In the News

Tummy Tuck Dubai | 14 May 2020

A tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) is an operation to remove excess fat and skin from your abdomen (tummy) and to tighten your abdominal muscles. The results of a tummy tuck can be long lasting. You can help this by keeping to a healthy weight after your surgery.

There are lots of reasons why people have this type of surgery, including having weaker abdominal muscles after pregnancy or having previously lost a lot of weight.

You should always meet the surgeon carrying out your procedure to discuss your care. It may differ from what’s described here as it will be designed to meet your individual needs.

PREPARING FOR A TUMMY TUCK 

I will always explain how to prepare for your operation. For example, if you smoke you will be asked to stop up to eight weeks before your surgery. Smoking increases your risk of getting a chest and wound infection, which can significantly slow your recovery. Coughing from a chest infection will make recovery much more painful. Smoking also reduces the amount of blood that reaches your skin, which means your wounds may heal more slowly.

I may also advise you to:

– lose excess weight – you should be as close to the ideal weight for your height as possible before your operation

– stop taking the contraceptive pill four to six weeks before your operation, to reduce the chances of a blood clot (thrombosis) – make sure you use an alternative method of contraception

You have tummy tuck surgery under a general anaesthetic. This means you’ll be asleep during the operation. Before a general anaesthetic, you are normally asked not to eat or drink for six hours beforehand. I will give you specific advice on what you may or may not eat or drink and for how long before the operation.

i will make sure you understand what will happen before, during and after your operation. They’ll also explain what to expect when you wake up and what level of discomfort or pain you might have. This is your opportunity to ask any remaining questions you have about the risks, benefits and alternatives to the procedure. This will help you to be informed, so you can give your consent for the operation to go ahead. 

I may ask you to wear compression stockings from the time of your operation until you are fully up and about again. This helps to prevent blood clots forming in the veins in your legs.

10 THINGS TO DO (AND NOT TO DO) TO PREPARE FOR TUMMY TUCK SURGERY

Tummy tuck surgery or abdominoplasty is a major surgical procedure requiring some preparation to help ensure a safe and smooth surgery and recovery. I can offer a list of do’s and don’ts to be followed as part of preparation. I am an experienced plastic surgeon providing tummy tuck and other procedures to patients in Dubai and surrounding locations.

Do’s

Create a Strong Support System around Yourself 

When you undergo tummy tuck surgery, chances are that you may experience severe emotional ups and downs or mood swings. These emotions can range from a feeling of depression to elation. You should enlist the support of close family and friends who can devote some time and effort to take care of you.

Stay Committed to the Healing Process

Tummy tuck procedure will involve at least one to two weeks of downtime, depending on the surgical technique. It will take another several weeks for the swelling to subside completely and for the patient to feel completely “normal” again. Patience, focus, and follow-ups are essential through this journey for a sound and sustainable recovery.

Get Involved in Healthy Relaxation Activities

Read books and magazines, surf the Internet, watch movies at home and perform mild household activities in the first two weeks after tummy tuck surgery. Do not return to work too early, and maintain a relaxed schedule for a few days.

Maintain Close Communication with the Surgeon 

Prior to the tummy tuck surgery, you should share all relevant health information, habits and other concerns frankly with me. After the procedure, if you experience any abnormal pain or other signs, or have any doubts, do not hesitate to speak with me.

Eat a Healthy, Protein-rich Diet

Prior to abdominoplasty, start taking a high protein diet about two to four weeks in advance. Continue this diet even after the surgery for a few weeks under the guidance of a nutritionist. Make sure you are not constipated and avoid any crash dieting.

Don’ts

Use Any Form of Tobacco

If you consume tobacco in any form, stop using it at least four to six weeks before and after the tummy tuck surgery. Smoking and other forms of tobacco will create poor healing, and may increase the risk of bleeding during surgery.

Avoid Rapid Weight Loss

If you have been trying to lose weight through special crash diet formulas, weight loss drugs or other means, you will have to stop it several weeks prior to the surgery. Maintain a stable, healthy body weight as far as possible before tummy tuck surgery.

Don’t Use Herbal Meds and Aspirin

Stop the use of any blood thinners such as aspirin or motrin at least two weeks before tummy tuck surgery. If you are taking herbal medications, vitamin E supplements, or certain prescription drugs, they may have to be stopped as well.

Be Regular on Your Bowel Regimen

Eat plenty of fibrous foods and natural fruit and veggies, exercise daily, and stay regular on your bowel regimen prior to the tummy tuck surgery. In case you get constipated following the surgery from medications and the anesthetic, you can tolerate it for a while until your mobility improves.

Arrange for Transportation and Aftercare

Arrange in advance for someone to drive you back home after the tummy tuck procedure, and if needed, hire some help for a few days during post-operative recovery. 

14 May 2020 | Tummy Tuck Dubai

Fillers in Dubai | 12 May 2020

What are Wrinkle Relaxing (Botox®) Injections?

Wrinkle relaxing injections are more commonly referred to as Botox®, short for Botulinum Toxin. Botox® itself is a registered trademark and brand name by the market leader, but other Botulinum Toxin products are available. 

Whatever you call it and regardless of brand, Botox® when injected acts as a nerve block.  So what really happens is your brain sends the message to the muscle to move, however the nerve can no longer respond as the Botox® has blocked the message being sent, resulting in a reduction in the movement of the muscle. This helps to reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles, as these are caused by repetitive contractions of the muscle. It’s also used to relax tight muscles, which is more common in the lower face.

The thing to remember here is that this is only a temporary effect, eventually the Botox® wears off and the muscle starts moving as it did previously.

Is Botox® safe?

Botox® has been used in cosmetic procedures for at least the past 50 years – yes that’s right, it’s been around that long!  Once reserved for the rich and famous due to its cost, it is now used widely mainly due to the reduction in the cost of treatments over the past 20 years.  It is extremely rare for individuals to be allergic to Botox® or have anaphylactic reactions to it post injection. 

What is Botox® used for?

More and more studies are carried out on Botox® every year and the list of the conditions it can treat almost seem endless, it is now known to significantly reduce facial scarring after trauma and also reduce psoriasis skin plaques; it really is a wonder drug. I use Botox® on both men and women to smooth out lines and wrinkles around the eyes, on the forehead and the glabella (between the eyebrows). I also use it to relax muscles around the lower jaw and smooth out the neck, this procedure is called the Nefertiti Lift.

You can also use Botox® to treat Hyperhidrosis,also known as excessive sweating. Although you can have the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet treated, the most common area tends to be the armpits.  It’s a highly successful treatment that can significantly reduce the amount of sweat produced under the arm and for real sufferers of excessive sweating, this treatment can be a real lifesaver, especially during the summer months.

People also use Botox® to help alleviate the symptoms of migraines, unlike other headaches migraines are transmitted across the nerve endings of the forehead, by having Botox® in this area and blocking the nerve endings the migraine isn’t able to travel and for many people it will stop it altogether.

Are there any side effects to Botox®?

The most common side effects are slight swelling at the injection site, this is normal and shows that the Botox® has got into the muscle; these little bumps will go down within approximately 40 minutes.  You may also have some redness around the injection site and you may get some bruising.  If you do get bruising it is likely to be small pin prick marks which will may take up to 7 days to completely disappear.  Some people do suffer with headaches post treatment, if you do just take Paracetamol or Ibuprofen as you would do normally.

One side-effect of Botox® that concerns people is something called a ptosis, these are related to injections of Botox® in the forehead when post treatment the brow drops and feels very heavy.  Full ptosis is extremely rare, however what is more common is something called a partial ptosis, if you get a partial ptosis it is unlikely that anyone else will notice and it will resolve within about 4-6 weeks. 

How quickly will I see results from a Botox® treatment?

You will start to see results about 4 days post treatment, however it could take 10-14 days for the full results to be seen.  We expect to see a significant reduction in the size and the depth of the lines and wrinkles 14 days post treatment.

How long do the results last?

Typically results can last between 3-6 months, generally you start to see some muscle movement around 3 months post treatment, however it takes about 5-6 months for full muscle movement to return.  Most people tend to have Botox® treatment every 4 months, the more you have it done, the longer the results tend to last.

Will Botox® make me feel numb?

No, everything will feel just as it did before, you will not have any reduced sensation in the area you’ve had treated.  Some people have reported that their forehead feels “tight” and occasionally the brow may feel a little heavy, but these feelings are likely to reduce over the first 4-6 weeks following treatment.

How should I prepare for a Botox® treatment?

If you are concerned about bruising, or you tend to bruise easily avoid taking Aspirin, Ibuprofen and Vitamins for 3 days before treatment. 

12 May 2020 | Fillers in Dubai

Fillers in Dubai | 7 May 2020

These days, dermal fillers have become extremely popular for facial rejuvenation without the need for surgery or recovery time. 

WHAT CAN DERMAL FILLERS TREAT?

Dermal fillers are generally used for smoothing fine lines and wrinkles, and for adding volume and fullness to skin beginning to suffer from volume loss. Dermal fillers  can also be used for cheek and chin augmentation. 

When performed by an expert with experience using dermal fillers, these treatments can be extraordinarily natural-looking. Most men and women don’t necessarily want to look as if they have had work done, so strategic dermal filler placement is ideal for someone who just wants to soften their lines and take a few years off their face.

One of the main draws for dermal filler treatments is that they require no recovery time. The actual procedure can be done in as little as ten minutes, depending on how many areas are to be treated, and the patient is then free to resume their daily activities and go back to work immediately.  The potential side effects of dermal fillers when administered professionally are very minimal, just redness or swelling around the injection site. If this happens, it usually disappears within a few hours or a day, and can be covered easily with makeup. Bruising is another potential side effect, but these can generally be avoided by following your dermatologist’s instructions before coming in for your appointment.

BENEFITS OF DERMAL FILLERS

Immediate Results and No Downtime

One of the biggest benefits of using dermal fillers? They provide immediate results. Once you undergo a filler injection, you will notice your appearance transform soon thereafter. On top of this, you don’t have to worry about recovery time like you would following plastic surgery. In fact, you can complete the filler treatment in just 10 minutes depending on the number of areas needing treatment. Then, you’re free to continue your daily errands or even go back to work. In fact, a filler treatment is sometimes described as a “lunchtime facelift.” Talk about a life-changing lunch break.

The side effects you may experience as a result of your filler treatment are minimal. Just a little swelling or redness near your injection site is normal. Even then, this swelling and redness should disappear within several hours or one day. In the meantime, you can simply cover it up with makeup.

You may more commonly experience bruising, but you can typically avoid this by following my instructions prior to your filler treatment appointment.

Long-Lasting Effects

Yet another benefit of fillers is the lasting results you’ll enjoy after getting them. In the majority of cases, you’ll stay looking more youthful and beautiful for about one year. However, you might want to go in for a quick touch-up appointment in four to six months following your initial treatment. It’s in your best interest to maintain your filler results. You can do this simply by scheduling your next treatment before your filler has had the chance to metabolize completely.

Beneficial for the Skin

Most fillers feature a natural skin component that help the skin – a major plus for patients interested in getting filler injections. Hyaluronic acid present in fillers are naturally occurring substances in the skin. Thus, when they are injected, they’ll feel natural beneath your skin. It’s just another reason to love the skin you’re in after you get a filler treatment.

Subtle Results

If you choose to receive dermal fillers, you’ll also love how subtle and natural looking the results are. That’s exactly what you want if you’re like most patients. After all, who honestly wants to look like a totally different individual after the treatment than he or she was before it? You simply want to be the best version of yourself. With dermal fillers, the majority of people won’t even know what you had done. All they’ll notice is that you look amazing.

Self-Confidence Builder

People who receive dermal fillers generally improve their self-confidence following their treatment. They simply love how their fillers look and feel. At the hands of an experienced aesthetic practitioner, you can achieve amazing natural looking results and love how you look like never before.

Plumpness

As you grow older, your skin will lose collagen and fat. In other words, you’ll lose your youthful plumpness. Replacing the young, healthy look you’ve become accustomed to will be a hollowed-out look and more blatantly obvious wrinkles – clear signs of advancing age. Fortunately, fillers help to counteract these problems by making your skin plumper. In the end, you’ll end up with fuller-looking cheeks as well as fewer facial wrinkles – You can’t beat that.

Botox Complements Them

Another perk of using fillers? Botox complements fillers perfectly! As you get fillers, you might notice that a few of the wrinkles on your face are particularly deep – especially those on your forehead and glabella. Or maybe you notice vertical lip lines near your mouth. In these situations, you may want to receive a Botox or Dysport treament. This product will temporarily reduce the muscle activity responsible for your deep wrinkles and frown lines. It’s perfect for tackling those lines and wrinkles that dermal fillers won’t eliminate. With the powerful combination of fillers and Botox or Dysport, you may be able to delay or even avoid surgery, such as a facelift, down the road.

Good for Your Lips

Of course, fillers aren’t just good for filling in wrinkles and cheeks. Fillers can work wonders for your lips. Tired of thin lips? Fillers can make your lips look plumper and sexier. At the same time, it’ll soften the appearance of annoying wrinkles around the mouth. With dermal fillers, you can finally stop feeling self-conscious when it comes to your lips. In fact, your lips just might become your favorite feature. Just be sure to get lip fillers with an experienced aesthetic practitioner to ensure yourself an experience that is safe and that yields natural looking results.

Say Goodbye to Scars

A major advantage of springing for fillers is that they can improve the appearance of scars. This is a big deal if you’ve spent years applying makeup to hide unsightly scars as a result of acne, for example. Your practitioner can help you to determine if dermal fillers are an option for treating certain scars.

Boost Your Collagen

Last but not least, biostimulatory fillers, like Radiesse and Sculptra will stimulate the body’s natural collagen. A major reason that your skin ages as you get older is that collagen production declines. This is accelerated if someone has a lot of sun damage. Collagen is one of your skin’s essential building blocks. When collagen ends up breaking down, the signs of aging is more apperant. This includes having coarse skin texture and wrinkles.

Dermal fillers, however, can help your body stimulate more of its own collagen, just as a younger individual’s skin does. This translates to the younger, healthier-looking skin you’re after – in a natural way.

7 May 2020 | Fillers in Dubai

Breast Augmentation Dubai| 3 May 2020

With an experienced plastic surgeon by your side, you can expect your breast augmentation recovery to go smoothly and quickly. In fact, many women are back to work and routine activities in three to five days. However, an easy recovery will depend on several factors, including how prepared you are to pamper yourself during those first vital days. Keep in mind these four tips for a healthy recovery following your breast augmentation.

Plan for assistance – While breast augmentation recovery is not extremely difficult, you will have just undergone major surgery. Therefore, for the first few days, you will be sore and tired. For six weeks, you should not do any heavy lifting, and this includes picking up children under 20 pounds. Plus, no driving until you are finished with all narcotic pain medications. It is recommended that you schedule assistance with household chores and with the children for the first 24 to 72 hours. Even just having a friend stop by each day to check in on you will be helpful.

Proper pain management – It is common to experience mild to moderate discomfort immediately after a breast augmentation procedure. Some women will feel pressure and tightness across their chest. Your doctor will prescribe a few days of pain medication to help you make it comfortably through the early recovery. However, many women find that after the first post-op day, they need nothing more than over-the-counter pain medications. Fill your prescriptions prior to the day of your breast augmentation, so that if you get home to find that you need pain or anti-nauseous medications, they are close at hand.

Get plenty of rest and sleep – Getting enough rest during your breast augmentation recovery sounds simple, but for some people, this is easier said than done. Make sure you have a quiet room set aside, as well as a comfortable bed to rest in, for the first few days. Have plenty of pillows, so you can prop yourself up at a comfortable angle. Some movies, books and magazines will help pass the time. You will be walking immediately after surgery, slowly regaining your strength. Just remember to listen to your body, getting plenty of sleep and relaxation, as you heal.

Have plenty of light, healthy foods and water at home – Before heading to the clinic for your breast augmentation, stock your kitchen with easy to prepare food and plenty of water. For the first post-op day, you may be nauseous from the anesthesia or not have much of an appetite, so soft, light foods are best. Make sure you have a healthy variety of foods on hand, to give your body energy and strength to heal over the following week. It is easy to become dehydrated during this time period, so drink water, water and more water.

3 May 2020 | Breast Augmentation Dubai

Fillers in Dubai | 1 May 2020

With the loss of collagen and elastin in the skin with aging, or as a result of sun damage, these lines become increasingly apparent and permanent. The use of a Botulinum toxin (BOTOX or Xeomin) to relax the underlying muscles is an effective method to improve these lines and wrinkles. In some individuals, the use of dermal filler injections in combination with botulinum toxin treatments will be necessary to achieve the optimum rejuvenation. Skin rejuvenation programmes using products and lasers are also available enhance overall improvements.

What is Botulinum Toxin Treatment?

Botulinum toxin blocks the transmission of nerve impulses to the specific treated muscle(s) and therefore induces relaxation of the muscle in a dose dependent manner. Botulinum toxin also blocks nerve impulses to sweat glands and can subsequently be used to treat excessive sweating – Hyperhidrosis of the underarms (axilla), face, hands and feet. Because receptors that are blocked by the botulinum toxin are continually being replaced, the effects are never permanent, but typically last 3–4 months in muscles and 6–12 months in sweat glands.

Am I suitable for Botulinum Toxin Treatment?

If you are particularly concerned about the appearance of facial lines or wrinkles in areas with over-active muscles, such as the frown lines or crow’s feet, then treatment with botulinum toxin to the underlying muscles will have a beneficial effect on these concerns. It should be noted that deep lines may not disappear with muscle relaxing injections alone, but may require an injectable dermal filler product, such as Belotero or Ellanse, in order to further soften these areas. Botulinum toxin treatments should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

How is the treatment performed?

An initial consultation will be carried out to determine the goals for your treatment, make note of any associated asymmetries/abnormalities, and a treatment plan will be determined in order to achieve the ideal result for each individual. Photos will be taken before your treatment in order to document your concerns efficiently. The treatment is carried out in an outpatient setting, taking approximately 15-20 minutes. Facial mapping will be completed, and a cold pack applied to the treatment areas. Botulinum toxin will then be injected with a fine needle into each specific treatment area, with only minor discomfort experienced.

Will the treatment be painful/cause bruising?

The use of skin cooling with a cold pack or, occasionally, a topical local anaesthetic cream will ensure minimal discomfort during the treatment. Very minimal to no bruising should occur due to the careful, experienced techniques and fine needles used; however, please be aware that any breach of the skin may result in small bruises.

1 May 2020 | Fillers in Dubai

Breast Enlargement Dubai | 12 April 2020

A breast enlargement, also known as mammoplasty or boob job is a surgical breast enhancement procedure carried out by a specialist surgeon to increase the volume of the breasts. Breast enlargement is a popular procedure that uses breast implants, fat transfer or a combination of the two to boost the size and profile of your breasts, improve your body confidence and fit of clothing and enhance breast shape following weight loss, pregnancy and breastfeeding. Most people find that breast augmentation has a really positive impact on their life and achieves the looks that they desire. I want you to feel comfortable and confident about every aspect of breast enlargement surgery, it’s a big decision. We always listen to any concerns you may have and give you all the information and time you need to think about your surgery. And, we’ll be here, caring for you every step of the way.

Breast Augmentation Dubai | 11 April 2020

Fillers in Dubai | 10 April 2020

Facial fillers are products such as collagen, hyaluronic acid and calcium hydroxyl apatite that rejuvenate facial skin by reducing or eliminating wrinkles, raising scar depressions, enhancing lips and replacing soft-tissue volume loss through facial injections. With age, our skin becomes more susceptible to wrinkles and sagging. Exposure to sun and years of muscle movement ( squinting, chewing, smiling ) contribute to tissue breakdown of the skin.

Facial fillers are temporary to long-lasting solutions administered through a few tiny facial injections on specific areas of the face. Various types of facial fillers are available; each is designed with one or several purposes, such as wrinkle reduction and lip augmentation. A qualified medical professional can help you determine which facial injections and what injectable fillers treatments are right for you. Facial fillers will volumize creases and folds in the face in areas that have lost fat and collagen as we age. Hyaluronic acid is the natural filler substance in your body. The face starts to lack volume and appears aged with deeper nasolabial folds, unaesthetic marionette lines, a deeper mentalis fold, the lips start to thin, and turning down the corners of the lips. Hyaluronic acid fillers such as Restylane and Juvederm® are then injected extraorally right underneath these folds to replace the volume lost which creates a younger look in the face. Dermal fillers can be used for high lip line cases, asymmetrical lips around the mouth, lip augmentation, and completing cosmetic dentistry cases by creating a beautiful, young-looking frame around the teeth

Are they safe?

Dermal fillers by nature are an extremely safe procedure and a leading option to restore and restructure facial volume.

What are the risks?

Risk is minimal compared to invasive surgical treatments which require cosmetic / plastic surgery, however it’s not uncommon to experience minor side effects as dermal fillers are injection based treatment and pierce the facial skin direct.

What are the side effects?

A side effect can be very light bruising. Lasting up to three days, medically this bruising process simply occurs as healthy bloodstream works to instantly treat the broken skin tissue and live wound – the process induced via the needle injecting point. This is temporary and lasts normally anything from 3 days up to a week. It should be noted that other interference issues may also provoke bruising including medications, lifestyle and alcohol. Swelling and redness may also appear. Normally a side effects which only lasts a few days.

Is filler permanent and how long can it last?

No, the filler itself is temporary and lasts anything from twelve months up to eighteen. Our skins natural collagen goes through a degradation – break down – process as we age. This applies to the collagen barriers surrounding the filler. They evaporate, and this in turn provokes the eventual gradual break down of the dermal filler.

Breast Enlargement Dubai | 9 April 2020

Fillers in Dubai | 8 April 2020

Dermal filler injections are non-surgical and typically completed during an office visit. Your initial treatment will begin with a consultation, during which you will meet with me to discuss your concerns and goals.

Pre-treatment consultation – During your consultation, I will evaluate your area of concern and review your medical history. While the risks associated with dermal fillers are minimal, you need to fully disclose your medical history prior to treatment, as certain allergies, skin and neurological conditions, or medications can jeopardize your safety or results. For instance, you need to tell me if you have been taking NSAIDs (e.g., aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen) or blood thinners, as these increase the likelihood of bruising.

Your injectable filler treatment – Just before the actual treatment, the area will be cleaned, and you may be given a topical anesthetic to numb the area prior to injection. Many filler products also contain lidocaine, a mild anesthetic, which is intended to help minimize discomfort during and after your treatment. I will then inject a precise amount of filler strategically beneath the skin.

Depending on the product and the areas treated, you should be able to notice results immediately after receiving filler injections. Some patients experience mild bruising and swelling, but these are temporary and should subside over the days following treatment. You will be able to go back to your normal activities right after treatment, but I may ask you to take the day off from exercise or other strenuous activity.

If you are having fat injections… facial fat grafting is a surgical procedure and follows a different treatment protocol. Typically, fat grafting is performed as an outpatient procedure, using general anesthesia or local anesthesia with sedation. Up to 2 weeks of downtime may be required, depending on the extent of liposuction performed. I will go over what to expect with surgery and recovery during your consultation.