Southlake Plastic Surgery - Dr. Mark Mason, cosmetic surgeon

Want to take action yourself? Dr. Mason suggests a few action items you can do on your own to improve your appearance!

Make the liposuction last
What causes weight gain? A combination of slow metabolism, eating more than your body needs to survive and lack of physical activity. As weight gain takes control, many people find themselves leaning on plastic surgery to help them see a quick, noticeable improvement in their body. This encouragement helps them choose a healthier lifestyle and keep that fat off or go on to lose more.

Control what you eat
Even if you think you will lean on a cosmetic surgeon to surgically remove fat, it is in your best interest to modify your eating habits beforehand and stick to it. That's because after surgery, if you continue with poor eating habits, you will effectively undo the work of the surgeon by just piling back on the fat.

Take action
The plastic surgeon is able to jump-start your body by making it instantaneously more shapely. However, it is your job to keep it that way. Working out at least three times a week will boost your metabolism and help keep you in shape.

What causes wrinkles?
As humans grow older, their bones begin to deteriorate, and the fat beneath their skin decreases (which is why young people and older, overweight individuals have fewer wrinkles: they have more fat cells under their skin). At the same time, the skin continues to grow so that the body produces excess skin that may cause it to sag and wrinkle. Also, the muscles in the face become more lax and shapeless with age, causing the skin to droop around them.

Top three rules of thumb to keep wrinkles at a minimum without surgery:
Although certain predetermined factors indicate whether or not someone is at high risk for wrinkles, there are controllable factors that will help reduce the chances of premature or many wrinkles. Uncontrollable factors that may indicate a likelihood of premature or a greater severity of wrinkles later on include having fair skin, blue, gray or green eyes, or red or blond hair. Below is a list of external factors that can contribute to the aging process.

Avoid pollution, smoking and drinking too much alcohol.
All of the above factors expose the skin to oxygen-free radicals. Free radicals prevent oxygen from properly reacting to DNA, causing cellular damage to skin. Living in a city that has pollution warnings regularly, smoking or being exposed to second-hand smoke (even if you do not smoke), and drinking two or more alcoholic drinks per day (on average) all contribute to premature and more abundant wrinkles.
You get out what you put in.
Drink 64 ounces of water each day (about 8 ounces to a glass depending on size). Water helps flush out toxins in the body and carries nutrients throughout the body and to the skin. Drinking water is the first step. The next step is regulating what you eat. You (and your skin) are what you eat. Eating fruit, vegetables and foods rich in whole grains have antioxidents that ward off free radicals which helps keep skin looking young. Also, if you are afraid you are not getting enough vitamin E, C or beta-carotene, take supplements as these nutrients directly the appearance of skin.
Work in a workout.
Exercise is also an important factor in anti-aging. Not only will it keep bones stronger and build muscles dramatically, it aids in the body's circulation. Good circulation will help keep antioxidants flowing to the skin, keeping it healthy and young.

How to rejuvenate skin
Regardless of all the care and precautions in the world that may have been taken, most people can still see the effects of aging on their skin. Steps can still be taken to smooth and alleviate some wrinkles. Wrinkles can be attributed in part to the increasing thickness of the skin as it ages. Lotions such as Retin-A, alpha hydroxy or Renova help to exfoliate dead cells from the skin, making it thinner and smoother. Retina-A and Renova actually contain a chemical that can cause cell production that has been mutated by the sun to return to normal.

Skin looks more wrinkled when it is dry. Although a moisturizer by itself does nothing to chemically or physically alter the skin, it can make skin appear younger. As skin ages, it loses its ability to retain water in the skin, so that moisturizers become increasingly important with age.