The Beauty Part
27 Dec 2014
Injectables, partial lifts and body contouring gain favor in Boulder County
By Christine Mahoney In the old days of plastic surgery, before the mini Lifestyle Lift hit the market in 2001, the thought of elective cosmetic surgery might evoke images of Joan Rivers, Dolly Parton or Michael Jacksonmajor stars who went to extremes in their attempt to maintain youthful beauty, leaving them looking like caricatures of themselves. The work entailed the risks of general anesthesia, followed by weeks of recovery time. Today, cosmetic procedures can be so subtle and require so little down-time that it might be your neighbor, your coworker or even you electing to have some work donesometimes over the lunch hour. Procedures that are now much easier include plastic surgery like face, forehead and eyelid lifts; injectables like Botox or Dysport; and even body-contouring procedures like CoolSculpt and Liposonix. According to Andrew Goldman, M.D., a double-board-certified facial plastic surgeon who is also the medical director of Laser & Cosmetic Associates of Boulder, the Lifestyle Lift and other trademarked techniques had a revolutionary impact on the way doctors think about anesthesia for these types of procedures. Goldman doesnt perform Lifestyle Lifts, and says hes not a huge fan of the one-size-fits-all approach. Nevertheless, he says, they broadened the way the medical profession thinks about anesthesia for these types of procedures. I offer a real [deeper] face-lift in the office under local anesthesia, he says, which is still a departure from the traditional use of general anesthesia for face-lifts.Sunshine and Genetics
It was exactly thatthe chance to look younger without general anesthesiathat drew former Boulder resident Sheryl Alvarez to consider cosmetic procedures. When I looked at face-lifts that required general anesthesia, I was really concerned. I couldnt risk that, says the mother of a high-schooler with special needs. I will probably have to be her guardian for the rest of my life, and I need to be around.![beauty-part-Sheryl-A](/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/beauty-part-Sheryl-A1-225x300.jpg)
![beauty-part--Sheryl-A](/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/beauty-part-Sheryl-A-225x300.jpg)
Its Not Hollywood
![beauty-part-Upper-Eyelid-before](/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/beauty-part-Upper-Eyelid-before-300x243.jpg)
![beauty-part-Upper-Eyelid-after](/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/beauty-part-Upper-Eyelid-after-300x177.jpg)
Body Contouring: Big with Men
So, just who is electing to have this type of work done? Goldman says his patients are overwhelmingly female. One of his most popular procedures, upper-eyelid trimming, skews about 90 percent female, and about 75 to 80 percent of patients requesting forehead lifts are women. Gallagher describes his typical patient as an active middle-aged woman, but I do see an increasing number of men, especially for body-contouring procedures.![beauty-part-Abd-Flank-Before](/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/beauty-part-Abd-Flank-Before-300x252.jpg)
![beauty-part-Abd-Flank-After](/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/beauty-part-Abd-Flank-After-300x266.jpg)
How Soon Can I Show My Face?
These recovery times are approximate. Ask your doctor for more detailed information, depending on the type of procedure being performed and your bodys healing response. Injectables like Botox and Dysport: These injectable wrinkle-relaxers utilize a neurotoxin to immobilize muscles that cause dynamic wrinkles. Virtually no downtime, but some injectables containing hyaluronic acid can cause slight bruising for a few days. Body-sculpting procedures like CoolSculpt and LipoSonix: These are nonsurgical methods of freezing and destroying fat cells, which are then eliminated from the body over time. Patients can go about daily routines without taking any time off, in most cases, although some do report redness, slight bruising and temporary tingling/numbness in the treated area. Lifestyle Lift: This is a franchised face-lift procedure performed under local anesthesia. Most patients report moderate pain and discomfort for a few days, and bruising/swelling for a few days to weeks after surgery. Liposuction: In this procedure, fat cells are suctioned from the body through an incision. Although some medical providers claim little downtime is needed, this is an invasive procedure and youll need time to heal. Some doctors recommend taking a few days to a week off work.The Internet offers enormous resources for research on this subject, but be aware of promotional websites. The following site offers comments from plastic surgeons on the differences between minimally invasive and deeper traditional face-lifts: www.realself.com/question/how-lifestyle-lift-different-traditional-face-lift.
Christine Mahoney, a freelance writer and former TV anchor, is the internship/career coordinator for CUs Journalism & Mass Communication program.