The eyes are “the window to the soul”. They convey emotion, and let the inward beauty shine through to the world. Eye contact is very important, as it often influences social situations and relationships.

Have you ever stood in front of a mirror, looked at yourself, and wondered:

• What happened to my face?
• What will I look like in 10 years?
• Can I do anything to look better?

If you've ever asked yourself any of these questions, read on.

In this article, I am going to describe what happens to your face as you age and what you can do about it to keep yourself looking younger and fresher.

Aging is a natural and beautiful process. But sometimes it does not feel that way. As we grow older, our bodies begin to tell our stories, showing signs of our age. This comes in many forms, from hair to skin, to physical appearance and height.

Botox is an incredibly popular cosmetic treatment that helps you look younger and more refreshed by smoothing wrinkles and relaxing worry, frown, and smile lines.

Want smooth, healthy, glowing skin?

Let’s face it. From dealing with acne as a teenager to wrinkles and sun damage as an adult, maintaining healthy skin can be a lifelong challenge.

Even if you watch your weight through clean eating and an active lifestyle, it is still possible to have the dreaded belly pooch and sagging abdominal skin. Both are quite common after having a baby or losing a significant amount of weight. Both skin and muscle tend to overly stretch but do not return to their original shape.

Crunches and low-carb diets aside, a tummy tuck or abdominoplasty is the surest way to get rid of the unattractive belly flab.

If you’re keen about the procedure but slightly apprehensive because it’s an invasive surgery requiring a significant amount of downtime, learning from real-life tummy tuck patient stories is a good way to visualize outcomes. Through these stories, you will also get the opportunity to evaluate a tummy tuck surgeon’s aesthetic approach in performing the procedure.

Stubborn belly fat or love handles that won’t go away with diet and exercise? Not Cool. Going to extremes – even using ridiculous devices or strange “remedies” – to reduce stubborn fat? Really Not Cool. Freezing away fat cells with no surgery and little to no downtime with the FDA-cleared CoolSculpting®? Now, that’s COOL! 

Having a baby. Losing weight. These are two accomplishments that can make you feel proud and happy.

The downside?

The appearance of unsightly excess skin and weakened muscles in the abdominal area are two possible trade-offs that you may have to deal with.

Regular exercise routines and healthy eating habits cannot always get rid of a stubborn belly pooch or sagging skin. Most of the time, patients visit us at our San Francisco practice to inquire about liposuction to address these unwanted trade-offs. Often, we tell these patients that liposuction alone can’t repair the weakened abdominal muscles nor remove the loose, flabby skin.

If you’re having these issues, it’s time to consult with a plastic surgeon to see if you’re a good candidate for a Tummy Tuck.

We receive a lot of questions from people about tummy tucks. Every so often, a patient who needs a tummy tuck is turned off by the scars or the possibility of extended recovery times.

Eventually, the discussion turns to the possibility of a mini tummy tuck.

Unlike a full tummy tuck, which requires a full bikini line incision to remove large amounts of fat and loose, abdominal skin, a mini tummy tuck only removes a small amount of extra, loose skin through a limited bikini line incision. When deemed appropriate, the abdominal muscles below the belly button may be tightened.

In most cases, a mini tummy tuck doesn’t require an incision above the belly button.

The smaller scars and the lesser invasiveness of the mini tummy tuck make it an attractive procedure for a lot of people, and the number one question on their mind is usually, "How much it will cost?"

There's no doubt that childbirth and successful weight loss are worth celebrating! Yet there’s one trade-off that you may have to deal with after experiencing either or both — a protruding abdomen that does not respond well to diet and exercise.