LIFT' but with caution

Cosmetic surgery is entirely focused on enhancing a patient’s appearance. But the thing with cosmetic or plastic surgery is that it impacts the body immensely. And it’s important to know what to do when and when to stop. Cosmetic surgery is good when done in moderation. 

Liposuction
Liposuction is perhaps the most common cosmetic surgery that is performed in India today. It is a safe, effective outpatient procedure, but patient selection is important. There are several myths that revolve around this procedure. Liposuction cannot help you lose weight instantly. It only helps in spot reduction of fat or contouring of the body. It takes a minimum of six months for the body to recover post liposuction due to the fluid loss. After the procedure, compression garments need to be worn for best results.
The notion that liposuction can be done frequently is not true. More than one liposuction a year is not advisable, except under medical advice only. There is a downtime of up to two weeks minimum and best results at three months after all the inflammation settles.

Tummy Tuck or Abdominoplasty
Abdominoplasty is a surgical operation that removes excess flesh from the abdomen. Tummy tuck surgery works on tightening the abdomen muscles and skin, working through the layers to pull back the weakened muscle into position. This surgery should never be done before an event.  Post–surgery one should not lift heavy weights for three months. Once the surgery is done results need to be maintained through exercise as muscle tone needs to be maintained. The recovery time is two to four weeks.

Boob Lift or breast Augmentation 
Breast Augmentation involves using using breast implants or fat transfer to increase the size of you breasts. Popular myths that surround breast augmentation is that it can cause cancer. However, there is no evidence. Breast implants are safe and can tolerate pressure. The key is to go with the size that is right for you and not much bigger, as it’s not better. 

Rhinoplasty or Nose job
Rhinoplasty is a plastic surgery procedure for correcting and reconstructing the form, restoring the functions, and aesthetically enhancing the nose. Filler injections can be used for milder corrections. Nose jobs can be done with or without implants. Ideally, the nose must be corrected at one go as continuos nose jobs will result in thinning of the bone, making the nose weak. Post surgery, the downtime for rhinoplasty is about two weeks.

Brow Lift
A brow lift is a cosmetic surgery procedure used to elevate a drooping eyebrow. By 50s, most people notice a descent in the brows and this is the ideal time for a brow lift. The brows need to be positioned to suit your face and according to the beauty laws. Higher brows are not always better.  

—The writer is a cosmetic dermatologist.