And they’re off … Men and women are finally shedding their sweaters and long pants after a record-breaking brutal winter, and many do not like what they see. After months of neglect, a lot of bodies will need some TLC to get bikini ready in time for summer, and such medutainment shows as Dr. Oz and The Doctors will likely devote significant airtime to the hottest beach-body technologies out there.
Will you be ready?
Plastic Surgery Practice did some digging to find out what patients will be most interested in this summer.
Here’s what we found:
Cryotherapy Sizzles in Summer 2014
“CoolSculpting is the best technology that we have out there today for getting ready for beach season,” says Kiya Movassaghi, MD, a clinical assistant professor of plastic surgery at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland and a plastic surgeon in private practice at Movassaghi Plastic Surgery & Ziba Medical Spa in Eugene, Oregon. He is also the president-elect of Northwest Society of Plastic Surgeons and a board member of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS). “There is no downtime, but it takes 2 to 3 months for the results to become fully visible, and sometimes a series of treatments is needed.” (Read: Now may be a good time to start advertising CoolScupting specials.)
While CoolSculpting selectively freezes fat cells in the abdomen, back, or elsewhere, skin laxity may mar an otherwise trim bikini body, he says. For that, there’s BTL Aesthetics’ Exilis, a radio frequency modality. “For patients who don’t want or don’t need a tummy tuck and/or liposuction, CoolSculpting for fat reduction and Exilis to go after skin laxity—particularly among younger patients who have more skin elasticity—is a great choice. “
Laser-assisted liposuction is another option that hits laxity and fat in one treatment, adds Santa Monica, Calif-based cosmetic surgeon Mark Youssef, MD. “The heat generated by the laser causes skin tightening to occur from the inside out.”
Cellulite Cure?
Dimply cottage cheese thighs are definitely not hot, but Cynosure’s Cellulaze sure is. This one-and-done laser treatment is still the device to beat when it comes to getting rid of cellulite for good. As Bruce E. Katz, MD, the director of Juva Skin and Laser Center in New York City and a clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and director of the Cosmetic Surgery & Laser Clinic at Mount Sinai Medical Center, recently told PSP. “Cellulaze attacks cellulite—at its source. It works under the skin’s surface to address all aspects of cellulite (septea, bulging fat, and loose skin), whereas other treatments work over the skin’s surface and cannot address all three issues at the same time.”
Vein Vanity
In a similar vein, “the warm weather is finally here and beach season is around the corner. If you are suffering from varicose or spider veins, now is the perfect time to do something about it,” says David Glass, MD, Medical Director of the New York Vein Center in New York City. “There are several treatments available that are simple, fast and have no downtime. Sclerotherapy for spider veins,Closure Fast for varicose veins. These treatments will remove those unwanted visible veins.”
Booty Calls
No beach body is complete without a little junk in the trunk. Last year, nearly 10,000 buttock augmentations with fat grafting were performed, an increase of 16% from 2012, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). Expect to see more women wanting the head-turning, jaw-dropping Kardashian Kurve this summer.
Perky is the New Voluptuous
The ASPS reports that breast lifts grew by 70% since 2000, outpacing implants two to one. In 2013, more than 90,000 breast lift procedures were performed by ASPS member surgeons. According to the new statistics, women between the ages of 30 and 54 made up nearly 70% of the breast lift procedures performed in 2013. Many women want to be higher, not bigger up top when they sport that itsy bitsy teeny weeny bikini.
Speedo Style
Bikini bodies aren’t just desired by women. Men, too, may require some fine tuning before they hit the beach. Male breast reduction tends to grow in popularity before summer.
Also popular among men is laser hair removal—especially for those who have hair on their backs. According to ASAPS, more than 900,000 laser hair removal treatments were performed last year, up 2% from 2012. It’s the third most popular noninvasive procedure. A series of treatments is often needed for results. (Read: send out an e-blast to male patients and their partners ASAP offering laser hair removal summer specials!)
Speaking of lasers, many people don’t think before they ink, leading to an epidemic of ‘tat regret,’ especially during hot weather months when more body parts are visible to more people. The advent of Cynosure’s PicoSure laser has been a true game changer for tattoo removal. PicoSure clears tattoos in fewer treatments and in a shorter period of time with no increase in side effects. It is very effective on blue and green-colored ink.
Beach Bag Must-Have Items
What your patients put into their bodies can also have a profound effect on how they look surfside. To the rescue: GliSODin Skin Nutrients contain GliSODin®, a melon extract rich in superoxide dismutase to boost the potency of antioxidants. Some formulas help fight cellulite, trim and tone the body, and some aid in detox efforts. The detox regimen followed by the trimming may be perfect for a patient’s pre-summer makeover. (Don’t forget to make a play for judicious use of sunscreen during any and all beach season consults when you have a captive audience.)
—The Editors
