LOVE YOUR LOVE HANDLES

NOT THIS SUMMER!

By: Dr. Rick Silverman, Fuerte Men Medical Correspondent

In the last column, you decided you wanted to have some liposuction to get rid of that problem spot that has haunted you for the past ten years—your love handles, your tummy bulge, or whatever area has been keeping you up at night. You’ve found your surgeon, all of your questions have been answered, and you’re ready to head to the operating room. What can you expect? 

I’m going to step backward just a moment before moving forward. Your fact-finding mission most likely required you to take your clothes off to be examined and possibly photographed during the course of your consultation.  

KICK IT INTO HIGH GEAR

FOR A BEACH BODY THIS SUMMER

By: Dr. Rick Silverman, Fuerte Men Medical Correspondent

Up until now, I’ve mostly touched on philosophical considerations in plastic surgery, and I’ve shared some information about minimally invasive therapies, such as neurotoxins and fillers. But it’s April, and just about now, many of us are realizing that we need to kick it into high gear if we are going to look good on the beach this summer. Of course, if it’s been years since you showed more than your ankles in public, perhaps it’s time to look in the mirror and face your fears—chest fat, a beer gut, love handles…Whatever the problem, it may be something that can be remedied safely and effectively with liposuction.

WHAT ARE FILLERS ABOUT?

Plastic Surgery Insights

By: Dr. Rick Silverman, Fuerte Men Medical Correspondent 

In my last column, I focused on the use of neurotoxins, such as Botox and Dysport, and their use in treatment of facial aging. All too frequently, an acquaintance will focus on the face of one or another celebrity with the claim that they had too much Botox, and now their face is smooth and puffy. In fact, most of the individuals in question are not suffering from overuse of these paralyzing agents, but rather, they’ve discovered “fillers.” There are a number of options when it comes to fillers, and while I don’t intend to expound on the features of every available product, I will provide some general guidelines to their use.

First off, fillers are different from neurotoxins in that they replace lost volume or provide additional volume to areas where this is lacking—they don’t cause paralysis to the muscles. As a result, motion will continue in the face of filler use, and a crease, which is softened or even obliterated, will gradually reappear or deepen over time as the filler dissipates.

THE SELF IMPROVEMENTS OF MAN:

Are You Ready For Botox?

By: Dr. Rick Silverman, Fuerte Men Medical Correspondent 

When it comes to doing things to change, and hopefully to improve your appearance, there are some minimally invasive items on the list, which are a good place to get your feet wet. Of course, I’m talking about things like Botox and Dysport, as well as a multitude of fillers, including Juvederm, Restylane, and others. These items are aimed at minimizing and correcting signs of facial aging, and compared to surgical intervention, they are less expensive, readily available, require little downtime, and work fairly quickly to give you good, albeit temporary results.

That’s right, temporary. Most of the treatments I’m going to describe provide temporary improvement and must be repeated to maintain the results. The lack of permanence has up sides and down sides, more of the latter in most instances. The primary drawback of a temporary measure is the cost, since the treatments can be expensive. Additionally, there is some discomfort involved, since the measures I’ll describe in this article involve an injection, and this must be repeated with each treatment.

Plastic Surgery 101

Modification of Appearance

By: Dr. Rick Silverman, Fuerte Men Medical Correspondent 

There are few people wandering this planet who do not at some point in their lives look at themselves and reflect on their appearance, measuring themselves against others in terms of attractiveness.  What they see and how they perceive that may differ from group to group and from individual to individual.  One person might be happy with a dark complexion, while another might prefer a fairer visage.  Some individuals want to be lean and muscular, while others prefer a slender build, and still others find strength in size, even if that means sporting a belly.  And sometimes, much of this reflection leads one to consider modification of that appearance.

There are many ways that we can change the way we look.  There are simple options like a haircut or a shave, or changing hair color, or buying new clothes.  One can use diet or weight training to reshape their body.  Some options are more involved, such as getting a tattoo or a piercing.  Some men find beauty or meaning in scars and other more permanent modifications, and they take more extreme measures.  Some are compelled to use steroids and other drugs, and others may opt to undergo surgery.  In each instance, there is some attempt by the individual to create a look that he considers attractive.  When that effort requires surgical intervention, most often the surgery is carried out by a plastic surgeon.