Alcohol & Plastic Surgery: Just Say No

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It can be a hard thing to give up your nightly glass of wine with dinner, or to say no to a cocktail with friends after work—but if you have a plastic surgery procedure coming up, you should think long and hard before having a drink. Here’s why: Do you remember when I told you that nicotine is a vasoconstrictor (meaning it makes your blood vessels close up)? Well, alcohol is just the opposite—it’s a vasodilator—and that’s not a good thing, either, because it makes your blood vessels open up and flood your surface tissues. 

This is bad for two reasons:

  1. This process takes blood away from your vital organs (like your brain and heart)

  2. It causes your body to swell. You’ll be swollen enough after surgery without adding to it with booze!

Alcohol also affects the blood itself—it makes blood platelets less active, and therefore less able to coagulate. Because of this, drinking before and after surgery puts you at greater risk for post-operative bleeding, and make your healing process take longer than it would if you didn’t have any alcohol in your system.

Another big concern with surgery is dehydration—and since it’s a diuretic (it increases your rate of urine formation, making you pee more often than you should), alcohol is a big culprit in this arena. You’ll already be dehydrated after surgery; if you add to that by drinking alcohol before or after your procedure, you’ll feel absolutely awful in the days that follow.

The bottom line? Avoid alcohol as much as possible in the weeks before and after cosmetic surgery. If you slip and have one drink a couple of days before surgery, you’ll probably be fine—but consuming alcohol the night before or immediately after your surgery is asking for trouble!

Introducing #AskDrUsha FAQ Video Series

We are excited to announce our new FAQ video series #AskDrUsha. We will be covering a range of topics, from surgical to non-surgical cosmetic procedures. Dr. Usha Rajagopal is a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and the Medical Director of the San Francisco Plastic Surgery and Laser Center. For over 20 years, Dr. Rajagopal has utilized her unique perspective of female cosmetic surgery to educate and empower women. She specializes in cosmetic surgery of the face, breast and body, and her office is a premier center for cosmetic dermatology, medical skin care, and laser treatments.

Stay tuned for our first featured episode about vaginal rejuvenation procedures:

We look forward to this educational experience and hope you enjoy it as well! 

Follow us on social media and use the hashtag #AskDrUsha with any questions you might have.

Dr. Usha Rajagopal's Mother's Day Special

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With Mother's Day just a month away, we are excited to celebrate moms everywhere and announce our special offers below:

CoolMom CoolSculpting Special
Buy 3 Get 1 CoolSculpting Cycle FREE (Save $750)

Skin Tightening & Facial Rejuvenation 
Ultherapy, IPL Photofacial, Infini RF
20% off regular prices  

Plump Your Lips
$550/syringe for lip fillers

Mommy Makeover 
Free consult with Dr. Usha Rajagopal and discounted Summer Special pricing applied. Looking to restore your pre-pregnancy shape? Learn more.

*Mother's Day Special is valid until Friday, May 12th. 
Schedule your appointment below or call us at (415) 392-3333.

What is the Difference Between Labiaplasty and Vaginoplasty?

Loosening of vaginal muscles can be caused by multiple different factors – Sometimes due to childbirth, especially if there is more than one child, and others it is simply a side effect of aging. Whatever the reason, when vaginal muscles start to become lax, it can lead to an inflated, thick labia that increases labia discomfort for outdoor activities like cycling and horse riding, and hampers your sex life too. Some women also have a large, distended labia right from the time of birth. With the advent of sophisticated technology, it is possible to restore a certain degree of tightness in your nether regions. There are two techniques for this purpose – vaginoplasty and labiaplasty. People tend to use the terms interchangeably but they are definitely not the same.

Labiaplasty vs. Vaginoplasty

Vaginoplasty

It is also referred to as vaginal rejuvenation or tightening, and as is evident, the procedure helps to tighten the inner muscles of the vagina by fusing the stretched muscle located at its rear end, which shortens it, using sutures for the muscles to pile up and narrow the cavity, cleaning up extra vaginal lining, and tightening the soft tissues around it. You need to recover for 4 to 6 weeks before resuming sexual intercourse and related activities. The reduced size of the vagina greatly heightens sexual pleasure – it will be worth the wait.

Labiaplasty

This procedure is exclusively for the labia minor and majora, commonly known as “vaginal lips”. Labiaplasty is for enhancing the outer appearance of the genital organs or reducing labia discomfort by shrinking the size of labia and reshaping it. There are two methods for this procedure such as:

  • The extra tissue around the labia is removed – the tissues are sculpted along the inner folds till the labia are shaped aesthetically and all irregularities have been surgically resolved.
  • The 2nd technique involves a sliver of tissue being cut out from under the labia, in a “V” shape, while the edges are sewn back together.

Absorbable sutures are placed post-surgery for healing, and you can make a full recovery within just 4 to 6 weeks.

It is normal to be apprehensive about surgeries for delicate body parts, but rest assured you are in the hands of the highly qualified Dr. Usha Rajagopal with over 20 years of experience and more than 1000 successful procedures in her portfolio. To leave a query, simply enter your  details into the form on the right, click submit,  and you will hear from us soon.

The Liquid Facelift How to Beautify and Lift Your Face Without Surgery

The liquid facelift is one of the most popular non-invasive cosmetic treatments - and with good reason. A liquid facelift has the power to give your face the appearance of turning back the hands of time.

What Causes a Face to Need a Lift?

As we age, our skin begins to wrinkle and sag. The face loses its youthful form as the skin loses its elasticity. The environments, genetics, and the aging process itself each contribute to the loss of collagen and elastin, which can be seen as hollow areas and sagging. The loss of facial volume and elasticity contribute to the formation of folds, lines, and wrinkles.

How Does a Liquid Facelift Differ from a Traditional Lift?

A traditional facelift is a surgical procedure, which, by its very nature is invasive. The effects are permanent.

A liquid facelift is non-surgical. The two main treatments involved are dermal fillers and Botox, which are injected into the areas of the face requiring lifting.

A Liquid facelift temporarily restores a more youthful appearance by smoothing out wrinkles and lines and eliminating the appearance of sagging.

Why Do So Many People Choose a Liquid Facelift?

When a patient is looking for subtle, temporary changes to their facial appearance, a liquid facelift can be just the right combination of treatments.

Recovery time is quicker than it is from a traditional facelift and the cost is significantly less.

Some patients want to test the waters to see how they would like the results of having a facelift. A liquid facelift is the perfect way to do this.

For those people who wish to target only specific facial features, a liquid facelift may be the way to go. For example, unlike a surgical facelift, a liquid facelift will frequently be used just to reduce dark circles under the eyes, diminish the appearance of jowls, correct the appearance of sunken cheeks, lift the corners of the mouth, and many other smaller, individual problems. A surgical facelift is not designed to be used this way.

Effects can be seen almost immediately, making a liquid facelift the perfect choice to get a lift in appearance for an upcoming event such as a wedding, job interview, or reunion.

What are Some of the Benefits of a Liquid Facelift?

Eliminating or reducing lines, wrinkles, and folds

Improve facial contouring and volumizing.

Fill sunken areas like the hollows that can begin to appear in the cheeks.

Results are quick, becoming apparent within a few days.

A liquid facelift can give you a friendlier smile and a more rested and energetic appearance.

Offers a non-surgical address to the face and neck areas.

After a liquid facelift you’ll see a return of your natural facial contours.

The final results are a lighter, more youthful, and more attractive appearance.

What are the products and procedures used for a liquid facelift?

This term describes an overall term for a combination of procedures, usually involving at least two of the following:

Botox and Dysport

An underlying cause of facial lines and wrinkles, such as forehead lines, frown lines and crows feet is the repeated contraction of certain, specific, facial muscles.

When injected into those muscles, both Dysport and Botox will temporarily reduce the activity of these muscles, which then smooths the face and reduces wrinkles and lines.

Juvederm and Restylane

Restylane and Juvederm are dermal fillers. Both are made from a natural substance found in the body known as hyaluronic acid. When injected into the skin, this binds with water and expands, filling out the skin and reducing wrinkles from the inside out. These fillers add volume to the deep layer beneath the skin, smoothing out lines and wrinkles.

How Long Will a Liquid Facelift Normally Last?

A patient can go for a year or more between this type of cosmetic procedure, depending on the injectable fillers used. When Botox injections are combined with a dermal filler, each is made to last longer than when used alone.

Give us a call to schedule an appointment and one of our specialists will go over how a liquid facelift might work for you. We’d love to see you here.