Cosmetic Procedures

Nose piercing

Nose piercing entails puncturing a person's nose cartilage so they can wear jewelry such as a nose piercing stud or ring. If you want to know everything about this beautiful fashion statement, don't stop reading.

Types of nose piercings

Nose piercing types depend on the part of your nose you choose to pierce. The seven types that are most popular are:

• Septum piercings
• Nostril piercing
• High nostril piercing
• Vertical tip piercing
• Bridge or surface piercing
• Nasallang piercing
• Septril piercing

Before you settle on the type of nose piercing you want, make sure that you first do your research. Once you know exactly what you want, you can shop for the right jewelry that will fit your piercing.

Scar revision

Scar revision surgery improves the appearance of a scar. Scar revision surgery may involve relocating a scar. Most people seek scar revision surgery for cosmetic reasons. Scar revision surgery is sometimes medically necessary to restore function of the affected body part or to relieve symptoms, such as pain.

Scar revision surgery has risks and potential complications. You may have less invasive treatment options. Consider getting a second opinion about all of your treatment choices before having scar revision surgery.

Types of scar revision surgeries

• Punch graft involves punching out a core of skin containing the scar and filling it with a core of unscarred skin from another area. Punch grafts are especially useful for small, deep scars such as acne scars.
• Scar excision involves cutting out the scar and closing the incision. A new scar will form, but it should be less visible than the original scar.
• Z or W-plasty involves cutting a series of triangular flaps through the scar in a 'Z' or 'W' pattern. This can reposition the new scar into natural creases or relieve a contracted scar by cutting across fibrous tissue.

Mole removal

Moles are frequently removed for a variety of reasons. They can be removed by two surgical methods, excision (cutting), with or without stitches; and shave removal using a scalpel blade without stitches.

Although laser excision has been tried for moles, it is not the method of choice for most deep moles because the laser light doesn't penetrate deeply enough, and there is no tissue remaining to examine pathologically.
Typically, the dermatologist (a skin specialist) may choose excision with or without stitches, depending on the depth of the mole and the type of cosmetic outcome desired.
Many people refer to a mole as any dark spot or irregularity in the skin. Doctors use different terms. But the following types of skin marks such as these are not treated the same way moles are and are not discussed here, and include birthmarks, abnormal formations of blood vessels (hemangiomas), and keratoses (benign or precancerous spots, which appear after about age 30 years).
Some people are born with moles. Other moles appear later in life. Sun exposure seems to play a role in the development of moles and may even play a role in the development of atypical, or dysplastic, moles.
The role of heredity cannot be overemphasized. Many families have a type of mole known as dysplastic (atypical), which can be associated with a higher frequency of melanoma.

Wart excision

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs). HPV can cause genital warts and cancers of the anus, cervix, mouth and throat, penis, vagina, and vulva. The HPV vaccines protect against infection from certain types of HPV, however, they do not get rid of the infection once it has occurred.

Visible genital warts on the penis or vagina or around the anus are removed by excision, which means cutting the warts off with a surgical knife (scalpel). Warts on the cervix may be removed by laser or loop electrosurgical excision (LEEP).
The procedure is usually done in a doctor's office or clinic or an outpatient surgery centre. You receive medicine that numbs the area around the warts (local anesthetic). Stitches (sutures) usually close the incisions.

Earlobe repair

Earlobe repair is a simple surgical procedure to fix injured, torn or abnormally shaped earlobes. It can also restore earlobes that have been stretched due to plugs or gauges. It can be performed as a standalone procedure or in conjunction with otoplasty (traditional ear reshaping).

Candidates for Earlobe Repair

Candidates for earlobe repair may have been born with excessively large or small earlobes. More commonly, candidates develop injuries in the earlobe due to earrings. For example, a heavy, long or threaded earring causes the hole from the piercing to stretch and elongate. An earring can get caught or pulled on something (sometimes while sleeping in earrings), causing the piercing hole in the earlobe to tear. In some cases, this laceration can tear through to the lower edge of the earlobe. Other candidates may experience an earlobe injury during a botched piercing.

Keloid treatment

These are thick, rounded, irregular clusters of scar tissue that grow at the site of a wound on the skin, but beyond the edges of the borders of the wound. They often appear red or darker in color, as compared to the surrounding normal skin. Keloids are formed from collagen that the body produces after a wound has healed.

These scars may appear anywhere on the body. Treatment for keloid scars varies. There is no one simple cure for keloid scars. Recurrence after treatment is common. Treatment may include the following:

• Steroids are injected directly into the scar tissue to help decrease the itching, redness, and burning sensations that these scars may produce. Sometimes, the injections help to actually decrease the size of the scar.
• Cryotherapy involves the scar being "frozen" off by a medication.
• Pressure therapy involves a type of pressure appliance worn over the area of the scar. These may be worn day and night for up to four to six months.
• If the keloid scar is not responsive to nonsurgical management options, surgery may be performed. One type of surgery directly removes the scar formation with an incision, and stitches are placed to help close the wound. Sometimes, skin grafts are used to help close the wound. This involves replacing or attaching skin to an area that is missing skin. Skin grafts are performed by taking a piece of healthy skin from another area of the body (called the donor site) and attaching it to the needed area. Another option is laser surgery. Scars may be treated with a variety of different lasers, depending on the underlying cause of the scar. Lasers may be used to smooth a scar, remove the abnormal color of a scar, or flatten a scar. Most laser therapy for scars is done in conjunction with other treatments, including injections of steroids, use of special dressings, and the use of bandages. Multiple treatments may be required, regardless of the initial type of therapy.