Plastic Surgery – A Sign of Recovery?

When nations start to recover from wars or poverty, guess what one of the leading indicators are?

More jobs? Certainly. More new cars sold? Maybe. People getting more cosmetic plastic surgery? Without doubt!

On March 21st, the Associated Press circulated a story worldwide telling how plastic surgeons in Iraq are now being overwhelmed by patients wanting nose jobs, Botox, liposuction and more.

(Read more about the new demand for plastic surgery in Iraq.)

Because plastic surgeons are also trained in reconstructive surgery, those same doctors had been busy treating scars, burns and poorly healed wounds.

But, guess what? Cosmetic plastic surgery has been a harbinger of better times before.

Take Afghanistan, for instance. At war since the late 70s or under the thumb of oppressive rulers, things started getting better in 2005, with allied nations chasing the Taliban and Al-Qaeda into the distant hills.

Then, relative peace, security and prosperity came to the larger Afghan cities like Kabul, its capitol.

The opening of the Hamkar Surgical Clinic, the first Afghan cosmetic surgery clinic in the nation, made headlines worldwide. People there also wanted breast augmentations, eyelid lifts, nose jobs and removal of facial wrinkles.

On the other side of the globe, in China, prosperous times mean that more people are now asking about – and having – much more cosmetic plastic surgery.

According to China Daily, plastic surgery procedures in Beijing have doubled this year, with the typical patient being young, shapely and determined to stay that way.

China also was the first to hold a beauty contest just for women who have had cosmetic plastic surgery. The idea was triggered when a Chinese woman spent about $13,000 on cosmetic surgery only to be disqualified from the contest because she had breast implants and a face lift.

Yet another emerging economy, Hungary, also organized a similar contest. (Read more in our post about Miss Plastic Surgery.)

As of 2004, about $2.4 billion was spent on rejuvenation surgery in China. That amount has probably doubled to come close to the $10 billion that Americans spent on cosmetic plastic surgery in 2009.

Not foreseeing the Great Depression in America, President Hoover promised a continuing time of prosperity as “a chicken in every pot”.

So will newer politicians in nations emerging from hard times now promise “a lift on every face” as the yard stick for measuring good times?

Don't Suck it in, Tummy Tuck it in: Alpha Moms Go From Flab to Fab!

In today's society, does anybody shoulder more responsibilities than the working mother? I'm going to have to bite "no" on that one. Granted, I've never done the mom thing myself, but based on feedback gathered during countless venting sessions over coffee, late-night phone calls, and retail therapy with female friends and relatives, I have nothing but respect and admiration for these modern-day heroines. Successful working moms, or "alpha moms" as they're sometimes called, bust their butts to do it all, and as a result, they often overlook their own upkeep and self-preservation. But thanks to cosmetic treatments like liposuction, breast augmentation, and tummy tucks, working moms can keep doing it all and keep up their formerly rockin' bodies.

Ode to the Alpha Moms

Masters of multitasking, working moms can raise "baby Einsteins" while increasing company profits, keep passion alive in the bedroom and prudence alive in the kitchen, and diligently track their finances while tracking the latest trends in footwear. It almost doesn't seem fair that amidst these unpredictable factors, our bodies won't just do as they're told! And unfortunately, without a bank account to rival Paris Hilton's, or another means to pay personal trainers and nutritionists to remake you, getting back that pre-baby body just can't happen right away with conventional diet and exercise.

For those who can relate to feeling trapped beneath bills and diapers rather than personal chefs and pool boys, you need not despair of wearing a bikini again. Even when stubborn, post-baby tummies seem hopeless, options like tummy tucks can restore your faith. The tummy tuck, one of the most popular surgical procedures today, as well as the mini tummy tuck, are ideal for alpha moms who are feeling a bit flabby.
Telling Tummy Tucks

Tummy tucks, aka Abdominoplasties or Abdominal Lipectomies, remove excess fat and skin around the stomach, tighten muscles, and reposition tissue for a flatter, tighter tummy. For working moms of all shapes and sizes, there are three tummy tuck categories to choose from: the extended, the standard, and the mini. Extended tummy tucks are helpful for moms who are packing multiple car seats in their vehicle and want to tighten the entire abdomen and sides of the torso. Standard tummy tucks effectively tone up the entire belly region, and mini tummy tucks target the lower abdomen, for moms desperately missing their low-rise jeans.

So, alpha moms, and stay-at-home moms too, this tuck's for you. Meet with your local plastic surgeon to get the whole scoop on tummy tucks, including risks, benefits, and options for combined procedures. Tummy tucks are permanent, which is great, but your results can be still be affected by future weight fluctuations and pregnancies; so if your heart's set on three little tykes and you just had your second child, maybe wait until number three arrives before completing your tummy tuck and liposuction package.

Best Celebrity Lips

Well, dear-hearts, I've been feeling a tad guilty about how I came down on the lovely Lisa Rinna in the last blog. While I stand by her assertion that she went a little filler-happy in the cheekbone region, I think her juicy pucker is to die for. So, in that line, I decided to write a little ode to lip augmentation, and list some of my personal favorite pairs of celebrity lips!

Pretty, Pouty Perfection

* Angelina Jolie: Of course, she had to top the list! Angie's plump lips, strictly reserved for Brad Pitt these days, are more famous than both her selfless work as a UN Ambassador and her Oscar-winning acting chops combined.

* Scarlett Johansson: Not only is Scar-Jo's full pucker envied by most of the female population, myself included, her apple-cheeked, ode to Americana features and healthy curves have reportedly made her look the most-requested makeover among cosmetic surgery patients.

* Julia Roberts: Known as America's sweetheart of the silver screen for decades, Julia's wide grin and plump lips have won her admiration from fans, lip enthusiasts and cosmetic dentists everywhere.

* Eva Mendes: This Cuban starlet has lips that helped solidify her image as a screen siren in the film industry, not to mention spiced up her many modeling gigs. Mendes' pout has graced ads for cosmetic giant, Revlon, and even for PETA.

* Jessica Alba: Often topping many young men's list of hottest actresses, Miss Alba's plump lips have heated up her career; from her days as a "Dark Angel" to her "Fantastic Four"-ay into current superstardom.

* Katherine Heigl: The statuesque actress seems to have been blessed in many areas, but her even, full lips have become one of her most well-touted features by far.

* Jessica Biel: Another Jessica tops my lip list. While Jessica Biel's pillowy lips were played down throughout her years as a young, clean-cut sitcom star, she eventually fell from "7th Heaven," seemingly right into Hollywood's A-list and onto the radar of lip-lovers everywhere.

Lippy Honorable Mentions

* Halle Berry
* Anne Hathaway
* Keira Knightley
* Jennifer Lopez
* Gisele Bundchen

In my mind, these women comprise some of the hottest lips in entertainment. Now, of course there are others I didn't mention, but these puckers combine with dazzling star power, talent and unique beauty to put their lips in a category all their own. I couldn't say which actresses' lippy assets are genuine and which are the source of lip augmentation, but the results are fabulous either way! Some stars like Lisa Rinna, Melanie Griffith and Jessica Simpson have admitted to using dermal fillers in the past to plump their lips, while others are keeping their flawless lips sealed.

Making Your own Lips Famous

So, if celebrities who've already lucked out in the gene pool can choose lip augmentation to enhance their already divine appearance, why not you and me? Especially now that dermal fillers like Restylane® and Juvederm™ have become nearly risk-free and can be had at reasonable costs! Other possibilities for lip augmentation include lip implants like AlloDerm. Just be sure that, before you receive lip augmentation and kiss those thin lips goodbye, you consult with a cosmetic professional first.

Facial Plastic Surgery Study on Artefill

The permanent filler Artefill has lead a strange life, at least in the U.S.

Although the facial filler has been used in Europe since the mid-1990s where it has produced results that last ten years, Artefill hit the world of American plastic surgery and more or less went over like a screen door in a submarine.

Approved in 2007 for plumping out the nasolabial lines those deep, age-revealing folds that run from the corner of the nose to the corner of the mouth. Plastic surgeons often call those same lines, the “smile lines” (even though those who have them don’t smile about it!)

But in 2008, the maker, Artes Medical, went under. Good-bye Artefill!

It could have been due to the cost of the facial filler – about $5000 for treating the average middle age face – or the fact that it is permanent. Artefill, injected just under the skin, pushes those folds up because it contains ultra tiny beads of a material known by the tongue-twisting name polymethylmethacrylate, (or PMMA) and is chemically related to Plexiglas. That makes it permanent – there is no way to reverse the procedure if you don’t like it.

But, hello! It’s back and now owned by Suneva Medical who picked up Artefill’s option in 2009.

According to RealSelf.com, 16 actual unbiased cosmetic surgery patients reported their Artefill procedure say the average cost of their facial plastic surgery with the stuff was $1819. Moreover, 63 percent said it was worth it.

A Florida dermatologist on a research grant provided by Suneva Medical used and tested Artefill on 14 patients to correct their acne scars. Results? 93 percent of the study group, aged 24 to 69 said they would do the procedure again and recommend it to others.

A Los Angeles board certified plastic surgeon uses Artefill in non-surgical nose jobs. The filler disguises bumps, raises low nasal bridges and lifts a drooping tip. The surgeon also uses Artefill for chin and cheek augmentation, something that formerly was only done by invasive surgery in which implants were used.

One of the first uses of ArteFill was treating facial wasting in HIV patients. Normal aging can also cause loss of fat tissue in the face so Artefill is also being used to fill in hollow areas, like under the eyes.

Tip: make sure your surgeon is very skilled with a needle and performs facial filling often, at least once every week.

Tummy Tuck for Massive Weight Loss Patients

So many patients are undergoing weight loss surgery that one of the fastest growing areas of plastic surgery is removing excess skin.

It happens like this:

For many reasons – inactivity, bad eating habits, genetics – some people gain 100 to 150 and more pounds. Such a huge weight gain stretches the skin of the arm, legs, stomach, chest, neck and face far beyond its ability to rebound.

After weight loss surgery – like via a Lap Band – the result is still “plus sized,” skin hanging in sheets.

That’s a problem because the movement in almost any exercise causes the excess skin to painfully flap and rub against still other sheets of skin. That, in turn, often creates pain, infections and embarrassment.

Lap Band doctors have reported patients with enough loose skin hanging from their stomachs to reach the knees.

Due to massive weight loss (MWL), one of the most popular body shaping procedures to remove that excess skin is the tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty.

Plastic surgeons in Pittsburgh studied 490 MWL patients who had tummy tucks.

A regular tummy tuck just won’t remove enough skin. So the doctors and patients can choose from:

* A circumferential, or belt, abdominoplasty

The scar goes all the way around the body.

* A Fleur-de-lis abdominoplasty

The scar — only on the abdomen — is shaped like an inverted “T”.

Because the scars are longer and a few more complications could exist, the plastic surgeons, working at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, studied the results of 154 patients who had the Fleur-de-lis version.

Results? The doctors found the overall abdominal complication rate of all tummy tuck patients is about the same as the Fleur-de-lis group only.

The usual, expected complications in abdominoplasty include:

* Infections along the incision
* Seroma, a pocket of clear fluid that sometimes develops after surgery.
* The incision breaking open, known in medicine as dehiscence
* Being male is also a risk factor.

Concluded the surgeons:

* Fleur-de-lis can do a better job of removing excess skin on MWL patients who are left with a lot of hanging, loose skin on the upper abdomen.
* Complication rates are about the same as with traditional tummy tucks that use only one incision along the lower abdomen.

Fewer requests for preferred plastic surgeons

The surgeon will probably start looking excuses show the door to potential patient. (Relative to the best: plastic cosmetic surgeons make the appearance of the best version of you as possible!).

But there is another often heard things Council requests may not go well. Here are the five first:

1. Doc, I am 65 and search again to 20! Of course, plastic surgery facilitates the return of a clock, but ten years is about it you are very happy if you are looking for less than 15 years after surgery. Asking for half and three decades is unrealistic.

2. Bother checking my cholesterol level! Sorry, plastic cosmetic surgery is only for those who are healthy enough to undergo a cirug穩a.Necesitar獺 a physician in California and some other Estados.Si you are close to 50, the surgeon may require a physical even if your country is not.

3. Liposuction because I do not like nutrition or exercise! Any good plastic surgeon salt sentencing say liposuction is a medium weight control, not a way of losing spots.

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Traditional face lifts require surgery often cause significant disruptions & unknown resultados.tambi矇n molestia.Se, face lifts do not treat the skin imperfections such as damage from the Sun, deep wrinkles, size of pores & acne cicatrices.Ahora is a non-surgical solution for a skin radiant, young-research in a few weeks.
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Chemical peel for face lift

Using a chemical solution to smooth the facial skin by removing its texture external layers and improve damaged. This is useful for people with facial blemishes, wrinkles, and uneven pigmentation of the skin.

Phenol, acid (TCA) trichloroacetic acids alphahydroxy (AHAs) are used for this purpose. The exact formula can be adjusted to meet the needs of each patient. Although you can be performed in conjunction with a face wash, it is not a substitute for this surgery will prevent or slow down the aging process.

This brochure provides some basic information about certain types of treatment and the results could be provided. Do not respond to requests, much depends on your personal situation. Once you and your plastic surgeon decided a specific programme for the shell, make sure you know all the details which don't understand.

Decide if it is true that most commonly performed for cosmetics - reasons to improve its appearance and its confidence in soi.Vous can also remove precancerous to smooth the facial and even acne scarring acne control tumors.In skin sometimes health insurance may cover c獺scara.Aseg繳rese check their policy procedure and contact your insurance company before the procedure is carried out.

Skinned formulations such as Lactic acids glycolic or fruits are lighter (AHAs), Alphahydroxy acid and produce light masks.These types of masks can provide smoother skin, more brilliant for people remains not time to recover a phenol or TCA.AHA shell masks can be used to process the fine dryness and uneven pigmentation acne puckering, areas.Apply different concentrations of an AHA weekly or longer intervals to obtain the best medical resultado.Su will make this decision during its consultation and treatment products. An alphahydroxy such as glycolic acid acid can also be mixed with a facial or bottom on a daily concentrations of skin care treatment cream wash to improve skin texture.

Acid trichloroacetic (TCA) can be used in a variety of concentrations, but most commonly used for peeling Medio - profundidad .Fine wrinkles surfaces, surface imperfections and pigment problems are usually dealt with TCA.Los shell act results are generally less spectacular than and not as durable as a phenol Peel.Indeed, Jat shell more may be required to obtain the souhait矇.Une JAT shell restore result is generally shorter than with a phenol Peel.

Phenol is the strongest chemical solutions and product profond.Il shell is mainly used to treat patients with wrinkles thick face, stains or skin areas caused by exposure to the Sun, or precancerous growths.Since sometimes it phenol clarifies the treated areas, pigmentation of the skin may be a factor where not appropriate for usted.Fenol treatment is used primarily in the face; healing may result if applied in the neck or other parts of the body.

All s carry some uncertainty and risques.Il is generally a safe when procedure performed by a qualified plastic surgeon.However and experienced some unpredictability and risks such as infection and scarring, although rare, are possible.

AHA masks can cause burning, redness and an irritation and crusts.However, that the skin is adjusted to treatment regime that will you in these issues.

A shell from the CTC, dried skin will be able to produce the pigment as always; the shell not bleach.However skin, CAW-skinned patients are encouraged to avoid exposure to the Sun for several months after treatment to protect the newly formed piel.Aunque JAT layers is softer phenol can also produce unwanted skin color changes.

With a phenol Peel, the new aspect often loses its ability to pigment .Esto (i.e. If) means not only skin is lighter in color, but you will always have to protect it from the sol.Fenol may present a risk for patients with a history of diseases important card穩acas.Es him aware of the problems of heart surgeon when medical history.

It is also possible that the phenol results some cosmetic unwanted, such amended phenol desigual.Ciertos pigmentation changes masks are fresh, and they may be preferred in some circumstances. Mailed in care of the skin, Uncategorized