Getting Ready for Fall With Plastic Surgery

Inspiring Transitions

Autumn is a time of transition. The leaves fall lazily from their branches but not before changing color. The kids go back to school but not before a hefty dose of summer activities and back-to-school shopping. The air begins to crisp but not before one last blast of precious summer heat.

In Minnesota, we tend to embrace these transitions, celebrating the end of summer with an emphasis on barbeques and cookouts, while simultaneously bracing for the crisp air of winter by getting all of those coats out of storage. There are many events, therefore, that mark the passing of one season to another, and those events can be a good reminder to embrace your own transformations and transitions.

At Minneapolis Plastic Surgery, we have found that many patients are either inspired to pursue plastic surgery because of a specific upcoming event or they would like to have their procedure completed (and be ready to showcase their transformation) by a particular event. In other words, events seem to be they key here. That being the case, we thought this time of transition in seasons would be a good time to look at some events that inspire patients to embark on their own transformational journeys.

Weddings

Among the most important events, particularly for family, are weddings. Whether it’s their sister, best friend, or your college roommate’s son, people generally go out of their way to look their best for a wedding. It’s easy to understand why: weddings are about celebrating life—the promise of the future, the potential of the years to come, the excitement of tomorrow. It’s about what’s ahead, and so it can feel good to embrace that spirit of youth and spontaneity. There are several procedures that weddings tend to inspire:

• Botox Injections: Sometimes we wait until the last minute to prepare for a big event, and weddings are no different. So if you’re looking in the mirror and noticing, for the first time, a couple of new wrinkles, Botox is a great way to take care of those quickly and simply. Since there is almost no downtime with Botox, you can even get this procedure in the week leading up to the big day. In fact it’s not unheard of for entire wedding parties, particularly on the bride’s side, to schedule their Botox together.
• Liposuction: Those patients who plan on a longer timeline are often interested in liposuction. The reason for this is pretty simple: if you’re in the wedding party, you have no control over what you wear. That’s up to the bride or groom. In order to give yourself the ability to confidently strut your stuff, you may want to eliminate certain areas of fat that diet and exercise just can’t get to. Liposuction is a great way to do that while still preserving those curves that you do want to keep.

Back to School

As we mentioned earlier, autumn is that time of year when the kids go back to school. This means that autumn tends to be a great time to reward yourself—you made it through the summer, so now it’s time to begin the pampering and relaxing. There are many procedures that can be accomplished in the span of time that your children might be at school and are performed on an outpatient basis. (To be sure, you’ll want to arrange to have someone else pick up any children that might be in school). Some popular “back-to-school” choices include the following procedures:

• Mommy Makeover: This procedure is actually a combination of several procedures: tummy tuck, breast lift or breast augmentation, and liposuction, though the precise configuration will depend on the individual patient. These procedures are designed to revert some of the wear and tear done to the body by motherhood—not only pregnancy and child bearing, but also the simple trials and tribulations of being a mother every day. This set of procedures focuses on the breasts and midsection because this is where most of that fatigue can be seen. The end result is a much more youthful, vital final look.
• Chemical Peels, Fillers, Botox and Hydra-Facials: Sometimes it just helps to take a little bit of time for yourself. The chemical peels, fillers, and hydra-facials available at Minneapolis Anti-Aging Skin Care Clinic, (our full service skin care clinic) are designed to leave you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, as well as to give you more youthful-looking, radiant skin. Once the kids go away to school, we find many patients who are grateful to find an hour to focus on nothing more than relaxation and rejuvenation.

The Holidays

Autumn also tends to be that time of year when we see our extended family and friends, whether because of family reunions or because of gatherings centered around the holidays—Thanksgiving comes to mind. Many plastic surgery patients want most to look their best for their family members and those closest to them. There are many plastic surgery procedures that help those patients to make a stunning impression.

• Eye Lid Lift: As we age, our skin can relax. Some of this excess tissue invariably collects around our eyes, causing wrinkles, folds, and deep lines that not only can make you look and feel older, but that can also interfere with eyesight. Blepharoplasty—or an eyelid lift—is a procedure that eliminates much of that excess tissue, making you look more alert, content, and youthful. Many patients who are seeing family over the holidays particularly like this aspect of the procedure.
• Breast Lift: This might sound like a non-traditional way to “impress” family, but the truth of the matter is that larger, sagging breasts are often associated with older ages. One way for our patients to look young, vibrant, and full of life is to get a breast lift procedure. This procedure does not require an increase in the size of the breast with an implant, rather, it simply makes the breasts perkier and excises extraneous tissue caused by sagging. However, many patients choose to place a small or medium sized implant for that “boost” in the bra. This makes the patient look, overall, much more youthful.

We’ll See You This Fall

For all of the reasons mentioned above (and more), Fall tends to be an exceptionally busy time for plastic surgeons, and Minneapolis Plastic Surgery is no exception. So if you’re thinking about your own transformation this autumn, contact Minneapolis Plastic Surgery to schedule a confidential consultation and get started right away.

© Dr. Douglas L. Gervais, MD