5 Anti-Aging Procedures Worth The Money

According to Shape Magazine the wrinkles on our skin suggest some of us have been folded a little too long. The aging process is sneaky. One day you’re a fresh-faced teenager who forgot to apply sunscreen during a long weekend at the beach and the next, you’re looking back at a reflection that reveals years of sun damage and general wear and tear. You can’t stop the clock, but, thanks to plastic surgery, you can certainly keep it at bay and look as young as you feel. If you’re interested in plastic surgery, here are five procedures that are worth the investment.

Facelift – As the face ages, elasticity and muscle tone are lost, creating sagging skin, jowls, creases from the nose to the mouth, and even the dreaded double chin. A facelift (rhytidectomy) improves these conditions by repositioning and trimming away excess skin. The underlying foundation of connective tissue is tightened as well to produce a naturally lifted look. Incisions are typically made at the temples, ear and lower scalp. Your plastic surgeon may suggest a neck lift procedure in conjunction with the facelift. This is recommended because it improves sagging skin and wrinkles at the chin and neckline.

Eyelid Surgery – They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, but as the years go by, those windows are going to need a little TLC. Eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) can be performed on the upper eyelid, lower, or both, depending upon your desired outcome.  Eyelid surgery can improve droopy upper eyelids, sagging lower eyelids, and in general, create a more well-rested and alert appearance.  

Browlift – Also called a forehead lift, this procedure aims to correct a droopy brow line and helps to smooth creases in the skin that often make a person look worried or angry. Incisions are well hidden in the frontal hairline. When complete, the browlift helps to achieve an overall smooth appearance of the face, particularly when combined with blepharoplasty of the eyelids.

Lip Augmentation – Ladies, think plump, healthy, robust lips. The lips of your youth, not the lips of a certain former soap opera star. To achieve a full, natural look, your plastic surgeon may use a safe injectable filler (popular brands like Juvederm or Restylane), or choose to use your own fat, harvested from the thighs or buttocks.

Facial Implants – Sophia Loren may have been blessed with the high cheek bones of a model well in to her retirement years, but the rest of us probably won’t be so lucky. Thankfully, chin, cheek and jaw implants can be used to create a smooth contour and improve a recessed chin or flattened cheek area.

Together, you and your surgeon will determine the type of procedures needed to achieve your desired results. As with any procedure, prices will vary and insurance does not cover the cost - so do your homework, get referrals, and always choose a board-certified plastic surgeon.

Call 954.585.3800 for a FREE CONSULTATION.

Don't have time to visit us at the office? We offer Skype meetings with our Board Certified Plastic Surgeons. 

Source: www.shape.com 

Check out this Review for Dr. Christopher Low!

Dear Dr. Low,

It is so rare to find a doctor that truly cares! I can't thank you enough for all your help through my procedure and recovery! I have never had a doctor who personally called or texted to check on me. Needless to say give up a Sunday to git me in!
What more can I say. You have exceeded my expectation as a surgeon/doctor. I just wish I found you the first go around!

Thank you for Everything!

Happy New Year!

To the Best Doctor Ever! (Trust me I have had Several)

Thanks,
Michelle


Call 954.585.3800 to book a FREE Consultation with Dr. Christopher Low
www.taksehape.info

The Human Face 100,000 Years From Now

Have you ever wondered what the human face might look like 100,000 years from now? Probably not, but scientists have already started to develop images of what our faces might look like. We sure have changed since the Stone Age where our prehistoric ancestors were mirrored cavemen. We have come a long way from then and scientists predict we will come further from where we are today.

Dr. Alan Kwan, who holds a PhD in computational genomics from Washington University in St. Louis believes ‘the fate of the human face will be increasingly determined by human tastes’.  He believes our eyes will grow 'unnervingly large' as the human race colonizes the solar system and people start living in the dimmer environments of colonies further away from the sun. Our eyes aren’t the only thing predicted to change; our skin will also become more pigmented to help alleviate the damage by harmful UV radiation outside of the earth’s protective ozone.

Dr. Kwan also predicts that people will have thicker eyelids and a more pronounced superciliary arch (the smooth, frontal bone of the skull under the brow), to deal with the effects of low gravity. The truth is none of us will ever know what humans will look like then or if the human race will survive that long but it’s funny to envision ourselves looking like this.

Images are by Artist and Researcher Nickolay Lamm.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2337804/Huge-foreheads-flat-faces-saucer-like-eyes-How-human-face-look-100-000-years.html#ixzz2nrNS3Ubf

Free Dysport at Take Shape Plastic Surgery

Take Shape Plastic Surgery in Fort Lauderdale, is proud to announce that we will be offering 3 FREE Area's of Botox to anyone who purchases 2 vials of Sculptra.

This is just another way Take Shape wants to give back to our patients this Holiday Season.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Gifting Plastic Surgery? Yay! or Nay?

Clothing, iPad's, Smart Phones. These are things we expect to see on the wish lists of our friends and family. But, a face lift? Yep, it seems that cosmetic procedures have found their way into Santa's sack.

With this trend, though, comes a warning. While giving someone a pricey surgery can be considered kind and loving, it can also come with problematic implications. Because the choice is such a personal one, gifting a plastic surgery procedure can be interpreted as meddling and insulting. If you're thinking of bestowing a loved one with the gift of physical improvement this year, make sure it will be well-received.

Gift-Giver Beware

It wasn't so long ago that plastic surgery was a hush-hush topic; something that people did but didn't discuss. But with its rapid rise in popularity and the openness with which many celebrities discuss the work they've had, the stigma has been lifted. And with that lift, we've seen the fairly recent phenomenon of giving surgeries as gifts.

Presenting significant others and family members with cosmetic procedures has become increasingly common. And it's not unusual for people to use the holiday season as an excuse to pay for a loved one's surgery. This practice, however, can rub some people the wrong way.

Surprise Surgery

When it comes to buying someone else a surgery, the worst mistake is making it a surprise. For example, giving your girlfriend a gift certificate for a breast augmentation can cause offense if she didn't ask for it. It would be like giving someone a membership for a weight loss program; it sends an obvious message that you're unhappy with their appearance. What was meant to be a present is actually an insult.

There's really no right way to offer someone a surgery unexpectedly. If you give a certificate for a specific procedure, it's very clear that you're critical of that particular part of their body. And if you give an open-ended certificate to a plastic surgeon's office, it comes across as a general affront to their entire appearance. You might as well say, "I'd love you more if your body were different."

The Right Way

Giving the gift of surgery is less problematic when it's on the patient's wish list. If someone expressly asks for a surgery, then the gift can be considered extremely generous and thoughtful. If the asker isn't able to afford the procedure on their own, receiving it as a present can be a dream come true.

Before making a purchase, remember that the choice to have a plastic surgery is a very personal one that should be made without the influence of others' desires for your appearance. In fact, I make it a point to consult patients one-on-one so that I can hear what they want for themselves, rather than what a husband or friend might want for them.

Even in this case, though, there can be pitfalls. When someone other than the patient pays, that person may feel that they have a role in the decision. So, if you decide to leave a  rhinoplasty under the tree, make sure the recipient knows that the particulars are up to them.

The best possible scenario goes as follows: You are absolutely certain that someone wants a specific procedure as a gift. Instead of you choosing a surgeon and pre-paying, tell the recipient that the choice of Take Shape Plastic Surgery, PA is theirs. In a consultation, the surgeon will be able to fully inform the prospective patient about their options, the risks involved and the expected outcomes, as well as an accurate cost. Only after these preliminary steps, should the gift be considered.

There are certainly more conventional and less awkward gifts than that of a plastic surgery procedure. A present should never result in hurt feelings or compromise of one's own desires. But, if you're still thinking about wrapping up a surgery gift certificate, make sure it's for the right reasons.

Source: www.asps.com 

Take Shape Plastic Surgery offers 3D Imaging of Patients

When communicating with your Plastic Surgeon, you want to make sure that they understand the exact vision of yourself you want to see, especially when it comes to your final outcome. While many plastic surgeon's offices do their best to come close, Take Shape Plastic Surgery takes it a step further. We now do this, by 3D imaging each patients body or face. This allows for one of our skilled surgeons to edit with the patient their look on computer, and then bring their vision to life in the operating room.  

Take Shape uses the Axis Three, the gold standard is 3D patient Imaging. The Axis Three redefines the aesthetic consultation experience by providing precise, easy-to-use, 3D patient simulation tools that generate anatomically-accurate images.  While assisting surgeons in the planning process, ultimately, these tools enable patients to visualize in 3D, using their own bodies, how they will look after surgery. 

Axis Three products combine scientifically proven, Tissue Behavior Simulation (TBSTM) engine with patented Color Coded Triangulation (CCTTM), 3D imaging technology to deliver unprecedented patient confidence.  Take Shape Plastic Surgery is dedicated to understanding patient's needs and exceeding expectations.

10 Bodily Functions That Change With Age

Like it or not, some inevitable signs of aging are hearing loss (what?), memory lapses (who?), and increased Acid Reflux, thanks to the valve at the lower end of the esophagus that begins to relax on the job, allowing stomach acid to reflux, or flow backwards. Ouch. Inconvenient? Yes. But completely normal. Here are 10 bodily functions that change with age.

1. Eyes. "Can I have a light with that menu?" Once you reach age 40, you'll notice it's more difficult to focus on objects up close because of presbyopia -- a hardening of the lens inside your eye. When you first notice presbyopia you may be able to compensate by holding your reading material farther away or holding a light to it. Eventually you will need reading glasses, multifocal contact lenses, or multifocal eyeglasses.

2. Ears. "Say what?" Age-related hearing loss, or presbycusis, is the slow loss of hearing that occurs as people get older. Tiny hairs inside your ear help you hear and hearing loss occurs when the tiny hairs inside the ear are damaged or die. About half of all people over age 75 have some amount of age-related hearing loss.

3. Sclera. The whites, well the "off whites" of your eyes. The color of the sclera changes with age from bluish (in babies) to yellowish. This is likely because of accumulation of fat in the scleral tissue.

4. Skin, especially on the neck. Wrinkles on the neck show your age, no matter how many creams you've slathered on; the neck contains thinner skin, which is more sensitive to sun damage. The muscles and skin tissue supporting the neck area are also weaker, making neck skin more vulnerable to gravity over time.

5. Knees and Hips. Degenerative joint disease affects up to 80 percent of the elderly and can be debilitating. The only good news here is that some people who have knee and hip arthritis won't have any symptoms. Oh, and there is also the option of knee and hip replacement.

6. Talk to the thumb. Arthritis of the thumb occurs at the joint found at the base of the thumb, where the thumb meets the wrist. This joint, the carpometacarpal (CMC) joint, is important when trying to grip or pinch. Thumb arthritis is more common in women than men, and increases in frequency over the age of 40 years. Anti-inflammatories, splints and cortisone injections may help, and surgery only as a last resort.

7. Memory. "What was his name again?" Normal age-related memory loss doesn't prevent you from living a full and productive life. You might misplace your glasses or find that you need to make lists more often than in the past in order to remember appointments or tasks. That, my friends, is "normal" with aging.

8. The breasts. In your 50s and 60s, hormonal changes will cause the amount of fat in your breasts to decline, which will shrink your breasts. As women go through menopause, fat will replace most of the breast tissue and cause the breast to lose elasticity.

9. The valve at the end of your esophagus. "Why can't I eat Thai food anymore?" Reflux disease (GERD) is more common once you reach middle age and causes heartburn with spicy foods. As mentioned, the valve designed to keep acid in the stomach lets it flow backward, causing the pain and burning sensation you feel as the acid comes into contact with the delicate lining of the esophagus.

10. The pelvic floor. Ladies, do your Kegels. The pelvic floor is the muscles and ligaments that support the bladder, uterus, vagina and rectum, and it starts to fail as we get older. Symptoms include problems with urinary incontinence, and prolapse of the bladder or uterus. Counter these symptoms with Kegels.