Since time immemorial, people have striven to maintain a youthful appearance. In ancient times, certain natural substances were used because they were thought to preserve skin tone and elasticity. According to legend, Cleopatra, queen of Egypt, was a beauty fetishist. To preserve her radiant complexion, she was said to bathe in donkey’s milk and almond milk. It is also believed that she added honey and lavender to the milk, and scattered rose petals to float in her bath. Furthermore, she coerced her lover, Roman politician Mark Antony, to allow her to annex the Dead Sea area, which was renowned for the therapeutic properties of its mineral-rich waters.
Modern methods
In more current times, surgery has been used to peel back the years to make people look younger. Plastic surgery and other methods are used to tighten the skin, suck out fat, remove liver spots, tighten the chin, reduce or augment the breast, and lift the neck, forehead, mid-face or eyelids. The means to improve the appearance of one’s body include liposuction and abdominoplasty (aka tummy tuck). These invasive surgical treatments are expensive and painful. However, that has not deterred those who want to improve their appearance.
Today, technological advances are enhancing cosmetic medicine, and invasive surgery is rapidly being eclipsed by minimally invasive surgery. Advances in technology in the development of drugs, techniques, and treatment procedures have simplified cosmetic treatment and made it less expensive.
Advanced techniques
Such treatment can include small incisions or procedures such as micro-needling or fillers that merely pierce the skin. Often a less invasive or more isolated procedure will do almost as well as a more involved surgery, with the aid of a viewing scope and specially designed surgical instruments. The scope allows the surgeon to perform cosmetic surgery through several tiny openings without the need for a large incision.
These minimally invasive alternatives generally result in less pain, less scarring, and a more rapid recovery for the patient, as well as reduced health care costs. In cosmetic surgery, minimally invasive procedures use technologies such as lasers to perform procedures that once required extensive surgery and recovery time.
Today’s plastic and cosmetic surgeons have available a variety of tools and techniques that make procedures such as face lifts and eye lifts more accessible and affordable. Most cosmetic procedures are performed on an outpatient basis in fully equipped operating rooms under local or general anesthesia. Recovery times vary depending on the procedure, but the healing period is usually between one and two weeks for facial cosmetic surgery.
Ascending to a higher dimension
Dr. Eli Kalev is the manger/proprietor of the Eli Kalev esthetic medicine clinic. Board certified in esthetic medicine, he specializes in minimal invasive cosmetic procedures.
He says, “Today, as workplaces have become more stressful because older workers are competing for promotions with younger colleagues, the new world of minimal invasive rejuvenation provides the right tools to maintain a youthful and empowered appearance. Adults want to look as young as they feel and be more attractive and confident by balancing the inner and outer self.”
He elaborates, “The results are always natural, as we adapt the three-dimensional filler approach and restore volume loss. The shift from dealing with single lines or wrinkles in the two-dimensional plane to correcting the three-dimensional volume loss with dramatic results is the key factor that has catapulted the world of esthetics to a thriving industry of new filler products. Some 300 forms of injectable fillers are commercially available worldwide, with more coming on the market every year.”
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The current complexion of cosmetic treatments
Botox: Botox injections are used to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. This cosmetic treatment temporarily relaxes the facial muscles that cause wrinkles in the forehead and around the eyes.
Brazilian butt lift: This procedure involves the transfer of fat from a part of one’s body to augment the size and shape of one’s backside. Via liposuction, excess fat is removed from the hips, abdomen or thighs and is then injected into the buttocks.
Cheek filler: This procedure is designed to lift the cheekbones, add volume to the face, and smooth out fine lines and wrinkles. The cheek filler injections raise the volume of the area above and around the cheekbones.
Chemical peel: A light chemical peel removes the outer layer of skin. This procedure is generally used to treat fine wrinkles, acne, uneven skin tone, and dryness.
Chin fullness reduction: This is an injectable treatment that reduces double chins and contours the jawline.
Laser liposuction: In this treatment, a laser is used to melt away fat under the skin. The laser energy liquefies the fat in the targeted area, such as hips, thighs, or abdomen. The fat is then removed through a thin tube.
Laser skin resurfacing: In this procedure, facial skin is carefully removed layer by layer. The new skin cells that form during healing give the skin a tighter, younger looking surface
Lip blushing: This is a type of cosmetic tattooing that semi-permanently enhances lip color by depositing colored ink into the lips with a mechanical needle.
Lip injection: This procedure increases fullness of the lips by using injectable fillers.
Liquid face lift: In this treatment, dermal fillers are injected to fill wrinkles and add volume to the face to create a younger, more refreshed appearance.
Mesotherapy: This is a technique that implements a series of micro-injections of vitamins, enzymes, hormones, and plant extracts to rejuvenate and tighten the skin, as well as remove excess fat.
Non-surgical rhinoplasty: In this procedure, a filler ingredient is injected underneath the skin to temporarily change the shape of one’s nose.
Oxygen facial: Oxygen helps to hydrate the skin and encourage a healthy skin barrier. This treatment is designed to nourish the skin and promote collagen growth. In this procedure, a specialized machine jet-sprays highly concentrated molecules of oxygen into the outer layer of the skin of the face and neck. The 98% pure oxygen is infused with nutrients and antioxidants.