Glossary of terms

An oral prescription medication used to treat acne.

A severe, life-threatening, type of allergic reaction.

Blood-thinning drugs.

The shaded area surrounding the nipple.

Irregularity or unbalanced proportions of elements on opposite sides of the body, such as the left and right breast.

Surgery to remove the breast tumor and a margin of surrounding healthy tissue. Also called lumpectomy, partial mastectomy, segmental mastectomy and quadrantectomy. Radiation therapy follows to eliminate any cancer cells in the remaining breast tissue.

A complication following breast augmentation in which the scar tissue that normally forms in the capsule around the implant begins to contract and squeeze the implant.

A type of connective tissue that provides structure and support to the body’s other tissues without being as hard or rigid as bone.

A fibrous protein found in the connective tissues that supports the skin.

A fibrous protein found in the connective tissues that supports the skin.

Total mastectomy after unsatisfactory partial mastectomy due to positive tumor margins or distortion of the breast.

Existing at or dating from birth.

Of or pertaining to the skin.

The nasal septum is the bone and cartilage in the nose that separates the nasal cavity into the two nostrils. A deviated septum is an abnormal condition in which the top of the ridge of cartilage leans to the left or the right, causing obstruction of the affected nasal passage. This condition can lead to breathing problems, chronic stuffiness, post-nasal drip and even snoring.

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Abnormal accumulation of watery fluid in connective tissue.

A protein in the body’s connective tissue that is elastic and allows many tissues to resume their shape after stretching or contracting.

A permanent hair-removal method that treats one hair at a time.

Removal of the oldest dead skin cells on the skins outermost surface.

A hair follicle is part of the skin that grows hair by packing old cells together.

A collection of blood, usually clotted, outside the blood vessels.

An oxygen-carrying protein in the blood.

A naturally occurring sugar in the skin that holds collagen and elastin together, essentially providing a framework for the skin.

A type of scar resulting in an overgrowth of tissue at the site of a healed skin injury.

A large, flat, triangular muscle covering the lower back. The widest and most powerful muscle of the back.

A common surgical procedure designed to remove a discrete lump, usually a tumor, benign or otherwise, from the breast.

Surgical removal of the breast due to breast cancer. In a simple mastectomy, the breast, nipple, areola and involved overlying skin are removed. A radical mastectomy involves removing the breast, involved skin, pectoral muscles, lymph nodes in the armpit and subcutaneous fat.

The pigment in the skin.

A combination of medical disorders that are closely associated with insulin resistance and that increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Metabolic syndrome affects one in five people, and prevalence increases with age. Underlying causes of this syndrome are overweight/obesity, physical inactivity, and genetic factors.

Moist tissue that lines some organs and body cavities, including the mouth, nose, lungs and digestive tract.

The facial lines from the nose to the corners of the mouth.

The nipple and surrounding shaded area.

The quality of being palpable, or perceptible by touch.

Causing increased light sensitivity.

Any material resulting in color of cells, such as in hair or skin.

The medical term for sagging breasts.

A complication in which a breast implant is punctured and may then leak or deflate.

Regularity and balanced proportions of elements on opposite sides of the body, such as the left and right breast.

Transverse rectus abdominis muscle—The innermost of the flat muscles of the abdomen, running between the pubic bone and the waist.