Our cosmetic practice has been expanding over the last couple of years. This has been in part because of our own growth and progression as a clinic and a provider, and also as a result of advances in the field. Historically, the cosmetic field was a surgical specialty. The tools that were available were limited; one could surgically remove something or surgically implant something. Now there are so many more choices-we can inject volume, relax muscles, stimulate collagen growth and induce skin tightening all in an office setting with very little down time and much safer than in the past.
I like the term “Body Sculpting” to describe what we are now doing at Dermacare. The term sculpting captures the artistic and creative process of every procedure. The human body as a structure is not 2-dimensional like a painting-it is 3-dimensional. It has depth to it. As we approach each person, we have to think about all three of these dimensions. Is the cheek built up or flat? Is the nasal labial fold exaggerated by loss of volume under the fold or loss of volume under the cheek? Is there extra skin that needs to be removed? Is the quality of the skin suspect? Are the breasts symmetrical? How does the back transition into the “lats”? Are we going to be able to capture the undulating definition of the abdominal rectus muscle? Can we mimic the sweep from the lower ribs down to the muscle layer and back up to the pelvic bones? Is apex of the buttock full enough and at the right level? Do the lateral thighs blend into the buttock and the lower thigh? Unlike a stone sculpturer who can only remove material or a painter that can only add paint, we now have the ability to both remove volume and add volume to extenuate the human form.
Facial fillers, such as Juvederm, were our first sculpting tool. Originally approved for use in the nasal labial fold, this product is now used to augment lips, correct cheeks, temple, brows and jowls with amazing results. With the addition of the NaturalFill procedure, we have fat transfer as new tool for facial sculpting. What we now think in cosmetics is that the face is not so much sagging with age but deflating and what is so exciting about NaturalFill fat transfer is that we now have a cost effective, safe, and long term solution to “re-inflate” the face.
Another area of concern has been the neck and jowls. Mini face-lifts have been a nice solution to this problem but this may not be right for everyone. Cost, downtime and surgical risk have caused many to look for alternatives. We have found our LifeSculpt-Laser liposuction to be an excellent solution for many. While awake we anesthetize the area, then the laser is inserted under the skin to “melt” the fat and induce skin tightening. The excess fat is the sculpted/removed. After a weekend recovery, clients are back to work with noticeable results, knowing that the results are only going to improve over the next weeks and months. In addition to LifeSculpt, we have added the BodyJet-Water Assisted Liposuction. The major benefit of this device is the ability to harvest viable fat that is excellent for the NaturalFill fat transfer.
Now we have 3 excellent tools for body sculpting. LifeSculpt and BodyJet allows body sculpting by removing the unwanted pockets of fat from the arms, back, abs, flanks or thighs. NaturalFill allows us then to put that fat back to appropriate areas. Most commonly this will be the face, breast, hands or buttock. I am thrilled with possibilities of this technology and clients are thrilled with the results.
If body sculpting is of interest to you, come in for a complimentary consultation and we can evaluate if you are a potential candidate for these body sculpting procedures.