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The subjects of the article are clients of Linda Briggs and agreement was
made with the publishers to use their story and allow it to be published
on Linda Briggs web site.
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Sunday Mirror: 21st January 2007
Cosmetic Surgery Abroad
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By AMANDA BRADBURY and SHARON VAN GEUNS
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LOTS
of women are unhappy with their bodies... but can you really buy a new
one? Innovations in cosmetic treatments, some involving surgery,
some not, have made it easier than ever to hold back the ravages of time.
But
do these treatments really work? In Part Two of our series on how to turn back the clock we investigate what is possible and what it costs
- both in
cash and in painful after-effects. "Women still tend to seek
cosmetic surgery or treatments before major life events like a second
wedding or hitting 50" says Dr Aaamer Khan, a Harley Street cosm
etic surgery consultant.
Most common complaints are loose tummies
"bingo wings", leg and back fat, and sagging boobs. Liposuction is th
e No 1 requested treatment, followed by a boob job. Here's our guid
e to the pros and cons........
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Breasts
Boobs
jobs are not just about bigger breasts! There are actually three type
s of surgery you can have done - an uplift (mastopexy), a reduction
(reduction mammoplasty) and an enlargement (augmentation).
For most breast operations, you will have to spend one or two nights in
hospital,
your breasts will look bruised for two to three weeks. There coul
d be some swelling for up to three months and in some cases you won't be
able to lift your arms above your head for up to six weeks. You will
need to take at last 10 days off work and will have scarring - but some
women decide it is a price worth paying.
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Up
for the cups... Christine went from 34B to 34DD
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Breast enlargement: from £2,500
Having a breast enlargement (also called augmentation) means having silicone bags put in to make breasts larger
and rounder.
Before going ahead you have three major decisions to make - the cup size, the shape of the implant and the incision/scar
location.
This is because the surgeon has a choice of cutting into the
breast around the nipple, into the armpit or underneath it - it all leaves
scars and there is no telling if these will be red, raised or a silvery
line.
The surgeon will discuss what is best for you.
Implants fall
into two categories - a more natural-looking teardrop shape, or a
pushed-up round shape made famous by the likes of Pamela Anderson and
Posh. This look is still popular but beware - these implants look more obvious
and if you go too big the cleavage may look pulled. And remember
most reputable surgeons will only enlarge breasts by two cup sizes at a
time as it is better to make any transition gradually.
Christine, 45
from Plymouth has her breasts boosted from a 34B to a 34DD at a cost of
£2,600. She says: "I am naturally slim which is great, bu
t my more shapely boobs make me feel more womanly - and I look better in
clothes!"
TRY This surgery was organised by www.lindabrigs.co.uk.
TOP TIP:
Buy a bra the cup size you would like to be, pad it out and ask a friend
how you look.
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Littler
is lovelier.. Keeley's old and new look
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Breast reduction: from £2,500
Did
you know that oversized breasts can cause back-ache, sore shoulders and
even some skin conditions?
And did you know you might be able to
qualify for surgery through the NHS if you contact your GP?
That said,
having a reduction mammoplasty is a major operation and should not be
undertaken lightly. The surgeon will remove tissue, fat and skin -
and usually have to reposition the nipple. That's because breast tissue is a mixture of glandular and fatty tissue.
Young women have more glandular tissue and less fat. Liposuc
tion can be used to remove some of the excess fat - but it is invariably
necessary to cut out the excess glandular tissue and skin. Women havi
ng a reduction often also have their skin tightened.
But be aware that
if you have the operation, you may lose feelings in your breast due to the
nerve loss. You may also not be able to breast feed because during
the op, the nipple is separated from the milk ducts. So young women
should carefully consider the consequences.
Make-up artist Keeley 42,
from Exeter, Devon, hated her 36DD breasts on her size 10 frame.
"
They looked out of proportion". she says. Last year she had
them reduced to a B cup - and says she no longer had backache or trouble
finding shirts that will button up.
TOP TIP: If you have lost
weight and are keen to have a boob reduction, wait until you have been at
your target weight for several months before surgery.
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From
saggy to sassy... Carol is thrilled
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Breast lift: from £1,500
So
you want rid of your droopy boobs but don't want them bigger?
Then mastopexy might be the type of surgery for you.
A breast lift doesn't change the size of the breasts, but tightens the skin around them making
them more pert if they have lost their shape due to age, weight loss or
gain, pregnancy and breast feeding.
It usually involves an incision
around the nipple and means you will have scarring on the breast. In
more severe cases, the surgeon may need to tighten the skin under the
arms, causing other verticle scars.
But to achieve the look and shape
you want you may need a combination of a lift and either augmentation or
reduction.
For example, if your nipple is above the crease of your breast, there
is little a lift procedure will do. Instead an augmentation can res
tore volume - or consider a reduction if they are too bulky.
Carol 48,
from Essex, paid £3,500 for her lift after losing seven stone and
shrinking from a size 22 to a 12.
"I loved my new body, but my
40FF boobs lost all their shape - I hated the way they hung down from my
chest," she says. "Now they are a pert 36D and they are not rea
ching for my knees!"
TOP TIP: Don't even consider a breast lift
until you have finished having children - pregnancy and breast feeding
could make them droop again.
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FLABBY
TUMS
SHE'S
called Dawn French, but this one is a beauty therapist rather than a TV
funny girl.
After having three children Dawn, 33 of Dartford, Kent, had
a pouch of skin hanging down from her tummy. Exercise wouldn't shift it so she paid £2,400 for a tummy-tuck to reduce it from a
size 16 to 12.
TUMMY-TUCK
£2,500 +
A TUMMY tuck is an effective treatment - but is the
most uncomfortable and invasive of all cosmetic surgeries. In most ca
ses, a cut is made from hip to hip just above the pubic area. Anothe
r is then made to free the navel from the skin. The skin is detached
from the abdominal wall to show the muscles to be tightened. The
skin flap is re-attached after any extra skin has been removed.
Some people also need liposuction.
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Expect two days bed rest, bruising and pain for 10 days. You will
have swelling, a permanent scar and full recovery takes up to six months.
ULTRASHAPE
£500 +
THIS less invasive treatment claims to permanently dissolve
fat without breaking the skin - and will remove around an inch per
treatment. A
hand-held laser is moved over the fatty area to destroy the fat cells
which are absorbed by your liver. A session takes 1-2 hours.
Full results show in a month. There are few after effects.
LIPOSELECTION
£2,000+
THE area to be treated is filled with a special saline
solution that makes fat cells which are then sucked out. It takes
from one to three hours. The makers claim you could be back to work in
three days.
TOP TIP Bend from the waist - any overhang
can be treated.
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