Smart Beauty Guide Blog

• The Low Down on Medium/High Grade Chemical Peels  

  • By Jenny Isenman

  

  Recently, I wrote about low grade chemical peels - the kind you could get over your lunch break. You know, the gateway peels? Now it’s time to pull out the big guns. Higher grade chemical peels can actually be a less pricey alternative to popular laser treatments, which is why it’s nice to know what they’re about and if you’re ready for one. 

  Unlike low grade peels, these peels have downtime that lasts longer than a coffee date and they require some aftercare. 

  Medium grade peels: (TCA Peels 35% +, Glycolic Acid Above 75% +) 

• Lower Body Lift: What is it? And Is it Right for you? 

  • By Mary Cunningham

  

  A lower body lift expeditiously improves the shape of the entire lower body after significant weight loss. These procedures are long, complicated and most of the time requires overnight stays. This massive surgery is performed in one fell swoop and includes a combination of procedures executed simultaneously that result in the following:  

• Botox, Dysport or Xeomin: Are all Botulinum Toxin-Based Injectables Created Equal?  

  • By Melissa Chapman

  

  Being over 40, I’ve been invited to my share of Botox parties - AKA ‘Come to my house, get a shot of Botox and then we’ll celebrate with champagne!’ parties. Everyone and their mother (especially their mothers) swear by the power of Botox and its almost magical ability to shave years off your forehead, eyes and mouth. In my opinion Botox seems to be my generation’s temporary fountain of youth. 

• Plastic Surgery: What’s age got to do with it? 

  • By Mary Cunningham

  

  Most of us agree that age isn’t a number - it’s a mindset. We hope that our old age will be illustrated through earned wisdom and the care we’ve shown our bodies, not the number on our driver’s license.  

  Yet, no matter how much we tend to our physical self, there may still come a time when professional help is needed to get the exterior to match our inner sense of youth. From Botox to facelifts, eye surgery to skin tightening, procedures abound to get our physical appearance to reflect our youthful spirit. 

• Everyone is Getting Nipped, Tucked or Injected 

  • By Bryce Gruber

  

  If more than $13.5 billion seems like a huge amount of dough for plastic surgery and the varied aesthetic procedures that are offered by plastic surgeons, good— it should, because it’s the highest number ever reported by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS). 

• The Corset Body Lift Can be a Game Changer after Massive Weight Loss 

  • By Melissa Chapman

  

  Massive weight loss is an amazing accomplishment, regardless of how it is achieved, (surgery, diet, exercise or combination thereof). Of course, those of us who have not undergone such an extreme weight loss could not possibly fathom its after-effects. I know I’ve watched reality shows like Extreme Weight Loss and been stupefied by the amount of excess skin that a person is left with after meeting their weight loss goals. 

• Breast Feeding with Breast Implants - Is it Possible? 

  • By Mary Cunningham

  

  Like many others, I’ve been under the assumption that breast implants impeded the ability to breastfeed. My mother took this into account when she got her implants in the 1980s, after my little brother had moved on to solid food.  

  Thanks to a lot of scientific improvements since then, and with informative guidance in a recent article by What to Expect(R), I learned that yes, it’s still possible to nourish a newborn with your own breasts, even after augmentation.  

• Does Choosing Cosmetic Surgery (Particularly a ‘Mommy Makeover’) Send the Wrong Message to Our Kids? 

  • By Melissa Chapman

  

  If anyone knows a thing or two about putting the needs of others before their own, it is a mother. As one myself, I basically handed over my body when I decided to take on the awesome responsibility of getting pregnant. I swore off coffee, shellfish, I only slept on my side, I quit wine, and well, I essentially became the crankiest and most anxious version of myself for the 10 months of pregnancy and the six months following since I chose to breastfeed. 

• The Most Discreet Procedures to Create a Whole New Look 

  • By Mary Cunningham

  

  Spending as much time as I do researching and writing about plastic surgery, I’ve come to understand the intricacies of a lot of major procedures. Recovery times, complications, and all other aspects of the process are not to be taken lightly, despite being safe. Surgery is a commitment. Those of us new to plastic surgery may think that achieving a big aesthetic change requires one of those major procedures. 

  Not necessarily. 

• Protect Yourself: Sunscreen is Important in the Winter, Too! 

  • By Aly Walansky

  

  We know that during our summer excursions to the beach, protecting ourselves from the sun is a must. (I mean, we all know that now, right???) But how many of us are considering the same in winter? I can assure you - not nearly enough, despite the fact that the risks of the sun never go away. In fact, there are some unique threats during the winter that most of us are completely unaware of!