Breast augmentation does indeed allow for a rapid recovery, but with the evolution of surgical techniques we can now have a practically painless and haematoma-free post-operative period, with full mobilisation of the arms in the first 48 hours.

Taking into account that not all operators use modern techniques and methodologies capable of guaranteeing a rapid recovery, and also taking into account the tendency towards tradition and the difficulty of opening up to new concepts on the part of operators, especially those of the old school, I will try to explain what are the latest tricks used by some operators in breast augmentation surgery to guarantee a rapid recovery after the operation.

Post-operative breast augmentation

Let’s start with the scar. It is preferable that the incision area is as far away as possible from the part subject to stretching for the insertion of the breast implants. This guarantees a smoother healing because it is not subject to tension and also avoids a possible pressure of the prosthesis from the inside on the incision, with a possible dehiscence and opening of the surgical wound. From this point of view, the axillary incision is the best choice and the submammary incision the worst. Furthermore, at the end of the operation, the incision area is medicated in the operating room in a sterile environment. From a modern point of view, fully absorbable internal sutures and biological skin glue can be used. This allows the patient to shower the same day or the day after the operation. The breasts are compressed at the end of the operation to limit post-operative swelling and the formation of any fluid collections (haematomas) by the use of dressings or a support bra in the traditional technique. In a more modern perspective, a simple postoperative bandage is used, which allows the patient greater freedom of movement in the days following the operation itself. Suction drains are still used by many surgeons, but their presence requires special attention to avoid unintentional traction or tearing in the postoperative period. The choice of whether or not to place drains depends on the surgeon and the condition of the tissue. Operators who use non-traumatic techniques typical of cosmetic plastic surgery, i.e. the use of dedicated instruments such as blunt and non-cutting scleroses, a « light » surgical technique and a maniacal attention to internal coagulation, generally do not use drains in the post-operative period, especially in the case of patients undergoing breast augmentation for the first time.

Breast Augmentation Geneva

After an operation performed with modern techniques, the patient is usually immediately returned to his room, already awake. This is due to the type of anaesthesia. The use of sedation with anaesthetics, which do not leave any after-effects once the administration has been stopped, combined with local anaesthesia allows these advantages. Local anaesthesia applied to the patient’s breasts after sedation is also important after the operation as it is responsible for analgesia in the immediate postoperative period, since peak reabsorption of the local anaesthetic is reached a few hours after administration, when the patient is already in the room for postoperative recovery. Another advantage of local anaesthesia and sedation is the possibility to drink water immediately and to eat after about 2-3 hours.

After the operation, the patient will necessarily have to remain under observation in the clinic for at least 5-6 hours. Leaving earlier, after 2-3 hours, does not mean that we have managed to get the patient back on her feet and back home in record time, but it does mean that we have ignored the period during which the most serious complications can occur, such as active postoperative bleeding (known as haematomas), which can result in immediate surgical revision.

After 6 hours of surgery and after further examination, if there are no specific problems, the patient can be discharged as an outpatient or after a day in hospital with discharge the following day. This second option is usually chosen for logistical reasons or for patients who live far away from the place where they undergo the operation.

The patient goes home

After returning home, the patient remains with the dressing made in the operating room for about a week. The use of biological glue means that no dressing is needed in the post-operative period, that there is no need to dress the wound yourself between check-ups and that the possibility of wound infection is reduced to almost zero.

The bandage or anatomical bra will be worn on the breast for approximately 20-30 days. These are also intended to keep the implants in the correct position. No restrictions are required for normal activities from one week after the operation, such as driving a car. Instead, mobilisation of the arm can be performed from 48 hours after surgery with specific stretching exercises that can speed up postoperative recovery.

Post-operative breast augmentation checks

Further check-ups are usually performed after 4-8 days, after 30 days and after 3 months. The first month’s check-up is important for the smoothing of the breasts, while in subsequent check-ups the focus is on the stabilisation of the results and the disappearance of post-operative scars. In the case of subglandular breast augmentation, moderate exercise can be resumed about 20 days after surgery. However, in the submuscular technique, special attention is paid to physical exercises involving the pectoral muscle, which can only be performed two months after the operation. In both techniques, patients are advised to have early postoperative massages to accelerate the softening of the breasts, which are hard to the touch in the first few weeks after surgery. The patient is encouraged to massage daily for at least three months.

Masseter hypertrophy, i.e. an overdevelopment of the masticatory muscle called masseter, can be resolved by botulinum toxin.

1. What is this mandibular hypertrophy that causes facial disharmony and how can botulinum toxin, when injected into this area, reduce it?
2. Masseter hypertrophy: what is it and what are the functional and aesthetic consequences?

The masseter muscle is one of the masticatory muscles located on the sides of the jaw, up to the temporomandibular joint.

The increase in volume is a condition called masseter hypertrophy.

Overdevelopment of the masseter muscle can have a variety of effects, and the causes can be varied.

In some individuals, these muscles may be more developed for congenital reasons (due to the original conformation of the jaw) or they may increase due to:

• bruxism ;
• excessive use of chewing gum; and
  stress (or neurological reasons).

Causes also include excessive and involuntary use of the muscles in question, such as muscle tics, clenching of the teeth.

The lower contour of the face may be :

• more voluminous ;
• with a more prominent jaw;
  squarer face

as opposed to the normal trapezoidal appearance one should have.

These are all unsightly, less smooth and, for women, less feminine features.

The functional consequences of this condition are as follows

• frequent headaches
• disturbance of sleep at night ;
• neck pain ;
• dizziness;
• pain when chewing;
• pain in the TMJ (temporomandibular joint) area.

Botulinum toxin for the treatment of masseter hypertrophy: what are the benefits?

Botulinum infiltration is one of the most effective and least invasive solutions for controlling this physical condition of the mandibular area.

This substance is not only used to reduce wrinkles in the forehead and around the eyes, but is also recommended to inhibit the movement of the jaw muscles.

Botulinum toxin is a neurotoxin produced by a bacterium that is divided into two types.

Type A is used in cosmetic medicine, its purpose being to inhibit the release of a neurotransmitter, aceticoline, commonly used to treat dynamic wrinkles (wrinkles that form over time and are caused by repeated movements in a specific area).
Botulinum toxin treatments significantly improve the situation:

1. bruxism
2. Masseter hypertrophy;
3. TMJ symptoms;
4. facial profile (improved appearance).

This technique does not affect the ability to chew, but relaxes the treated muscle. These treatments should only be performed by a professional cosmetic doctor or plastic surgeon. The procedure consists of intramuscular micro-injections of Botox using a fine needle (a now scientifically approved procedure), which weakens the action of the treated muscle.

As the masseter muscle is thicker than in other areas of the face, the plastic surgeon can inject more doses, unlike the wrinkle removal treatment.

The result of this technique is a reduction in symptoms, a reduction in contractile activity during repetitive chewing and general benefits for the entire dental and joint area.
How long does the effect of botulinum toxin last and how many sessions should I book?

Only a doctor experienced in aesthetic medicine and plastic surgery can guarantee the patient an effective and optimal result. During the first visit, the doctor must carry out a three-dimensional study of the face by palpating the masseter area, or he may ask the patient to undergo an ultrasound scan. Treatment with botulinum toxin lasts about 6 months, and it is possible to schedule treatment several times a year. It is advisable to repeat the treatment constantly in order to reduce the hypertrophy of the masseter in the long term.

After the treatment, the patient will notice a slight alteration in muscle tone, which may last for a few days, especially when clenching the teeth. This « post-treatment » sensation is quite normal, as it means that the injected medication is having an effect in the muscle concerned. The result of the botulinum toxin technique will be visible after a few weeks.

Lip lift is a surgical procedure to reduce the vertical dimension of the upper lip and at the same time increase its volume. This surgical procedure consists of removing a small strip of skin just above the lip mucosa, creating a subversion of the mucosa itself, which gives the lips a fuller and plumper appearance.

Somewhat different from the Russian Lips, the lip lift is a procedure that needs to be carefully planned in advance; more and more patients come to the plastic surgeon after making their own diagnosis of « what to do » on the internet, but especially for procedures such as the direct lip lift, it is essential that a professional assess whether or not the indications for this type of procedure are present. In the pre-operative phase, it is essential to evaluate the smile line, as well as the length of the upper lip, which will help avoid uncovering too much of the teeth and/or excessively shortening the length of the upper lip. A lip lift may seem like a trivial operation, but if it is performed without the correct instructions, the results will be poor at best. Another important point for the correct planning of a lip lift is the assessment of any teeth along the smile line that may be rotated, out of place or in any other condition that could alter the aesthetics of the lip itself. The procedure can be performed on an outpatient basis, so the main pre-operative tests to be carried out are: blood tests and an electrocardiogram, except in the case of specific underlying pathologies.

Type of anaesthesia required

The lip lift is an operation that can easily be performed on an outpatient basis; in theory, it can also be performed under simple local anaesthesia, but to minimise patient discomfort, it is useful to combine it with a light anaesthetic sedation. In any case, shortly after the operation, the patient can go home without any problems.
The day of the operation

On the morning of the scheduled lip lift operation, the patient should go to the agreed upon location and fast from midnight onwards, even in case of local anaesthesia. He/she should wear comfortable clothes, preferably a tracksuit, and avoid wearing any make-up, while cleansing thoroughly before the operation. The procedure takes about 30 to 40 minutes and after a reasonable period of hospitalisation, the patient can easily go home.

The immediate post-operative period

At the end of the operation, the patient will not wear any medication, but there will be very fine stitches all along the edge of the lip, between the dry mucosa of the lip and the skin of the lip itself. These stitches will remain in place for about a week, but generally there is no swelling or bruising, the hospital stay is really very easy as it is a very minor procedure and there is no pain in the postoperative period either.

Late postoperative

After the removal of the stitches, the patient will not feel any discomfort, but it must be stressed that for a correct aesthetic result of the scar, a long and careful post-operative care will be necessary with different creams. 6 months after the operation, if necessary, it is also possible to carry out a dermopigmentation along the edge of the upper lip in order to better conceal the scar (which is already quite invisible).

Possible complications

Complications of a direct lip lift, if performed by experienced hands, are practically non-existent. However, this procedure, although not technically complex, can, if not properly planned, lead to excessive tissue resection, which would result in permanent cosmetic damage.

Possible alternatives to Lip Lift

The alternative to the lip lift is the indirect lip lift, also called « buffalo wings », because of the characteristic appearance of the scar below the base of the nose, which takes on the appearance of buffalo horns. Theoretically, the positioning of the scars at the base of the nose, instead of immediately above the lip, should further conceal the lip, but with this technique the eversion of the lip is minimal and above all it is not possible to carry out a subsequent camouflage by dermopigmentation.

Sculpting a face in a natural way and in harmony with the person. This term, which has recently entered the vocabulary of aesthetic medicine, encompasses a series of minimally invasive techniques that allow the face to be reshaped with fully absorbable products and without long-term effects. I will try to list the main treatments that are most commonly requested to provide some clarity.

Facial aesthetic treatments

These two treatments are very often linked. To understand why, it is necessary to understand the ageing process and how the anatomy of the face changes over the years.

The deep tissues of the face are organised into adipose compartments, i.e. fat pads that give the face its fullness and shape. With time or following significant weight variations, these structures tend to push back towards the lower 1/3 of the face, and to lose their tone.

All this means that the appearance of the oval of the face tends to change.

If we compare photos of ourselves taken at 12, 30 and 60 years of age, we will see changes not only related to the ageing of the skin, but also, for example, the appearance of nasolabial wrinkles, the hollowing out of the cheekbone or the loss of definition of the jaw line.

This is a classic example of the interconnection of the different anatomical units of the face. Likewise, treatments must be performed with these aspects in mind. With the exception of minor corrections, it would be conceptually wrong to correct the small wrinkles on the sides of the mouth without correcting the loss of zygomatic volume responsible for these furrows.

The descent of the subcutaneous fat compartments causes an « interruption » in the continuity of the mandibular line. This irregularity is normally perceived laterally to the chin. The treatment therefore consists of using a cannula to completely redefine the line. The final result is a rejuvenated face.

The Texas Face

It is possible to give projection to the chin by linear injections of filler. Poor chin projection, rather than an ageing phenomenon, tends to be associated with the bone conformation of the mandible and jaw. Aesthetic medicine can be a valid alternative to invasive surgery.

It is also possible to treat the fat in the underlying area, i.e. the double chin, with lipolytic products that are injected into the subcutaneous tissue to eliminate the fat in this area. This is an outpatient procedure that takes no more than 15 minutes. The effects start to be visible after only a few weeks, and a definitive result is obtained after about 3 months.

The final effect will be a reduction of the skin and the complete or almost complete elimination of the roundness caused by the double chin. In more severe cases, the procedure can be repeated after 3 months.

Everyone loves a long eye, that’s for sure. Seductive, deep, the « fox eye » always manages to captivate. And that is precisely why we are now talking about a real fox eye trend.

Not just make-up or well-pulled and supported ponytails: today, to achieve an eye like that of Bella Hadid, the 23-year-old model declared the most beautiful woman in the world, there are also those who think of resorting to medicine and plastic surgery to achieve the desired result.

The focus is on the eyes, with particular attention to the shape of the eyebrows and the temporal area of the face.

How to achieve the « fox-eye » effect with make-up and eyebrow plucking?

The most classic tip for a feline look? Make-up, without a doubt. There are many tips from beauty gurus and influencers that can help. Smokey eyes, elongated eyes with thin lines of eyeliner, white pencil in the lower rim of the eye to open up the look, and finding the right technique isn’t hard.

And who doesn’t like complicated make-up? Fear not, because the sexy eyebrow effect option can help you. The new trend shows us eyebrows with the typical elongated shape upwards and very straight in the first part and oblique towards the end, which gives an optical effect of lifting the temporal area.

And don’t forget the popular high ponytail: for those who want to make their eyes look even longer, this is a must.

Velvet eyes: between threads, fillers and botox

If make-up doesn’t suit you, if you’re tired of wearing the same hairstyle over and over again, a consultation with an oculoplastic surgeon could help. The surgeon is an expert in the eye area and in the search for perfect facial harmony. His opinion will be decisive in finding the most suitable solution.

The first solution to consider is that of tensor threads. What are tensor threads? These are threads made of a biocompatible material, the objective of which is an immediate lifting effect.

More specifically, the traction and anchoring threads allow the skin to be pulled upwards, repositioning it and giving the elongated effect in the temporal area necessary to obtain a « fox eye ».

The duration of the operation is usually very short and you can resume your daily activities immediately afterwards. The effects can last up to 12 months, but beware of complications.

Incorrect positioning of the wires can not only invalidate the result, but also have consequences ranging from mild infection to haematomas and seromas. Moreover, in some cases, the results can be so extreme that the patient loses the naturalness that should always characterise the human face.

It is therefore advisable to take other non-surgical routes such as, for example, the correction of the temporal area with the latest generation of fillers and Botox. This area of the face is often underestimated, even though it is precisely one of the first to suffer tissue depletion due to age.

The volume that has been lost over the years can be regained with hyaluronic acid fillers, which are injected into the temporal area using a needle technique. These are micro-injections of a specific volumising filler or a filler based on calcium hydroxyapatite. The area, regaining volume, will immediately look more lifted.

Not only that. The results can be further improved if you opt for a synergy between the filler and Botox. This substance has the ability to lift the tail of the eyebrow to open the eyes. This is achieved by injecting the toxin into the depressor muscle in this area to temporarily reduce the downward movement. The fox eye effect is guaranteed, but without losing sight of the naturalness and harmony of the face.

Cosmetic surgery and doe eyes

If you want to enter the world of cosmetic surgery to achieve the desired effect, the first operation to consider is the eyebrow lift. This lifts the outer part of the eyebrows, stretching the area between the temples and the side of the eyes.

This operation is generally recommended for people who want to make their eyes look younger, but in recent years there has been an increase in requests from younger people who want an upwardly elongated fox-eye effect.

If, on the other hand, you wish to correct a sagging area on the side of the eyebrows, a temporal lift is recommended. This is a targeted and localised procedure, the aim of which is to rejuvenate an area of the face that is not always taken into consideration, but which can radically change the look of the eyes, making them immediately more open.

Very often, this procedure is recommended in conjunction with the old and expensive blepharoplasty. Eyelid rejuvenation plays an important role when looking upwards, as excess skin prevents a relaxed area. No more drooping eyelids, but a new, fresh and attractive look. This operation is performed in a short time under local anaesthetic and allows you to resume your daily activities within a few days.

To achieve a perfect fox eye, it is necessary to operate on the temporal area and the eyebrow. If, on the other hand, you wish to change the shape of the eye, the surgery to consider is canthoplasty. This is a procedure that repositions the outer corner of the eye. Canthoplasty is used in most cases to lift droopy eyes due to old age or genetic predisposition. It usually tightens and lengthens the eye.

Now very popular in 2022, the Russian Lips technique makes lips look fuller, more defined and sensual. The use of hyaluronic acid to reshape the lips is the new trend in the world of aesthetic medicine.

Russian Lips Geneva: the new aesthetic trend

Lips are one of the most important features of the face, and having full lips can be an added bonus, giving the face a more natural and youthful appearance. In aesthetic medicine, there are many possible treatments to shape the lips and other parts of the body in a unique and non-invasive way.

The Russian lip technique consists of :

• reshaping and rejuvenating the shape of the lips
• adding volume;
• refine the features (lip contour);
  filling in wrinkles around the lips.

The desire to have fuller, plumper and more sensual lips can now be achieved thanks to innovative and highly effective techniques, thanks to the experience of aesthetic doctors who have perfected the techniques and experimented with procedures that are much less invasive than in the past.

Today, the « heart-shaped lips » technique is gaining ground, so called because it consists in giving the lips a heart shape, like the famous Russian dolls. This is possible because the Russian Lips procedure consists of raising the Cupid’s bow by vertical injections of hyaluronic acid. This technique, if performed by an experienced professional, is able to give a unique appearance to the lips, which will stand out on the face, with a harmonious result without distorting its physiognomy.

How does the Russian lip treatment work?

Hyaluronic acid is the main protagonist of this technique.

This component (already present and produced by our body) is capable of increasing the volume of the lips, correcting asymmetries and protecting the tissues from aging. Hyaluronic acid, which is used in most filling techniques in aesthetic medicine, is natural and has the task of surrounding the cells, giving elasticity, hydration and greater resistance to the tissues in which it is injected. Hyaluronic acid is, in fact, a substance specific to the body that is capable of retaining water, but which diminishes with age.

The innovative lip filling technique

Injections of the filler are made with syringes with very fine needles along the edge of the vermilion (the edge of the lip).

The result will be flat, high lips and a more pronounced cupid’s bow.

The Cupid’s bow is the small furrow between the lips and the nose, technically called the prolabium. It has no function, but is an aesthetic detail that characterises a part of the face.

So much so that many women use lipstick and pencils to accentuate it and make their lips more attractive.

The direction of the technique is vertical and perpendicular to the upper lip, but a skilled doctor may decide to remain superficial (when inserting the needle) on the lip line, or to give more volume to the vermilion.
What you should know about pre- and post-treatment.

The patient who chooses to have a lip filler, or any other aesthetic technique, to improve, modify, or simply for the desire to be more beautiful and sensual, must first know how to choose a doctor who specialises in this field. The expert aesthetic doctor will spend time with the patient to discuss the results to be obtained, explaining what the technique consists of and what the expectations of those seeking perfect lips are. Before the injections are carried out, an anaesthetic cream is applied to the area to reduce the discomfort that the filler may cause.

The duration of the medical aesthetic lip filler treatment varies from 20 to 30 minutes. At the end of the procedure, some swelling of the treated area may be felt, which may last a few days, but the desired final result will soon be clear and evident.

Immediately after the injections, and in the days following, it is advisable not to apply lipstick or make-up in general to the lips. Lip fillers last for 6 to 12 months, but this varies depending on the patient’s lifestyle. The doctor advises people who have undergone this technique not to expose themselves too much to the sun, to avoid tanning lamps and not to smoke, as this contributes to prolonging the desired and achieved effect.

Why choose lip filler for more attractive lips?

The treatment is minimally invasive, inexpensive and the result is guaranteed. It is advisable to always rely on a specialist, by getting information and carefully choosing the right medical practice, with more tests and case histories. Dr. Xavier Tenorio will be able to assess the shape and size of the lips, determine the quantity of the component to be injected and the type suitable for the desired result.

Une poitrine belle, prospère et naturelle est le désir de toute femme. Mais pour l’obtenir, vaut-il mieux recourir à l’augmentation mammaire ou au lipofilling ?

L’augmentation mammaire en Suisse reste l’une des interventions de chirurgie esthétique les plus demandées par les femmes, mais avec l’avènement de nouvelles méthodes, la question est devenue : vaut-il mieux recourir à la mastoplastie additive ou au lipofilling mammaire ?
La réponse la plus honnête est qu’il n’existe pas de vérité incontestable. Les deux méthodes présentent des avantages et des inconvénients, mais ce n’est pas sur cette base que vous devrez vous décider. Le seul moyen d’être sûr d’avoir fait le bon choix est de se fier à l’avis d’une esthéticienne médicale qualifiée, avec laquelle vous pourrez évaluer s’il est préférable d’améliorer votre décolleté par une augmentation mammaire ou un lipofilling mammaire. En attendant sa réponse, nous approfondissons le sujet.

Augmentation mammaire ou lipofilling mammaire ? Voyons les différences

La première différence, substantielle, est que la mastoplastie additive augmente la taille du sein grâce à l’insertion d’une prothèse, alors que dans le cas du lipofilling, c’est la propre graisse du patient qui augmente la taille du décolleté. Cela signifie que, alors que dans le cas d’une augmentation mammaire à l’aide d’implants, le résultat sera prévisible et stable dans le temps, avec le Lipofilling les choses seront différentes : avec le temps, en effet, la graisse injectée dans le sein sera réabsorbée, il faudra donc prévoir une nouvelle intervention dans les 3-4 mois.
De plus, avec les implants, on peut augmenter sa propre taille de poitrine en choisissant la taille désirée (bien qu’il ne soit jamais conseillé de dépasser la limite de 2 tailles), tandis qu’avec le lipofilling, l’augmentation mammaire est strictement liée à la quantité de graisse dont dispose le patient. Pour la même raison, le Lipofilling n’est accessible qu’aux patients présentant des accumulations de graisse corporelle dans d’autres zones, telles que les cuisses, les hanches et le ventre, qui, avec la même procédure, peuvent également obtenir un remodelage appréciable du corps. Au contraire, pour les femmes minces, la seule solution sera d’opter pour des implants.

Anesthésie, cicatrices et convalescence

Les différences entre l’augmentation mammaire et le lipofilling mammaire ne se limitent pas à la méthodologie adoptée pour la procédure, mais aussi à ce qui se passe avant et après la procédure proprement dite.
Tout d’abord, l’augmentation mammaire est réalisée sous anesthésie générale et nécessite au moins une nuit d’hospitalisation à la clinique, tandis que pour le lipofilling, une bonne sédation sera suffisante pour éviter tout type d’inconfort au patient.
Une autre différence entre l’augmentation mammaire et le lipofilling réside dans les cicatrices. En cas d’insertion d’un implant, les cicatrices seront situées dans le pli sous-mammaire, autour de l’aréole ou dans le creux axillaire, selon le choix du chirurgien. Avec le Lipofilling, au contraire, il ne restera rien : les petites coupures faites pour l’insertion des canules, en effet, disparaîtront en quelques jours.
Mastoplastie additive ou Lipofilling, il ne faut jamais oublier qu’il s’agit de deux interventions chirurgicales à toutes fins utiles, même si elles sont cosmétiques. C’est pourquoi il est toujours conseillé de s’en remettre à des professionnels expérimentés et à des installations certifiées.