What Women Should Know About Cosmetic Surgery

Cosmetic surgery can improve your appearance and self-image, but find out what it entails before deciding on an operation. 

Few people entirely satisfied with the way they look but some people find that one particular aspect of their appearance is so unacceptable that they feel they must have it altered surgically. Cosmetic surgery can change not only a person’s physical appearance but it may also change the way they feel about themselves. However, before you decide to have any kind of cosmetic surgery, make sure that you know exactly what it will involve. 

Making the decision

Cosmetic surgery is not something to be entered into lightly. Ask yourself if the ‘defect’ you want altered is so bad and worries you so much that it is worth the expense and possible discomfort of the operation.  Discuss the matter fully with your family and friends; they might after all reassure you that surgery is not necessary. 

On the other hand, if you are so disturbed by the defect that you become obsessive about it and your mental health suffers, then perhaps cosmetic surgery will be the only option. 

Your doctor is the best person to consult initially and he or she will be able to judge what benefits cosmetic surgery can offer you and may be able to tell you about the techniques that are used. He will probably also be able to advise you about a specialist surgeon. In some countries, cosmetic surgery is not as closely regulated as other types of medicine so it is best to get a personal recommendation if you can. 

Depending on what type of operation you are having, you may need preliminary consultations with your surgeon.  

Make certain you understand exactly what the operation entails and what the possible side effects and after-effects will be. If you are not satisfied with the results of the operation you may find yourself back where you started, spending more time and money for further charges. 

Types of cosmetic surgery

One of the simplest types of operation is the removal of an unsightly mole. This can be done under local anesthetic by cutting or freezing out the flaw; the operation leaves only a small scar. Birthday marks are often more difficult to remove than moles and it is worth checking - procedures such as scraping the skin or tattooing with skin-colored pigment will not create worse effect than the original blemish.  

Some women have cosmetic surgery to change the shape of their breasts or to make their breasts larger or smaller. Breasts are made larger by implanting a thin bag of silicone gel or saline into the breast tissue. It provides padding, pushing the breasts outwards and making them larger and firmer. The operation leaves permanent scars and there may be some pain after surgery. 

A smaller technique may be used for sagging breasts. If the sagging is severe, excess skin and tissue behind the breast maybe removed. This operation usually takes several hours and requires three to six days in hospital. 

Loose skin and fat on the buttocks, stomach and thighs can also be removed by cosmetic surgery.

Scarring on the face because of acne may be improved by cosmetic surgery. This can be done either under local or general anesthetic by a process called dermabrasion. The skin is frozen and a rapidly rotating brush is stroked across it to remove the outer layers of skin.  The crusts, which form as a result usually, fall off within a fortnight, leaving behind only minor scarring.  

A face-lift can remove wrinkles and excess fat, making you look five to ten years younger, though the results are not permanent and the operation will not reduce the effects of subsequent ageing. 

The nose can be altered in a variety of ways to change its shape. A hooked nose for example, can be remedied by lifting the skin and shaving off the excess cartilage.  If your nose is too short or too long, the surgeon will alter the septum, the soft fleshy part that divides the nostrils. Reshaping the nose sometimes also involves fracturing the bones and resetting them. 

Nose surgery generally requires only a short stay in hospital. Bandages can be removed within a fortnight, though there may be considerable discomfort afterwards with bruising and swelling around the area operated on. In such cases, it may be some time before the results of the operation become fully apparent.

Cosmetic surgery can also be helpful in remedying drooping eyelids and sagging neck tissue and in removing unwanted tattoos. The method used to remove a tattoo is usually to clean the area and scrub it out with a brush using saline and surgical soap. In some cases, large particles of pigment may be removed with blade and forceps. 

Always bear in mind that cosmetic surgery can bring some improvement, but it cannot work miracles - a change in appearance will not make you a completely new person, but it may help you to feel better about yourself. 

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The Beautifying and Healing Powers of Water

Water – be it from a shower, a sauna, a Jacuzzi or a swimming pool is the ideal treatment for body therapy. 

Water has many benefits: it is highly relaxing; it can tone the skin and the muscles; and, in the form of steam, it can cleanse the pores and rid the skin of impurities. One particular use of water for health and beauty that has been employed since Greek and Roman times is hydrotherapy. This entails using the pressure of water to break down the fatty deposits called cellulite that form in the body’s connective tissue. Cellulite causes unsightly puckering and lumpiness on the surface of the skin, usually around the upper arms, buttocks and thighs.

Many health farms and solaria have special tubs called Jacuzzi designed for hydrotherapy, which work on simple principle of water pressure. Jets situated around the side of the tub create a whirlpool effect, forcing pressurized water against the body, which tones and stimulates. Some swimming pools and saunas have a less sophisticated version - a machine fixed to the poolside that pumps fixed jets of water. You attach yourself by a loose belt and move those parts of the body that require treatment against the jets. 

For more regular and cheaper treatment, you can make your own home version of hydrotherapy by investing in a shower attachment for you bath taps. Turn the taps on as full as possible - using warm water rather than hot – and aim the shower at the areas you want to tone for about three minutes at a time. Never spend more than 20 minutes giving yourself this water treatment, to avoid drying out your skin, and always moisturize your body thoroughly afterwards. 

With a home shower, you can also create the ‘sauna effect’ of a rapid change of temperature from hot to cold. 

All you do is to run the hot shower over yourself, moving from the feet upwards then switch the taps to icy coldness. This in turn expands and contracts the skin’s capillaries, stimulating circulation.

Exercises

Your local swimming pool may be less glamorous than a health farm, but is just as good a place to  practice another type of water therapy involving exercise. Any form of exercise in water is highly beneficial because your muscles are forced to work against the pressure of the water. You can use your sessions at the pool both for swimming and for exercise routines. Swimming is an ideal way of firming up loose muscles, and is an excellent form of aerobic exercise – it forces the heart to work faster, giving a boost to the cardiovascular system. The crawl is especially good for improving breathing, while the breaststroke is a good remedy for flabby upper arms and thighs. 

Isometrics in the bath is another effective form of water therapy. Get into the habit of a bath exercise routine at least three times a week. Start by breathing deeply while lying on your back, and push your abdomen up and out against the water. Then slowly sit up, arms at your sides, pushing against the water; this exercise is good for firming the waist and toning flabby stomach muscles. 

To strengthen your upper body and firm up you breasts, lie back, arms at your sides. Then, slowly push your arms up, palms upwards, as if you were trying to raise a weight. Now lie back and slowly lift your legs, with your toes pointed, until they are at right angles to your body, holding onto your feet as you do so. Repeat each exercise three times. In addition, you can modify other sitting and lying exercises from any keep-fit routine to do in the bath. 

Massage

You can complete your water therapy programme with underwater massage, which some beauty experts advocate as highly effective for dissolving fat deposits. Lie in warm water, and first give your body a hard all-over rubbing with the palms of your hands. A few drops of bath oil in the water will make this easier. Then pay specific attention to flabby areas, rolling and twisting the loose skin between fingers and thumbs, pinching as hard as you can. Follow by massaging with your fingertips in a circular motion. Finish with a cool shower and a brisk rub with a soft towel.

Looking After Your Breasts

It is essential for every woman to know how to care for her breasts because it will help ensure both their attractiveness and their health.

Breasts are highly valued as a sign of femininity. However, breasts can present an entirely different set of problems from any other part of the body, and these can include sagging chest muscles, swelling and tenderness before menstruation, difficulties arising from breast feeding — and cancer! This is why women must learn to understand and care for their breasts.

Breast care begins with exercises to strengthen the pectoral (chest) muscles which tend to become slack with age. Most keep-fit routines include some helpful exercises like swinging the arms in a circular movement. Swimming is another method. Opinion varies as to whether wearing a bra helps prevent sagging breasts: comfort should be the deciding factor. However, some women prefer to wear a bra only when breasts are swollen such as during pregnancy or lactation, or when doing energetic sports.

Breasts may feel full and cause some discomfort just before menstruation. This can often be alleviated by taking extra vitamin B and by reducing the salt intake to avoid water retention which is frequently the major cause of the swelling. 

Mothers who wish to breast feed should make preparations before the baby arrives. If your nipples are not prominent, then the month before you give birth, you should massage them between the forefinger and thumb to help them stand out more. A nightly application of lanolin cream will help to keep the breasts supple while you are doing this.

Once breast feeding begins, problems may occur. These include sore, cracked or inflamed breasts due to an infection. For sore breasts, apply lanolin after each feed and expose the nipple to the air at some time during the day. For the latter two difficulties, stop feeding on that side, express the milk by hand and see your doctor. It is still possible to continue feeding from the other breast while the sore one is treated. 

Lumps in the breast can occur because of a wide variety of reasons. Most often these occur during normal changes of the menstrual cycle or because of small cysts (fluid-filled lumps of tissue) or tumors (fibrous growths) which are harmless. Sometimes the cause is more serious, and that is why it is especially important for women to recognize any changes in their breasts by giving them frequent, thorough examinations. 

Breasts should be examined regularly each month. Women of childbearing age should carry out a check immediately after their period, preferably on the same day of the cycle every month.

Undress to the waist and sit or stand in front of a mirror. Look first for any changes in the size, shape or texture. Also check the nipples to see if there are any obvious changes.

Then lie down, raise one arm behind your head and feel the breast of that side with the other hand; use the flat of your hand, not your fingertips. Gradually slide the hand around and over the breast area, moving towards the centre of the breast and eventually to the nipple. Look out for any thickening or lumps; nipple changes such as drawing in, sensitivity or discharge; pain and discomfort. Once you finish with the first breast, examine the other in the same way. 

If you detect any changes, see your doctor immediately for a more thorough examination. Often there is nothing to worry about, but if there is breast cancer, early detection can bring successful results. For this reason breast care ultimately means that you are caring for your life.

How to be a Sensual Woman

Use music: Music is one of the best ways for changing your state and influencing your mood. Listen to music that makes you feel grateful, soft, peaceful, happy, serene, joyful, and free. You can even dance to it in your own home.

Accentuate the attributes you have that are the opposite of a man’s: It’s in the way you sit, the way you talk, the words you use, how you use your hands, how you smile, how you touch others, how you greet people (words and the physical aspects). A lot of women stand and walk like men, drink like a man would, unknowingly. They stand with their hands on their hips the way a man would do it, and sway their arms and legs in the way that a strong and powerful man would do.

Work-out on accentuating and improving every feminine aspect of your body: This includes the buttocks, the legs, the tummy, and the breasts (weights to help the breasts defy gravity.) Do smaller weights with more repetitions that keep your arms toned, rather than strong looking.

Sensual women are delicate: Any jewellery that is overly harsh starts to take away from the woman and draw attention to fashion.

Men go crazy over a woman who can give them a genuine smile: It does not matter what her physical attributes are, if you give a man a genuine, happy smile and look him in the eye – he is going to be profoundly affected. Ask any man who is in touch with his masculinity whether a smile is extremely important in a woman and he will say yes.

Appreciate men for being men: Always show appreciation for a masculine man.

How to Have Beautiful and Sexy Legs

Together with their eyes and breasts, women's legs are a primary target for men's  scrutiny and approval.

Here is how to go for those beautiful, sexy legs:

·         If your legs are too fat, lose fat by going on a sensible diet and exercise. Start a regular sport activity or go to the gym.

·         Sometimes, legs may not be fat, but look heavy, because of bad circulation. Put your legs and feet up.

·         If your legs are too thin, improve them with exercise. The legs can look much more attractive with better muscle tone. Walking and bicycling are wonderful exercises for shapely legs. At the office, walk up the stairs, instead of taking the elevator!

·         Avoid standing for prolonged periods of time to reduce the appearance of varicose veins.

·         Smooth legs look more appealing than fuzzy legs. Creams can be used as hair removers, and there is quite a number of shaving tools present in the market. But the best natural depilatory is a turmeric paste, apply it before a bath, and leave it on to dry.

·         After a bath, make your skin feel good by moisturizing it.

·         Avoid excessive sun exposure.

·         Avoid baths that are too hot.

·         Elevate or raise your legs when sleeping.

·         Always finish your shower with a cold water jet on your legs.

·         Drink a lot of water.

There you are. Remember, it is no good to look sexy. You must also be sexy!