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Regular-article-logo Monday, 06 April 2026

This week: PLASTIC SURGERY

I’m an 18-year-old girl and have a very distressing problem. I’m slightly overweight. I want to make my heavy breasts smaller because I look ugly with them. I’m a 26-year-old man. I have many acne pits on my face. The face looks ugly and I feel very depressed. Can you help? I’m a 40-year-old homemaker. I’m obese (90 kg). Please advise how I can reduce my weight without working out too hard. I’m a 30-year-old school teacher. I’m almost bald with just little hair at the back of my head. I’d like to have hair transplantation. Is it possible?

Doctor's Desk Dr Amitava Dasgupta Is A Consultant Plastic And Cosmetic Surgeon At The Peerless Hospital, Calcutta Published 26.06.06, 12:00 AM

heavy breasts

I’m an 18-year-old girl and have a very distressing problem. I’m slightly overweight. I want to make my heavy breasts smaller because I look ugly with them.

Your problem is quite common. A sudden increase in breast size during puberty is known as pubertal hypertrophy of the breasts. Heavy breasts constantly rub against the chest resulting in skin irritation and even eczema. The heaviness of the breasts adds extra weight to the chest resulting in a stooping posture that affects the spine. Losing weight can help to some extent in this regard, but the only permanent treatment is surgery. The technique we now use for surgery is very safe, but it requires meticulous planning. The results can be very satisfactory.

Acne marks

I’m a 26-year-old man. I have many acne pits on my face. The face looks ugly and I feel very depressed. Can you help?

You should have had your acne treated in the first place because once a scar is formed from untreated acne, it is a scar for life. A prompt treatment of acne helps reduce the possibility of scar formation. However, even if scars are formed, they tend to become less prominent with time, unless they are raised and red. So give it some time. However, there are various treatments that can reduce the scars and improve skin textures. Dermabrasion is one such treatment, where the skin is scraped off from surface. Laser resurfacing is another option though it gives the same result as dermabrasion. Whatever treatment you may choose, your expectations must be reasonable and a thorough discussion with your cosmetic surgeon is needed.

obesity woes

I’m a 40-year-old homemaker. I’m obese (90 kg). Please advise how I can reduce my weight without working out too hard.

Losing even a small amount of excess weight can be beneficial. It can reduce high blood pressure and the risk of stroke, control blood sugar, and so on. When you exercise to shed extra weight, the fat loss takes place from under the skin, and also quite significantly from inside the abdomen. Intra-abdominal fats are more dangerous than the fats beneath the skin. However, to get rid of the extra weight, you need to keep in mind that no permanent result comes easily. You should go for a proper diet and exercises that are safe for your heart. If you have excess fat located mostly in some particular parts of the body like abdomen, buttocks, thighs or arms, liposuction can help. In liposuction, extra fat from these parts of body can be sucked off within a couple of hours. But to enjoy the benefits of liposuction, you need to stick to your diet and exercise regimen.

hair transplant

I’m a 30-year-old school teacher. I’m almost bald with just little hair at the back of my head. I’d like to have hair transplantation. Is it possible?

With the amount of hair you have, it is difficult to go for a regular hair transplant whereby hair is taken from the back of the head and spread on the bald portion in the front. In your case, it appears that the area to be covered by hair is much larger. That’s why wearing a wig or hair bonding would have been a suitable option. But since you do not wish to go for anything artificial, there is a possibility coming up ? it’s a treatment called body hair transplant. Even severely bald persons can grow hair on their heads with the aid of body hair transplant. In this case, hair roots are taken out from legs, armpits, back and chest. However, the person should have ample hair in his body, which could be used for transplantation. Body hair transplant is still a young science, so please consult your doctor.


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