From liposuction to breast augmentation, there are a ton of cosmetic procedures available to help both men and women look great and feel better about their appearance.
But many of these procedures are expensive, invasive and have side effects. Also, sometimes we don’t want or need a dramatic change. Or we just need a pick-me-up to help kick-start a health and exercise regime.
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to look younger and more attractive. And there are procedures available that don’t require surgery or breaking the bank.
Here are 10 of the most common non-invasive cosmetic procedure that women are choosing to help them feel and look young and beautiful.
1. Botox
Botox injections have been around for a long time, and with good reason. Botox injections, otherwise known as botulinum toxin, temporarily paralyzes small muscles.
This can prevent facial lines from forming, and also make lines around the eyes, mouth, and forehead less noticeable. It’s a facelift without surgery.
For people with crow’s feet, a furrowed brow and smile lines, botox injections can help. Botox can also be injected into the neck for those of us with an unflattering turkey neck.
Botox injections, when done right, get results in just a few days with little to no downtime. But the results don’t last. Injections can be repeated every three months for a price of around $400 per treatment.
2. Hyaluronic Acid Filler
Some people suffer from dark circles under their eyes, regardless of the amount of sleep they get. Whether it’s lack of sleep, poor diet or genetics, under-eye bags can be lessened with hyaluronic acid fillers, such as Restylane, Juvederm, or Belotero Balance.
These fillers are made from sugars that naturally occur in the body. When injected, they trigger the production of collagen, which is a protein that gives skin its strength and elasticity. When our bodies produce less collagen as we age, our skin has a tendency to wrinkle and sag.
Hyaluronic Acid Fillers as a cosmetic procedure can also erase those fine lines that form around lips, smile lines around the nose, and marionette lines around the mouth.
The injections are a bit painful, so many doctors choose to use lidocaine to help numb the area. It can also cause some redness or bruising.
Although injections can cost between $800-$1500 per treatment, the effect of the injections last up to nine months, or even as long as two years as they trigger your body to produce its own collagen.
3. Microdermabrasion
Microdermabrasion is a cosmetic procedure that uses tiny crystals to slough off dead skin cells. The procedure leaves your skin looking and feeling smooth, improves skin tone and texture and encourages the growth of new cells.
After a procedure, your skin might look flush for a short amount of time, but you should be able to resume regular activities right away.
4. Chemical Peels
Chemical peels are used for the same purpose as microdermabrasion, to improve fine lines and make your skin look younger. It can also help get rid of age spots, although you may need several treatments.
Just like microdermabrasion, aside from your skin looking flushed, you can usually resume regular activities right away. With laser treatments combined with a chemical peel or medium or strong peels, the results last longer, but the downtime might be a couple days and up to two weeks.
The cost for a light chemical peel or microdermabrasion is often no more than $150. Deep chemical peels can cost $3,000.
5. Lasers
As mentioned, fractional nonablative lasers are a non-invasive cosmetic procedure that can help with age spots and make your skin look healthier and younger.
Lasers can smooth wrinkles and also treat broken capillaries and scars. They improve the overall texture of treated skin.
There are quite a few different kinds of laser treatments, so do your research and find a doctor that specializes in treating areas you need help with.
6. Ultherapy
Ultherapy uses heat and ultrasound waves to tighten jowls and loose necks. It can also help lift brows to open up eyes. It takes about a week to see the full effect, but your skin will be firmer and you’ll feel and look great.
With great beauty comes some pain, at least when it comes to Ultherapy. It’s not for the faint of heart, and taking painkillers with this cosmetic procedure is recommended.
It can cost as much as $4000, but results last up to two years.
7. CoolSculpting
CoolSculpting is a non-invasive cosmetic procedure that’s a great substitute for liposuction. It cost far less and has similar results.
CoolSculpting uses cryolipolysis technology to freeze fatty deposits beneath the skin. Your body then flushes out these unwanted fat cells.
Doctors apply rounded paddles that suction areas of unwanted fat deposits. It’s not painful, doesn’t cause scarring and you can go straight to doing your regular daily activities immediately following treatment.
Don’t expect dramatic weight loss results. But for those of us with problem areas on the thighs, buttocks, belly or arms, the difference is noticeable.
8. Cyrotherapy
Speaking of cool treatments, Cyrotherapy is a cosmetic procedure that can not only help with weight loss, but can treat insomnia, psoriasis, and eczema.
But the real reason it’s become so popular is the number of calories burned in a short amount of time–up to 600 in 3 minutes.
What happens in a Whole Body Cyrotherapy treatment is that a person stands in a sub-zero temperature tank for 2-4 minutes. The cold stimulates blood vessels to constrict.
When you return to a normal temperature room, the blood rushes to the surface of your skin. It also stimulates collagen production and reduces inflammation.
The way weight loss is triggered is that your body is tricked into thinking it needs to burn energy to survive.
9. Cellfina
Regardless of our size or weight, so many of us have to deal with cellulite. Cellfina can help reduce the bumpy, dimpled appearance on our backside caused by cellulite.
The way it works is by addressing the structural cause of cellulite by breaking up connective tissue band.
A 45-minute treatment can last for up to three years.
10. InstaBreast
With InstaBreast, you can go from flat to D in 20 minutes. If you have a special occasion, or just want to look hot, this instant breast augmentation might be right for you. It only lasts 24 hours, but if that’s all you need, why not?
The way it works is with a small injection of saline solution into breast tissue.
Saline is perfectly safe and has no side effects. It’s also a great way to find out if a permanent solution is right for you. It’s like taking boobs out for a test drive.
Non-Invasive Cosmetic Procedures
If you’re looking for a little “lift” but don’t want to make a dramatic change. Or if you don’t have the money for a permanent solution, these non-invasive cosmetic procedures can help you feel better about the way you look.
There’s nothing wrong with getting a little help along the way. However, none of these cosmetic procedures are replacements for a healthy diet and a regular exercise.
Some of us have genetics working against us. No matter how well we live, little wrinkles and dimples are a reality.
We all should love our bodies just the way we are. But just like putting on a great outfit can make us feel great, a bit of treatment can give us a boost of confidence.
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