Do you ever wonder why people are shaped differently?  Why can you weigh the same, eat the same, work out the same amount as your friends and family, but carry your weight in different areas?  The way your body carries your weight varies by the individual based on many factors.

Do you carry your weight in your belly? Fat in the stomach area is the result of empty calories and fat from food, especially sugar and refined carbohydrates. Belly fat is carried on two levels.  One is close to the surface and the other fat exists deep within the belly.  The surface belly fat is the fat that can be successfully targeted with liposuction (laser or traditional liposuction).  The only way to reduce the kind of fat that exists deep in the belly is by losing weight with exercise and diet changes.

Do you carry your fat in your thighs? Thigh fat is commonly referred to as saddlebags.  The fat that accumulates on the thighs and in the hip area is some of the hardest fat to target with diet and exercise. Genetics and gender are strong components in thigh fat.  As you age, you burn fewer daily calories and the fat that settles in the thighs is thicker.  As the thighs become thicker, it affects the look of your buttocks.  Remove thigh fat with laser or traditional liposuction to make thighs look leaner and to enhance your butt with a more proportionate result.

Do you carry your weight in your buttocks? Genetics and genes are partially to blame for fat that accumulates in your buttocks, but your body shape is to blame as well. Bodies that are pear-shaped tend to carry extra weight in the butt area; however, if your butt is too small to bear extra fat, it may appear larger than it actually is.  It is not recommended to undergo liposuction on the buttocks.  Doing so will often create saggy skin.  However, patients who desire more fat in the buttocks are able to undergo a Brazilian Butt Lift procedure to add fat and definition to the area.

Do you carry your fat in your arms? Arm fat accrues because of too much weight gain in the body overall. The arms are often one of the last parts to gain weight because they contain fewer fat cells.  Fat will store in arms when there is nowhere else for it to go causing the arms to los definition and sag.  There are a few different procedures that can be performed on the arms depending on the amount of fat at the time of surgery.  Traditional or laser liposuction can remove the fat.  With the SkinTyte laser treatment, the skin can be tightened.  Or, a surgical procedure called a brachioplasty may be performed when a large procedure needs to be performed.

Do you carry your fat in your back? Back fat housed in the upper back, flanks, and the bra area can be hard to disguise and cause discomfort in clothing that is ill-fitted.  This kind of fat often has a genetic component, but can be reduced in the flank area through diet and exercise.  Laser liposuction is the best method to remove the fat in this area in conjunction with the laser tightening treatment.

Carrying fat in any area of the body can be addressed through liposuction (laser or traditional).  Depending on the amount of fat to be removed, surgical procedures may be combined to remove excess skin to create the best results.  Call Dr. Guanciale today to schedule your consultation 843.995.5005!  Pick which office is convenient for you - Murrells Inlet or Myrtle Beach, SC.

Sciton’s ProLipo Plus Joule laser assisted lipolysis allows you to achieve body contouring and skin tightening with fewer contour deformities, smaller incisions, less bruising and less blood loss. Traditional liposuction can be associated with prolonged downtime and side effects for clients depending on the size of the area treated and cannula used, but with ProLipo, downtime is significantly reduced. In most cases, clients can return to work and typical daily activities within a day or two after their laser liposuction treatment.

Dr. Guanciale’s Sciton ProLipo Plus Joule laser offers a minimally invasive body sculpting solution that safely removes fat with less pain, less downtime and consistent aesthetic outcomes!

A relatively painless procedure, Botox injections are virtually downtime free. Muscle actions play a big role in aging around the eyes, as contractions lead to initial dynamic wrinkles followed by more permanent lines; Botox is great for stopping crow’s-feet and the vertical frown lines between the brows, and it prevents the muscle movement that leads to fine lines and furrows. The treatment can also be used as an “injectable browlift,” to slightly elevate the brow and eliminate horizontal lines across the forehead to help the upper face look younger and more relaxed. Many plastic surgeons consider Botox to be an integral part of a surgical browlift, since its use before surgery can help relax the muscles and facilitate healing.

Just like injectable fillers, a topical anesthetic may be applied to make treatment more comfortable. Then, over a short period of time (roughly 10 minutes, depending on how many areas are being treated), your doctor will strategically place several injections. You may be red or bruised at the injection sites for up to a few days, and in rare instances, patients will report mild flu-like symptoms after treatment. Results become visible in three to seven days, and last for three to four months. Botox is not a permanent solution—you’ll need repeat treatments every three to four months. Your doctor may choose to use the treatment in conjunction with a filler to provide the best results.

** Information from New Beauty at www.NewBeauty.com **

Limited-area liposuction uses incisions so small that they’re difficult to see. The procedure can be performed under local anesthesia with oral sedation, and the shorter downtime means you could be back to work in less than a week, during which your bruising and swelling should subside.

Even though this may seem like a smaller procedure, keep in mind that it is still surgery, and all the same safety precautions apply.

Surgery entails repositioning the muscles of the forehead resulting in the raising of the brow line. The results of a browlift act like a permanent form of Botox. Laser resurfacing of the forehead at the time of the browlift can tighten the skin and erase expression lines.

Browlifts are very safe and the outcomes can be very natural.  There are a few things you should know if you are considering this procedure. Smokers need to stop before and after surgery to ensure a positive outcome and healthy healing. Following a browlift, slight asymmetry in the position of your brows is normal. Depending on your incision placement, your hairline may change slightly. Both of these conditions are likely to only be noticeable to you.

You should sleep with your head elevated for a few days following surgery to reduce swelling.  Applying cool compresses will help with the discomfort. Within seven to 14 days after browlift surgery, the stitches or staples used to close your incisions will be removed. A browlift is permanent, although you will continue to age. As an added bonus, you might also find that headaches are a thing of the past, because the muscles that cause them can no longer constrict.

If you are not looking for a long term solution such as a browlift, we do offer Botox injections!  Call today to find out more about either procedure.

Asparagus: Helps strengthen veins and capillaries and controls blood pressure. It’s also a good source of vitamins A, B and C.

Bananas: A good booster for blood vessels and great for assisting in healthy circulation, they’re also a good source of potassium, vitamin B6 and magnesium.

Broccoli: Contains alpha lipoic acid, which helps prevent the hardening of collagen caused by sugar. It’s also a good source of selenium and calcium.

Citrus: All are excellent sources of vitamin C. Orange contain methoxylated bioflavonoids, which can improve circulation and strengthen capillaries.

Oily fish: Salmon, sardines, tuna, trout and bass are all low in fat and high in cellulite-fighting proteins and minerals. Also good sources of essential fatty acids.

Pears: A good detoxifier, pears can help reduce the effects of pollutants in the body, assisting the lymphatic system. A good source of fiber and potassium, too.

Pineapple: Has an anti-inflammatory action in the body that can help fight fluid retention and aid in the healing of damaged collagen fibers. A good source of vitamin C, as well.

A:  Asymmetry – Cancerous cells grow unevenly.  So if a line is drawn through the middle of the mole the two sides will line up and look symmetrical in a benign mole.

B:  Border – Benign moles have well defined borders whereas melanoma lesions feather out into the surrounding skin.

C:  Color – Melanoma and malignant lesions are often multicolored with the exception of all black moles.

D:  Diameter – Majority of benign lesions are smaller than 6 mm.  If it is larger than a pencil eraser (about 1/4 inch or 6mm), it needs to be examined by a doctor.

E:  Evolving –  Watch for the moles that change color, raise up, get itchy or get larger.

At least 2-3 times a year check all your moles, measure or even take pictures of them to document changes.  If any question, doubt or concerns contact your doctor and have the moles evaluated.

It is not uncommon to sense a firm feeling in areas treated by liposuction. That area may experience relatively normal dimpling, asymmetry or display palpable lumps that can be felt beneath the skin. Massaging the treated area is an effective way to combat any hardening or lumps. Wearing a compression garment can help, too. The more consistently you wear a compression garment, the more positive the results.

Looking firmer is one of the rewards of liposuction, but feeling firmer could be a sign of hardening scar tissue.

If you have a liposuction or laser lipolysis procedure and notice some hardening areas, contact your physician as soon as possible.  If these symptoms don’t improve within six months after liposuction, your doctor may recommend a secondary procedure to alleviate the issue.

The lines that appear between your brows (glabellar lines) actually result from muscle movement and the passage of time. You may have heard the expression “wearing your emotions on your sleeve,” but in reality you wear them on your face. If you’re angry or annoyed, for example, you knit your brows together. Underneath your skin, your facial muscles contract, cause a pleating of the overlying skin, and then, as anyone can see, you’re frowning.

After years of crinkling and wrinkling, those glabellar lines start to linger longer and can become more pronounced. For women, whose faces tend to be more animated than men’s, and whose skin is typically more delicate, these lines may appear exaggerated and more permanent.

Fortunately, there is a way to temporarily reduce moderate to severe glabellar lines. Treatment with BOTOX® Cosmetic can visibly smooth and soften moderate to severe frown lines between your brows. An improvement can be seen within days and may last up to 4 months, although results may vary. In clinical trials, nearly 90% of men and women surveyed rated the improvement in the appearance of frown lines between their brows as moderate to better 1 month after treatment.

LATISSE® (bimatoprost ophthalmic solution) 0.03% is indicated to treat hypotrichosis of the eyelashes by increasing their growth including length, thickness and darkness.

HOW LATISSE® WORKS:

Although the exact mechanism of action is unknown, LATISSE® is believed to affect the growth (anagen) phase of the eyelash hair cycle in two ways: first, it increases the length of this phase; and second, it increases the number of hairs in this growth phase.

CLINICALLY PROVEN RESULTS YOU CAN SEE OVER TIME:

LATISSE® is FDA approved and effective. It’s a once-a-day treatment you apply topically to the base of your upper eyelashes. Patients in a clinical trial saw significant results in about 8 weeks, with full results after 12 to 16 weeks. If you stop using LATISSE®, your eyelashes are expected to return to their previous appearance over several weeks to months.

LATISSE® solution is a prescription treatment for hypotrichosis used to grow eyelashes, making them longer, thicker and darker. Eyelash hypotrichosis is another name for having inadequate or not enough eyelashes.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

If you are using prescription products for lowering eye pressure or have a history of eye pressure problems, only use LATISSE® under close doctor supervision.

May cause eyelid skin darkening which may be reversible, and there is potential for increased brown iris pigmentation which is likely to be permanent. There is a potential for hair growth to occur in areas where LATISSE® solution comes in repeated contact with skin surfaces.

If you develop or experience any eye problems or have eye surgery, consult your doctor immediately about continued use of LATISSE®. The most common side effects after using LATISSE® solution are an itching sensation in the eyes and/or eye redness.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.