SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION
(813) 872-6093

Getting Great Lipo Results

Posted on May 5, 2013 by admin

One of the greatest misconceptions I hear about getting liposuction in Tampa is the idea of using it to lose weight. In reality, one of the best ways you can ensure great lipo results is by reaching your target weight before surgery.

How Weight Loss Works

Noticeable weight gain often affects fat far below the surface of the skin, called visceral fat. These fatty deposits build up around internal organs, and may even impact important body functions like hormone production. Diet and exercise is the only way to lose visceral fat cells; liposuction only removes subcutaneous fat cells that lie closer to the skin’s surface.

Liposuction also is not appropriate for removing several pounds of fat from the body. The procedure is really intended to just target one or two stubborn spots that typically don’t respond to diet or exercise, such as the love handles or the outer thighs.

For patients who are more than 10 pounds over their ideal weight, weight loss should be a primary goal before liposuction. Fluctuating weight levels will make liposuction results unpredictable; weight lost after lipo will change the contours of the body further, which may necessitate additional procedures. Weight gained after lipo can undo the results of your body sculpting.

Looking Your Best

Looking your best is an important part of the beach culture in Tampa/St. Petersburg. That starts with eating right and staying active. Cosmetic procedures like liposuction can be the final polish for all your hard work, but only after you’ve reached a healthy target weight.

Posted in Liposuction | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Latest Trends in Breast Augmentation

Posted on May 1, 2013 by admin

Like every beauty secret, breast augmentation comes with certain appearance expectations that come and go. It wasn’t so long ago that bigger was definitely better when it came to implants, but that seems to be changing these days. Implants themselves are also changing, and so are the new techniques that may soon become mainstream.

Natural Results

If I had to choose just one word to describe the modern approach that Tampa women take toward breast augmentation, it would be “natural.” There’s a lot more interest these days in looking sexier and curvier, and less in looking obvious or overdone.

“Gummy bear” implants, or highly cohesive form-stable silicone implants, are another example of implant innovation that’s changing the face of breast augmentation. Potential future trends in implants include taking the idea of anatomically correct one step further by designing left and right implants that mimic the differences between left and right breasts.

Looking more natural includes more than just results; some patients are opting for a fat transfer technique to augment their breasts instead of implants. This procedure requires withdrawing fat deposits from the patient’s own body, which are then specially treated for injection back into the breasts. This technology is still pretty new, and currently costs more than standard augmentation for less dramatic results. But if the technology improves and larger volumes of fat can be transferred, this method could become a more viable option for more women. After all, beauty expectations really define cosmetic surgery trends, and that extends to techniques as well as end results.

Posted in Breast Augmentation | Tagged | Leave a comment

Overcoming Weight Loss Obstacles

Posted on April 28, 2013 by admin

If you struggle with losing weight and keeping it off, then you may need to examine more than just your diet. Weight gain isn’t always about extra pounds; sometimes there are underlying causes for your change in body shape. For changes that aren’t resolved through diet or exercise, cosmetic surgery procedures like liposuction in Tampa/St. Petersburg can help you feel and look your best.

Body Shape Changes

When most of us think of getting older, we probably think of wrinkles on the face, or other surface signs of aging. Yet, for the majority of the population, one of the major signs the body is aging is a subtle (or sometimes not too subtle) change in your shape.

As we age, the body starts storing weight around the midsection instead of other places like the legs, arms and hips. Sometimes called “the middle age spread,” this new weight distribution occurs because our bodies start breaking down fat differently, and because our hormone production shifts.

For women going through menopause, the drop in estrogen and progesterone levels is accompanied by an increase in fat cells as the body attempts to balance out the hormone loss. Men experience a drop in testosterone production as they age as well, which is also often accompanied by weight gain around the belly.

Shaping Up

While weight gain is often caused by simply consuming too many calories compared to your activity level, there may be other reasons for weight gain as well, particularly as you’re growing older. If diet and exercise helped you reach your target weight, yet you still can’t eliminate a few of your more noticeable fat deposits, then visiting my practice for some liposuction can help slim and reshape your body.

Posted in Liposuction | Tagged | Leave a comment

Tips for the Best Breast Augmentation

Posted on April 25, 2013 by admin

Although it’s one of the most popular cosmetic surgeries I perform at my practice in Tampa,  breast augmentation still requires a certain finesse to get just right. And that’s just speaking from a surgeon’s perspective. There are plenty of things you can do as a patient that help ensure wonderful results.

From Consultation to Recovery

A great breast augmentation starts with a great consultation. Even before your consultation, you should take plenty of time to find a surgeon who delivers consistent, beautiful results and whom you feel comfortable with. Before your surgery, you’ll meet to discuss your appearance goals, implant preferences and other details about your surgery.

A positive consultation is vital to the successful outcome of your breast augmentation; this is the time when patient and surgeon really get on the same page about the desired outcome following surgery. Without this understanding in place ahead of time, patients may end up with breasts that are too large, too small or just not the right shape for them to feel happy with their procedure.

Before your surgery, follow any instructions your surgeon has given you. If you’re a smoker, you should quit at least two weeks before your surgery, and not resume until after you’re done healing. During your recovery, you can apply cold compresses to relieve pain and swelling, and follow your surgeon’s instructions for massage to help promote correct implant placement and reduce the likelihood of developing hardened scar tissue (capsular contracture).

At my practice, getting great results from your breast augmentation really comes down to the right combination of proper planning and surgical skill. With the right attitude and attention to detail, we can work together to give you the body you deserve.

Posted in Breast Augmentation | Tagged | Leave a comment

Increasing Popularity of Laser Hair Removal

Posted on April 15, 2013 by admin

Whether it’s the emphasis on looking your best, or the importance of beach culture, more and more men and women are opting for laser hair removal from our Tampa practice. The latest statistics released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) shows that Florida is not the only state seeing these changes. In fact, the rest of the nation is becoming more committed to the idea of laser hair removal as well.

Hair Removal on the Rise

Looking at the numbers from ASPS, laser hair removal remains in the top five most popular minimally invasive cosmetic procedures. The total number of laser hair removal patients increased four percent from 2011 to 2012. The continued popularity of laser hair removal has added up to a total increase of 52 percent from 2000.

The benefits of laser hair removal are very clear: the procedure offers a safe, permanent solution for eliminating unwanted hair growth. Lasers are less painful than electrolysis, and can treat a much larger surface area in one sitting as well. When looking at numbers long-term, laser hair removal is far less expensive than waxing or even shaving, plus offers permanence that these other methods can’t.

Investing in Yourself

Regardless of your reasons for wanting laser hair removal, investing in yourself is something that will never go out of style. Whether wanting to eliminate unwanted hair completely, or thin out a few areas for a more pleasing aesthetic, men and women in Tampa are turning toward laser hair removal as the ideal solution.

Posted in Laser Hair Removal | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Is Silicone Superior?

Posted on April 10, 2013 by admin

For women in the Tampa, St. Petersburg and Orlando area considering breast augmentation, silicone implants are the overwhelmingly popular choice over saline implants. Are silicone implants really that much superior? Or can you get the same results with saline, at a fraction of the cost?

Why Silicone?

Many women (and their surgeons) feel that silicone implants look more natural than saline. The cohesive nature of the gel helps silicone implants look and feel more like natural breast tissue. When saline implants are placed subglandularly in women without much natural breast tissue to provide coverage, surface ripples and implant edges sometimes become visible. Unlike saline, silicone implants are unlikely to show at all, regardless of placement or existing breast size.

Silicone implants are also lighter than saline, minimizing the risk of “bottoming out,” or downward implant migration that would require revision surgery. If saline implants rupture or leak, the affected breast will take on a visibly altered, deflated appearance. Since the filling in silicone implants is more cohesive, you’ll likely retain your breast shape even if there’s a breach in the implant shell.

Choosing Your Implants

Choosing which type of breast implant to use during your breast augmentation is a very personal decision. When you first visit my practice in Tampa for your consultation, this is one of the main topics we’ll cover. Silicone isn’t necessarily superior, but silicone implants may be better for some women than saline, while saline may be better for others. Working together, we’ll find the best option to suit your body.

Posted in Breast Augmentation | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Cost Benefits of Laser Hair Removal

Posted on April 5, 2013 by admin

For anyone who thinks that it’s cheaper to continue shaving and waxing compared to committing to laser hair removal, think again. Laser hair removal in the Tampa area is the least expensive, least painful and most convenient method for permanent hair removal.

Lifetime Costs

With laser hair removal, it’s easy to see the total cost as a bottom line. You don’t get that luxury with shaving or waxing, so many people think these methods are far cheaper. The truth is, these costs add up significantly over time, and not just financially.

One estimate suggests that a woman will spend approximately 70 full days over the course of her lifetime on shaving, estimating about 15 minutes per shaving session, and shaving about three times per week. That’s a lot of time lost on personal grooming, especially compared to just a few sessions of laser hair removal.

And while disposable razors might be inexpensive on their own, those add up over time as well, totaling close to $6000 spent over a lifetime. And of course, this doesn’t include the costs for shaving cream, water use or moisturizing lotion that are needed too.

What about other hair removal methods? Well, waxing is far more expensive than shaving, not to mention more painful. And electrolysis, the only other permanent hair removal solution, costs far more than laser hair removal, is more painful and takes many more sessions, since each hair must be treated individually.

The Clear Choice

For men and women in Tampa who think laser hair removal is expensive, it’s time to look at the hidden lifetime costs for other hair removal alternatives in comparison. In the long run, you’ll get big savings on time and money by choosing laser hair removal instead.

Posted in Castellano Blog | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Med Spa Safety

Posted on April 1, 2013 by admin

The total number of medical spas in the United States has quadrupled in the last five years, according to the International Medical Spa Association. While this has the benefit of making self-improvement more affordable and easily obtainable, the convenience factor may come at the cost of safety. If you’re considering these minimally invasive procedures, like BOTOX® Cosmetic or laser hair removal in Tampa, be sure to check certifications before booking your appointment.

State Regulations

In many states, medical spas aren’t bound by the same strict safety requirements as hospitals and operating facilities, despite the medical nature of the procedures they’re performing. While here in Florida, patients are protected by rules that are much more stringent than elsewhere, it’s a good idea to check with your state laws prior to scheduling any treatments.  For example, in New York, hair removal of any kind isn’t considered a medical procedure, so no regulations are in place when it comes to laser hair removal.

Deceptive Simplicity

It’s easy to think that fairly straightforward procedures like BOTOX® injections, injectable fillers or chemical peels could be performed by nearly anyone. In reality, these treatments should only be performed by a doctor who has extensive understanding of anatomy and is experienced with cosmetic surgery. Medical spas may have a doctor’s guidance in name only, and not even have a physician on the premises regularly. Or, the doctor in question may not be a cosmetic surgeon at all.

Playing Safe

Your best bet is to find a local cosmetic surgeon to perform even your minimally invasive procedures like injectables, laser treatments or liposuction. At my practice in Tampa, you’ll have peace of mind knowing our treatments are only administered by a trained cosmetic surgeon.

Posted in Castellano Blog | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Spotting Breast Implants

Posted on March 20, 2013 by admin

Many women in the Tampa area are still hesitant about moving forward with breast augmentation out of fear that the results will be too obvious. While this is understandable, let me be the first to assure you that the days of easily spotted cosmetic work are a thing of the past.

 

Misconceptions

Like many misconceptions, imagining breast augmentation as results that look like “two grapefruit halves” probably has some basis in a very old truth. In the early days of successful implants, the excitement of going bigger was so overwhelming that no one stopped to think about whether or not the results looked natural. Plus, standards for beauty change every couple decades or so, and the dramatic, high profile breast implants are becoming less popular these days as current beauty trends are focusing on a more natural look.

 

While high profile implants are still available if that’s the look you want, you can also choose implants that have a teardrop shape that’s more like a natural breast. As surgical techniques improve, scars are unobtrusive to the point of invisible. And, as implant designs improve, their feel is closer to natural breast tissue. There are so many options out there designed to grant subtlety to your procedure that it’s nearly impossible to tell if breasts are real or not these days.

 

Better Results

All of this is not to say that your breast augmentation results from my Tampa practice won’t be noticeable; they absolutely will. You’ll feel sexier, curvier and more self-confident even with very modest implants. The goal of my surgeries is to bring out the best in every woman. And every time, the most flattering changes are those that come from within when you feel great about your appearance.

Posted in Castellano Blog | Leave a comment

Laser Hair Removal Before Bikini Season

Posted on March 20, 2013 by admin

At my Tampa practice, I hear a lot of misconceptions about cosmetic procedures, and laser hair removal is no exception. Men and women often assume that laser hair removal is a one-shot appointment. In reality, several treatment sessions are needed for best results. My advice to you? If you want to be all set by bikini season, start your spring cleaning in the next few weeks.

 

How Laser Hair Removal Works

I think the misunderstanding comes down primarily to not knowing how the process of laser hair removal works. When the device is passed over the targeted area, the hair absorbs energy from the laser. This trauma kills the hair, damaging the follicle enough that there is no regrowth. That’s what makes laser hair removal a permanent solution to unwanted hair virtually anywhere on the body.

 

However, there’s just one catch: lasers can only kill the hair follicle in its growth phase. If the hair isn’t actively growing, then the laser won’t have lasting effects. Since all hairs grow in staggered cycle, this means you’ll have to visit us a few times so we can catch each batch of hair at the right time.

 

Lasting Effects

Scheduling multiple sessions for laser hair removal is well worth it when you’re looking at the payoff: permanent freedom from unwanted hair. Just know ahead of time that your plan for becoming hair-free will take longer than one quick appointment. With only minimal planning, you can still be trim and tidy well before bikini season hits the Tampa and St. Petersburg area.

Posted in Castellano Blog | Leave a comment

Contact Us

captcha