Of Obese Bodies And Svelte Minds:

This is slightly off topic, but is good food for thought as it highlights why plastic surgery should not be viewed as a means to an end by people.

Yesterday’s edition of the Houston Chronicle narrated an inspiring story about the thirty nine year old Jennylin Duany, a large-bodied woman who is an experimental theatre actor. If you check out the link you will see that Jennylin is no ‘perfect-sized’ woman. In fact, she is completely different from the regular Hollywood actors.

What caught my attention was the statement she made, "So much gets held in the body; my piece is about letting go of our body trappings. We spend so much time chasing ideals that we forget who we are." Rather powerful when we look at Jennylin’s showbiz compatriots who seem to be in a race against time.

But why stop at celebrities? Take a look at the higher income middle class individuals who are financially secure to stop and stare at the mirror in dread and make up their minds to visit the shrink, plastic surgeon, physiologist, yoga guru and an assortment of other experts.

Plastic surgery is increasingly treated as the quickest route to the fountain of youth without paying any attention to the actual need for surgery. Smart plastic surgeons always look out for patients who know the difference between a cosmetic surgery procedure that cannot be avoided and a surgery that might prove harmful to the patient in the long run.

If they come across patients who know neither and do not know how to deal with them, then God help the poor patient! Visit the Plastic Surgery Institute of California, we know what to do and can help you decide what is best for your body.

Botox® Update:

Botox®, for one reason or another, is always making news. The latest appearance concerns the development of a more permanent solution to wrinkles, which claims to do away with Botox® altogether.

While the downside is that this plastic surgery treatment is more invasive than Botox®, i.e. it requires a surgery to erase the lines between the brows. But unlike the non-invasive injectable, the surgery permanently does away mild wrinkles and improves deeper lines to a considerable degree.

With injectable fillers like Botox®, Myobloc, etc. the wrinkles that occur in the brow area are numbed for just a small period after which they re-appear. Continual administration of these fillers is necessary to maintain the effect.

Plastic surgery, as a practice, is still evolving. New developments are constantly analyzed and repeatedly tested to ensure safety during their implementation. Before taking up a medical practitioner or a cosmetic surgery expert on any offer for a newly developed procedure it is vital that patients do a background check.

You can get in touch with the Plastic Surgery Institute of California at clinics located in Newport Beach, Pasadena, Beverly Hills and Huntington Beach for unbiased information on any new procedure you may have heard about. If it is a board approved procedure, we can let you know. If not, we make sure you know that as well.

Understanding Anesthesia:

Anesthesia is one of the requisites of surgery as through its effects a patient is deemed able or unable to withstand the surgery procedure.

A patient who is administered anesthesia exhibits a lack of awareness and mobility. Administration of anesthesia also causes muscle relaxation which makes it easier to access bones and body cavities through the muscle tissue.

General anesthesia, deep sedation or analgesia, moderate sedation, minimal sedation or anxiolysis, regional anesthesia, local anesthesia, spinal anesthesia and epidural anesthesia are some of the anesthetics used by surgeons worldwide.

In plastic surgery, the anesthetics used are limited to general anesthesia and intravenous sedation. General anesthesia administration renders a patient unable to maintain their airway or breathe without support.

The anesthesia used for cosmetic surgery is dependant on different factors like age of the patient, type of plastic surgery, health condition, blood pressure, etc. For instance, an otoplasty or ear surgery performed on very young children requires the administration of general anesthesia but older patients can be operated using local anesthesia which induces a relaxed state.

Using anesthesia in an elective surgery is recommended and it is up to the doctor to diagnose the patient properly for any airway problems which may hamper its use. We examine a patient for anesthesia tolerance at the Plastic Surgery Institute of California during initial patient examination.

Plastic Surgery At Home (Shudder, Gasp!):

The local Tampa police arrested a woman on February 1, 2008 on the charges of conducting an unlicensed plastic surgery business in her home. The 47 year old woman also operated an unlicensed hair salon in her garage and was caught with controlled drugs and marijuana.

What is amazing is that the ‘practitioner’ actually had people coming to her for treatment and plastic surgery procedures. The before-and-after photographs that were found in the house attested to this.

Regardless of countless warnings from authorized medical practitioners and plastic surgery professionals, there are people who flock to such quacks who hold promises of beauty for a small fee.

I wonder what treatment patients might have had from this person and what might be the possible outcomes of such unlicensed and unsolicited surgeries.

There is much information available on the Internet and in the print media for those seeking help on plastic surgery. While the media can be trusted to only a certain extent, it is vital to remember that plastic surgery boards like the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) do exist and are the bench-marks for plastic surgery authentication for cosmetic surgeons.

The surgeons at the Plastic Surgery Institute of California are experienced in plastic surgery and reconstructive surgery and are authorized by the ASPS. Each treatment is performed in surgically equipped clinics and the highest standards of safety are followed.

Educate Yourself - Soft Tissue Implants:

For the express purpose of enhancing the face, there has been a long list of fillers that have been used since experimentation on facial plastic surgery began. Surgeons made use of vegetable oils, silicone oil, beeswax and even petrolatum to add volume to the facial tissue. However, these fillers proved unsafe for use as they posed a health risk for the patient.

An improvement on non invasive facial fillers was the development of the bovine collagen, an injectable. But this material was too readily absorbed by the body and lead to further research on the issue of soft tissue implants.

Plastic surgery specialists and medical experts are still looking for fillers which can be either injected into the human body or surgically inserted without getting absorbed too quickly.

While plastic surgery experts have developed synthetic materials like Bioplastique, Arteplast, Artecoll/Artefill, Radiesse, silicone and Sculptra to fit this need, not all have been FDA approved.

Among the biological materials that have been reviewed to be used as soft tissue implants for cosmetic surgery there are injectables like bovine collagen, fibril, Hyaluronan derivatives like Restylane, Hylaform and Juvederm.

Plastic surgery treatments for the face and surrounding areas also make use of homologous materials like Micronized AlloDerm which lasts for almost a year.

Think carefully before going in for a facial cosmetic surgery procedure or treatment using any synthetic or biological soft tissue implant. There are reactions and allergies that are known to develop in some patients, especially in the case of synthetic implants.

Having a plastic surgeon who understands your physical anatomy and dermal make-up is the only way to minimize the chances of a botched cosmetic surgery. You can visit the Plastic Surgery Institute of California for more information on soft tissue implants and their suitability for your body type.

Birthmark Removal Surgery:

Some cultures consider birthmarks extremely lucky and the body part they grace especially endowed. But whatever their mystical implications, birthmarks are common in every human body.

They are usually three basic classifications of birthmarks:

• Vascular birthmarks, which are most common.
• Pigmentation birthmarks, which form due to either too much or too less pigment in a patch of skin.
• Macular birthmarks, which are a soft shade of pink.

While the latter two are known to fade with time, vascular birthmarks are the more persistent birth stains. Another type of birthmark, called a hemangioma is very prominent in new born infants and is characterized by an angry red color.

Birthmarks usually do not pose a health risk for an individual and their prominence in the human skin holds more emotional and cosmetic implications. Some birthmarks do enhance a person’s features though, especially if they are small and situated in strategic areas of the body like the lips, hips, arms, etc. Who can forget the saucy birthmark on Marilyn Monroe’s left cheek!

But in case you have a birthmark that cannot be passed off as a pleasant flaw, you can have a laser birthmark removal surgery. Multiple sittings are usually required to remove birthmarks through a laser treatment.

You can get in touch with the Plastic Surgery Institute of California for professional advice and cosmetic treatments for birthmark removal.

Hirsutism Help:

Hirsutism is a malady which a surprising number of women suffer from. While any hair that is not on the scalp is treated as unwanted hair, the condition of hirsutism is especially unique as it refers to hair growth patterns that usually occur in men.

This problem stems from the presence of excess male hormones (androgens) and a severe fluctuation in insulin levels in the female body. These conditions lead to excess hair growth in the chest, face and back areas with the hair also known to occur in the areolae of a woman.

The implications of hirsutism are predominantly emotional and cosmetic, with a lot of women facing social discomfort. While it is a physically discomfiting condition, hirsutism is not malignant and definitely not a disease.

There are various treatments devised by medicine and women to cover this condition. Bleaching the area suffering excess hair growth is the most convenient option, but it is only effective if the growth is light.

For more persistent and visible hair growth, depilation through shaving or temporary epilation using waxes and tweezers is a good option. But if you want more permanent results of remedying hirsutism, laser hair removal is a good idea.

While laser hair removal is faster and more effective than traditional methods of hair removal, it may result in pigmentary changes and foliiculitis. The results last for up to three months. Consulting a certified doctor or cosmetic surgeon is recommended if you desire to correct hirsutism by means of laser hair removal.

Visit the Plastic Surgery Institute of California for more information on hirsutism and laser hair removal treatments.

Minors And Plastic Surgery:

It can be a tough world out there. Adolescent pangs usually accompany the growing up process. While the teenage years find a lot of teachers and parents with their hands full of contrary behavior, they have to take care to understand their wards before taking any decisions.

The pre-teen and teen years is when the human body is under-going much change and the human mind is the most impressionable. Plastic surgery, like binge-shopping and energy drinks holds an appeal of its own for this group.

There are parents who don’t hesitate at all before gifting their young teenage children plastic surgery vouchers for a high grade or a passing out ceremony. While ethical plastic surgeons do not entertain such requests, there are doctors who willingly perform surgery on young bodies.

The minimum age requirement for performing cosmetic surgery of any kind is eighteen. For children under eighteen, parental consent is mandatory for a plastic surgery procedure. Generally cosmetic surgeons perform a reconstructive plastic surgery on children if there is a physical deformity or an inherent physical problem involved.

If you are a parent and your teen is clamoring for a ‘boob job’ or a ‘nose job’, its time to take a stance. Protect your child from the knife today and give them a proper perspective on the implications of plastic surgery. They will thank you tomorrow.

Visit the Plastic Surgery Institute of California for more advice and help.

Top Hollywood Looks For Plastic Surgery:

Number one on this list undoubtedly goes to Angelina Jolie for her full, pouty puckers. However she does not occupy the first place for the best smile. This honor is reserved almost exclusively for Eva Mendes, the Ghostrider starlet.

According to an ISAPS (International Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery) survey, women would rather have lips that looked like Jolie’s after a lip augmentation surgery. According to this survey, her partner Brad Pitt, possesses the abs most men would die for.

Moving on to the eyes, the most coveted eyes belong to Katie Holmes, with a lot of plastic surgery hopefuls teeming to eyelid surgery specialists for that look. For gluteal appeal, exotic beauties like Jennifer Lopez and Beyonce vie for top spots among women, with males preferring George Clooney-like hinds.

Celebrities have always been desired by men and women for their picture perfect looks and a lot of plastic surgeons find themselves in situations where they are requested to make the clients look just like their favorite star.

But it is important to remember that the rule ‘one size fits all’ does not work for cosmetic surgery. Jennifer Lopez’ perfect backside may look abnormal on a person having a slight frame.

Get in touch with the plastic surgeons at the Plastic Surgery Institute of California for cosmetic surgery advice and help that keeps your body shape in mind.

Valentine’s Day Special – The Brazilian Bikini Wax:

Once upon a time, seven Brazilian chicas who also happened to be sisters opened a lovely salon in Manhattan, New York. These seven brilliant sisters showed numerous American women the secret to keeping their privates fuzz-free and fabulous. The Brazilian Bikini Wax made a grand entry into the realms of beauty along with another famous style statement – the bikini.

Over a period of ten years, this secret gradually percolated to the male populace as well with men (especially homosexual men) scrambling to beauticians and cosmeticians for the hair removal job that allowed for more sexual pleasure (or so they said).

The Brazilian Bikini Wax had exotic origins and still finds a lot of followers among modern women and men who like keeping their tushes and mounds un-hairy. The original Brazilian Bikini Wax has cosmeticians removing the hair in the vulva, perineum, anus and buttock area. Traditionally, a narrow strip of hair is left behind in the pubic area.

It is essential to go to a salon or cosmetician that abides beauty-safety standards though, as if these are not followed there is a high chance that you might end up with a fungal infection or even herpes.

You can visit the Plastic Surgery Institute of California for one of the safest Brazilian Bikini Waxes you can get. Our cosmetic surgeons are board certified and the products used are safe and applied in hygienic environs.

A perfect Valentine’s Day gift, according to me!