Types of Cosmetic Surgery Procedures
If you are just beginning to consider one of the many types of cosmetic procedures available, congratulations.
Choosing to enhance your appearance can improve your self-confidence, inspire a healthier lifestyle, relieve pain, and more. And you are not alone.
According to the latest statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, in 2019, doctors performed 1.8 million cosmetic procedures.
Popular Cosmetic Procedures in Virginia
While the possibilities and positive reputation of the practice continuing to soar, there is a lot to learn before making important decisions about the type of surgery right for you.
And today, a growing list of minimally invasive procedures add to the options. To help you navigate your journey, let’s discuss some of the most common types of cosmetic surgery and popular Virginia cosmetic procedures.
What Are Cosmetic Procedures?
But first, what exactly are cosmetic procedures? Before even considering surgery or looking through much plastic surgery before and after galleries, make sure you gather all the information you can about the meaning of cosmetic procedures.
According to the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, “cosmetic surgery is a unique discipline of medicine focused on enhancing appearance through surgical and medical techniques.”
These procedures are elective and can be done on any area of the head, neck, or body.
In contrast, plastic surgery is defined as “a surgical specialty dedicated to reconstruction of facial and body defects due to birth disorders, trauma, burns, and disease.
Plastic surgery is intended to correct dysfunctional areas of the body and is reconstructive in nature.”
A lot of patients confuse the two, so by understanding the difference, you are already ahead of the game and know the correct path to research.
Next, we explore some of the most common Virginia cosmetic procedures, including surgical, non-invasive, and the exciting trend of “mommy makeovers.”
Surgical Procedures
As the name implies, surgical cosmetic procedures are just that—surgery. They involve cutting tissues (incisions), anesthesia, and recovery time.
While these surgeries are more complicated, they often come with more dramatic and longer-lasting results.
Dr. Kitto specializes is many of the most popular surgical Virginia cosmetic procedures.
Breast augmentation: It is very common for women to be born with small breasts or to lose volume after pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Breast augmentation is the most popular cosmetic procedure in the country and addresses sagging, small size, or a misshapen chest. The surgery involves adding a silicone or saline implant that brings fullness and shapes back to the breasts.
Patients feel like themselves again—younger, more feminine, self-confident, and comfortable in their clothing.
Face Lift: A traditional facelift benefits patients with moderate to significant facial aging.
A plastic surgeon makes small incisions around the ears and into the hairline, tightens the muscles of the face and neck, and trims the excess fat from the neck and jowls.
In most cases, the traditional facelift offers the most dramatic and long-lasting results.
A mid-facelift treats the middle of the face or cheek area.
Candidates are often in the earlier stages of aging and are unhappy with sagging cheeks and deepening nasolabial folds around the nose, but they don’t yet require addressing sagging and wrinkling in the neck and jowls.
Small incisions are made in the hairline above the ears and within the mouth, which allows the surgeon to reposition the fat pads in the cheeks over the cheekbones and tighten the skin.
Rhinoplasty (nose job): This surgery reshapes the nose, improving the appearance, or correcting breathing problems. The procedure starts with incisions made either within the nostrils or around the tissue between the nostrils.
The surgeon gently lifts the soft tissue covering the nose, sculpts the bone and cartilage to the desired shape, and re-positions the tissues.
Neck Lift: If you need to smooth lines, wrinkles, creases, and folds between your face and body, this cosmetic procedure for the neck will allow you to hold your head up high with self-confidence.
It is appropriate for anyone who wants to tighten the often-loosening neck muscles. Incisions under the sideburns, around the ear and into the hair help the surgeon lift the skin and remove fatty deposits under the chin.
Most patients go back to work after a neck lift within one or two weeks. This can also be one of the most effective procedures for double chin issues.
Eyelid Surgery: While some patients have always been displeased with the shape of their eyes, aging can significantly change their appearance. Bright, open eyes can become heavy-lidded or droopy.
This cosmetic procedure corrects the upper or lower eyelids, including under-eye bags and fat deposits. An incision is made along the natural crease of the eyelids to remove excess skin along with muscle and fat deposits.
For evidence of the dramatic results of this popular cosmetic procedure, check out the results in Dr. Kitto’s plastic surgery before and after gallery.
Mommy Makeovers
After a woman is done having children, she often desires to get her former body back. Mommy makeovers to the rescue!
This combination of surgeries aims to lift, tuck, and improve the physical appearance of mainly the breasts and abdomen.
Mommy makeovers commonly include breast augmentation along with other cosmetic procedures such as:
Liposuction: Eliminate fat in the entire abdominal region after childbirth or use liposuction to get rid of stubborn fat deposits anywhere in the body.
Liposuction is a minimally invasive procedure performed to remove excess fat through a small, thin tube called a cannula.
The fat is suctioned from the body through this tube to help patients achieve a more slender and balanced overall appearance.
Tummy Tuck: Helps remove loose, sagging skin or fatty deposits and repair stretched muscles in the abdomen. Women end up with a firmly contoured tummy once again.
An incision is made along the abdomen to separate the skin from the abdominal muscles. Then the skin is stretched away from the muscle tissue, and excess skin is removed.
The abdominal muscle tissues are tightened to provide a firmly contoured stomach and a well-defined waistline.
Labiaplasty: If you are looking for a labiaplasty surgeon in Virginia, Dr. Kitto has a wealth of experience with this trending procedure.
Often, hormonal changes, weight gain, aging, or pregnancy, and childbirth can cause the labia to appear saggy.
A vaginal rejuvenation, or labiaplasty, involves decreasing the size or altering the shape of the labia minora, the inner vaginal lips on both sides of the vagina, to give it a more “tucked in” appearance.
In some cases, it can also include sculpting the labia majora, or outer lips, or trimming the clitoral hood.
Minimally invasive (Non-Surgical) Procedures
The number of minimally invasive cosmetic procedures is increasing every year. Patients love these options because they are less risky, have little to no recovery time, and are often more affordable than traditional surgeries.
Dr. Kitto performs all of the most popular minimally invasive (non-surgical) procedures including:
Botox: Botulinum toxin is extremely popular because it is a quick and effective, in-office procedure that improves the most visible signs of aging on the face.
The injectable treatment blocks and relaxes the impulses of the nerves and reduces the activity of the muscles. Results are visible within a week of the injection and last for 4–6 months.
Commonly treated wrinkles and fine lines include forehead lines, crow’s feet, frown lines, and thick bands on the neck.
Soft-Tissue Fillers: Injectable dermal fillers like Juvederm®, Belotero®, Restylane®, and Voluma® are comprised of hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring substance found in the body’s connective tissues.
They are used to treat superficial or fine lines on specific parts of the face, such as the cheeks, temples, tear troughs, or lips.
These injections offer immediate volume and are a cost-effective way to improve overall facial aging without surgery or downtime.
Chemical Peel: Peeling involves artificially removing the outer layer of skin to speed up the body’s natural skin renewal process.
The skin grows back without replicating many of the problems that have developed during its life, such as fine lines, sun damage, or dark spots.
Dr. Kitto offers several peels including the Jessner Peel and TCA Peel.
The Jessner Peel is a medium-depth peel that contains three acne- and sun-damage fighting peeling agents designed to improve the overall appearance and health of acne-prone and aging skin—salicylic acid, lactic acid, and resorcinol.
These ingredients work together to shed damaged cells, dry out acne lesions, dislodge congestion within the pores, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and lighten hyper-pigmentation and acne scarring.
A TCA Peel is a more intensive peel that uses trichloroacetic acid to remove the old cells and stimulate growth.
Cosmetic Procedures Near Me
No matter your concern or the cosmetic procedure you are considering, as a specialist in all of the most common types of cosmetic surgery, Dr. Kitto can help.
She is a trusted plastic surgeon in Virginia and one of the most reliable and expert options for plastic surgery in the Richmond area.
To schedule a consultation, call 804-294-1777 or visit the Kitto Plastic Surgery website at KittoPlasticSurgery.com to discover additional information about all of the procedures available.
