Bigger, Easier, Better - LookingYourBest.com Reaches for the Next Level

LookingYourBest.com, the nationwide reference guide to a Who's Who of America's Plastic and Cosmetic Surgeons, offers more than just a bold new look with its comprehensive re-tooling. It offers an enhanced experience.

The first aspect of the new LookingYourBest.com that will surely catch the eye is the new layout and color scheme. The old, sterile layout with its pastel colors blending out to the window's edge has been supplanted by a sharp, clean page set against a rich chocolate tone, with deep rose accents and a commanding presence. In all the site wears a more focused, sophisticated feel that visitors are sure to appreciate.

The visual changes, however, belie the underlying metamorphosis that now makes it even easier to seek out doctors and procedures by multiple criteria. A simplified menu and site structure are two of the keys to the improved ease of use, despite the addition of even more data than before. LookingYourBest has long been an excellent source for finding and comparing professionals in aesthetic medicine, both locally and nationally. Now, the search function in both the gallery and surgeon areas has been simplified and visitors are treated to informative videos and 3D procedure animations to further enhance their search.

There's an important difference in the underpinnings as well, though a casual visitor may not even notice. Nevertheless, by streamlining the site's code, the programmers at LookingYourBest have sought to improve what is often the most important aspect of a web site; browsing speed. The new LookingYourBest.com loads faster and is more intuitive than ever.

Nose Reshaping Can Harmonize Facial Features

Most people don't realize that the basic techniques for performing cosmetic rhinoplasty (nose reshaping) originated from reconstructive plastic surgery. The first operation closely resembling "modern" cosmetic rhinoplasty was developed by a plastic surgeon in 1845! Since then, many refinements to the technique of nose reshaping have occurred, allowing for the wonderful results we see in cosmetic surgery today.

Stories in the media have claimed that teenagers are flocking to plastic surgeons to have their noses done, but in reality this procedure is performed very selectively. Teenagers who have the physical and emotional maturity for cosmetic surgery may undergo rhinoplasty as early as 14 or 15, or possibly older for boys. There is no upper age limit for rhinoplasty surgery, as long as you are in good health. Nose reshaping is sometimes performed in conjunction with a facelift or other rejuvenative surgery to correct aging changes of the nose such as a drooping tip.

The goal of rhinoplasty, at any age, is a natural-looking nose that achieves a harmonious balance with your other facial features. In the earlier days of rhinoplasty, patients and their surgeons tended to think in terms of an "ideal" nose, and this ideal often varied only slightly from patient to patient. Today, plastic surgeons are sensitive to the unique aesthetics of each individual's appearance. This includes factors such as ethnicity and the strength of other facial features. Some patients are looking for only subtle improvements, while others desire more substantial changes in the appearance of their nose. An important part of your rhinoplasty consultation with your plastic surgeon is the discussion of your personal goals for surgery.

A Brow Lift Can Help Restore Youthful Vibrance

People who consider brow lift surgery may have noticed the effects of age, gravity, exposure to sunlight, and the stresses of life all taking their toll on a person's face. Muscles and other tissues may slowly begin to droop, causing the patient to look tired or sad. Such factors may affect an individual's confidence, leading them to seek their own brow lift.

A brow lift can help such individuals restore youthful vibrance and energy to the face. The effects of time are virtually undone to restore an individual's face and to remove many of the effects of time and aging. Plastic and cosmetic surgeons accomplish such effects by removing a portion of and tightening the muscles and other tissues that are causing the skin to droop. This not only helps to restore the physical appearance of the patient, but also restores self-confidence and respect to the patient.

A brow lift is a very individualized procedure in which your goals should be realistically determined and discussed with your plastic surgeon. Together you will determine what specific procedures will be performed. A brow lift is often performed in conjunction with other procedures such as a face lift, nose job, or eye surgery.

What is Capsular Contracture?

Capsular contracture is the term used to describe hardening of the breast that can occur as a consequence of implantation of a breast prosthesis. It actually represents shrinkage of the circumferential scar that universally occurs as a normal response to the presence of any foreign body, or in response to injury of tissue. Any wound to the body results in a biological response to that injury that ultimately leads to healing of tissues together by scar. Without scar, injured tissues would never rejoin. When a foreign object, including a medical device such as an artificial joint, a heart valve, or a breast implant is placed within the body, the normal biological response is for scar to be laid down where the prosthesis abuts the host’s tissues.

When it comes to a breast implant, the surface area of this scar must exceed the surface area of the prosthesis for the prosthesis to freely move within the space that is occupies. If the layer of scar that surrounds the implant, which is itself like a bag or rough sphere of scar tissue, were to shrink (like “shrink wrap” on a package) then the implant would be unable to move around within that space. This results in a loss of fluidity of movement, which makes the implant feel hard to the touch. In severe cases, the breasts are distorted and tend to ride up on the chest. It can even become so hard that the breasts ache.

Plastic surgeons have studied this problem from many different perspectives and the exact cause of capsular contracture is unknown. What is known is that it doesn’t improve once is progresses to a particular degree. A classification scheme (known as the Baker Classification) has been proposed that describes different levels of severity of capsular contracture and it goes like this:

Grade I Normally soft and natural
Grade II Firm to the touch, but not apparent without feeling the breast
Grade III Visible distortion of the breast
Grade IV Severe firmness, with distortion and pain

There are no tests that can predict whether a patient is likely to develop capsular contracture. There is currently no known non-surgical treatment, like a pill or physical therapy, which will improve capsular contracture. The treatment involves surgery in which the scar tissue surrounding the prosthesis is removed or scored to open up the space so that the implant can move around. This is sometimes more involved than the original breast implantation surgery, though the recovery is usually much less painful. Unfortunately, this treatment does not guarantee that the problem will not recur.

Breast Reconstruction Options

The circumstances of individual patient can help to decide what is the best method of breast reconstruction that can be used. The goals of breast reconstruction surgery are to re-create a breast which matches the opposite breast, or in bilateral cases, to reconstruct two breasts to the patients’s desired size. During Breast reconstruction surgery. the nipple and areola are also reconstructed. It is recommended that one consult with a plastic surgeon prior to a mastectomy procedure. This allows the Surgeon and his team to plan a treatment that is best suited for each patient, even if the patient decides to wait to have reconstructive surgery at a later time.

Immediate breast reconstruction occurs when reconstruction of the beast is done at the same time as a mastectomy. The immediate reconstruction method has the advantage of usually saving the patient from undergoing at least one subsequent operation, and this has been proven to provide significant psychological benefit, as the patient never has to experience the total loss of a breast.

Delayed breast reconstruction is a beast reconstruction surgery performed at a later date. The Surgeon may recommend this method for some women, especially if radiation to the chest area is required after the mastectomy. Delayed reconstruction is appropriate for some because radiation therapy following breast reconstruction can increase complications after reconstructive surgery.

Breast Augmentation Surgery Explained

Breast augmentation is a procedure used to enlarge small breasts and create a balance for breasts of different size or proportion. Breast implants are used to add fullness to breasts that have decreased in size or begun to sag due to age or pregnancy.

Breast implant options basically can be narrowed down to two types: silicone gel and saline (or salt water) filled. Most breast enlargement procedures use saline-filled implants; although some situations still warrant the use of silicone gel implants for best results. Recent advantages in implant technologies offer options that create a more natural look than ever before.

It remains that with any elective cosmetic surgery, it is very important for women considering this procedure to be given informed consent. This means that anyone considering having permanent implantation of a medical device is made aware not only of the risks of the operation itself, but also of the lifelong risks of having implants.

Be sure to consult with a plastic surgeon, and do your research to ensure you fully understand the procedure, its risks and what to expect from the surgery. There are many excellent websites offering up information on breast augmentation. The best website I have found in my research is Lookingyourbest.com - a free to use website that provides a great amount of in depth plastic surgery information and there is even a free service to help anyone considering breast augmentation locate a skilled , experienced and qualified plastic surgeon in their area.

Body Contouring Can Help You Restore A Youth Body Shape

My mother has had multiple pregnancies in her life causing her abdominal skin to stretch and become saggy. This causes her to be very uncomfortable and self conscious about her appearance. She tried dieting and exercise to get rid of the problem but it did not seem to work at all, so she asked me to help her find a solution. I suggested a website offering information about plastic Surgery in Orange County California and she searched the website hoping that she could find a surgery to fix her problem. She learned about Abdominoplasty also known as a tummy tuck and also on that site we learned that "Tummy tuck is a surgical procedure to remove excess skin and fat from the middle and lower abdomen and to tighten the muscles of the abdominal wall." We also learned that "Women who have had multiple pregnancies and stretched their abdominal muscles and skin will specially benefit from such a procedure." My mother was very excited by this and could not wait to set up an appointment to talk to a surgeon nearby. She is now well on her way to receiving a Tummy Tuck surgery of her own.

It remains that with any elective plastic surgery, it is very important for anyone considering this procedure to be given informed consent. This means that anyone considering having permanent implantation of a medical device is made aware not only of the risks of the operation itself, but also of the lifelong risks of having implants. Anyone considering a plastic or cosmetic surgery procedure should first consult with a Plastic Surgeon to have your questions answered and gain an understanding of your chosen surgery procedure.