Gone are the “deer caught in the headlights” and “wind-tunnel” looks of the past. Gone are the lengthy hospital stays and long recovery periods. Now with Unicorn Financial Services, people who thought they could not afford cosmetic and elective surgery can have it.
After all, shouldn’t that unique sense of personal well-being be for everyone?
The following short summaries are intended as a general overview only. Some of these cosmetic procedures may also fulfil actual medical needs.
A lot depends on the unique circumstances and experience of each individual. If you’re considering plastic surgery, please ask your plastic surgeon for further information about the particular procedure and what you can expect.
Besides, the fees quoted are only to give you a general idea of what the process may cost. Prices usually vary according to the region of the country and the patient’s needs. In general, the fees quoted do not include anaesthesia, operating room facilities, or other related expenses.
Also, please note that all surgery carries some uncertainty and risk. To reduce your risk, choose a qualified plastic surgeon and closely follow his or her advice.
Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck)
Procedure:
The tummy tuck helps you to achieve a trimmer and flatter abdomen. This surgery is incredibly helpful to both men and women whose abdominal muscles and skin have been stretched through the ageing process or multiple pregnancies to the extent that it cannot return to normal even with diet and exercise.
In this procedure, the cosmetic surgeon removes excess skin and fat from the middle and lower abdominal wall and then tightens the abdominal muscles. A tummy tuck is often executed in conjunction with liposuction surgery.
Based on the circumstances, the surgery can be completed in an outpatient surgical centre, an office-based facility, or in a hospital where a patient may spend two to three days.
Abdominoplasty can take between two to five hours, and a partial Abdominoplasty may take two hours, depending on the expanse of the work required. Your doctor may select general anaesthesia, which means you will sleep through the operation, or local anaesthesia merged with a sedative to make you drowsy.
Approximate Cost
$4,000.
BREAST ENLARGEMENT (AUGMENTATION MAMMOPLASTY)
Procedure:
Now, through safe and effective techniques, you can enhance your breast size and body contour, thus achieving a revitalized body image that can bolster your self-confidence.
The process involves placing inflatable implants filled with saline either above or below the chest muscle through several different insertion points, depending on your natural anatomy, your preferences, and your surgeon’s preferences.
Recent endoscopic procedures which place the incisions lower in the truncal area than before are gaining popularity because of the nearly inconspicuous scars that result.
This surgery is usually completed on an outpatient basis and takes between one to two hours. Your surgeon may choose either a general anaesthetic or a local with sedation.
Approximate Cost
$3,000 to $4000.
BREAST LIFT (MASTOPEXY)
Procedure:
A breast lift raises and reshapes sagging breasts which can result in a revitalized body image that can bolster your self-esteem. The process involves removing excess skin and repositioning the remaining tissue and nipples.
A breast lift can also reduce the size of the areola or dark skin around the nipple and, when performed in conjunction with the insertion of breast implants, can add firmness and size to small breasts or breasts that have lost their volume after pregnancy.
This procedure usually takes from one and a half to three and a half hours and can be done on an outpatient basis. Your surgeon may choose general or local anaesthesia with sedation. The choice varies according to the particular patient’s circumstances.
Approximate cost
$4000.
BREAST REDUCTION (female and male)
Female Breast Reduction (Reduction Mammoplasty)
Procedure:
A breast reduction is one of the most satisfying of plastic surgery procedures. This standard procedure reduces the weight and size of huge breasts by using liposuction techniques and might be carried out on a casual basis under local anaesthesia.
After the surgery patients no longer suffer from the problems associated with overly large breasts: unwanted attention, self-consciousness, and back pain.
Approximate Cost
$5,000.
Male Breast Reduction (Gynecomastia)
Procedure:
Male breast reductions have become one of the most popular cosmetic surgical procedures for males. The process reduces the enlargement of the breast, using liposuction to remove fatty and glandular tissue. Incisions for this operation may be made directly inside the areolar border where they are generally inconspicuous.
surgery may be performed on an outpatient basis under a general anaesthetic or local anaesthesia with sedation. Most patients who undergo this process are pleased with the results and no longer feel self-conscious in social situations, like at the beach or pool.
Approximate Cost
$3,000.
CHEMICAL PEEL (Phenol and trichloroacetic acid–TCA)
Procedure:
Both men and women can achieve great success with this procedure which improves and smoothes blemished, wrinkled, unevenly pigmented, or sun-damaged facial skin. Younger looking skin can enhance your self-esteem.
This method involves using a chemical solution to peel away the damaged outer layers of skin. A chemical peel works best on fair, thin-skinned people with superficial wrinkles. Trichloroacetic acid (TCA) is used for medium-depth peeling; whereas phenol, the strongest of the chemical solutions produces a deep peel.
Your doctor may use TCA to treat fine surface wrinkles, superficial blemishes, and pigment problems. TCA also aids in the control of acne. Phenol, on the other hand, is used to treat coarse facial wrinkles, blotchy or damaged skin caused by sun exposure and other conditions, or pre-cancerous growths.
A typical peel may take from one to two hours for the full face and is usually performed on an outpatient basis. Sedation is mostly used before and during the procedure for relaxation. However, some full-face phenol peels may require a hospital stay of up to two days.
Approximate Cost
$1,700.
EAR SURGERY (OTOPLASTY)
Procedure:
Ear surgery shapes and contours the ear to complement the patient’s head size and bone structure. This procedure involves removing excess skin and cartilage from the back of the ear. It is typically performed on an outpatient basis using local or general anaesthesia and generally takes from one to two hours.
Having ear surgery helps reduce the stress and embarrassment that may be associated with overly large or protruding ears and can give you a rejuvenated body image that will bolster your self-esteem and increase your confidence with others.
Approximate cost
$2500
EYELID SURGERY (BLEPHAROPLASTY)
Procedure:
To correct sagging upper eyelids and puffy bags below the eyes, this procedure removes excess skin and excess fat as needed to rejuvenate the eye area. This is a general surgery with a high rate of patient satisfaction.
The small sutures made on the lids or directly inside the covers are very well hidden and heal quickly.
The surgery can last anywhere ranging from one to three hours and is generally performed on an outpatient basis under local anaesthesia combined with sedation.
Approximate cost
$2,800 (for both upper and lower lids)
FACELIFT (RHYTIDECTOMY)
Procedure:
The popular facelift can be performed on both men and women as soon as there are signs of ageing. This procedure addresses the changes which occur in the natural process of ageing–sagging facial skin, owls, and loose neck skin.
A typical lift needs the cosmetic surgeon to separate excess fat, tighten underlying muscles, and re-adorn the skin of the face profile and neck. Ideal candidates for a facelift are men and women over forty whose face and neck have begun to sag but who have some skin elasticity and a well-defined bone structure.
To tighten the skin, the surgeon usually makes inconspicuous incisions in the hairline or natural folds of the skin. If a brow lift is being done in conjunction with a facelift, the incisions may be made in the hair at the top of the head to allow the forehead and eyebrows to be lifted.
While facelifts are generally performed on an outpatient basis under local anaesthesia combined with a sedative, some surgeons who use general anaesthesia prefer their patients to be hospitalized for a short period.
Having a facelift takes several hours, mostly if more than one procedure is being done. The results of this procedure can be very satisfying since having a youthful appearance can bolster your self-esteem while enhancing your confidence around others.
Approximate cost
$5,000 and up
FACIAL IMPLANTS
Procedure:
Facial implants can provide subtle or significant changes in facial structure. High cheekbones and a well-defined jawline have for centuries been associated with physical beauty and confidence.
This procedure involves inserting carefully shaped implants to build up cheekbones, to add prominence to a receding or “weak” chin, or to reshape the jawline. The process generally takes from 30 minutes to two hours and is usually done on an outpatient basis, using local anaesthesia combined with sedation.
Occasionally, general anaesthesia is used, and an overnight hospital stay is required. Facial implants enhance and balance the structure of the face, which can lead to greater self-confidence.
Approximate Cost
Cheek Implants: $2,000.
Chin Implant: $1,500.
FOREHEAD LIFT (BROWLIFT)
Procedure:
The browlift raises drooping eyebrows that are due to the effects of ageing and corrects creases and furrows above the nose and on the forehead. This procedure involves raising and tightening the skin and muscles of the forehead and cutting the forces responsible for forehead wrinkles and creases.
Usually performed on people over 40, this procedure is done either with an incision made inside the hairline at the crest of the head (the coronal browlift) or with an endoscope. This fibre-optic light allows the surgeon to operate through three to five small incisions (the endoscopic browlift).
It generally takes from one to two hours and can be done on an outpatient basis, using local anaesthesia with sedation. The rejuvenated look that results from a brow lift can enhance your self-esteem.
Approximate Cost
$2,500.
HAIR REPLACEMENT SURGERY
Procedure:
Today’s hair replacement surgeries produce excellent results that do not vanish over time. There are a variety of techniques to fill in baldness with a patient’s hair. These include scalp reduction, scalp expansion, and grafts–plugs, mini-plugs, and micro plugs.
More than one approaches can be used on the same person to achieve a natural look. Mini grafts and micro-hair grafts involve taking one to five hairs from the posterior scalp and placing them in the balding area, using microscopic incisions.
The tiny size of the grafts provides the patient with natural results. These hair grafts eliminate the “corn-row” appearance that has long typified hair replacement surgery. Usually, scalp reductions and hair transplants are made on an outpatient basis under local anaesthesia or under a local with sedation.
Scalp reductions generally take less than one hour. Hair transplants can take from six to eight hours, depending on the area of baldness. Besides, some techniques require multiple procedures that take place over months.
The great thing about Mini grafts and micro-grafts is that they minimize scarring and can improve even the most extensive hair loss situations. That great feeling of well-being that results from having successful hair replacement surgery can enhance your self-esteem.
Approximate Cost
Scalp reductions: $2,000 to $3,000 or more
Hair transplants: Cost varies depending on the amount of baldness, but micro-grafts and mini-grafts can cost between $4 to $10 for each graft. Cosmetic surgeons can transplant a thousand or more grafts per session.
LASER FACIAL RESURFACING
Procedure:
Laser facial resurfacing softens surface irregularities and helps remove facial wrinkles. It involves the use of high pulse lasers to remove the top layers of skin, thus revealing the younger-looking skin underneath.
Younger looking skin can enhance your self-esteem. This procedure may be performed on small areas of skin or the entire face. In contrast to a chemical peel, laser resurfacing is less likely to produce extreme changes and differences in skin colour.
This procedure is typically executed on an outpatient basis under local anaesthesia combined with a sedative. However, in severe cases, a hospital stay may be required. Also, the procedure may take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour and a half, depending on how vast an area of skin is involved.
Approximate Cost
The cost depends on the area and depth of the scars or wrinkles. A single region may cost between $1,000 to 2,000 dollars, while a full-face resurfacing could cost over $3,000.
LIPOSUCTION (Lipoplasty)
Procedure:
Liposuction is the most popular cosmetic surgical procedure today. It improves the shape and contour of the body by removing unwanted areas of fat.
Areas of the human body that can be enhanced by liposuction include the chin, cheeks, neck, upper arms, buttocks, hips, thighs, knees, calves, and ankles. Lipoplasty can be done using traditional suction-assisted liposuction or with an ultrasound probe.
Suction assisted lipoplasty involves removing intact fat cells while ultrasound-assisted lipoplasty (UAL) uses an ultrasound probe to liquefy the targeted areas of fat before they are released.
These procedures are usually done on an outpatient basis, using a local, epidural, or sometimes general anaesthesia. If the process is extensive, a short hospital stay may be required. That great feeling of well-being that results from having a well-defined figure can enhance your self-esteem.
Approximate Cost
Single site: $1,800 and up.
NECK MICRO SUCTION
Procedure:
Neck micro-suction gives you a youthful-looking neck by tightening the loose skin of the neck that results from years of the pull of gravity. This procedure involves removing the extra fat from just under the chin and through the neck area and then tightening the skin.
The fat is released using a liposuction technique. Once the fat is separated, the skin is then tightened. This procedure is generally done on an outpatient basis under a local anaesthetic combined with sedation.
That great feeling of well-being that results from a rejuvenated jaw and neckline can enhance your self-esteem.
Approximate Cost
$2,000 to $4,000.
NOSE SURGERY (RHINOPLASTY)
Procedure:
Nose surgery changes the size and shape of a person’s nose and can also correct congenital disabilities or breathing problems. To reshape the nose, this procedure loosens the skin of the nose and sculpts the nose to the shape you crave.
The skin is then re-draped over the brand new framework. This can be done for purely cosmetic reasons or for reconstructive purposes, such as to correct a marked deformity or breathing problem.
Rhinoplasty can enhance or reduce the size of the nose, remove a hump in the nose, modify the appearance of the bridge or tip, narrow the nostrils, or change the angle between the nose and the upper lip.
The process can range from one to two hours and is usually done on an outpatient basis under local or general anaesthesia. Some complex processes may take longer and require an overnight stay in the hospital. That wonderful feeling of well-being that results from a tremendous facial profile can enhance your self-esteem.
Approximate Cost:
Open rhinoplasty: $3,000.
Closed rhinoplasty: $2,800.
PHALLOPLASTY (Penile Shaft Enhancement)
Procedure:
Phalloplasty is one of the newest methods in cosmetic surgery for men. It is designed to increase both the length and circumference of the penile shaft. Phalloplasty can be performed using the latest laser technique, which involves no foreign material or implants.
With this procedure, healing is speedy, and the patient may be fully functioning within days after the process. Other options for penile enhancement are dermal-fat grafting (DFG), fat injection, and penis lengthening surgery.
Fat injection moves fat cells from another part of the patient’s body to the penis. This procedure may need to be repeated several times for those who want a significant increase.
In many instances, one treatment is sufficient. The surgery is generally carried out on an outpatient basis under local anaesthesia combined with sedation.
Dermal-fat grafting is a two-step procedure that involves the removal from another part of the body of a strip of skin that has the fat attached.
The lower skin layer with the fat attached is then transplanted to the penile shaft. This procedure usually takes three hours and is done on an outpatient basis.
Penis-lengthening surgery involves extending the penis from 1/2 to 2 inches using local tissue and skin from the penis or pubic area.
This procedure usually gets completed within two hours and is done on an outpatient basis under local anaesthesia combined with sedation.
TATTOO REMOVAL
Procedure:
Tattoo removal allows you to reverse a decision that you made in the past, one that does not necessarily fit with your present style of life. Using new laser techniques, cosmetic surgeons can now remove unwanted tattoos without leaving conspicuous scars.
The procedure is usually performed on a causal basis and can last from a few minutes to a half-hour, depending on which laser is selected.
Most surgeons pre-treat the tattoo with a topical or injectable local anaesthetic before the procedure. Having an unsightly tattoo removed can enhance your self-esteem.
VEIN TREATMENT AND REMOVAL OF VASCULAR BIRTHMARKS
Procedure:
Vein treatment of veins on the legs and face can be treated by injections of a solution that is similar to saltwater or by laser treatments. Birthmarks such as port-wine birthmarks or stork bites can also be treated by lasers but may require multiple sessions for improvement.
Treatment by injection is usually done in the physician’s office and may need anywhere from one to ten sessions, based on the severity of the vein visibility. During the procedure, there is minimal discomfort, and after an initial redness in the treated area, the veins start to fade.
When lasers are used to treat veins or birthmarks, the treatments are generally performed without anaesthesia in the doctor’s office. However, small children and infants with large birthmarks may require general anaesthesia, in which case the procedure will be performed in an outpatient facility.
Having a blemish-free face and smooth legs can enhance your self-esteem.
