Treat Yourself to Beauty
by Michele Krauss

So, you’ve tied the last bow. You’ve written out countless gift tags and cards. Your tape dispenser has been pulled and prodded until it can offer no more. Your job is done, and now all that remains is the inevitable ripping and tearing of those perfectly wrapped presents. It’s always worth it in the end. The look on your loved one’s faces says you’ve gotten it right…again. Well played.

But what about you?

What do you really want for Christmas?

Our desires change through the years. When we’re young, it’s all about the toys. As adults, our secret holiday wishes take more fluid forms. An exotic vacation, a new blueprint for our home, a gourmet cooking class…but perhaps the nicest present we can bestow on ourselves is a fresh start.

Why not start the New Year looking and feeling your best?

Extended holiday vacations offer the most valuable commodity – time. And in those precious few weeks, there are boundless opportunities to take advantage of quick-recovery solutions to enhancing your appearance. You can ring in 2008 looking refreshed and ready to go, and no one will be the wiser.

Outsmarting Problem Areas with Smartlipo
According to The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, traditional liposuction was still the number one cosmetic surgery procedure in 2006. Conventional liposuction has been the go-to procedure for years when it comes to removing large areas of unwanted fat. Smartlipo, one of the latest fat-removal technologies, is gaining ground as an ideal way to treat smaller areas of flab.

Smartlipo is a minimally invasive procedure that works via laser technology. A small laser fiber is introduced underneath the skin through a tiny incision, and into fat pockets. The laser heat shatters the cell membrane, liquefying fat. The heat from the laser also coagulates underlying blood vessels, resulting in a tightening of the skin.

Stuart B. Kincaid, M.D., FACS, a specialist in Smartlipo, says it’s an ideal procedure for smaller, problem areas. “There are certain body areas like the neck, inner arm, and inner thighs where the skin tends to be thinner, less elastic, and more flaccid. That’s a nice thing for Smartlipo because it has the potential to tighten that less elastic skin more than just conventional liposuction,” he says. Although Dr. Kincaid is fluent in the nuances of Smartlipo, he prefers to merge this modern method with traditional liposuction for an enhanced result.

A growing number of cosmetic surgeons are choosing to unite these two methods, and the advantages are apparent. Smartlipo technology breaks down and liquefies fat, making it easier to suction out. Not only is unwanted fat given the heave-ho, Smartlipo’s laser heat encourages small blood vessels to coagulate, tightening skin and lessening the appearance of cellulite. Smartlipo gives patients a break from the usual bruising and swelling that accompany traditional liposuction. Those who work with computers on a daily basis have the potential to be at their desks the next day. Whether done alone or in tandem with traditional liposuction, Smartlipo could be the smoothest path to your most memorable new year.

The Eyes Have It
No area on the face seems to show age or experience more than the eyes. They’re the windows to our soul, and they have the potential of saying so much about us. Kristina Hergenrother, a mother of three from San Diego, can attest to that. “My eyes definitely tell a story, and my three boys have written most of it. They’re the reason for my laugh lines. I wouldn’t trade those for anything. But I don’t like looking tired. If I could change that, I would.”

Laugh lines aside, endless early mornings and the simple effects of aging can result in excess skin on the upper eyelids. In addition to fleshy eyelids, fluid can accumulate below our eyes to create “bags,” resulting in a tired, older appearance.

Eyelid surgery, technically referred to as blepharosplasty, is a procedure that removes excess fat from the upper and/or lower eyelids for a more youthful, refreshed appearance. Procedures can last anywhere from one to three hours. Stitches are removed two days to a week after surgery, and many feel ready to get back out in public in about a week to ten days. Full recovery from this procedure may take a while longer, and makeup can be used to camouflage any remaining redness.

Quicker Lifting, Quicker Recovery
Traditional facelifts have undergone a major overhaul in the last decade, with newer, more streamlined procedures that take less time to execute, and even lesser time to recover from. Contour Threadlifts are specially designed implantable threads used to lift sagging skin on the mid-face, forehead, eyebrows, and neck. Procedures are done under local anesthesia, and can take around an hour or more to complete, depending on how many areas are being treated. Patients can expect some light bruising and swelling, and may be able to return to their normal routines in a few days to one week.

Bring Out Beauty with a Peel
For the quickest skin refresher, you might consider going with a chemical peel. Peels use a chemical solution to remove the outermost layers of skin. They’re most beneficial for those with uneven skin tone, wrinkles, and facial blemishes. Recovery from chemical peels takes from one to three weeks.

Whatever you choose to do with the extra time this holiday season, remember that there are many options for you to look your best. Why not ring in the New Year with a new look? You’ll be the same old wonderful you, but friends will wonder how you’ve come out the other side of such a hectic season looking so amazing.