Mothers and Daughters Pair Up for Cosmetic Surgery

Surgeons say more mothers and daughters are pairing up to get cosmetic procedures.  This mother’s day, several news stories discussed mom’s role in how you perceive and change your physical appearance.

Who is more likely to undergo cosmetic surgery: is it you or your mother?  If it’s the latter, you might find yourself inspired to do the same when you see the results.  The number of mother-daughter pairs visiting Dr. James Koehler has him seriously considering a “family discount.”

[msnbc]

If your mother had a successful rhinoplasty, would you do the same?  One young woman gives her compelling nose-job story to Elle, discussing the years she spent deliberating about the operation and how she finally decided to follow in her mother’s footsteps. After her rhinoplasty, she confesses: “I hate to say it, but my mother is right: It’s the nose I was meant to have.”

[Elle]

Last month, reporters confirmed that supermodel Christie Brinkley had a facelift and her daughter Alexa Ray Joel checked in for a rhinoplasty the following day.  According to reports from the New York Post, the mother and daughter have already made several public appearances to show off their new looks.

[New York Post]

Surgeons Perform Full Face Transplant in 24 hours

Facial plastic surgeons and other physicians in Spain say they have completed a very extensive face transplant operation on a man who had suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The 24-hour operation replaced the patient’s cheekbones, facial muscles, lips, jaw and other parts.

The surgery is said to be even more extensive than the face transplant done in 2008 at the Cleveland Clinic. “This is the first full face transplant performed worldwide, as the 10 operations performed previously had been only partial,” said a statement released by Vall d’Hebron University Hospital.

Botulinum Toxin Studied as Treatment for Tennis Elbow

According to researchers in Tehran, Botox has potential as a treatment for chronic tennis elbow. A study appearing in the journal of the Canadian Medical Association documents the use of Botulinum toxin for treatment of chronic tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis.

At the Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex in Tehran, a randomized placebo-controlled trial was conducted with 48 patients.  They were injected with either Botox or saline, the placebo.  Injection sites were customized for each patient’s anatomy.

When Botox injections were performed with anatomic measurements as a guide, they “significantly reduced pain at rest in patients with chronic refractory lateral epicondylitis.”  However, due to side effects, the treatment may not be appropriate for patients who require finger extension.

Surgeons Performing More Elective Surgery in Iraq

CNN brings us this story about increasing popularity of cosmetic surgery in Iraq.  As the violence subsides, doctors who primarily treated war wounds are now witnessing a resurgence in elective procedures.

Medical Spas Warned by FDA About Lipodissolve Claims

On April 7, 2010 the FDA announced that it had issued warnings to 6 Medspas regarding their marketing claims about Lipodissolve.  Although none of the spas involved were located in Las Vegas, perhaps you have heard about this procedure from some local practitioners.

Lipodissolve is also known as injection lipolysis.  It involves injections of chemicals (phosphatidylcholine, deoxycholate, and others) to remove persistent areas of fat.

The Medspas involved were apparently claiming that Lipodissolve was “superior to other fat removal procedures, including liposuction” and making misleading claims about the safety record and effectiveness of lipodissolve.

Given the lack of evidence supporting lipodissolve as a safe or effective fat removal treatment, and the side effects reported by consumers, officials in the FDA felt it was necessary to warn consumers about these misleading claims.  The medical spas are being instructed to “correct these violations and prevent similar violations in the future.”

Read more on the FDA consumer website

The Evolution of Silicone Breast Implants

Have you ever wondered how silicone breast implants were originally conceived? In a recent article for ModernMedicine.com, cosmetic surgeons explain the evolution of silicone breast implants and the key advantages offered by the latest 4th generation shaped implants. Some of those advantages include:

- Triple-layer shell to prevent leakage

- Anatomical shape for women lacking breast volume in the lower pole

- Cohesive silicone gel that is very stable

Silicone breast implants have changed significantly over the years.  Read the article to learn how they have evolved into the cutting edge technology we use today.

Link: Modern breast implants evolve to latest generation of ‘shaped’

Women Need 60 Minutes of Exercise Daily: Can You Make the Time?

To simply maintain healthy body weight, women need 60 minutes of moderate intensity exercise every single day, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The advice is based on a 13-year analysis of more than 34,000 women with a mean age of 54.2 years and a normal diet.

If you’re reading this, you probably care more than most people about your appearance and health, so you should definitely be motivated to make the time for 60 minutes of exercise every day. However, going to the health club for an hour each day isn’t exactly practical, nor is it exciting; so how can we put this advice into practice?

A few tips….

1. Do 30 minutes of high intensity exercise rather than 60 minutes of moderate intensity exercise. If you’re healthy enough, push yourself harder and burn those calories faster.

2. Gain some muscle with strength training and you’ll burn more fat. Try the kettlebells.

3.  When the weather is nice don’t drive to the health club. Run there or ride your bike. It’s a great warm-up for your workout and adds a few extra minutes before and after gym time.

4. Stop searching for that perfect parking spot. Park at the outer edge of the lot and walk.

5. Ask your boss about implementing a workplace fitness program. Make sure you mention the surgeon general’s 2010 recommendation to create healthier work sites. (Tell your co-workers to stop bringing all those cookies and donuts too.)

6. Know the difference between performance and appearance. When you evaluate your fitness and health achievements, it’s easy to focus on body weight and areas of excess fat. If you are faster or stronger, congratulate yourself on that and remember there are solutions to improve appearance when nothing else works.

7. Exercise should be fun. If your current routine feels like pulling teeth, try something new and always try to keep an upbeat, positive attitude.

Juvederm “Switch-Up” Campaign Offers Beauty Tips

Allergan, the pharmaceutical company behind Botox, Juvederm and Latisse, just launched a social media campaign to educate you, the consumer, about how to incorporate injectable treatments into your aesthetic routine.

Fans of Juvederm on Facebook will get helpful tips on cosmetics, health, beauty and fitness, courtesy of Allergan and television personality Dayna Devon.

Devon says she has experience with wrinkle fillers and began using them in her 30s, when she “noticed deep lines around [her] nose and mouth that looked like two parentheses.”

What is Juvederm?

Juvederm is one of the most requested non-surgical treatments, here in Las Vegas and all over the United States.

Made with a smooth hyaluronic acid gel, Juvederm is injected beneath the skin to restore volume and reduce the appearance of wrinkles or folds.  It comes in different formulas, so your cosmetic surgeon can effectively treat wrinkles of varying degrees.  The latest formula, Juvederm Ultra XC, contains lidocaine to make injection more comfortable than ever before.

2009 Procedures Topped 17 Million, Says AACS

More than 17 million cosmetic procedures were done in the United States last year, according to a recent survey by the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery.

The survey, which was conducted differently than in previous years, posted numbers higher than ever seen before.  To gather data for the survey, the Academy polled AACS members and random physicians across the United States.

AACS members have seen an 8% increase in cosmetic procedures during the past two years, despite the economic recession.

During the past five years, these are the procedures the Academy says have increased markedly:

• Eyelid surgery
• Abdominoplasty
• Rhinoplasty
• Chemical peels
• Wrinkle fillers

“As the economy recovers slowly but surely, we are seeing patients come back and feel better about doing some things for themselves that maybe they’d been putting off for a while, said AACS president Mark Berman MD.