Over the past decade the popularity of plastic surgery has increased rapidly. This is due to many factors. Negative attitudes toward certain procedures are softening and many more people are looking to plastic surgery as an option. Alongside this comes technological advances that have cosmetic surgeons taking different approaches to hinder the effects of aging.
Many of the new techniques are classified as, “minimally invasive procedures” and the results are better for three main reasons:
- Faster patient recovery
- Less chance of complication
- Appears more natural
A lot of these new techniques utilize laser technology for both facial and body shaping. Laser technology is the newest technology and is already being used for procedures that used to be extensive surgeries with a large amount of recovery time. As the popularity of these alternative treatments increases the accessibility of the tools is increasing as well.
And it’s not just plastic surgery that is adopting these new techniques. Open heart surgeries and vasectomies are increasingly being performed with less-invasive means.
Minimally invasive surgery is performed without making a large incision like in traditional open surgery, but often with tiny openings which lessens scarring and allows for quicker recovery. For facelifts, chemical peeling and dermabrasions, which are both methods of removing the first layer of skin, were used in the past but have a higher risk of complication. One popular and quick laser treatment removes the outer layer of skin which results in the skin tightening, smoothing out and often rids of large pores and brown spots. Laser can be used to quickly and effectively improve many of the signs of aging like crow’s feet, and creasing.
On the eyelids and cheeks, laser skin resurfacing is particularly effective. These “eyelifts” have always been common procedure but has recently increased in popularity among women and men because the new technology offers quick recovery periods and a more natural look.