In my day job, I create content, often for plastic surgeons, which makes me privy to the inside scoop on some of the non-surgical techniques that really work. In fact, this past weekend, I was down in Dallas with a group of world renown plastic surgeons discussing just this, among other things, and it didn’t feel right not to share. I mean, what are best friends for, right?
I suppose that now is a good time to discuss my views on plastic surgery. To me, it’s a totally personal choice. While I admire women like Annette Bening who let it all hang out, this is not the road that I’ve chosen to take. So far, I’ve only moderately indulged in non-surgical techniques that work like lasers, Botox™ and fillers, but trust me, when I have the cash, the excess skin on my eyes and lower jawline are goners.
Ok, now back to the fun stuff. Here are 3 non-surgical techniques that really work:
Kybella
The latest darling to hit the injectable market is Kybella which was specifically designed to dissolve excess fat under the chin. And yes, you read that correctly: dissolve as in get rid of, never come back, permanent. Currently only FDA approved for under the chin, one of the surgeons last weekend is having great success using Kybella on bra strap fat. You know, that bulge on the back that most of us hate.
The good news about Kybella is that it works. However, it’s going to take somewhere between 2-4 sessions to get your final results. The bad news is that some patients have severe bruising and swelling afterwards. Also, it can get expensive if you’ve got a lot of fat to adios. Still, most patients who’ve had it done say that it was totally worth it.
CoolSculpting
You’ve probably seen the ads for CoolSculpting claiming that it can freeze away your fat with no pain and no downtime. Bogus, right? Wrong. Turns out that for the right patient, CoolSculpting is definitely a non-surgical technique that really works. Will it deliver the same results as liposuction? No. But it can eliminate those stubborn pockets of fat on your stomach, hips, thighs and butt.
The key to a successful outcome is in managing your expectations and being patient. Again, this is a technique that requires more than one session so you won’t see your results right away. Also, depending on the number of areas being treated, it can get pricey, but it is non-surgical which means you can go out to lunch after your treatment. You know, and eat salad since a burger would be so wrong….
Volbella
As we age, our lips not only develop charming vertical lines, but they actually lose volume. Until recently, there wasn’t a filler designed specifically for treating the lips. Now there is: Volbella.
Personally, I swore that I’d never do anything to my lips because most people who had their lips done look weird (think Meg Ryan), but Volbella may make me change my tune. It has the ability to subtly add volume and fill in those fine lines around the mouth while also being long lasting (1-2 years). Recently approved by the FDA, Volbella had the surgeons last weekend very excited. Fuller lips without “duck lips”…. sounds like a good plan to me.
