There are hundreds of cosmetic procedures available to help people meet their beauty goals. The American Society of Plastic Surgery lists the following as the most common:
Botulinum Toxin (Botox). Botulinum toxin is injected into the skin and blocks nerve transmission, preventing muscles from contracting and lessening the appearance of wrinkles. Recovery time from a Botox injection is generally only a matter of hours, and effects typically last 3 to 6 months.
Dermal fillers. Dermal fillers are substances that are injected under the skin to create a smoother, fuller, more youthful skin appearance. Popular dermal fillers include:
- Hyaluronic acid-based fillers, like: Juvederm, Restylane, Perlane
- Collagen-based fillers, like: Zyderm, Artefill, Cosmoderm
- Synthetic fillers, like: Radiesse, Sculptra, Silicone
- Autolgous fat injections—aka using fat from another area of your body and injecting into treatment area
- Platelet-rich plasma injections, aka the “vampire lift”—another type of autologous wrinkle filler/volumizer, whereby blood is drawn, treated, then injected into the face. The effects can last 12 to 18 months.
Skin rejuvenation and resurfacing. Various procedures like microdermabrasion, glycolic peels, laser skin resurfacing, among others can be used to correct the appearances of wrinkles, dark spots, scars, and surface blood vessels. Ask a cosmetic surgeon about what options are best suited to your beauty goals.
Spider vein treatment. In spider vein treatment procedures, a solution called a sclerosing solution is injected into spider veins to make them collapse and fade from view on the skin surface. Recovery time for spider vein treatment is only a few days.
Eyelid surgery. Eyelid surgery can be used to remove excess fat or skin above the eyes and lessen the appearance of under eye bags and wrinkles. The procedure is minimally invasive and requires on average 7-10 days of recovery time.
Tummy tuck. In a tummy tuck, excess fat is removed from the stomach and the skin is pulled downwards for a smoother, flatter stomach. Recovery times for a tummy tuck vary from person to person, but usually last anywhere from three weeks to two months.
“Lift” procedures. Lift procedures are used to get rid of excess fat, skin, or wrinkles on various parts of the body. Popular lift procedures include:
- Face
- Neck
- Thigh
- Brow
- Body
- Arm
Recovery time for lift procedures depend largely on the location.
Laser hair removal. Laser hair removal uses highly concentrated light to penetrate and damage hair follicles to stop future hair growth. It can be used on most parts of the body, including:
- Underarms
- Legs
- Bikini Area
- Chest
- Back
- Arms
- Chin
- Lip
Laser hair removal typically requires several sessions, and can cause temporary pain or soreness.
Breast augmentation. Breast augmentations use saline or silicon implants to enhance breast size. Recovery time can last several weeks to months.
Rhinoplasty. In this procedure, surgeons re-sculpt the bone and cartilage of the nose to meet the wishes of the patient. The healing time for rhinoplasty is anywhere from three weeks to one month.