With the boom in cosmetic surgery worldwide, it has become imperative for prospective patients to choose safety first.
A recent poll of 1,235 UK patients found that 61 per cent were unsatisfied with the results of their cosmetic surgery mainly because they failed to carry out adequate research.
"These results show why it is absolutely key to know everything about the surgeon and the practice carrying out your procedure," said Christiana Clogg, co-founder of thegoodsurgeonguide.co.uk, which carried out the research. "Sometimes cost can become the most important factor and low prices can be dazzling, taking priority over creditability and experience."
Two-fifths of those surveyed said they had to go back to get things corrected. Some of the ways to stay safe from botched up surgeries is to research the doctor and seek recommendations. Furthermore the cheapest is not always the best.
SOURCE
Hope this safety tip will help you to think twice...
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Venezuelans Borrow Money Just for Plastic Surgery
I don't think this is right...
CARACAS (Reuters) - Unfazed by a recession and rampant inflation, image-conscious Venezuelans show no signs of cutting back on the facelifts, liposuction, and breast augmentation that have become de rigueur beauty treatments.
"There is never a question of not doing it, but of how you can do it. We all want to get everything done," said Helen Patino, a 37-year-old former model who had her first breast augmentation when she was 21 and her third about three months ago.
Venezuela's inflation is the highest in Latin America, up more than 20 percent in the first 10 months of this year and the South American nation is in recession after a five year boom.
Hard times may even encourage cosmetic procedures as people look for ways to lift their spirits, with many dipping into savings or taking on debt to get operations, surgeons say.
"The financial crisis has spurred people to spend more on themselves ... to console themselves in this crisis. I have not seen demand diminishing," said Peter Romer, a plastic surgeon in Caracas.
For Iris Delgado, a 57-year-old dental technician, a lack of funds was not an obstacle to getting a recent eyelid tuck.
"With the economy, one has to make sacrifices, because you don't have the money. So, you get it from credit cards, from family and you pay for it," said Delgado, who borrowed 7,000 bolivares -- about $3,250 -- for the procedure, a move she saw as a hedge against inflation in plastic surgery prices.
Like Delgado, many go into debt to finance cosmetic surgery, according to those in the industry.
"It's an investment that people make and they look for money everywhere," said Romer, adding that one of his patients moved into a smaller apartment to get a makeover and another traded her car for a facelift.
Leoncio Barrios, a social psychologist at the Central University of Venezuela, said such stories are the exception. "The majority of middle and lower-income women do not have property to sell or the capacity to save," he said.
"What is clear is that in the subway you can see ads for clinics that offer credit for this type of surgery, and that women who work use their vacation bonuses and borrow from their work savings accounts," he added.
The industry will make sure that cosmetic work remains within reach to ensure a steady flow of income, Barrios said.
"NEED TO BE BEAUTIFUL"
Despite the hefty price tag, the choice to get cosmetic surgery is not considered a luxury for some Venezuelans.
"We need to be beautiful," said Patino.
Competition among women, by far the biggest consumers of plastic surgery in Venezuela, to look their best is fierce, and social pressure to get work done is high.
"Socially, there is a lot of demand, especially from men, to have a good body," said Prem Pratita, a 27-year-old who had a breast augmentation a few weeks ago.
In this image-conscious country, famous for beauty queens who win record numbers of international pageant titles, the idea of getting cosmetic surgery is instilled at a young age.
Patino recalls how, as a child, her mother and aunt dreamt of surgery to get rid of wrinkles. Now, with a child of her own, the subject is already on the table.
"I told my husband, 'Look honey, if she has your nose, she's going to get surgery,'" said Patino.
Some young women even describe moving up a few cup sizes as a rite of passage.
"It's a transformation from being a girl to being a woman," said Pratita, who said she was one of the last in her circle of friends to have the procedure.
"Everybody has a breast augmentation. Three or four of every seven women have one," said plastic surgeon Angel Pena, who likens his surgery to body decoration practiced for centuries.
"By nature, human beings have the desire to look better ... this desire is timeless and it's a desire that doesn't depend on your economic situation ... it's not that frivolous."
Read more >>
CARACAS (Reuters) - Unfazed by a recession and rampant inflation, image-conscious Venezuelans show no signs of cutting back on the facelifts, liposuction, and breast augmentation that have become de rigueur beauty treatments.
"There is never a question of not doing it, but of how you can do it. We all want to get everything done," said Helen Patino, a 37-year-old former model who had her first breast augmentation when she was 21 and her third about three months ago.
Venezuela's inflation is the highest in Latin America, up more than 20 percent in the first 10 months of this year and the South American nation is in recession after a five year boom.
Hard times may even encourage cosmetic procedures as people look for ways to lift their spirits, with many dipping into savings or taking on debt to get operations, surgeons say.
"The financial crisis has spurred people to spend more on themselves ... to console themselves in this crisis. I have not seen demand diminishing," said Peter Romer, a plastic surgeon in Caracas.
For Iris Delgado, a 57-year-old dental technician, a lack of funds was not an obstacle to getting a recent eyelid tuck.
"With the economy, one has to make sacrifices, because you don't have the money. So, you get it from credit cards, from family and you pay for it," said Delgado, who borrowed 7,000 bolivares -- about $3,250 -- for the procedure, a move she saw as a hedge against inflation in plastic surgery prices.
Like Delgado, many go into debt to finance cosmetic surgery, according to those in the industry.
"It's an investment that people make and they look for money everywhere," said Romer, adding that one of his patients moved into a smaller apartment to get a makeover and another traded her car for a facelift.
Leoncio Barrios, a social psychologist at the Central University of Venezuela, said such stories are the exception. "The majority of middle and lower-income women do not have property to sell or the capacity to save," he said.
"What is clear is that in the subway you can see ads for clinics that offer credit for this type of surgery, and that women who work use their vacation bonuses and borrow from their work savings accounts," he added.
The industry will make sure that cosmetic work remains within reach to ensure a steady flow of income, Barrios said.
"NEED TO BE BEAUTIFUL"
Despite the hefty price tag, the choice to get cosmetic surgery is not considered a luxury for some Venezuelans.
"We need to be beautiful," said Patino.
Competition among women, by far the biggest consumers of plastic surgery in Venezuela, to look their best is fierce, and social pressure to get work done is high.
"Socially, there is a lot of demand, especially from men, to have a good body," said Prem Pratita, a 27-year-old who had a breast augmentation a few weeks ago.
In this image-conscious country, famous for beauty queens who win record numbers of international pageant titles, the idea of getting cosmetic surgery is instilled at a young age.
Patino recalls how, as a child, her mother and aunt dreamt of surgery to get rid of wrinkles. Now, with a child of her own, the subject is already on the table.
"I told my husband, 'Look honey, if she has your nose, she's going to get surgery,'" said Patino.
Some young women even describe moving up a few cup sizes as a rite of passage.
"It's a transformation from being a girl to being a woman," said Pratita, who said she was one of the last in her circle of friends to have the procedure.
"Everybody has a breast augmentation. Three or four of every seven women have one," said plastic surgeon Angel Pena, who likens his surgery to body decoration practiced for centuries.
"By nature, human beings have the desire to look better ... this desire is timeless and it's a desire that doesn't depend on your economic situation ... it's not that frivolous."
Read more >>
Monday, November 23, 2009
Five percent tax on Elective Cosmetic Surgery - Harry Reid
Desperately seeking money to pay for new health care legislation, Senate majority leader Harry Reid is proposing a 5 percent tax on elective cosmetic surgery and procedures.
With all the nipping and tucking and lifting and botoxing that members of Congress have recently indulged in, it's difficult to imagine that he will find much support. Nevertheless, some senators who have already had their fill of fillers and thus feel free to tax the sagging and wrinkly laggards, need to consider the following.
As 90 % of elective cosmetic surgeries and procedures are done by women, this is effectively a tax on women and thus discriminatory. And these are not just rich women doing facelifts. Cosmetic intervention has gone mainstream. The majority of surgeries and procedures are performed on hard working middle class women who simply want to look more attractive. Anything wrong with that? Perhaps it IS sad that women feel a pressure to take to the knife, but that pressure is a reality of life today. In an incredibly tight job market, looking a few years younger, fresher and perkier can pay off. Sad perhaps, but true. And if she spends hours in the gym working to keep her body looking young and healthy why should she be let down by some sagging skin around the eyes and jowls?
Otherwise, in order to make it more gender balanced - on top of the botox tax they could add a tax on footballs, viagra, car magazines, gadgets, wide-screen tv's, and shaving paraphernalia.
Also, defining elective surgery and procedures has always been difficult. While most of us can agree that breast augmentation is not medically necessary, some (in particular the women who suffer from it) would argue that having breasts that hang limply like a cocker spaniel's ears after multiple pregnancies can cause extreme self esteem problems and depression. Similarly, nose jobs can have a remarkable effect, especially on young people's self-confidence. Long-term, rhinoplasty may be cheaper than all the therapy needed to deal with the self-esteem problems from a massive or oddly shaped nose. It’s scary, but insurance companies have long tried to have craniofacial care labeled as elective or dental. At one point they wanted to label cleft-repair as cosmetic surgery in order to not have to pay!
And if we go down this path, why not tax haircuts, manicures, spa-treatments, dental whitening, hair waxing, ear-piercing (or any other piercing for that matter), and tattoos? After all, they are all elective and cosmetic procedures.
Maybe this 5 % tax should, instead, be applied to things that ruin your health, thus directly contributing to ballooning health care costs. Lets see.... sugar, candies, chips, fast food, alcohol, basically anything high in fat, sugar or sodium. Also tv's and video games that contribute to our sedentary (and unhealthy) lifestyles.
That way we would be slimmer, healthier, more sober and prettier so we could afford those cosmetic surgeries.
Finally, there is, of course, always another side to every story. And this proposal will have its protagonists. Our guess is that plastic surgeons all over South and Central America are bouncing up and down in joyous anticipation of an even greater boom in "medical tourism". Countries like Panama and Costa Rica should see a boost to their economies as even more Americans head south for surgeries that are already 25-40 % cheaper than in the US.
SOURCE
With all the nipping and tucking and lifting and botoxing that members of Congress have recently indulged in, it's difficult to imagine that he will find much support. Nevertheless, some senators who have already had their fill of fillers and thus feel free to tax the sagging and wrinkly laggards, need to consider the following.
As 90 % of elective cosmetic surgeries and procedures are done by women, this is effectively a tax on women and thus discriminatory. And these are not just rich women doing facelifts. Cosmetic intervention has gone mainstream. The majority of surgeries and procedures are performed on hard working middle class women who simply want to look more attractive. Anything wrong with that? Perhaps it IS sad that women feel a pressure to take to the knife, but that pressure is a reality of life today. In an incredibly tight job market, looking a few years younger, fresher and perkier can pay off. Sad perhaps, but true. And if she spends hours in the gym working to keep her body looking young and healthy why should she be let down by some sagging skin around the eyes and jowls?
Otherwise, in order to make it more gender balanced - on top of the botox tax they could add a tax on footballs, viagra, car magazines, gadgets, wide-screen tv's, and shaving paraphernalia.
Also, defining elective surgery and procedures has always been difficult. While most of us can agree that breast augmentation is not medically necessary, some (in particular the women who suffer from it) would argue that having breasts that hang limply like a cocker spaniel's ears after multiple pregnancies can cause extreme self esteem problems and depression. Similarly, nose jobs can have a remarkable effect, especially on young people's self-confidence. Long-term, rhinoplasty may be cheaper than all the therapy needed to deal with the self-esteem problems from a massive or oddly shaped nose. It’s scary, but insurance companies have long tried to have craniofacial care labeled as elective or dental. At one point they wanted to label cleft-repair as cosmetic surgery in order to not have to pay!
And if we go down this path, why not tax haircuts, manicures, spa-treatments, dental whitening, hair waxing, ear-piercing (or any other piercing for that matter), and tattoos? After all, they are all elective and cosmetic procedures.
Maybe this 5 % tax should, instead, be applied to things that ruin your health, thus directly contributing to ballooning health care costs. Lets see.... sugar, candies, chips, fast food, alcohol, basically anything high in fat, sugar or sodium. Also tv's and video games that contribute to our sedentary (and unhealthy) lifestyles.
That way we would be slimmer, healthier, more sober and prettier so we could afford those cosmetic surgeries.
Finally, there is, of course, always another side to every story. And this proposal will have its protagonists. Our guess is that plastic surgeons all over South and Central America are bouncing up and down in joyous anticipation of an even greater boom in "medical tourism". Countries like Panama and Costa Rica should see a boost to their economies as even more Americans head south for surgeries that are already 25-40 % cheaper than in the US.
SOURCE
Friday, November 20, 2009
How to Achieve Great Ethnic Plastic Surgery
By all accounts, cosmetic plastic surgery is on the rise in America for ethnic patients. In fact, in 2007, ethnic minorities accounted for 22 percent of the nearly 11.7 million surgical and nonsurgical cosmetic procedures performed in the United States, an increase of 105 percent from 2000. More specifically, in 2007, Hispanics underwent 1,011,071 procedures (up 153% from 2000) while African-American cosmetic surgeries increased 170%.
Yet, we see a number of ethnic patients every month who tell us they’ve had a hard time finding a surgeon who seems to make a practice of doing “ethnic plastic surgery”. Why?
Well, in our opinions, there are a few reasons for this:
The aesthetic is different. We now know that there is tremendous variation in anatomy among and between ethnicities and an equally wide variation in the desired aesthetic.
When it comes to rhinoplasty, which is by far the most popular facial surgical procedure among ethnic minorities, the nuances of ethnic differences in facial structure and aesthetics require a different type of surgeon: one who moves beyond the “one size fits all“ model to tailor results.
Ethnic Pic, Plastic Surgery
If a surgeon is not experienced with the nuance of ethnic rhinoplasty, this can be hard to accomplish in a natural-looking way. Which brings us to the final point…
The procedures are different. For a typical rhinoplasty in patients of European ancestry, the focus is usually on making the nose smaller, reducing a bump, etc. and so we trained to remove some tissue in order to accomplish this. Ethnic noses can tend towards thicker skin, softer tip cartilage, weaker septal cartilage, excessive nostril flare, and sometimes lower nasal bridges. For these patients, the emphasis is typically on narrowing and adding to the bridge, refining and supporting the tip, and on specialized procedures such as alar base reduction (nostril narrowing).
Achieving these goals relies heavily on more advanced grafting techniques in order to have thicker skin drape favorably and show the desired degree of refinement. It is critical to build up tip structure in order to provide not only adequate support but also lasting tip shape and definition. At the same time, most of our patients are seeking refinement in the way of a thinner tip that is not over-built and rock hard. So, there is a balance that needs to be struck and a fairly unforgiving line that needs to be walked. Luckily, with the increase in interest from ethnic patients, we are sure to see more and more surgeons interested in achieving fantastic results for them.
For more questions about ethnic plastic surgery click here
Yet, we see a number of ethnic patients every month who tell us they’ve had a hard time finding a surgeon who seems to make a practice of doing “ethnic plastic surgery”. Why?
Well, in our opinions, there are a few reasons for this:
The aesthetic is different. We now know that there is tremendous variation in anatomy among and between ethnicities and an equally wide variation in the desired aesthetic.
When it comes to rhinoplasty, which is by far the most popular facial surgical procedure among ethnic minorities, the nuances of ethnic differences in facial structure and aesthetics require a different type of surgeon: one who moves beyond the “one size fits all“ model to tailor results.
Ethnic Pic, Plastic Surgery
If a surgeon is not experienced with the nuance of ethnic rhinoplasty, this can be hard to accomplish in a natural-looking way. Which brings us to the final point…
The procedures are different. For a typical rhinoplasty in patients of European ancestry, the focus is usually on making the nose smaller, reducing a bump, etc. and so we trained to remove some tissue in order to accomplish this. Ethnic noses can tend towards thicker skin, softer tip cartilage, weaker septal cartilage, excessive nostril flare, and sometimes lower nasal bridges. For these patients, the emphasis is typically on narrowing and adding to the bridge, refining and supporting the tip, and on specialized procedures such as alar base reduction (nostril narrowing).
Achieving these goals relies heavily on more advanced grafting techniques in order to have thicker skin drape favorably and show the desired degree of refinement. It is critical to build up tip structure in order to provide not only adequate support but also lasting tip shape and definition. At the same time, most of our patients are seeking refinement in the way of a thinner tip that is not over-built and rock hard. So, there is a balance that needs to be struck and a fairly unforgiving line that needs to be walked. Luckily, with the increase in interest from ethnic patients, we are sure to see more and more surgeons interested in achieving fantastic results for them.
For more questions about ethnic plastic surgery click here
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
The Shafer Plastic Surgery App, Available for $2.99
The firs plastic surgery app - The Shafer Plastic Surgery App - launched in October. It's the first app of its kind amongst Apple's 85,000 offerings in the iPhone App Store. It was created by Dr. David Shafer of New York, and taps into more than 1,000 questions and answers about specific cosmetic procedures.
The second iPhone plastic surgery app will soon hit the iPhone App Store, and it's called "iSurgeon". iSurgeon was developed by Miami cosmetic surgeon Dr. Michael Salzhauer, who is also well known for authoring the 2008 book "My Beautiful Mommy" - a book aimed at helping 4 to 7 year old children cope with their mother's plastic surgery.
iSurgeon will feature a fun game mode that allows users to try their hand at surgery, giving people the chance to instantly modify images of themselves or their friends through breast augmentations, lip enhancements and dozens of other procedures.
The Shafer Plastic Surgery App is available for $2.99. iSurgeon will be free during its first month of release later in November.
This article is from www.clevelandleader.com
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
New Book on Cosmetic Plastic Surgery from Elsevier
Elsevier, the world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, proudly announced the release of a brand-new single volume comprehensive book on contemporary aesthetic plastic surgery.
Drs. Aston, Steinbrech and Walden, renowned plastic surgeons in New York share their trade secrets of aesthetic plastic surgery in a procedure-oriented and illustrated reference, "Aesthetic Plastic Surgery". Along with leading international contributors, they present today's most comprehensive in-depth view of the current state of aesthetic plastic surgery.
"We've showcased the most successful aesthetic surgery procedures that we, as well as our contributing authors, use on an almost daily basis," said Dr. Sherrell Aston, MD. "The information will be useful to you regardless of whether you are an experienced surgeon or just beginning your practice."
This reference brings to the table the masterful expertise needed to achieve the desired outcomes for every cosmetic surgery procedure, including the MACS lift, endoscopic mid- and lower face rejuvenation, lid/cheek blending along the tear trough, cohesive gel breast augmentation, lipoabdominoplasty, injectables such as Botox, Radiesse, Restylane, Sculptra, nonsurgical ultrasonic fat reduction, suture suspension threadlifts, and many more.
"This comprehensive text is procedurally-oriented, and lavishly illustrated and provides stepwise guidance to techniques," commented Sue Hodgson, Publishing Director for Global Medicine at Elsevier. "All of the major contemporary procedures in aesthetic plastic surgery are covered and described by the experts in the field. It is a resource no surgeon who performs aesthetic procedures can afford to be without."
The three editors are:
Sherrell Aston, MD, FACS is one of the world's preeminent plastic surgeons and educators. He is a past president of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, and Chairman of the Department of Plastic Surgery at the prestigious Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital, New York. He also serves as a Professor of Plastic Surgery at the New York University School of Medicine.
Douglas Steinbrech, MD, FACS is Clinical Assistant Professor of Plastic Surgery at the New York University School of Medicine and an Attending Surgeon at Manhattan, Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital, New York.
Jennifer L. Walden, MD, FACS is Attending Surgeon, Program Director in Plastic Surgery at Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital, New York. She is also a Clinical Instructor of Plastic Surgery at New York University School of Medicine.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
India's Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Grows Rapidly
New Delhi, October 20 (IANS) Don’t like the shape of your nose and want to go under the knife? Experts say that people who are always pre-occupied with their appearances and dislike their bodies, may be suffering from body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), a growing phenomenon in India.
Although there is no official data on the number of cosmetic surgery procedures being conducted in India, according to a health expert in a Delhi hospital the number of people going for cosmetic surgeries has jumped manifold over the last five years.
Rakesh Khazanchi, senior consultant of the department of plastic and cosmetic surgery at the Sir Gangaram Hospital, said: “Cosmetic procedures like rhinoplasty, liposuction, male breast reduction, abdominoplasty have seen a whopping increase of nearly 150 per cent in the last five years. Nearly 10 percent of these people suffer from BDD and are in their late teens or early twenties.”
“The number of dysmorphic patients is also increasing every year,” he added.
A survey by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) revealed that six out of 100 women who seek plastic surgery suffer from BDD as do seven out of 100 men.
Rajeev B. Ahuja, chairman of the International Confederation for Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery (IPRAS), said: “A cosmetic surgeon must be able to distinguish between patients who need multiple surgeries, and those who are truly dysmorphic and just require counselling.”
“Very often a plastic surgeon may also need to play the role of a psychiatrist,” he added.
Talking on this issue and other topics related to cosmetic surgery, will be hundreds of experts in the field at the 15th World Congress of IPRAS in the capital Dec 3 this year.
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