Plastic Surgery Blog

Want to get rid of unsightly acne scars? Varicose veins? Other pesky skin problems like rosacea or uneven pigmentation? Now is the time to take action. Recent advances in cosmetic and dermatologic procedures make dealing with skin issues easier than ever.

Consider these effective treatments for four of the most common skin problems:

Acne scarring—Microdermabrasion represents a more subtle, conservative approach to treating acne scars. The procedure is used to gently resurface the skin and is usually done in a series of six or more visits. Dermabrasion can be used to achieve more dramatic results and involves the “sanding” down of scarred areas. Injectables like Juvederm and Restylane can be used to fill in depressed scars with immediate results. However, results are only temporary. Fractional resurfacing is the only FDA approved long-term, light-based procedure for treating acne scarring. It resurfaces the skin and also stimulates collagen production, improving texture and repairing structural damage.

More than 14 million Americans suffer from a skin condition known as rosacea, which is characterized by facial redness and acne-like symptoms. Remedies for rosacea include prescription topicals and/or oral antibiotics as well as light-based treatments such as IPL PhotoFacial.

Leg veins are more than an aesthetic problem. They can also cause a variety of health issues including blood clots and infection. Spider veins and varicose veins can both be treated with a procedure called sclerotherapy, which involves the injection of a solution into the vein that causes it to swell and seal shut. Once the flow of blood is stopped, the vein turns into scar tissue and eventually disappears. Laser treatments can sometimes also be used to eliminate unsightly leg veins.

Irregular pigmentation, including dark splotching and sun spots, can be treated with topical lightening products, chemical peels, or light-based treatments. Topical treatments can be obtained over-the-counter of by prescription but must be used consistently to achieve optimal results. Chemical peels can be used to exfoliate the upper layers of skin, diminishing the appearance of pigment irregularities and also improving texture. Fractional resurfacing, IPL and other light-based treatments can significantly improve coloration problems, sometimes completely. These types of treatments are usually conducted in a series of multiple office visits and often require follow up to maintain results.

Technorati Tags: microdermabrasion, juvederm, restylane, acne scarring, sclerotherapy, rosacea

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Last week, a new beauty was crowned Miss USA. Full of youth and blessed with a body to die for, Rachel Smith epitomizes the ideal pageant queen—and also a kind of ideal beauty. But it’s not an ideal that appeals to everyone. And a small town in Iceland is out to prove it.

On April 18th, the town of Isafjoerdur will be hosting an “alternative” beauty pageant aimed at challenging the Western ideal of beauty by rewarding contestants for their imperfections. From saggy breasts to heavy wrinkles, the more flaws the better.

The pageant’s one rule: No plastic surgery allowed.

Plastic surgery is sometimes criticized for having a homogenizing effect. This pageant seems to want to combat that with its celebration of non-conformity, of difference.

On the one hand, I applaud the efforts of the pageant organizers. I think it’s important to reject exclusive standards of beauty and accept and celebrate individual differences. Difference is what makes us all beautiful.

However, not all plastic surgery seeks sameness. What this pageant seems to want to deny is the positive impact plastic surgery can have on a person’s self-esteem and own personal sense of beauty.

Beauty, as the saying goes, is in the eye of the beholder. And whatever makes a person feel comfortable, confident, and beautiful in his/her skin should be accepted—plastic surgery or not.

Technorati Tags: Isafjoerdur, beauty pageant, alternative beauty pageant

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In an episode of the plastic surgery drama Nip/Tuck, a man brings his show dog to McNamara/Troy for some cosmetic tweaking. The doctors declined to perform plastic surgery on a dog, and the job was taken up by a less scrupulous surgeon. I remember wondering if the show was mocking the industry or if plastic surgery for pets was real. Apparently, it is.

The demand for pet plastic surgery is particularly high in Brazil, where one veterinarian has been performing aesthetic procedures on man’s best friend for 15 years. The Sao Paolo vet extols the benefits of plastic surgery for pets—from Botox for Shar-Peis to mammary gland tucks on post-pregnancy show dogs.

And despite prohibitions from the American Kennel Club (the organization that sets the guidelines for breeds on the show-dog circuit), not to mention objections from breeders and animal rights activists, pet cosmetic surgery continues to gain popularity in the United States.

I have to ask why? Is it really important to have attractive pets?

The Brazilian doctor argues that the more attractive the pet is, the better the owner-pet relationship. This, to me, seems absurd. We love our pets because they provide us with unconditional love and companionship. Not because they’re pretty. Or because they can win a show.

I’m not saying that aesthetic enhancement can’t be a good thing. In fact, I think it very much can be. But only for people who are capable of making their own decisions.

Technorati Tags: pet plastic surgery, nip tuck

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Do breast implants enhance self-esteem…and sexuality? What’s the most sought after cosmetic procedure in the United States? What are some of the latest skin tightening technologies? To find out the answers to these and other questions, check out these latest plastic surgery news stories!

11.5 MILLION COSMETIC PROCEDURES IN 2006
Nearly 11.5 million cosmetic surgical and nonsurgical procedures were performed in the United States in 2006, according to statistics released today by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS). Compared to 2005, cosmetic surgical and nonsurgical increased 1 percent. The Aesthetic Society, which has been collecting multi-specialty procedural statistics since 1997 says the overall number of cosmetic procedures has increased 446 percent since the collection of the statistics first began.

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Better Measurements, Better Results After Facial Reconstruction
A simple new measurement technique could improve outcomes after facial reconstruction surgery, researchers report.The calibration method measures the distance between the top of the external ear canal (porion) and the most prominent point on the chin (pogonion) on patient photographs. This calibration helps facial plastic surgeons use computer imaging software to achieve good results, concluded a U.S. study in the March/April issue of the journal Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery.

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The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Releases Report on Tissue Tightening Technologies
The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) has released a report on tissue tightening technologies. Tissue tightening is a non-invasive procedure meant to tighten and/or lift lax, sagging or wrinkled skin on the face and neck.

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Study: Breast Enhancement Boosts Self-Esteem, Sexuality
Breast augmentation is one of the most sought after cosmetic procedures in America. Since 2000, the number of procedures performed has jumped 476 percent, with more than 300,000 women undergoing augmentation procedures every year. These numbers raise a pertinent question: Is bigger really better?

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Technorati Tags: breast enhancement, facial reconstruction, cosmetic procedures, dermatology

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Do you ever wonder about the future of cosmetic surgery? For instance, what will surgical procedures be like 10 years from now? Will new procedures be available? And what about wrinkle-reducing and other age-defying cosmetic products? What will the Botox of the future be?

No one really knows what the future holds. But we do have some ideas. The following are just a few:

Botox for better healing—Recent research has shown that Botox, when injected immediately after a wound occurs, encourages better healing and helps to reduce scarring.

Skin rejuvenating lamps—In the mid-1980s, the Paterson Lamp was developed to treat non-melanoma skin cancers. However, scientists discovered an unlikely side effect of the lamp—smoother skin around the areas of treatment.

Self-tanning cream that prevents skin cancer—Researchers have recently discovered a self-tanning cream that works in much the same way as natural sunlight but without the sun’s damaging effects. The research suggests that the cream induces lighter skin to take on properties of darker skin, which is less prone to sun damage and skin cancer.

The bottom line: The future of beauty is closer than you may think, so keep your eye out for these and other cosmetic developments!

Technorati Tags: botox, tanning cream

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