Cosmetic Surgery Charleston Dr. Widenhouse Blog

Charleston, South Carolina

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

How to Get Younger-Looking Skin


Want to learn one of the secrets of younger-looking skin? One of the reasons why children have such young-looking skin is that their skin is literally younger. Our skin is a remarkable organ, constantly being shed and replaced, but as we age, that process slows and our skin cells stay around for longer, suffering sun and other environmental damage. The best solution to getting younger skin is to emulate the youth and remove dead outer skin so the more youthful skin underneath can show through.

At Port City Plastic Surgery, we offer many skin care procedures, including laser skin resurfacing, which can remove the outer layers of skin to give you a more youthful appearance. Laser skin resurfacing also stimulates your skin to produce more collagen, which is another factor in making your skin look younger.

Laser skin resurfacing is not an alternative to a facelift, but it may be an option for people with mild skin sagging, and it is an excellent complement to a facelift, correcting the fine lines and wrinkles that a facelift doesn’t correct.

If you are unhappy with dull skin that is prone to fine lines and wrinkles, laser skin resurfacing can help. To learn whether this is the right option for you, please contact Port City Plastic Surgery in Charleston, S.C. today for a consultation.

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Tuesday, May 22, 2012

When Is the Right Age for a Facelift?


A facelift is a surgical procedure for combating the symptoms of aging, one of the first and most successful surgical anti-aging treatments. There is no doubt that a facelift can serve to turn back the clock on your appearance, but when is the best age for you to take advantage of this procedure? This quick decision-making guide will help.

Do you have symptoms that a facelift will treat? First of all, you have to make sure that a facelift will give you the desired results. A facelift will treat sagging facial tissues, some deep facial folds and wrinkles, poorly defined jawline, and jowls.

Are you in good health? Once you have determined that you may be able to get good results from your facelift, the next important question to ask is whether you are in good enough health for a facelift. Recent studies show that if you are in good enough health for surgery, there is no reason why you can’t get a facelift well into your 80s.

Does your schedule allow for a facelift? Sometimes people need to wait to have a facelift until they can free up the time for the procedure and recovery, which generally requires a week off work, and may require up to two weeks for some people.

If you answered yes to all the questions above, then now is the right age for your facelift. To talk to a plastic surgeon about your facelift procedure, please contact Port City Plastic Surgery in Charleston, S.C. for a consultation today.

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Tuesday, May 15, 2012

When to Remove and Replace Old Implants


In the past, women seeking breast augmentation were told to have their breast implants replaced every ten years, but we don’t currently recommend it. Instead, it’s important to replace your breast implants when you are no longer getting good results from them. 

If you suffer a ruptured breast implant, it’s time to replace them. For saline breast implants, you will know when they have ruptured, since your body will absorb the safe saline solution, causing your breast to deflate. For silicone gel breast implants, you may not know if they have ruptured, since the silicone gel will remain in the implant or in the capsule your body places around the implant. Usually a ruptured silicone implant can be detected through a mammogram or ultrasound,

Otherwise, it’s only time to replace old breast implants when you are no longer happy with their appearance. You may have decided that your breast implants no longer reflect your personal style. Breast implants placed when you were younger may be too large or just not appropriate to your currently self-image.

Just as natural breasts do, augmented breasts can begin to sag. This is true whether the breast implants are placed above the muscle or below. Once your breast implants have begun to sag to the point that they are no longer attractive, you may want to have them replaced 

If you are thinking it might be time to replace your old breast implants, please contact Port City Plastic Surgery in Charleston, S.C.

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Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Cellulite Treatment Options


Cellulite is one of the most common problems for women who want to look good in swimsuits. Cellulite, the “orange-peel” texture created by fat under the skin, affects 80-90% of women, and a significant portion of men as well. This includes women with healthy, trim bodies and otherwise flawless skin. Weight loss and toning exercises have little impact on cellulite, which can make it very hard for women to achieve the swimsuit bodies they desire.

However, there are some treatment options for women looking to improve cellulite. The most successful treatment we have seen in our office is SmartLipo, laser-assisted liposuction. In addition to removing fat, SmartLipo’s laser can break through the small fat chambers that create cellulite. SmartLipo also stimulates the skin over the treatment area to produce more collagen, becoming thicker and better able to conceal unevenness in the fat pockets below. The manufacturer of SmartLipo has even created a new cellulite treatment technique that basically utilizes just the laser from SmartLipo. It was cleared by the FDA in early 2012 and seems to be getting good responses.

A thigh lift is not a treatment for cellulite, nor is traditional liposuction.

During your consultation, we can talk about cellulite treatment options to find the best one for you. Please contact Port City Plastic Surgery today to schedule a consultation.

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Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Will Losing Weight After a Breast Lift Affect My Results?

While losing weight after a breast lift can affect some women’s results, it will have no effect on the breast volume of other patients. The outcome will most significantly depend upon your particular body type, and the condition of your breast tissue.

Breasts are made up of two primary components: fat and gland. Fat will increase in volume as you gain weight, and decrease in volume when you lose it. Meanwhile, gland will increase in volume based on hormonal influences – such as pregnancy and puberty. However, it will not be affected by weight fluctuations.

Different patients will have a different overall amount of each component in their breasts. Patients who have more glandular breasts will find that weight changes do not affect their breasts at all, but if you have fatty breasts, you may experience changes in your breast volume as you lose weight. Certain breast lift techniques are designed to minimize this effect in patients; Dr. Widenhouse can discuss them with you in a personal consultation.

In the end, it is best to already be at your target weight before you have a breast lift performed to ensure you avoid this problem.

If you have further questions about breast lifts, please contact us today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Widenhouse. Port City Plastic Surgery serves patients throughout the Charleston, South Carolina area.

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Monday, December 12, 2011

Breathing Problems After Rhinoplasty?

The number one goal of rhinoplasty should be to maintain the ideal function of your nose, keeping your nasal passageways open for easy and natural breathing. In fact, many patients seek out rhinoplasty primarily to improve their breathing issues. Cosmetic reasons are still important, but they should be secondary; your safety needs to always come first.

While there are certain post-surgical complications that can cause breathing difficulties – including nasal collapse or a perforated septum – an experienced rhinoplasty surgeon like Dr. Widenhouse can avoid these issues through preparation and skill, producing a good cosmetic result along with a perfectly functioning nose. Some nasal congestion after rhinoplasty is normal, since swelling will take time to resolve, but it should never be permanent.

Your pre-surgical evaluation is important in this regard. The cosmetic goals of some patients may be impossible to achieve without compromising your nose’s function, or aggravating existing breathing issues. Dr. Widenhouse will discuss what can be safely achieved by a rhinoplasty with you.

If you have further questions about rhinoplasty, please contact us today to schedule a consultation with board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Brian G. Widenhouse. Port City Plastic Surgery serves patients throughout Charleston, South Carolina.

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Monday, December 5, 2011

Finding the Right Breast Implant Size

Once you have decided to move forward with breast augmentation, you will be faced with further choices relating to the details of your procedure – including what type of implants to use, the incision location, and the placement method you prefer. However, one of the most important decisions you will be faced with is selecting the right breast implant size.

Even though breast implants are sized by cubic centimeters (cc) – a metric volume measurement - you are encouraged to choose your goal cup size. Dr. Widenhouse can assist you throughout the selection process, evaluating your figure, taking into account your shoulders waist and hips, to determine the ideal proportions for your frame. He will also take into account how loose your breast skin is, since this will be a factor in your final results.

When evaluating breast implant sizes, ask yourself what type of “look” you are going for: do you want breasts that make your figure look natural and more proportionate, or are you looking to go a bit bigger? Large breast implants will not look as realistic as more moderately-sized implants, but this may not be a concern for some women. Every patient’s cosmetic goals are different.

If you have further questions about breast implants, please contact us today to schedule a personal consultation with experienced breast surgeon Dr. Brian G. Widenhouse. Port City Plastic Surgery serves patients throughout Charleston, South Carolina.

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