Newest Trend in Plastic Surgery is No Surgery!

Reduce fat, tighten your skin and get rid of years of sun damage. Today, there’s plenty of new technology available to help you turn back the clock without surgery. The non-invasive trend in the field of plastic surgery is becoming more popular than ever, but is it a good fit for every patient? Board certified plastic surgeon, Mark Elliott, MD explains the reasons behind the popular trend and his advice to patients to help them decide which is the right treatment for them… surgical or non-surgical.

By Mark Elliott MD
and Carolynn Grimes
ThePlasticSurgeryChannel.com

Put off Surgery for Years with New Non-Invasive Procedures

“The trend right now is people are looking for something they can do that makes a big difference in their appearance but requires very little downtime, is low cost, and non-invasive,” says Elliott who practices in Meridian, Mississippi. “Who wouldn’t want to take advantage of all the new things technology has brought us in plastic surgery that can improve your appearance.  Many times I see women in their 30’s or 40’s who think they need something more invasive– a neck lift or a face lift, when all they really needs is a small tweak that can be done non-surgically.  Sometimes the patient can put off surgery for years and years to come.”

“Even though our practice is in a relatively small city, we try very hard to have the latest and greatest technology.  We have the latest version of everything that we think is proven to work for plastic surgery,”  states Elliott.

1. First on their list of latest and greatest is the Intense Pulse Light (IPL) laser. (IPL) is also known as photorejuvenation or photofacial; it’s used to treat wrinkles, sun damage, age spots and even stretch marks.
2. Next is a radio frequency laser called Exilis. These treatments can postpone or eliminate the need for invasive surgery particularly for patients with mild to moderate fat deposits and who may not be candidates for lipoplasty.
3. Finally, a cooling technology that reduces fat.  Coolsculpting is used to non-surgically reduce fat in small areas by using a targeted cooling process that kills the fat cells underneath the skin,  freezing them to the point of elimination. Your body then naturally disposes of the fat cells.

All of these devices are FDA approved and proven to work effectively in the right patient or candidate, however,  Elliott says about one-third of the people who come in requesting a particular non-invasive procedure may not be an ideal fit.  Ellliott says that’s when he sits down with the person and goes over in detail why they’re not an ideal candidate and why they may get a better result from a surgical procedure.  Elliott says when people see something on a talk show or on the news, they’ll get a rash of phone calls  into their office with questions and high hopes that they’ve found the perfect shortcut to their issues or concerns.

The most important thing in making a decision about any procedure Elliott says, is to be able to trust your surgeon to guide you in the right direction.  “I’m very honest and I always tell my patients the truth.  About half of the patients that are not a good candidate for a non-invasive procedure will go ahead with a surgical procedure if they trust you.”