Another common procedure is nose reshaping or rhinoplasty, it can be used both to reduce (reduction rhinoplasty) and increase (augmented rhinoplasty) the size of the nose.  The bridge, nostrils and the tip of the nose can all be altered in this type of surgery.  The nose has usually fully developed by the age of 16 and it is one of the most common body features people are unhappy with.  The surgery can take up to three hours to complete. 
 
In reduction rhinoplasty part of the bone in the nose is either removed or rearranged to create the shape requested by the patient.  The skin on the nose will not need to be changed as it will naturally alter to the new shape of the nose.  In augmented rhinoplasty a graft may be required to build up the nose to form its new shape.  This graft could be taken from a bone in the elbow or hip.  An artificial implant can also be used.  Rhinoplasty can make a subtle difference to your appearance but can make a huge difference to how you feel about your body. 
 
Finding a Good Cosmetic Surgeon
 
The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) recommends getting information about cosmetic surgery from your doctor as they are able to give you more detailed information on whether the surgical procedure you are considering is the right one for you.  They should also have contact details for registered cosmetic surgeons. 
 
Round Up
 
 For many cosmetic surgery has become a way to boost self esteem by changing something about their body that has never appealed to them.  Some of these procedures are minimally invasive and take just a few hours to get the results wanted but others can take up to months to recover from and so strong consideration is recommended before undergoing a procedure.