Make sure you look great in your summertime sun dresses with spider vein treatment by Parkway Plastic Surgery.

We’re at the height of the summer season here in Northeast Florida, and you’re no doubt looking to rock that new sultry new swimsuit or sweet sundress. But if you’re not mindful of skincare, you just may see your chic new look go wrong. That’s because exposure to the sun’s damaging UV rays can cause more than sunburn – it also can lead to spider veins.

Sun exposure can weaken the skin’s upper layers, depleting its moisture and diminishing its elasticity. As a result, the skin and the veins just below its surface aren’t able to move and bend normally. When veins are unable to move properly, normal blood flow is impacted. Rather than being pumped back up to the heart, blood simply pools backward, creating spider veins.

Spider veins can develop anywhere on the body, but they’re most commonly associated with the legs, particularly the upper thigh, below the knee joint and around the ankles. They also commonly develop on the face, generally around the nose, cheeks and chin. Besides the sun, other factors that can boost your risk of developing spider veins include:

• Age: Spider veins can appear at any age, but most commonly begin between the ages of 18 and 35, peaking between 50 and 60.
• Gender: Sorry, ladies. While men aren’t immune to spider veins, the condition is far more prevalent in women – four to one.
• Pregnancy: During pregnancy, your hormones are in overdrive and this can weaken vein walls. Also, your blood volume increases dramatically. This puts pressure on your veins and causes their valves to malfunction, which can then cause blood to pool inside the veins. Then, in later stages of pregnancy, your enlarged uterus can press against your veins and cause them to dilate and blood to pool.
• Occupational and lifestyle choices: If your job forces you to sit or stand for long periods of time, or you’re simply a couch potato at home, the weight of blood continuously pressing against closed valves can cause them to fail.

To avoid varicose veins, maintain a healthy weight, adopt a nutritious diet, exercise regularly and be sun smart. Wear a high SPF sunblock every time you go outside, particularly on your face and legs.

Already seeing signs of spider veins developing on your legs? Parkway Plastic Surgery can help with a procedure called sclerotherapy. This highly effective treatment involves your surgeon injecting a sclerosing agent into your dilated valves, causing them to collapse and ultimately disappear. Call 904-396-1186 to schedule a consultation today.

A Brazilian butt lift can give you a naturally shapelier new look.

If you’re wishing for a shapelier derriere but are a bit leery of artificial implants, a Brazilian butt lift may be your best bet. This increasingly popular form of buttocks augmentation involves transferring your own body’s fat from other parts of your body to your buttocks via liposuction and re-injection, leaving you with a naturally fuller look and minimized risk of complications, say physicians with Jacksonville’s Parkway Plastic Surgery.

When successfully performed by a board certified plastic surgeon, the Brazilian butt lift is an effective way to contour your torso and create a flat tummy, small waist, sculpted back, full hips and rounded bottom. Of course, much depends upon your own preparation for the procedure and your care and expectations afterward.

To prepare for a Brazilian butt lift or any invasive cosmetic surgery, a top requirement is that you stop smoking. It’s among the most destructive health habits across the board, and increases our risk of serious complications. Stick to a healthy diet and get plenty of rest. Avoid taking aspirin and ibuprofen at least 10 days before your scheduled surgery and fully disclose all medications and supplements you’re taking to your doctor.

Most patients go home the same day of their Brazilian butt lift procedure, but you can expect to remain at our office for several hours, until you’re alert and we’ve confirmed that you’re breathing effectively and that your vital signs are stable. This procedure is performed under sedation or anesthesia, so you’ll no doubt be drowsy. Arrange for a family member or friend to drive you home from the Parkway Plastic Surgery office and stay with you for the first night.

In the weeks following your procedure, you’ll likely have bruising and swelling, and your doctor may prescribe wearing a compression garment to help keep swelling down. This also will help shrink and tighten your skin, lending a smoother, firmer look going forward. Though many patients return to work within a few weeks after surgery, remember that any invasive procedure requires time to heal. It’s crucial that you get adequate rest and that you avoid strenuous activity for a few months, though you’ll also want to avoid periods of extended sitting. You can expect a full recovery to take anywhere from four to six months.

As with any surgical procedure complications can arise both during and after surgery. Keep our number handy and call immediately if you experience;

• Bleeding
• Breathing problems
• Change in alertness, including passing out or confusion
• Chest pain, tightness, pressure or palpitations
• Fever that persists more than a few days after your procedure
• Inability to urinate or have a bowel movement
• Pain, redness or swelling in your leg, particularly in your calf, which may indicate a blood clot
• Persistent or extreme pain not controlled by your pain medication
• Unexpected drainage, pus, redness or swelling from your incision site

Are you ready to fill out your little black dress in a smoother, shapelier new way? Call Jacksonville’s Parkway Plastic Surgery at 904-396-1186 and schedule a consultation today.

Permanent makeup may not be quite so permanent unless you exercise proper care.

Summer time means lots of swimming and sweating. And even the best of water-resistant cosmetics won’t stand a chance after a few hours of splashing in the water, lingering in the sun and dominating that game of beachfront volleyball. That’s why many women opt for permanent makeup.

Formally known as micropigmentation, permanent makeup involves using tattoo technology and techniques to enhance the face with coloring that resembles eyeliner, brow makeup, mascara or lipstick. Because it’s permanent, it run, fade or wash off even on your most active days. But making sure your beautiful new look lasts, it’s important to know just how to take care of your permanent makeup, both just after application and over the long term.

Jacksonville’s Parkway Plastic Surgery offers five tips for making your permanent makeup last:

1. Stay dry: Resist the temptation to take a dip until your permanent makeup procedure area has fully healed. Bacteria can breed in all kinds of water, including lake, river, ocean pool and hot tub water. If it enters an open skin wound, it could cause a severe infection.
2. Shun the sun: Vigilantly protect your treatment area from the sun’s rays for at least seven to 10 days. A wide-brimmed hat is a fashionable protective option. Also, your doctor may recommend you protect recently treated eyebrows with a substance like petroleum jelly until they’re fully healed.
3. Hold the bleach: A bright, white smile is a beautiful asset. But if you’ve recently enhanced your lips with permanent makeup, wait until they’ve fully healed before bleaching your teeth. A substance called Carbamide peroxide common in bleaching gels can pull the new color from your lips, leaving them blotchy and faded.
4. Don’t touch: Resist the urge to touch your new permanent makeup, particularly permanent eyeliner. If you must touch it, for instance to clear away dust or an errant eyelash, use a new, clean cotton swab. Otherwise, you’re courting an infection that will need to be medically treated.
5. Kick the habit: Smoking can ruin a new permanent lipstick where your lips touch the cigarette filter. Plus, it does a real number on your skin anyway. Just nix it.

If you’re considering permanent makeup, contact Jacksonville’s Parkway Plastic Surgery at 904-396-1186 and schedule a consultation today.