Blog Archives
How Eyelids Impact Your Look (And What You Can Do About It!)
Even if you’re getting your “beauty sleep” and taking extra care of the delicate skin around your eyes, you may not be seeing the results you want. As time passes, the skin that protects us from the sun and elements begins to naturally lose its elasticity. More » « Previous Page — Next Page »
HOW TO START THE NEW YEAR LOOKING & FEELING GREAT WITH A FACELIFT
New Year’s is about fresh starts and new beginnings. Everyone makes plans and resolutions to make sure that these next 365 days are better than their last. However, once the signs of aging begin creeping in, this holiday can feel more like the ticking hands of age than a happy new year. This holiday break, start the New Year off feeling more confident about taking on 2014 with a facelift. More » « Previous Page — Next Page »
WHY YOU DON’T HAVE TO SACRIFICE A NATURAL LOOK WITH PLASTIC SURGERY
It is nearly impossible not to have Marilyn Monroe come to mind when thinking of Hollywood or American pop culture. More often than not, Monroe is associated with things like elegance, femininity and natural beauty. However, it appears that even Marilyn underwent some minor plastic surgery treatments. More » « Previous Page — Next Page »
ABC News Reports Massive Increase In Afghanistan Cosmetic Surgery
More Afghans are traveling internationally then every before, and this has had a noticeable effect on the country’s attitude toward plastic surgery. As a result of this increasingly open attitude, both men and women are choosing to have cosmetic surgery in rapidly increasing numbers.
As recently reported by ABC News, plastic surgery in this region has undergone a dramatic transformation, turning an industry that once handled only trauma and reconstructive work into one that is more in step with the global trends of cosmetic surgery.
Plastic Surgeons in Afghanistan Now Performing Breast Enhancement, Nose Jobs and Face Lifts
According to Dr. Aminullah Hamkar, a Kabul plastic surgeon, his practice has seen a major change in the last few years, as various influence impact the way people interact. “Ten years ago it was all about repairing scars,” he said. “When I sometimes ask the young people who come here why they want cosmetic operations, they simply say they want to look better and beautiful.” This is a development of both commercial and emotional importance, as many consider such beauty concerns a sign that Afghanistan is entering a time of peace. In addition, this means that fewer patients are seeking cosmetic surgery as a result of war damage or other attacks. Previously, many plastic surgery patients were seeking help for the damage done by acid or knife attacks, as well as many other forms of trauma. Surgeries that have been disproportionately popular in Afghanistan are breast augmentation, face lifts, liposuction and rhinoplasty, also known as a nose job, likely as a result of influence from outside cultures. In Dr. Harnkar’s opinion, “Many people’s perceptions of life and sex change upon their return from a trip to a less conservative place.” Photo by ind{yeah} on Flickr. « Previous Page — Next Page »World-Class Surgeons Provide Free Plastic Surgery for Veterans
The highly successful Operation Mend, a joint military/civilian program, has been able to provide more than 50 veterans with free cosmetic surgeries since 2007. The program is been growing in scope and popularity since its beginning.
To provide the best care possible, the program uses world-class surgeons who lead their fields in scar treatments, skin treatments, burn reconstruction, body contouring and facial plastic surgery. This allows the veterans to receive levels of care they would be unable to afford otherwise and that would not be covered by standard insurance.
Burn Repair and Cosmetic Surgery for Wounded US Military
According to a recent story in the Dallas News, this program is gaining more public support and donations, with the hope of being able to reach more veterans each year. Originally founded by Ron Katz and his late wife Maddie, Operation Mend has developed beyond the original structure. Successful on a number of levels, the results achieved through the Operation Mend program have given soldiers improved health and self-confidence. The surgeries have included scar repair, burn treatments and reconstruction of facial traumas to the ears, nose and mouth. Other secondary benefits have included improved mental conditions such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. One soldier who has benefited from the program is 26-year old Joey Paulk, who says he was very self-conscious of his appearance after nearly burning to death in 2007. In his words: “I wasn’t very happy with the way I looked.” Yet three recent surgeries with Operation Mend have changed all that, greatly improving his self confidence. “It’s helped my friends and family, too,” Paulk says. “Because I’m happy, they’re happy.” With dramatic success stories like this for veterans of both the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, the program has been widely successful, despite the surprisingly high cost of the surgeries. According to Katz, many of the surgeries cost upwards of $500,000. One of the key sponsors for the Operation Mend program, billionaire T. Boone Pickens, has long supported the program, as he says he is committed to helping wounded veterans. In his words, “We want to do our best for these men and women when they come home.” Photo by U.S. Army on Flickr. « Previous Page — Next Page »Internationally Renowned Supermodel Tyra Banks Supports Plastic Surgery
Women around the world have been empowered by Tyra Banks, as supermodel who believes in self-confidence for women. Host of the popular and long-running “America’s Next Top Model,” Banks recently stated in an Enstarz article that she is in favor of plastic surgery.
Banks expressed frustration with those in her profession who look down on plastic surgery. “What’re you talking about? You won the genetic lottery,” she stated, in comments directed at cosmetic surgery naysayers in a recent interview. “You look like this specimen that’s making people everywhere feel insecure and you’re going to ridicule someone for getting plastic surgery?”
Tyra Banks Calls Cosmetic Surgery “Absolutely Fantastic”
In Banks’ opinion, some people have been more lucky than others in the genetic lottery, and it’s “not fair” that they be helpless in living with the things they don’t like. She considers herself one of the lucky ones, but knows that aging affects everyone: “Black people and Asian people have similar (strong) skin… But if one day I have wrinkles and I don’t like it… maybe… a little Botox, fillers?” Banks has long been a proponent of women and models having a realistic beauty, and in dealing with the discussion of beauty in an honest and open fashion. She believes in support models on her show that have unconventionally attractive features and great self confidence in their bodies, regardless of shape and traditional ideas of beauty. She is also famous for being open about her own body, discussing cellulite issues and other physical issues with her many fans through social media. A recent Instagram photo she released revealed a self-consciousness about the size of her forehead, for example. Banks believes in empowering women to do what it takes to have high self-confidence in themselves and their bodies. It would seem that having plastic surgery procedures such as Botox, fillers and facelifts to correct personal issues would fall under this greater goal. Photo used under Creative Commons license from Wikipedia « Previous Page — Next Page »How Many Years Does a Facelift Take From Your Face?
Questions of beauty and appearance are often subjective, and it can often be difficult to attach a number to something as elusive as cosmetic enhancement. However, a recent effort headed by University of Toronto plastic surgeon Dr. Nitin Chauhan provided some promising results, which have been published in the latest issue of Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery. It seems that patients undergoing facial surgery can appear about 7 years younger on average.
The new study began with the recruitment of 40 first-year medical students, who were asked to look at a collection of photographs. These were before-and-after pictures, separated and scrambled, of patients who had undergone different facial rejuvenation surgeries at Dr. Chauhan’s clinic: 54 women and 6 men, aged 45 to 72. The medical students were asked to estimate the age of the person in each photo.
On average, the study found that patients who had undergone facial surgery appeared 7.2 years younger than their before photo. Since after photos are normally taken months or even years after the surgery, this actually meant that the average age that the students assigned to the after photos was about 9 years lower than the patients’ age when the photos were taken.
Not surprisingly, the study found that multiple procedures resulted in significantly better results, shaving further years off patients’ faces. Patients who underwent facelift and neck lift surgeries looked 5.7 years younger, while additional eyelid surgery removed almost two more years, and a forehead lift took roughly another year from the face.
People who had all four surgeries – facelift, neck lift, blepharoplasty, and forehead lift – appeared a full 8.4 years younger than their before photos. Dr. Chauhan hopes to use these results as an objective measure that can be used to manage patient expectations.
“Nothing we do is magical,” he told Health.com contributor Matt McMillen. “We do certainly get 60-year-old patients who want to look 40, and this will help us when we discuss expectations.”
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Maintenance Facelifts Create Longest-Lasting Results for Patients Under 50
For middle-aged and older patients, facelifts often represent the best opportunity for recapturing a look of youth and vitality. For patients younger than 50, however, facial rejuvenation surgery often goes unconsidered. That may soon change, based on the results of a new study in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, which reveals that younger patients typically reap the best results from what’s being called “maintenance facelifts.”
Earlier studies have already revealed that patients who underwent facelifts at 50 years or older had lower satisfaction scores than their younger counterparts. This is because the skin of patients older than 50 usually shows signs of aging, such as discoloration or uneven texture, that can’t be corrected with facial rejuvenation surgery. Younger patients tend to favor non-surgical procedures, such as Botox, facial fillers, or dermabrasion, which provide excellent results but don’t last as long as facelifts.
The new study compared short-term and long-term patient satisfaction ratings with expert analyses of their follow-up photographs. Participants were divided into three age groups: under 50, 50-60, and 60+ at the time of the surgery.
Facelift patients younger than 50 experienced a “remarkable maintenance of their youthful appearance,” according to the study. The oldest group, however, had satisfaction scores and expert ratings were lower than the youngest group. This was because they had significant signs of aging at the time of the surgery. While the facelift managed to reverse most of these signs, so that the 60+ patients looked younger than their peers, some indications of aging remaining. Not surprisingly, the intermediate group experienced intermediate results.
The researchers concluded that patients under 50 were especially well-suited to receive facial rejuvenation surgery: “A ‘maintenance’ facelift should be offered to and even preferred in younger patients as a surgical option for facial rejuvenation.” Younger patients who fight the signs of aging with cosmetic fillers or Botox may want to consider a facelift as a longer-term solution. It may be one of the most satisfying cosmetic procedures that they ever receive.
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Reversing Stretched Earlobes and Other Body Modifications
Tattoos that need to be removed upon later reflection are nothing new. In the twilight of the punk age, however, more unusual modifications have begun appearing in plastic surgeons’ offices. Many younger clients are seeking to reverse generational fashion statements that seem regrettable in hindsight.
Justin Berton, a writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, interviewed one such individual. 21-year-old Oakland resident Colton Tidwell (not the person pictured to the right), had his ears modified with disc earrings to the extent that he “could fit a golf ball through the hole in his earlobe.” This remnant of his teenage years caused problems later in life:
“I went a little too far with it… My body had become a bumper sticker… It bothered me that people could take one look at me and think they knew what I liked or didn’t like.”Tidwell often found himself tucking his drooping earlobes under a baseball cap in order to avoid embarrassment. After having the surgery, which took 30 minutes, he was able to get a new job at a bank, and was happy that his ears had been fixed.
