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I love being a plastic surgeon. Seriously, I can’t think of a better job. You basically make people happier about how they define themselves. I know appearance can be superficial, but that’s what it is supposed to be – the surface.

When you feel “fat” just because you have a bulge in your lower abdomen after a few kids, why shouldn’t you get that tummy flattened? You will look “sexier” and “more in shape,” clothes will fit better. The result, as patients constantly tell me after a tummy tuck, is that you feel “sexier” and “more in shape.” The “look” does affect how you “feel,” and you deserve that. Go ahead and tell people you just worked out, but you and I know that sit-ups alone won’t pull that tummy back in after the kids stretched the muscles apart.

If you always wanted bigger or perkier breasts, you deserve them. Your current breasts are fine, but if you want a little more, or a little lift, you should get them. Patients tell me they just feel better about themselves when they get that look. I’m not talking about breasts that come into the room five minutes before you do. I’m not talking about the “what ridiculous implants” look.  I’m talking about the “wow, those look nice” appearance of reasonably sized implants.

When you feel good about your appearance, it does truly affect how you feel about the deeper part of your self. It is the rare individual who truly cares not an iota about their appearance. Clothes, haircuts, shoes, make-up all are part of how you present yourself to the world and reflect your own inner beauty.

Although facial implants offer an excellent long term solution to cheek hollowness, many patients desire a less invasive procedure.  For those patients we recommend a dermal filler.

The goal is to increase volume, and the best way to achieve that is with the patient’s own fat.  Autologous fat transfer involves the harvesting of fat through liposuction of the stomach or buttocks.  The fat is purified and then injected into the subcutaneous area of the cheek. The procedure may be performed in the office or under sedation in the OR.

If liposuction and fat transfer isn’t a desirable option for you, other good choices are wrinkle fillers like Radiesse or Juvederm.  With any of these options, it’s crucial to have a qualified practitioner do the injections.  These treatments seem simple, but a successful cosmetic result often depends on the skilled injection technique of a knowledgeable surgeon.

A study published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, based on patient input, revealed 6 aspects of breast surgery that made a profound impact on satisfaction and quality of life.

1. Breast Characteristics
Clearly the main goal of cosmetic breast surgery – participants of the study commented about improvements in breast shape and the clothing options that were now available to them as a result.  One patient with breast implants reports, “Some things are much more fun to put on, and the stuff that I used to wear looks way better–I am sure they looked good before, too–but I just fill in a bit more, look a bit more busty in them.”

2. Physical Well-Being
Breast reduction patients can get relief from back and neck pain, which often allows increased activity and better health.

3. Psychosocial Well-Being
Patients in the study shared the positive changes in self perception and experiences in social settings. Increased confidence and feeling as if you fit the perceived “norm” of the female body are said to be a common benefits of breast surgery.

4. Sexual Well Being
When people feel more attractive, they generally experience more sexual pleasure.  If breast implants or another surgery improve a woman’s perception of her self and her body, sexual well being can consequently improve.

5.  Surgeon-Patient Relationship
Women who experienced a good surgeon-patient relationship – with open, honest communication – expressed more satisfaction with breast surgery.  Patients who had an adverse relationship with the surgeon or staff reported being fearful, uncomfortable, and less satisfied.

6. Overall Satisfaction
Researchers also included the simple category of general satisfaction.  Would you undergo the surgery again?  One breast augmentation patient responds, “there is not one day that goes by that I am not so pleased that I did it.”

You can access a similar article by the same researchers for free at BioMed Central.

Our patients frequently ask about breast feeding and breast augmentation.  Can the surgery disrupt the ability to breast feed?  Is it safe for my child?

In many cases, breast feeding is not disrupted by the presence of a breast implant. However, in some patients, often when an incision near the nipple was utilized, the patient’s ability to breast-feed does get disrupted.

How to minimize this risk

Utilizing a surgical incision that avoids manipulation of the nipple can decrease the risk of disrupted breast feeding.  Therefore, if this is a concern, you may want to investigate incision techniques such as the following:

• Inframmary fold incision
• Transaxillary incision
• Transumbilical breast augmentation

Although breast feeding is not necessarily compromised by sub-glandular (above the muscle) breast implant placement, some surgeons maintain that sub-muscular placement reduces the risk as well.

Is it safe for the newborn?
If you’re especially concerned about infant safety, you may want to reference a study published in the June 1998 issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.  The study found no measurable risks to the infant, and found that women with silicone breast implants, and women without them, show comparable levels of silicone (silicon) in their breast milk.  It is not known what effect could occur if a small trace of silicone were to pass through to the infant.

Ask Your Surgeon
Feel free to speak with Dr. Dreyfuss, Dr. Gelman, or your OB/GYN if you still have questions and concerns about this topic.  Whether you plan to become pregnant or not, it is best to understand all of the possible breast augmentation risks before proceeding with surgery.

Millions of body-conscious Americans try to slim down every year, and many succeed with diet and exercise.  However, most people still exhibit a few problem areas of stubborn fat.  These days, getting the body you want often requires more than just sweating to the oldies at the YMCA; it requires some smart technology and a good surgeon.

The problem is, a shift occurs at a certain age that affects weight fluctuations and it doesn’t seem to matter what we do – those stubborn saddlebags won’t go away.  Fortunately, liposuction can slim down fat deposits in many areas such as the back, thighs, buttocks, tummy, and elsewhere.

There are many new liposuction devices on the market that may or may not be as effective as advertised, from laser assisted lipolysis, to ultrasonic, soundwave assisted liposuction.  Whatever the case, tumescent liposuction is still considered the gold standard for many surgeons.

If you want to learn more about slimming down with liposuction, contact Doctors Dreyfuss and Gelman.  Also, see our liposuction before and after photos to get an idea of the results that can be achieved.

Is there some part of your lifestyle, such as an activity, that you think contributes most to your appearance?  Do you go to great lengths in order to look good? Why?   Is there a feature your body that you are more conscious of than any other?

These are the sort of questions asked by researchers during the Beauty for Life survey, a collaborative effort facilitated by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.  ASAPS President Renato Saltz says the survey was intended to help physicians “understand what patients are most concerned about at different stages of their lives.”

Survey respondents were divided into age groups to determine each generation’s perceptual differences regarding physical appearance of the self and physical appearance of ones partner.

Respondents in their 20s, 30s, and 40s said that a “fit, well proportioned body” was what they found most appealing in another person.  But when it came to their own physical characteristics, the same group was most concerned about their own faces.  The abdomen and hips were said to be areas of significant concern (especially in the 30s), but across the board, patients said they were most conscious of their facial appearance.

When asked about their motivation to maintain a healthy appearance, the following reasons topped the list:

• Increase self confidence
• Make friends
• Attract partners
• Increase job prospects

In all age groups, cosmetic procedures ranked fairly high, alongside diet, exercise, and skin care.  Through the link below you can view fancy colored graphs (in a pdf file) of the Beauty for Life survey results.

http://www.surgery.org/private/download/BFLUserSurvey.pdf

Professionals with The American Society of Plastic surgeons have been getting recognition this week for authoring a study about migraine headaches.  The headache-curing surgical procedure they’ve documented is apparently very similar to the forehead lift we perform right here in Illinois.

In a clinical trial, surgeons operated on 49 patients to ‘deactivate’ their migraines at their respective ‘migraine trigger sites.’  26 patients in a “sham surgery group” received what was basically a placebo.

One year later, 57 percent of the patients in the actual surgery group reported complete elimination of migraine headaches, compared with only 4 percent in the sham surgery group. Furthermore, 83 percent of the actual surgery group observed at least a 50 percent reduction in migraines.

Author of the study, Bahman Guyuron MD calls the procedure a “meaningful addition to the field of reconstructive plastic surgery” and we definitely agree.  Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery is the official journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. You can read the official press release here at plasticsurgery.org.

Political blogs and news providers around the country are buzzing about the idea of a cosmetic surgery tax being introduced to finance health care reform.

Writers of the Speaker’s Lobby say the idea came from a treasury department official, and that the tax proposal is “off the table” for now.  Apparently, most finance committee members are not even aware of the tax proposal.  LA Times blog Top of the Ticket reports the tax would be a 10% charge tacked onto elective procedures like a liposuction, breast augmentation, a facelift and other popular cosmetic enhancements.

Two strong objections can be leveled against this proposal:

First and foremost, such a tax would be paid almost entirely by women.  Despite the growing popularity of cosmetic procedures for men, women still make up over 90 percent of the patient demographic in the United States.  Obviously, imposing a tax such as the one in question would unfairly discriminate against women.  Think about it this way: would a tax be imposed on men who purchase expensive tattoos, fashionable clothing, or bodybuilding equipment?  It doesn’t seem likely.

Second, a common misconception that’s probably at work here (which may have been true in the past) is that only the rich and famous pursue cosmetic surgery.  Maybe you can remember the New York Times story by Natasha Singer titled “Who Is the Real Face of Plastic Surgery?” in which Ms. Singer discussed the fact that a large number of patients choose to finance cosmetic surgery, just as they would a new car.  Also, let’s not forget the 2004 survey conducted by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons; it revealed that nearly “a third of people considering plastic surgery reported average household incomes below $30,000.”

Hair is sexy isn’t it? That’s especially true when it’s on top of your head. Anywhere else, it’s another matter entirely. These days, there are many ways to remove hair from your face, legs, back, arms and even underarms.

Shaving, plucking, electronic tweezers, radiofrequency tweezers, waxing, depilatories, and electrolysis are all options that temporarily remove body hair. The only permanent and effective treatment to remove unwanted hair is with laser hair removal.

Lasers send a low-energy beam through the skin. The dark pigment (melanin) present in the shaft of the hair follicles absorbs the laser beam. Initial hair reduction is seen immediately after treatment. Permanent results require repeated treatments because of the hair growth cycles.

There are different types of lasers that can be used to remove unwanted hair. The first lasers approved for hair reduction by FDA were the ruby, alexandrite and diode lasers. But these could only be used on select individuals – not those with tans or ethnic skin.

The newest lasers – our YAG laser for example – have longer wavelengths and therefore, the ability to treat darker skin types, including African-American skin, Asian skin, and those with a tan. One of the biggest benefits is the convenience; immediately following your hair removal treatment you can return to work, school or any of your regular activities.

Here’s the third installment in the breast augmentation video series brought to us by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. In this segment, a patient discusses her satisfaction with breast implants and the reaction she got from friends and family. See our post last week for the previous episode.