Two recent studies from Rutgers University found correlations between interest in cosmetic surgery and viewing of reality TV 
shows that document surgical makeovers. According to these psychological studies, when compared to television shows with a “neutral message,” reality shows spur greater interest in changing your appearance through cosmetic surgery.
In one study, the authors surveyed 170 participants and found that those who favored reality television shows about cosmetic surgery were more likely to show interest in pursuing their own procedure. In a second study, 189 participants were split into two groups, with one viewing a television program about a surgical makeover, while the other half was exposed to a neutral message. Participants viewing the surgical makeover program indicated greater interest in cosmetic surgery than the participants exposed to the neutral message.
Several networks have introduced programs with a significant focus on cosmetic surgery. On cable networks, cosmetic surgery has been shown on programs such as Real Housewives of Orange County or Extreme Makeover. On network television, you might see cosmetic surgeons featured on The Doctors or The Biggest Loser. But are these programs always giving us a realistic picture of the medical field? If viewers are as impressionable as the study indicates, there’s surely a need to present a more realistic and less sensational documentation of cosmetic surgery.
Read more about the study mentioned here, “A correlational and experimental examination of reality television viewing and interest in cosmetic surgery” on PubMed.
A new survey conducted by the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery says that cosmetic surgery is growing among minority groups in the United States. In a survey, more than half of the respondents said they think the popularity of cosmetic surgery has increased among members of their racial group.
“Feeling better about yourself and making improvements to your looks is thankfully not limited to a specific race or culture,” comments AACS President Mark Berman MD.
According to the survey, the top cosmetic surgical procedures among specific racial groups include facelift surgery for patients of Asian descent, liposuction for patients of African descent and abdominoplasty for Hispanic patients. Interestingly, more than 30 percent of the respondents said they when seeking a procedure, they would seek out a cosmetic surgeon of the same racial group as themselves, although many believed this would be a difficult task.
Most cosmetic surgeons are cognizant of the special needs of patients of varying racial groups. For most surgical procedures, ethnic characteristics are not a significant factor for the doctor to consider. However, in procedures like rhinoplasty (nose reshaping) or eyelid surgery, the surgeon must take these characteristics into account. Most patients want to improve their appearance but few want to erase the distinct markers or traits that signify membership within a certain group.
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A “special report” published on Newsweek.com explores the pursuit of good looks and the advantages that attractive people 
have in the workplace and in other areas of life. Although we would like to believe that a person is judged solely on personality traits such as character or competence, the reality may be quite different. People may unknowingly have a bias that favors beautiful people.
Writers for Newsweek uncover many examples of this bias and theorize about its causes and consequences. “Looking good is no longer something we can ignore or dismiss as frivolous or vain,” argues reporter Jessica Bennet. Questions of fairness aside, the statistics support her argument:
“A good-looking man will make some $250,000 more than his least-attractive counterpart, according to economist Daniel Hamermesh.”
“Fifty-seven percent of hiring managers told Newsweek that qualified but unattractive candidates are likely to have a harder time landing a job.”
“More than half of those hiring managers advised spending as much time and money on “making sure they look attractive” as on perfecting a résumé.”
More surprising statistics are cited throughout the report, but what’s more interesting are the biological and psychological explanations for the beauty advantage. Is our bias an appreciation of the Platonic ideal form? Are we unconsciously surrounding ourselves with attractive people in order to produce healthy offspring? It’s unlikely that a single answer can satisfy our curiosity on this topic.
For many people in our generation, it comes down to an individual choice: how far will you go in your pursuit of beauty? In the continuum of choices you can make to change your appearance, it’s not always clear where to draw the line. Many people are quite satisfied with little more than a stylish wardrobe or haircut, but not every person begins their pursuit with the same beauty advantage.
Dr. Pancholi has been recognized for his contributions to the online knowledge base, eMedicine. His article about Laryngeal Fractures under the category of Otolaryngology and Facial Plastic Surgery has received almost 10,000 page views since the start of 2010.
eMedicine, from WebMD, is an excellent physician resource for a wide variety of medical specialties including plastic and reconstructive surgery. With a worldwide audience and thousands of physician contributors, the database has become an authoritative resource on medical topics. Best of all, it’s an open-access resource. Just like a medical journal, the articles are peer-reviewed and written by expert physicians. But unlike most medical and scientific journals, anyone can view them free of charge.
According to Vice President and Medical Director, Rick G. Kulkarni MD, eMedicine “contains articles on over 6,700 diseases and medical topics, and is richly illustrated with some 29,000 multimedia files.” Unless you’re a very studious consumer or patient, you would probably find the information on eMedicine to be overwhelming. But for medical professionals and others directly involved in providing medical information, open access publishers like this are incredibly useful.
A Brazilian model who underwent breast augmentation to get the largest breasts in the world is now experiencing complications 
after more than 30 surgical procedures. The latest reports say that Hershey is experiencing a staph infection in her breasts, which could be life threatening if it reaches the bloodstream.
How common is this type of complication? According to Tulsa surgeon and President Elect of the AACS Dr. Angelo Cuzalina, such an infection is rare but often problematic.
Any infection in a breast implant is unwanted by both patient and surgeon. They are fortunately very rare (just less than 3 in 1000 patients), but a breast implant infection is difficult to deal with when they do occur and almost always require implant removal. Having massive implants just complicates the problem further due to the excess skin after removal.
Certain infections such as methocillin resistant staph (MRSA) are becoming more common in today’s society and require more aggressive treatment. Patients should let their surgeon know if redness or unusual pain occurs along with fever combined with a general feeling of extreme malaise during the first few weeks following breast augmentation.
Michael J. Will M.D., a cosmetic surgeon near Washington DC and president of the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery, also commented on the situation:
Breast augmentation procedures should be preceded by a comprehensive consultation between the cosmetic surgeon and the patient, where the patient’s concerns and expectations are discussed in relation to the patient’s breast and chest wall anatomy.
An effective evaluation and treatment plan should result in a post-operative outcome that reaches a balance between the patient’s expectations and the surgeon’s surgical and anatomical limitations to yield an esthetic and healthy outcome. When the surgical tissue tension and stress exceed the capacity for normal healing, wound breakdown and infection often develop. However, infection related to breast augmentation is rare, and when encountered, the implants frequently need to be removed and replaced at a later date.
“Sheyla takes her craft seriously,” says the model’s official website. After undergoing multiple surgical procedures on her breasts, lips and buttocks, she seems very comfortable going under the knife and talking about it publicly.
But in an interview with Fox News, she expresses regret for choosing extremely large breast implants and suggests that if she could start over again, she would. As she demonstrates her daily routine on video, it’s clear that she’s a very dedicated and strong-willed woman.
Fox News has a series of video interviews with Sheyla Hershey and you can read regular updates about her status on her website, sheylahershey.net
The use of collagen-based wrinkle fillers has been gradually declining in the past two years —and it shows in the announcements by the leading manufacturers, Allergan and Johnson & Johnson, indicating that they will no longer produce their respective collagen products: the human-derived CosmoDerm and CosmoPlast, the bovine Zyderm and Zyplast for Allergan; the porcine Evolence for Johnson & Johnson.
For over 20 years, collagen has been the filler of choice for many cosmetic surgeons and dermatologists. Considering donor tissue origins, it is understandable that questions could arise. Plus, some collagen-based fillers require skin allergy testing and can be relatively short-lived compared to the next generation of fillers.
As in many markets, money drives the evolution of new products, and dermal fillers are no exception. The popularity of non-animal hyaluronic acid (HA) dermal fillers (known as replacement fillers because they replace lost volume) and PLLA and PMMA fillers (known as stimulatory fillers because they stimulate collagen and fibroblast production) has been strong in the recent past.
Juvederm, Perlane, Restylane, Radiesse, and Sculptra currently dominate the US market. Experts say that HA, PLLA and PMMA fillers are more versatile, longer-lasting, bulkier, and better for deep-volume filling than collagen.
But what about fine and thin line use, such as for foreheads or smokers lines around the mouth? Collagen was usually considered idealfor those applications. But Restylane Fine Lines is one HA product that makers hope to take over what used to be collagen territory.
What will the world of dermal fillers look like in the future? Who can say? But certainly change is underway. Although fillers that indirectly stimulate fibroblast production are holding sway, direct injection of fibroblasts with Human Dermal Fibroblasts (HDFs) may be a trend. UK dermatologists are currently testing Valveta, a filler derived from the foreskins of male babies that is reputed to repopulate skin with healthy young cells and be long-lasting, if not permanent.
The FDA has recently granted approval for several wrinkle fillers that contain lidocaine for increased comfort. These popular hyaluronic acid fillers can make your treatment experience easier, while providing the same results as previous versions.
3 injectable products were granted FDA approval in February 2010 for lidocaine versions in the U.S.:
- Juvederm XC
- Restylane-L
- Perlane-L
Juvederm XC
In a clinical trial with the new Juvederm XC, 72 patients were blindfolded and injections were administered to the nasolabial folds – the lines that travel from the nose to the corners of your mouth. Participants were treated with either Juvederm or Juvederm XC. Patients assessed pain levels during treatment and then 30 minutes and 24 hours post-treatment. In the study, 93 percent reported less pain when treated with the lidocaine formulation versus the non-lidocaine formulation of Juvederm.
Restylane L and Perlane L
Restylane and Perlane are now available in a more comfortable formula, with the addition of 0.3 percent lidocaine. Just like the regular Restylane formula that has been available for years, Restylane – L is made with clear stabilized hyaluronic acid gel, a natural substance that already exists in your body tissue.
In clinical studies of the new formula, 71 percent of the 60 participants reported less pain after injection into the nasolabial fold than with Restylane alone.
Radiesse
The FDA also cleared a method for doctors mixing lidocaine with Radiesse in July 2009.
A recent survey conducted by the National Rosacea Society says that people living with rosacea are prone to experience increased symptoms and flare-ups when exposed to the sun and other heat sources. If you’ve experienced rosacea in the past, this may be useful information as the summer temperatures rise here in Las Vegas.
Out of 431 patients surveyed by the NRS, 80 percent said that exposure to the sun and hot weather caused their flare-ups. Excessive indoor heat, heavy exercise, bonfires, stoves, hot baths and hot beverages were also cited as triggers for rosacea flare-ups.
Fortunately, people living with rosacea can prevent flare-ups by knowing their individual triggers and guarding against them. Dr. Joseph Bikowski, clinical associate professor of dermatology at Ohio State University, recommends that patients become proactive in knowing the causes of their rosacea flare-ups.
He says you should minimize exposure to heat triggers and take proper precautions to avoid flare-ups, such as using a minimum SPF 15 sunscreen when spending time in the sun. The survey found that about 84 percent of respondents reduced the rate of their rosacea flare-ups by actively avoiding known heat triggers. A high percentage of patients also reported that taking cooler showers and minimizing time spent outdoors on hot days eased the frequency of their flare-ups.
Medical treatments and products are also available to help people control rosacea. Products from Obagi medical are popular for these purposes, with their Rosaclear line developed specifically for people experiencing Rosacea symptoms.
On June 15th, Allergan Inc announced a brand new Latisse promotion planned to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. In the 
Latisse Wishes Challenge, they’re asking people to donate $20 or more to the Make-A-Wish foundation in exchange for a Latisse free trial certificate. However, only the first 10,000 people who donate will receive a certificate.
You may remember last year’s campaign led by Brooke Shields. This year, the campaign is led by lifestyle designer Kathy Ireland, professional ballroom dancer Chelsie Hightower and style guide Bobbie Thomas.
“With approximately 1.5 million bottles sold since launching the product a little more than a year ago, LATISSE is giving back by helping the Make-A-Wish Foundation grant the wishes of children. Through the campaign, we will double each individual’s donation, with a maximum donation of $250,000, through October 31,” said Robert Grant, President of Allergan Medical, a division of Allergan, Inc.
Read more about purchasing Latisse in Las Vegas
If you’re bothered by fine lines and wrinkles around your eyes (and who doesn’t have a few?) then you may want to check out this medical grade product from Obagi Medical. The ELASTIderm eye treatment is designed to restore elasticity in your skin and reduce those persistent lines.
