Lipstick & Lipo: Your Unfiltered Guide to Plastic Surgery

This week on Lipstick and Lipo we are answering a viewer question that we hear often what does recovery look like if you have a physical job or an active lifestyle?
Whether you are a hairdresser, a yoga teacher, a warehouse worker or someone who cannot imagine six weeks without CrossFit, this episode is for you.
Recovery after surgery is not one size fits all and planning for it is just as important as the surgery itself. We talk about realistic timelines, what your body is doing during recovery, why listening to it matters more than any list of restrictions, and why the people who rest well in the beginning are the ones who bounce back fastest.
What You’ll Learn:
Why planning your surgery recovery is just as important as planning the surgery itself.
What a realistic recovery timeline looks like for active patients and physical jobs.
Why your body is working harder than you think even when you feel fine after surgery.
Why three weeks and six weeks are the two most important milestones in recovery.
What hairdressers, yoga teachers and other physically demanding jobs should expect.
Why the arbitrary 10 pound lifting rule may not apply to you.
Why resting well in the beginning is what gets you back to full activity fastest.
Why your body will give you its own restrictions after surgery and why that matters more than a list.
Connect with Dr. Smita
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Connect with Dr. Amalfi
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You often hear women say take a photo of me from this side because they think they have a better side. And while that might be true, those differences are part of what makes your face recognizably yours and overcorrecting them can make you look distorted rather than refreshed. This week on Lipstick and Lipo we are talking about facial asymmetry. It is a topic we have not covered much but as board certified plastic surgeons it is a big part of what we do every day. Whether you are getting fillers or considering facial surgery, making sure you still look like you is always the goal. No one has a perfectly symmetric face and that is not something we want to change. Your asymmetry is part of what makes you look like you. 
What You’ll Learn:
As board certified plastic surgeons we understand the face from the inside out the muscles, the layers and the underlying structure and this is why you want this level of skill when working on your face.
What we are trained to see during a consultation that most people would never notice.
Why going to someone who truly knows the face protects you from results that work against you.
Why the goal is always for you to walk out looking like yourself, only better.
Connect with Dr. Ashley Amalfi:
Website - https://www.quatela.com/about/our-surgeons/dr-ashley-n-amalfi/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/drashleyamalfi/
 
Connect with Dr. Smita Ramanadham:
Website - https://www.drsmita.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thedrsmita/

This week on Lipstick and Lipo we are answering your questions about compression after surgery and what actually happens if you skip it.
Compression is one of the most important parts of recovery after body surgery and one of the most misunderstood. As board certified plastic surgeons we see the difference it makes and we see what happens when patients do not wear it consistently.
We cover why compression works, how long you actually need it, why finding the right fit matters more than the brand, and why skipping it or wearing the wrong garment can permanently affect your results.
What You'll Learn
Why compression is a non-negotiable part of recovery after body surgery.
Why compression should feel supportive not torturous.
Why uniform compression matters and what happens when your garment does not fit properly.
Why skipping compression or wearing the wrong garment can permanently change your contour.
Why consistency matters more than the brand you choose.
Why your compression needs will change as your swelling goes down and your body changes.
Why timing your surgery around the season can make compression more manageable.
 

This week on Lipstick and Lipo we are answering a viewer question that a lot of patients want to ask but do not always feel comfortable bringing up. When can you resume intimacy after surgery?
As board certified plastic surgeons we treat physical intimacy the same way we treat any other physical activity and the risks of doing it too soon are very real.
We cover the general timeline, what can actually happen if you rush it, why certain procedures require a longer wait, and why protecting your recovery protects your results.
What You'll Learn:
Why physical intimacy is treated the same as any other physical activity during recovery.
The general timeline for resuming intimacy after plastic surgery.
What actually happens when patients are intimate too soon after surgery and why bleeding is a real surgical risk.
Why rushing intimacy can send you back to day zero of your recovery.
Why certain procedures like breast augmentation and labiaplasty require a longer wait for intimacy specifically.
Why your body will tell you when it is too soon even if you want to push through it.
Why these are general guidelines and why your surgeon may have specific nuances for your procedure.
Why protecting your recovery means protecting your results long term.
Connect with Dr. Smita
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Connect with Dr. Amalfi
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This week on Lipstick and Lipo we are covering something that does not come along often in plastic surgery a truly new and innovative technique that is changing the way we think about breast augmentation. The Preserve technique is minimally invasive, uses your natural anatomy, requires no general anesthesia and has a remarkably quick recovery.
We cover how it compares to traditional breast augmentation, who the right candidate is, what recovery looks like, and why this is bringing in a whole new group of patients who never thought breast augmentation could fit into their lives.
What You'll Learn:
What the Preserve technique is and how it differs from traditional breast augmentation.
Why not cutting the tissue changes everything about recovery.
What recovery looks like with Preserve versus traditional augmentation.
Why the lack of general anesthesia is a significant part of the appeal.
Why the procedure feels almost too easy and what patients still need to be careful about.
Who the ideal candidate is for Preserve including moms, busy professionals and active patients.
Why Preserve only works with implants 315cc and below and what that means for you.
Why traditional breast augmentation is still a great option and how both surgeons decide which is right for each patient.
Connect with Dr. Smita
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Connect with Dr. Amalfi
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This week on Lipstick and Lipo we are continuing our tribute to Dolly Parton and covering the philosophy she lived by when it came to plastic surgery.
In her own words, it was all about doing it in little bits and pieces.
As board certified plastic surgeons, that philosophy is exactly what we practice and recommend for aging gracefully. We cover what that timeline actually looks like from your twenties all the way through your sixties, when non-surgical treatments fit in, when surgery makes sense, why revisions are normal and not a sign that something went wrong, and why starting a relationship with your surgeon early is the real secret to aging like Dolly.
What You'll Learn:
What Dolly meant when she said she did it in little bits and pieces and why that approach works.
Why getting a revision does not mean your first surgery went wrong.
Why starting with good skin quality gives you a better foundation for surgical results.
Why building a relationship with your surgeon early is the key to aging gracefully.
Connect with Dr. Smita
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Connect with Dr. Amalfi
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This week on Lipstick and Lipo we are honoring Dolly Parton, the woman who was arguably the first celebrity to truly own her plastic surgery decades before it was accepted or celebrated. From facelifts and eyelid surgery to liposuction and her iconic breast implants, Dolly was refreshingly honest every single time she was asked.
We talk about what she had done, why her openness mattered then and still matters now, and what every woman can take from her legacy when it comes to owning her choices without apology.
What You'll Learn:
Why doing a little at a time delivers the best long term results.
Why her appearance was a personal aesthetic choice and not a standard to compare yourself to.
How her openness helped break down the stigma around plastic surgery decades before social media.
Why celebrities who deny having work done set up unrealistic expectations for women everywhere.
What her legacy means for the conversation around transparency in plastic surgery today.
Why board certified plastic surgeons matter and why Dolly herself talked about that.
Connect with Dr. Smita
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Connect with Dr. Amalfi
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This week on Lipstick and Lipo we are answering a viewer question about celebrity plastic surgery and the opinions that come with it. From Emily Blunt to Simone Biles, celebrities are constantly in the spotlight and their procedures spark a lot of conversation.
But the real takeaway is not whether you agree with their choices it is what those choices reveal about the importance of finding a surgeon whose aesthetic aligns with your own goals. We talk about why no two patients want the same result, why you want a surgeon who will say no to you, and how to do your research before you ever sit down for a consultation.
What You'll Learn:
Why a viewer question about celebrity plastic surgery opened up a bigger conversation about aesthetic goals.
Why celebrities normalize plastic surgery and why that is largely a good thing.
Why there is no judgment when it comes to what someone chooses to do with their own body.
Why your surgeon's aesthetic matters as much as their credentials.
What to look for before booking a surgeon.
Why you want a surgeon who will say no to you.
How repeated injections reset your baseline over time.
Why even unlimited resources do not guarantee the right result.
Dr. Smita Ramanadham
Connect with Dr. Smita
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Connect with Dr. Amalfi
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This week on Lipstick and Lipo we are discussing a topic we do not cover enough facial procedures. Specifically eyelid surgery and under eye filler.
The eyes are often the first area to show signs of aging, and the options for addressing that range from a quick in-office procedure all the way to surgery. We cover who is a good candidate for each, why under eye filler is not right for most people, what eyelid surgery actually involves, and why patients who have it done are so consistently happy with their results.
What You'll Learn:
Why the eyes are the first area to show signs of aging and why that happens earlier than most people expect.
The difference between upper and lower eyelid surgery and who needs which.
Why under eye filler is not the right solution for most people and what can go wrong.
What the Tyndall effect is and why it happens with under eye filler.
The specific candidate who is actually right for tear trough filler.
Why your cheek may be the real issue when you think you need under eye filler.
What eyelid surgery recovery actually looks like and why it is faster than most people expect.
Why patients in their thirties are already having this conversation with their surgeons.
Connect with Dr. Smita
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Connect with Dr. Amalfi
Website
Instagram
 

This week on Lipstick and Lipo we are answering a viewer question that opened up a conversation we think a lot of you have been wanting to hear. Is labiaplasty purely aesthetic or are there real physical reasons to consider it?
We cover everything from the anatomy of why discomfort happens, to who is a candidate, to why patient satisfaction for this procedure is unlike almost anything else we do.
Whether you have been living with irritation, visibility in clothing, hygiene concerns, or you simply do not like the way things look, this is a judgment free conversation about a procedure that deserves to be talked about more openly.
What You'll Learn:
Why labiaplasty is not just a cosmetic procedure and what physical symptoms it addresses.
How labia are no different from breasts when it comes to normal variation in shape and size.
What causes discomfort including friction, irritation, hygiene issues and visibility in clothing.
Why some women are born with excess tissue and others develop changes through pregnancy, hormones and menopause.
Why patient satisfaction for labiaplasty is among the highest of any procedure we perform.
Why choosing an expert in this specific procedure matters and why it may be worth traveling for.
What to look for when researching a surgeon for labiaplasty.
Why once it is done correctly most patients never need to think about it again.
If you have questions about labiaplasty that we did not cover, drop them in the comments. And make sure you subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple we have several episodes about this procedure and you will not want to miss any of them.
Dr. Smita Ramanadham
Connect with Dr. Smita
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Connect with Dr. Amalfi
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