Turn Back the Clock Without Losing Time

July 11 -- Excerpt from Turn Back the Clock Without Losing Time: Everything You Need to Know About Simple Cosmetic Procedures

Chapter 1

The new age of cosmetic surgery

Fifteen years ago, cosmetic surgery was reserved for celebrities and the very wealthy. These patients were mostly women and had plenty of money and lots of free time to recover. In those days, there were no options other than procedures involving lengthy hospital stays, which were followed by seclusion and elaborate cover-up stories, and cosmetic surgery was viewed as vain, at the least, and shameful at the worst!

But these are exciting times in the world of cosmetic dermatology. Now there is a far wider choice of easily accomplished treatments that don't require lengthy recuperation. There's no need for that cover-up story, because many of these treatments are done so quickly-sometimes over a lunch hour-that no one will notice. There's no more social stigma either. Indeed, it's estimated that about 2.7 million procedures to erase facial wrinkles, like peels and dermabrasions, and 300,000 liposuctions are performed annually. So it's possible some of your friends have undergone such treatments with no one but themselves the wiser. The only tip-off may be that they look rested, more youthful, or more fit or shapely, depending on what they've had done.

In Turn Back the Clock Without Losing Time, we introduce you to the wide array of procedures that can give you a more youthful and vital appearance without the risks of general anesthesia, invasive surgery, or the lengthy downtime that are hallmarks of the past. These treatments range from chemical peels and Botox, which take only minutes, to minilifts and liposuction, which can be done on an outpatient basis, without or under local anesthesia, often without the patient ever stepping into a hospital.

But there is one very important thing to remember: the secret to successful cosmetic surgery treatment is to keep in mind that the goal of these treatments is to rejuvenate, not re-create. Performed by plastic surgeons, these are invasive procedures that require hospitalization, general anesthesia, and extensive recovery. A face-lift, for instance, requires the removal of tissue, the stretching and reshaping of skin, and the cutting of bone and muscle. Lilax, on the other hand, is a far less invasive procedure that combines liposuction, laser treatment, and a small incision. It is performed by a dermatological surgeon and entails far less risk, cost, and recovery time.