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The best online guide to the beauty & cosmetic industries.
A Complete Guide To Face & Body Contouring 
The world is going through an obesity crisis at the moment and with the celebrity obsession many people are turning to surgical procedures to get the body that they want. In 2009 over 10 million Americans had cosmetic surgery which has equal trends in Australia and the United Kingdom. The five most requested procedures the world over are breast augmentation at number 1 with rhinoplasty (nose job), abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), liposuction, and facelift rounding also making the top five..
Body contouring is considered to be any surgery that alters a part of the body. It is popular with people who have had a large weight loss to remove excess skin or fat or for those that wish to lose weight.
Breast augmentation has been the front runner in surgical operations for the last 9 years and includes both breast enlargement and reduction. A breast enlargement requires an implant to be inserted that is either saline which have a silicone outer layer filled with saline liquid, or silicone gel implants that have the silicone outer layer filled with a silicone gel. With the reduction either the fat cells in the breast are suctioned out or the breast is opened and some of the breast tissue is removed. Breast augmentation can be used as a reconstructive surgery for those that lose tissue due to cancer or as a purely cosmetic procedure. Breast reduction is often undertaken for medical and psychological reasons, as chronic back pain as pain is a common side effect of having larger breasts. Childhood teasing has been found to be a major factor in those who request a breast augmentation as is low self esteem and those who suffer from body dysmorphia.
Abdominoplasty or tummy tucks are used to remove fat stores from the stomach and hips to create a more slender and firm stomach. This is the most common procedure for those that have lost a lot of weight or after pregnancy. There are two types of tummy tuck, either a complete abdominoplasty or a partial abdominoplasty. With both procedures the patient must go under a general anaesthetic. The complete abdominoplasty requires a large incision from hip to hip and another from the navel to cause a T scar. The skin is detached and some excess skin and fat removed before tightening of the muscles with sutures. Liposuction is a common procedure with a complete abdominoplasty and the incision is then sutured back together. With the partial abdominoplasty a much smaller incision is made and the skin is detached to a less extent. The skin and fat cells are removed and liposuction is used before suturing the incision. Abdominoplasties are often used in conjunction with other procedures as a combination surgery with lower body lifts, where excess skin and fat stores are removed from the thighs and buttocks or with liposuction. Recently there has been growing popularity for "Mummy Makeovers" where both abdomnoplasty and breast augmentation are performed.
"Fat modeling" is the common term for liposuction where small incisions are made in the arms, back, stomach, hips, thighs and buttocks. Fluid is inserted to help break down the fat cells, cannulas are then inserted to detach these cells and a suctioning device is used to remove them from the body. Depending on the amount of cells to be removed there are different types of lubrication and cannula that can be used. The most popular form of fluid injection is super-wet liposuction where a volume of local anaesthetic and adrenaline, approximately the same amount as the fat to be removed, is injected into the fat to contract the blood vessels and loosen the cells. Suction Assisted Liposuction uses a small cannula with an attached vacuum for suction. This is moved in a prodding motion to break up the fat cells and remove them.
Facelifts or "rhytidectomy" involves the removal of excess skin on the face and neck. An incision is made from behind one ear along the top hairline to the other ear. The skin is then detached from the tissue underneath along the forehead, cheeks and neck. The surgeon then removes excess skin and pulls the remaining skin firmly to join the incision. This is sutured into place thus tightening the skin. This procedure removes lines and wrinkles and excess elastic skin. The incision is quite large, however due to the small stitches used it is usually not noticeable as hair can grow over the scar. Eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) is often used in conjunction with a facelift and must be performed under a general anaesthetic. The blepharoplasty can be used to remove "bags" from undereyes and wrinkles around the eyes and requires incisions to remove excess fat and skin.
Remember that all surgeries involve risks such as allergic reactions, blood loss and infections. Make sure that you ask your surgeon as many questions as possible so that you are fully aware of all risks. The psychological and physical benefits definitely make face and body contouring worth it.