Fast food, fast fashion, fast…beauty? Yep. We’re 16 years into the 21st century, kids, and many would argue that we’re living in the golden age of life-changing innovations and the kind of technology that even Back to the Future couldn’t have dreamed up.According to data from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, over 15 million people had some form of aesthetic enhancement in 2014, a 3% increase from the year prior. ASPS President Scot Glasberg, MD, says there’s a direct correlation between the medical strides being made and the demand for aesthetic procedures. With more options — options that become increasingly safer and promise minimal downtime — more people are opting to get work done.
Today, we live in a world where the five-minute nose job is an actuality, and where a vaginal rejuvenation can take place over your lunch hour. A world where you can take fat from your midsection and pump up your rump, and then hit the beach two weeks later with a derriere that Kim K herself would envy.
These procedures are not for the faint-hearted or for those lacking cash flow. But if you are looking for something that gives quick results without much downtime, the new world of aesthetic enhancements is your oyster. Of course, we can't stress enough the importance of doing your own thorough research and consulting with several surgeons, as well as others who have received your desired treatment — but we've also done a little groundwork for you already. Here, we speak with several plastic surgeons and experts to get the lowdown on five up-and-coming “instant beauty” procedures.
Everyone’s talking about Kybella, a procedure made available in July 2015 that noticeably melts away fat under your chin. This area is referred to as “submental” fat, or in more common verbiage, the double chin.
Unlike the surgery alternative — which can require several weeks of recovery time and necessitates wearing a chin strap both day and night for a large portion of that period — the injections only take a couple of minutes and there is no downtime. In other words, patients can just go on with their days post-appointment. The injections do, however, need to be repeated several times over several months before you really see results, says Daniel Maman, MD, of 740 Park Plastic Surgery.
“Kybella uses a synthetic form of a fat emulsifier (deoxycholic acid) that naturally occurs in our guts and helps us in digestion to dissolve the fat cells under the chin,” explains Mitch Chasin, MD, founder and medical director of Reflections Center for Skin & Body. “Because this chemical’s sole purpose is to break down fat cells, it’s able to target just the fat, without causing damage to surrounding tissues.”
Dr. Chasin says that Kybella is extremely safe, and that it’s passed the rigorous FDA-approval process, which includes clinical trials and safety and efficacy testing. However, it’s important to see a skilled cosmetic physician who has a strong knowledge of anatomy and has been trained in Kybella.
“Allergan, the [maker] of Botox and Kybella, [has] been very selective in choosing which physicians can offer the treatment,” Dr. Chasin says. “And all Kybella injectors have undergone rigorous training to be able to provide the treatment safely and effectively. This is really a different approach than most cosmetic-treatment launches, and we love that Allergan is so protective of the consumer in this way.”
The cost of Kybella depends on your location and ranges from $600 to $1,000 per vial. Typically, one to three vials are required per session and two to four sessions are recommended for optimal results. How much you need depends on the amount of fat you wish to remove.
Another fat-blasting technique that’s relatively new and minimally invasive is CoolSculpting. The name hints at the process, which involves freezing — and thereby killing — your fat cells.
CoolSculpting is less invasive than Kybella and can be performed anywhere on the body, making it a safe, less painful, anesthesia-free alternative to liposuction or surgery.
Here’s how it works: The CoolSculpting tool pinches the areas you want to target. As it pinches, it freezes the targeted fat until it crystallizes, which ultimately kills the cells. Your body then flushes out the dead cells, and you’re left with a sleeker physique. Like Kybella, this is a permanent procedure — outside of significant weight gain.
“CoolSculpting helps eliminate up to 22% of fat [in the target area] during each treatment,” says Dr. Chasin. So you’ll begin to notice some results right away, but most patients will want to do two to three rounds of treatments spaced four weeks apart. At the end of eight to 12 weeks, you’ll see the full results.
It’s only a 60-minute procedure, and it requires no downtime. This allows you to walk in and out of your appointment without anyone asking questions. No time off work, no bed rest.
According to data collected by RealSelf.com, costs for CoolSculpting range from $800 to $3,500. This depends on where you live, how much fat you’d like to remove, and the location of the fat.
Now introducing ThermiVA, the vaginal-rejuvenation process you can have done before you even finish an episode of The Bachelor. This 30- to 40-minute procedure is a very simple, in-office treatment that’s similar to your standard gynecologist checkup.
“ThermiVA is the first of its kind in that it treats a wide range of issues that women can experience, including prolapse, vaginal laxity, vaginal dryness, occasional leaking when you laugh or sneeze, and loss of desire — all with no downtime,” says board-certified surgeon Paul Lorenc, MD. You can resume exercise and/or sexual activity right away, says Dr. Lorenc, while traditional vaginal-rejuvenation procedures require weeks, sometimes months, of downtime.
The procedure involves inserting a single-use wand into the vaginal canal. The wand gently heats the tissue with radiofrequency.“We know when we heat tissue, there is a range which is therapeutic, and when we sustain the temperature in the therapeutic range for a number of minutes, fibroblast activity is activated, which produces collagen and elastic to form,” explains Dr. Lorenc.
The procedure is sold as a package of three treatments. For optimal results, patients return every four to five weeks for follow-up appointments and then, if desired, maintain results by having one to two treatments a year. The frequency of follow-up appointments depends on your age and the severity of your symptoms.
According to RealSelf.com, the average price of this procedure is $2,725.
The liquid nose job, also referred to as the five-minute nose job, is a non-surgical rhinoplasty. The process involves using FDA-approved injectable fillers — such as Restylane and Juvederm — to re-sculpt the nose.
“The liquid nose job has its limitations and is best for patients who want small changes,” explains Lindsey Gillooly, RN at Dream Spa Medical. “An example of a small change would be to make a more defined bridge of the nose, or to make the tip of the nose a bit pointier.”
Gillooly prefers to do small amounts of filler at a time over a span of a couple months, as opposed to making a 100% correction in one visit — she says her patients are usually content and feel that they have the augmentation they desire after the second or third treatment. So if you’re looking for small, incremental changes with minimal risk, a liquid nose job could be a good option for you. On the other hand, if you want major changes, or if your primary concern is treating a medical disorder, a traditional rhinoplasty may be better.
The results are instant, but temporary. As a general rule of thumb, most fillers last about nine months. Sometimes the results of an instant nose job will last longer, as scar tissue might build in the area of injections, acting as a natural, long-term filler. “Adverse events, such as a vascular occlusion, are possible but rare and are unlikely to occur when an experienced practitioner is performing the treatment,” notes Gillooly.
As an aside, if you’re unhappy with the results or experience an adverse reaction, you can actually have the results reversed. Fillers are hyaluronic-acid based, so your doctor can use hyaluronidase to dissolve the filler.
The cost typically ranges from $200 to $2,000.
This fat-grafting procedure requires the most downtime out of those on our list today — but considering all the work that’s done, the 10 to 14 days of “doctor's orders” rest ain’t no thing.
Brazilian Butt Lifts, or BBLs, have multiple steps. First, your plastic surgeon removes fat from one area on your body, such as your stomach or lower back, via liposuction. That fat is then repurposed by getting injected into your buttocks. This results in a noticeably slimmer, but curvier, physique.
It’s important to note that, while the procedure generally remains the same across the board, each surgeon has his or her own way of sculpting, so results vary. Additionally, you’ll need to be around 15 pounds overweight in order to maximize your results. This may require you to lose or gain weight prior to your surgery.
Be sure to do your homework and find a board-certified plastic surgeon who has excellent reviews, and one whom you trust and feel comfortable with. You can expect to pay anywhere from $4,000 to $10,000 for this procedure.
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