Massive Weight Loss Causes "Turkey Waddle" for WLS Patients

A friend of mine who recently lost nearly 150 pounds after gastric bypass was sharing her excitement with an acquaintance. She was excited because all symptoms of her Type II Diabetes were gone and she no longer takes any medication ? she feels healthier than ever in her life.

Then the acquaintance, a life-long skinny-minny, burst her bubble, ?But doesn?t having that turkey neck bother you? You know, all that wrinkly skin just hanging there??

What a cruel world. My friend was crushed. It is true, she has a turkey neck. Most people who lose massive weight will have a saggy wrinkly neck so kindly referred to in the cosmetic surgery profession as ?turkey waddle?. A saggy neck is a small price to pay for better health and wellness. Even so, we want to look our best after weight loss surgery and having someone draw attention to this residue of our obesity is disheartening.

There are some surgical options to tighten then neck skin: A neck lift is actually a set of procedures used to enhance the appearance of your neck:

?Cervicoplasty is the procedure used to remove excess skin

?Platysmaplasty removes or alters neck muscles

A plastic surgeon also can perform neck liposuction, which removes excess fat. In some cases, Botox injections may be the answer to your problems if you have fullness or bands.

A neck lift was out of the question for my friend, so we did some research and found a more holistic approach that yielded some improvement. From Bharti Vyas? book, ?Beauty Wisdom? we found the following advice:

?Give your neck a weekly massage

?Hold your head in proper alignment ? imagine that your head is being pulled upwards by a piece of string attached to the crown

?Cleanse your neck night and morning the same as you do your face, starting at the collarbones and working up to the jawline.

?Apply a rich-moisturizing cream at night and moisturize with sunscreen during the day. Cover front and sides of neck and the area around the collarbones.

?Exfoliate your neck weekly.

?For crepey neck, apply almond oil as a nourishing moisturizer.

Ms. Vyas also recommends some simple exercise to tone neck muscles (and *Bonus* these are wonderfully relaxing):

?Hold your head in a central position, then lean it as far over as you can towards one shoulder and hold for a count of 10. Your neck may feel rather stiff to begin with. Repeat on the other side, making sure that your shoulders remain still and relaxed throughout. Do five repetitions.

?Keeping your chin level, turn your head to one side so that the chin is over your shoulder. Incline the head backward in a ?come hither? movement. Repeat on the other side. Repeat the sequence five times.

My friend follows these practices faithfully. Her neck is not flawless, but to me it?s beautiful. She has collarbones and a chin and a beaming smile on her healthy face.

Copyright ? 2005 Kaye Bailey - All Rights Reserved.

Kaye Bailey is a weight loss surgery success story having maintained her health and goal weight for 5+ years. An award winning journalist, she is the author and webmaster of http://www.livingafterwls.com and http://www.livingafterwls.blogspot.com

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Yes You Can Do Something About Male and Female Hair Loss

Ladies and Gentlemen one of the biggest deceptions perpetrated on the public is that you can?t do anything about male and female pattern hair loss. The simple fact though is everyday we alter the effects of what genetics has sprung on us whether it is body odor, unwanted hair, dull smiles, or undesired weight. The reason we pursue these things is to enhance our own self-image. In regards to male and female pattern hair loss though you must recognize a few things first.

Number one is every one of us is hair challenged because we all lose hair on a daily basis. That?s a normal process and you wouldn?t have it any other way. It?s the body?s way of ridding the old hair and bringing in the new. The trick though is encouraging the body to continue this hair renewal process for as long as possible. Without it you create an imbalance where there is more hair lost than being renewed. In simplified terms to continue having a full head of hair you must equalize the hair loss and hair regrowth rates. Well fine, you say to yourself but how?s that going to stop my hair loss and bring back what I?ve already lost. This in turn brings up our second point of what causes hair loss and what you can do about it.

The generally accepted answer is that excess DHT triggered by the aging process is largely responsible for our male and female pattern hair loss. So in turn one of the main paths to stopping our hair loss is learning what disrupts this DHT from forming to begin with. Logically since DHT is formulated within the body the chemicals and enzymes necessary for its formulation are there also. The exception is that scalp enzymes synthesized by sunlight must unite with chemicals within the body to make this DHT. Based upon these facts processes that disrupt the production of DHT thereby reduce the occurrence of hair loss and thinning hair.

To summarize hair loss is a normal process of hair renewal that occurs at all ages and with both sexes. It is not uncommon for us all, after the late teens, to loose between 50-250 hairs a day. To control excess hair loss the best route is to utilize various ingredients that neutralize or minimize this DHT which are typically referred to as ?dht blockers.?

The author of this article has published two books that entail inexpensive and seldom publicized solutions for combating male and female pattern baldness. To learn more visit http://www.thinscalp.com or http://www.thinningscalp.com.

Plastic Surgery vs. Reconstructive Surgery

Plastic surgery and reconstructive surgery are bandied about so much people often confuse them. While both involve the improvement of your appearance, there are distinct differences.

Plastic Surgery vs. Reconstructive Surgery

Both plastic surgery and reconstructive surgery are designed to improve the appearance of a person. This can be done through lifts, tucks, reshaping and so on. The correct usage of the terms, however, is dependent upon the underlying reason for the surgical procedure.

Plastic surgery is an elective surgery. In its most basic form, plastic surgery takes a normal part of the body and improves it in a manner desired by the patient. Common plastic surgery procedures include liposuction, breast enhancement or reduction, nose reshaping, reshaping of the abdomen and the well-known facelift. All of these surgeries are based purely on a voluntary desire to improve one?s appearance.

Reconstructive surgery is often elective, but can also be medically necessary. Reconstructive surgery differs from plastic surgery in one significant way. It is focused on making improvements to a damaged or abnormal part of the body. For example, a person may suffer damage from trauma or disease that leaves a part of the body looking abnormal and functionally deficient, such as breaking facial bones in an automobile accident. Reconstructive surgery will be undertaken to repair the facial structure so that it both performs and appears normally. While appearance is important, most reconstructive surgery focuses on functionality first.

The differences between plastic and reconstructive surgery often blur. Breast enhancement or reduction surgery is a form of plastic surgery. Repairing breasts after the all too common complications of breast cancer is considered reconstructive surgery. Repairing the septum of the nose is considered reconstructive surgery, but simply reshaping the nose is considered plastic surgery. This blurred line is repeated in other areas as well.

Ultimately, the dividing line between reconstructive surgery and plastic surgery is mostly an academic debate or vary obvious given specific circumstances. Regardless, it is important to understand that there is a distinction.

Ricardo de Silva is with PlasticSurgeonPractices.com a directory of plastic surgeons.