CUTTING EDGE BEAUTY

FACELIFTS & TUMMY TUCKS – A GUIDE TO GETTING THE LOOK

STORY BY Shaun Borsh

“A woman has the age she deserves” – Coco Chanel.

These days, you could add to the French fashion icon’s statement – “or the age she can afford.”

Chanel’s chic aesthetic continues to influence fashionable women more than 40 years after her death. But today’s woman has plenty of options – in addition to couture – to maintain her best-looking self, including healthy nutrition, exercise, skin care and the occasional nip/tuck.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) recently reported that minimally invasive and surgical procedures in the United States, have increased 5 percent from 2011 – to 14.6 million surgeries in 2012. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Americans spent almost $11 billion on cosmetic procedures in 2012.

“I Feel Bad About My Neck” – Nora Ephron.

Like author Ephron, who complained about her sagging neck, many women feel bad about some aspect of the appearance as they age. Although happy and confident as businesswomen, wives or partners, mothers and friends, many women prefer to camouflage an imperfection, the way Ephron donned a turtleneck. And some women prefer to tweak that one niggling physical characteristic and change it from bothersome to beautiful with the help of an aesthetic professional.

Cosmetic procedures can range from a simple injection to more drastic measures done under the care of a surgeon.

Paulina Collins, a registered nurse, opened her business, Medical Skin Therapeutics, in 2001, with Dr. Warren Ross, a member of the American Society of Aesthetic Medicine. The most popular procedures, says Collins, are simple fillers and laser rejuvenation treatments that treat the face. “When a client comes to us, we ask what’s bothering them,” says Collins, who worked as a critical care nurse at Howard County General Hospital for more than a dozen years. “Some will say they don’t like the brown spots on their skin or the puffiness under their eyes.”

Medical Skin Therapeutics also does a procedure called LipoSonix, which uses ultrasound to break down and dissipate fat cells, a procedure Collins says is best suited for those who already eat well and exercise. “This is the missing link,” she says. “It will get rid of those love handles when diet and exercise don’t do the trick.”

The goal for most clients, she says, “is to enhance their natural look. Maybe take a few years off.”

The non-invasive procedures offered by medical spas, like Medical Skin Therapeutics, rejuvenate skin, eliminating incisions and prolonged recovery. These non-invasive treatments include fillers injected beneath the surface of the skin to prop up lines and fill in lost volume.

Jane Chew, M.D., of Columbia Dermatology Center, says non-invasive procedures can be fit into a busy life. “In Howard County, a lot of women are working mothers raising families, and they don’t really have a lot of time to be on the mend. The most popular treatments are called ‘No Down Time,’ where they can get the treatment and go back to work or their daily activities the next day.”

Carey Sheahan, of Ellicott City, has undergone several injections and insists there’s virtually no pain, just the pinch of receiving a shot. She met Dr. Chew 10 years ago and began injections while in her early 30s.

Now 39, Sheahan reports, “I receive Botox for crow’s feet, usually quarterly, and I’ve had Restylane last for over a year to remove dark circles under my eyes. I’ve never experienced the redness, peeling or ‘the freeze’ you often see in satire.” Sheahan refers to a look often associated with Botox, which, after all, causes a paralysis of facial muscles.

Sheahan has developed an observation gauge, unknown to her spouse. “I usually test it by not saying anything to my husband when I’ve had it done. A week or so after, he’ll usually comment that I look relaxed. Fillers help remove my scowl.”

Plenty of procedures can do more than remove the scowl, says Dr. Sarah Mess, a Columbia-based plastic surgeon. She says most of her patients “don’t talk about mortality,” rather, “they’re mad about their wrinkles. They feel younger on the inside than they look on the outside.” One of her most popular procedures is blepharoplasty, a minimally invasive surgery that lifts the eyelids. The procedure, done in the office with local anesthesia results in “a brighter, more youthful appearance,” says Mess.

Mess also does breast augmentations and reductions, abdominoplasty (or tummy tucks) and face-lifts. For most of her patients, she says, “an artificial look is not the goal. Most want to look like a younger version of themselves and to feel confident.”

And there can also be physical benefits. Breast reduction surgery, for example, says Mess, “can be life changing for some women. Many experience back pain and other musculoskeletal aches from large breasts.” The surgery can improve these issues, as well as boosting self-esteem, she says.

Plastic surgery is not limited to women, says Mess. One of her most popular procedures, cool sculpting, has been increasingly sought by men. Cool sculpting, like LipoSonix, permanently diminishes fat cells, though with minimal bruising and discomfort, and no down time, says Mess. Women seek cool sculpting for “muffin tops, bra rolls and upper arms,” says Mess, while men generally want to reduce love handles, chest and abdominal fat. Occasionally, men also come in for abdominoplasty, she says.

While women seek tummy tucks – which helps to tighten the abdominal muscles and skin – after childbirth, a growing number of men have the procedure, she says, “after dramatic weight loss.” Mess has also seen men for breast reduction, Botox, liposuction, laser hair removal, face-lifts and neck lifts, she says.

Elizabeth Moore (not her real name), a Howard County mother, received a “Mommy-Makeover,” a combination surgery of tummy tuck and breast augmentation last spring. The physical toll from pregnancies left Moore uncomfortable with her appearance, and she sought help from Eric Chang, M.D., of Columbia Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

“I had gained weight during my pregnancies, lost it, and was left with excess skin,” says Moore. Her family enjoys playing around water in the summer months, she says, adding, “I wanted to be in a bikini again. Because I was small on top, I decided to get the breast augmentation, too.”

Moore found the initial recovery difficult. “I was hunched over for two weeks. The tummy tuck was so tight that I was in pain every time I sneezed or laughed.” But after the second week, she says, “I could stand straight and the pain eased.” Moore is delighted with the results: “It was the best decision I made.”

Pamela Wright Absher, a Columbia hair stylist, is experienced in aesthetic surgery, having undergone several procedures, with her Annapolis surgeon, including face, torso and neck surgery. “I love it. I have the ability to alter a few things I don’t like. I am blessed to have the money and am lucky to have found a doctor I trust.”

Wright Absher’s most recent and difficult procedure included a lower face-lift that raised and smoothed skin from her neck. “I cannot move my neck to the left or right in full motion. It feels like I’m wearing a noose. It’s trickier than other surgeries and longer to recover. It’s been seven months, and it continues to get better.”

Even though she endures discomfort, Wright Absher is happy with the results. “Plastic surgery is a beautiful thing,” she says. “It can make you feel better about your appearance.” But she cautions anyone looking for an ideal, “If you’re looking for perfection, you need a therapist.”

Dr. Sarah Mess admits that plastic surgery still has bad connotations for some people, an attitude that specialists in the field are beginning to address. “We are making dramatic differences in the quality of life for our patients,” she says. “It’s wonderful to see the positive effects plastic surgery can have on them.”

Dr. Eric Chang underscores the importance of American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) board certification. Even when physicians have completed all the prerequisites for the certification, he says, “there’s a good 25 percent fail rate every year,” says Chang. The ASPS, he says, “wants to make sure people are keeping up with standards.” The society requires its member physicians to perform surgeries in accredited hospitals and surgical facilities to ensure patient health and safety. *