Atlanta Abdominoplasty Advantages

Too often, people think of cosmetic surgery as something only for individuals who are obsessed with beauty or extremely vain. The reality is that cosmetic procedures in many cases are just helping people get back something they lost. A perfect example is abdominioplasty, also known in the popular media as a “tummy tuck.” If a man or woman has loose, sagging muscles and skin in the abdominal region – condition that often occurs after pregnancy or significant weight loss – then no amount of crunches and rice cakes is going to make their stomach look trim and toned again. This is because things like pregnancy actually tear the abdominal muscles, making it very hard for them to repair themselves. If a healthy woman who just wants to look as good as she did before pregnancy is considered ”vain,” I think our society needs a shift in perspective.

It’s very true that there are some women and men out there who overdo it when it comes to plastic surgery. Moderation is the key to everything in life, and surely you can think of examples of people who overdo it in other areas of life. But the reality is that media reports of people “addicted” to cosmetic surgery are really just there to drum up a little shock value and ridicule. And unfortunately, reports like these give respectable Atlanta abdominoplasty, liposuction, face lift, and other patients a bad rap.

The reality is that a tummy tuck can offer a number of health benefits to people who have a flabby midsection. For starters, think of the psychological benefits. If you eat right and exercise regularly, but you still have a belly “pooch” that just won’t go away, what does that do to your motivation and overall self image? While it’s certainly true that in general women wear clothing that is more likely to reveal or highlight the belly, many men are also bothered by excess belly flab. It may be OK to have a “beer gut” in some parts of the country, but a pot belly is often a top cosmetic concern of many men in Atlanta and other major US cities.

Another abdominoplasty advantage is the increased comfort it provides patients. Clenching a belt around a flabby stomach can cause discomfort, especially when sitting. In addition, loose skin and muscles in the abdominal area can make it uncomfortable to exercise, making it more difficult to get in shape.

All of these advantages to abdominoplasty are besides the obvious cosmetic benefits of having a trim and toned stomach. And this is just one of many “cosmetic” surgery procedures Atlanta plastic surgeons perform. I hope this post gets people thinking a little more about the short and long-term health benefits that can be achieved through some types of cosmetic surgery. It would be nice if a few medical insurance companies were listening, but that’s a whole other story!

Breast Augmenation – Down But Not Out

I think any economist with half a brain (or I could avoid being redundant and just say any economist – apologies to Paul Krugman) could tell you that the number of breast augmenation surgeries will very likely be lower in 2008 than it was in 2007. We won’t know until about April when the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) release their national figures, but with demand for practically everything else falling in this country, you have to imagine that many women are putting off their breast enhancement surgery as well.

Breast augmentation in Michigan, California, Florida, and other places hard-hit by the latest economic downturn will likely see the biggest decline. True, some of the women who decide against enlargement at this time may never have the procedure, but I think what’s more likely is that we’ll see a dip probably this year and next, and then a gradual increase as women who have delayed their surgery feel more comfortable about the economy and see that the time is right for their enhancement procedure. Because after all, the desire to look and feel attractive is a powerful drive, and many women see the cost of a breast augmenation as a small price to pay for increased allure and a boost to self-image.

At the same time though, I think that a dip in the economy will be a net positive for the field of cosmetic/plastic surgery, even if many practices nationwide fall on hard times. First, increased competition for a smaller number of patients likely will mean that those surgeons with better reputations and more success up until now will be the ones who come out ahead. The doctors who have been dabbling in cosmetic surgery and injectable treatments like BOTOX® Cosmetic will have a tougher time competing with surgeons who have years of advanced training and experience in the field – surgeons who will be seen as a better bet to patients who are really doing their homework and focusing on value. Sure, some women will look for “cheap” breast augmenations in order to have their surgery on a tight budget, but there is plenty of information already available to warn women about the dangers of cut-rate surgery.

Another positive of the downturn has to do with patient satisfaction. It stands to reason that when cosmetic surgery isn’t seen as such a big investment, some patients will sign on without carefully considering just what the benefits are to them. But if a woman has to really think hard before dropping $4,000-$5,000 for her breast augmentation in Michigan, she’s more likely both to take her recovery seriously and to feel assured that this surgery is an important part of her aesthetic goals.

The reality is that we’re in tough times, and who knows how long they will last. But the fact remains that beauty and vitality remain essential aspects in our lives so while procedures like breast enlargement, liposuction, and face lift may be down, I think it’s far too early to count them out.

Kate’s Implant Rant

Straight from the “why don’t we take more advice from anorexic former cocaine addicts?” file, Kate Moss recently trashed breast implants and the women who choose them. But instead of this “news” receiving an international shoulder shrug, apparently a number of people do care about what this former Calvin Klein model has to say when she’s not busy making every other woman on the planet feel fat.

 

Ms. Moss says that most women who get breast implants find that their breasts are “so hard you can knock on them like a door.” I work with a surgeon who performs Seattle breast augmentations in addition to several other cosmetic surgeons across the country and from my perspective, this is grossly untrue. Most women who have breast enlargement are not walking around with two lumps of coal in their breasts. Quite the contrary. Today, modern silicone gel implants feel more like natural breast tissue than almost any other implant type made previously, and saline implants, which contain nothing more than sterile salt water, also can create an enhanced breast that looks and feels very natural.

 

It is a reality that, like any surgery, complications can occur following a breast augmentation. And given that Kate probably has her fair share of friends in the modeling business who have chosen breast augmentation, I have no doubt that she may have seen a handful of women who did not achieve satisfying results. But with almost 1,000 women in the United States choosing breast augmentation every day, this procedure is obviously a safe and satisfying way for a woman to enhance her look. The simple fact is that women are making informed choices about breast enlargement surgery, not just scheduling a procedure so they have something to do before Oprah next Thursday.

 

I think when it comes down to it, Kate Moss is just stretching the truth a bit. Keep in mind this is the same woman who claims she was not in fact anorexic, she was just too busy to eat. C’mon Kate. But on second thought, maybe what she says is true. After all, I’m not schizophrenic, I was just too busy to kill that other guy living in my head.

 

What do you think? Sure, everyone is entitled to an opinion, but how much weight (ha!) should we give to Kate’s? In the meantime, I’m sure thousands of women will choose plastic surgery in Seattle, Dallas, New York, and beyond as a good choice for their unique and personal cosmetic needs.

Beautiful Smiles – Always in Style?

Am I the only one noticing a lot more stories recently about how to achieve a bright, white smile? Obviously, the majority of coverage in the popular mags continues to be on skin care, makeup, and fashion, but I wonder if the fact that having more smile whitening and smile straightening options than ever before is causing people to spend more time thinking about the appearance of their smile?

 

I had braces and a bunch of other orthodontic work as a kid to get a good looking smile, but some of the options available today are pretty amazing. I talked with one of our clients, a cosmetic dentist in Los Angeles, about what his patients are doing to create a dramatically enhanced smile, and some of the procedure choices surprised me.

 

Obviously, a lot of people are interested in whitening their teeth…and not just by chewing 1,000 packs of whitening gum (which has dubious whitening effects to say the least). Laser tooth whitening can give a long-lasting brighter smile in only minutes, a huge improvement over the messy bleaching creams and trays that were popular a decade ago. But that’s just the start of achieving a beautiful smile.

•  Dental veneers are thin porcelain or resin shells that can be placed over existing teeth to create a whiter and straighter appearance.
  
• Dental implants are an increasingly popular option for people who are missing teeth. These artificial teeth are anchored in place and function just like a natural tooth.  They also can be used to support a bridge.
  
• People living with dark, discolored gums can undergo a gum depigmentation procedure, and those with receding gums can have gum grafting.
  
• People who have a “gummy smile” that reveals too much of their upper gum line can choose a lip lowering procedure to show less of their gums when they smile.

These are just a few of the treatment innovations that are helping men and women love the look of their smile. If these recent news stories have you thinking that your smile could use a makeover, seek out a cosmetic dentist in Los Angeles or near you for professional help on achieving a celebrity smile.

Med Spas Going Under

There have been several news reports in recent weeks about medical spa chains struggling in the “challenging” economic times the U.S. is facing these days. Turns out that at least some Americans are choosing to forego their minimally-invasive treatments, believing (rightly, in my mind) that beauty is a luxury.

But I want to focus on how these closures are affecting professionals in aesthetic medicine. Obviously, the doctors, nurses, and other staff at the med spas themselves are out finding new jobs (hopefully). And it’s no secret that doctor retirement planning and fiscal responsibility is, shall we say, a little lacking. I’m sure the same holds true for other people in the medical profession, who are generally not as well paid. So it’s not like most of the people directly affected are going to have a decent nest egg to fall back on.

You would think that closure of some medical spas would mean that the other spas that remain open will be on more secure fiscal footing. But I’m not sure that’s the case. That would be true if enough patients from the closed spas decide to shift their business to a spa that remains open. And when I say “enough,” I mean that these patients outnumber or at least balance out the number of a spa’s existing patients who are choosing to postpone their cosmetic treatments. In short, consolidation should help the spas that remain open, but I doubt any spa will be booked solid for months to come.

All businesses are cyclical, and I would venture to guess that aesthetic medicine is far more cyclical than most medical fields due to its elective nature. As a result, professionals in aesthetic medicine need to better prepare themselves for the ups and downs of the business so they can weather the financial storms.

I’m sure over the next year there will be additional medical spa chains that close or significantly downsize their business model. And who knows, maybe this downturn will force healthcare providers to get serious about doctor retirement planning and smart investing so that they have the ability long-term to help patients and enjoy their practice even in challenging times.

OK, that’s plenty of economics for today! Now let’s get back to judging celebrity bodies and being snarky about who’s going to need a facelift next…

Who Has the Most Beautiful Body?

It’s summer in the modern age, and that means that I’ve been seeing more scantily clad bodies poolside, at the checkout stand, and on TV than I could possibly count. Got me thinking, does anyone have a “perfect” body? I work with a board-certified plastic surgeon whose New Jersey and Philadelphia liposuctionpatients aren’t looking to be the next Gisselle or Jessica Alba – they just want to look their personal best. But paging through my girlfriend’s latest issue of Allure, I was honestly surprised to see how many of the women in the ads and in the features all pretty much had the same size 2, 5’8″ frame.

What do you think? The sad reality is that there just aren’t a whole lot of different body styles to choose from in the celebrity world, so I’m having a pretty hard time coming up with a range of beautiful bodies. Here are some women I think are attractive, from my (completely unscientific and unverified) guess about who’s skinniest to who’s, well, the most voluptuous.

• Jennifer Garner
• Jennifer Aniston
• Jenna Fischer (The Office)
• Scarlett Johansen
• Halle Berry

Now I know that every one of these women is way thinner than the average American. And I’ll be the first to say that I would love to see more “average” bodies in the media. The fact is that pin-up girls back in the 1940s and 50s were much curvier than women today, and I would bet that most guys still prefer that look. The vast majority of the women choosing a Philadelphia liposuction procedure are not trying to look super skinny – they just want that smooth and sexy body contour that helps them feel confident and feminine.

I think there are plenty of curvier, sexier women out there, but Hollywood has a long-standing bias. So when will the pendulum start to swing? And who do you think has the most beautiful body?

The Future of Plastic Surgery – Stem Cells?

I was reading through one of my girlfriend’s old fashion mags (was it Glamour? Marie Claire? Cosmo? – that’s anyone’s guess) and I came across a little blurb talking about how very natural results could be achieved thanks to innovations in stem cell technology.

I’ll be the first to say that I am all in favor of “natural” (using that term very loosely) ways for women and men to enhance their figures. As a writer who works with a variety of cosmetic practices across the country, including a cosmetic surgeon in Fresno and a Birmingham plastic surgeon, I’ve seen that implant procedures in particular, while extremely safe, can lead to short and long-term complications that often require revision procedures.

Apparently, an assistant professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine is talking up the benefits of stem cells to fill in wrinkles and even create a “natural” (again, loosely) breast implant made from stem cell-derived fat tissue. I’ve seen a lot of supposedly “groundbreaking” innovations in the cosmetic industry over the last few years, but if/when the “magic” of stem cells can be harnessed as an alternative to implanting foreign objects, I’m sure a lot of doctors will be jumping on that ship headed to that brave new world.

Of course, there are certainly far more important and life-saving applications of stem cell technology, and in fact what the professor at the University of Pittsburgh is talking about has to do with using stem cells to grow a variety of tissue – bone, neurons, and even new organs. I think the key here is in finding a safer and even healthier way for people to address their medical and cosmetic concerns, and for that reason stem cells have a huge potential to shape practically all fields of medicine.

What do you think? Will surgeons who’ve spent years learning detailed surgical techniques be willing to change their practices? I bet quite a few of our clients – Denver, Seattle, and Birmingham plastic surgeons – will be extremely interested in what this new technology has to offer. And how quickly can we expect stem cell technology to become a reality for cosmetic patients? After all, last time I checked my local Honda dealer still isn’t selling flying cars and when I go home, I still don’t have a robot maid who’s made me dinner and cleaned that spot on the couch where my cats are determined to sit and shed. Innovation doesn’t happen overnight, I know, but I’m encouraged by the stem cell concept in the cosmetic context.

Plastic Surgery – Not All Glitz & Glam

I’ve seen enough beauty mags in my day to know what to expect. Ads ads ads ads table of contents ads ads fashion do’s/dont’s ads ads interviews with beautiful people ads ads reviews of products ads ads a fashion spread or two ads ads serious story about something that actually matters ads ads and some 7 this or that love your life lose the weight blah blah at the end.

Is it too much to ask that the stories about real issues that affect women, communities, and personal health get a little more attention? These are the stories that open our eyes and hopefully get us to take action and appreciate the selfless work done by others. For instance, I work with a plastic surgeon in Columbia, Maryland who has gone on several missions to help repair birth defects and traumatic injuries for children in the developing world. He’s certainly not unique in his efforts – thousands of surgeons are engaged with humanitarian organizations around the world, but his contribution is extremely important regardless.

He’s worked with organizations including Interplast and Hospital de la Familia, traveling to such remote places such as Nuevo Progreso, Guatemala and Guanajuato, Mexico to provide care for dozens of children with congenital abnormalities such as cleft lip and cleft palate, as well as children who are burn victims. He’s got a few pictures on his Web site (http://www.columbiaaesthetic.com/index.cfm/PageID/1129) and I’d encourage you to visit to see for yourself the amazing work plastic surgeons are able to perform.

In general, plastic surgeons perform a lot of reconstructive work. While the popular emphasis may be on liposuction or breast enhancement surgery, the reality is that they still perform well over 5 million reconstructive procedures each year just in the United States. These procedures help people live their lives with increased comfort and health.

But you don’t need to be a plastic surgeon in Columbia, Maryland to make a huge difference to the less fortunate out there. Even in these tight times, do what you can to help out people in your community.

Who Came Up with “Nose Job”?

I’m a medical copywriter who does a lot of work in elective aesthetic medicine (aka, cosmetic surgery). Recently I’ve written several pages for clients about rhinoplasty. I was in the middle of writing a page for “nose jobs in Sacramento” when I realized that I had no idea who came up with this strange phrase for nose surgery. You’d think by harnessing the tremendous networking power of the internets, I would be able to quickly find some guidance on the origin of this term.

You would be wrong. I spent about 5 minutes looking into this online (I do have a full-time job to deal with as well) and my search came up dry. While I was searching, I also started wondering about the ubiquitous phrase “boob job.” How did surgical procedures turn into “jobs”? Is it a derivation of the phrase “having work done,” where work =  job?

In online dictionaries, I came across over 2 dozen meanings for the word “job,” but none that seemed to make sense or shed light on how the word came to be used in the plastic surgery context. there’s one thing I can tell you though – most cosmetic and plastic surgeons that I have worked with aren’t big fans of this slang term, which makes skilled surgery from highly-trained professionals sound a bit crass and throwaway. The nose job and the boob job are truly the terms of the tabloids.

There are a couple reasons why I think it does everyone involved to call rhinoplasty a “nose job.” First, from the surgeon’s perspective, this is an intricate surgical procedure that requires careful craft. It’s not like they can just knock a patient out, make a few slashes with the scalpel, and then shove some cotton balls up a patient’s nose. And from the patient’s perspective, I think the phrase discounts the legitimate cosmetic problems they are trying to address with nose surgery. Your nose is right in the middle of your face and if it looks unattractive, it can cause people to overlook other more attractive facial features such as your eyes or lips. Your face is a huge part of your self-image, and there are many good reasons for wanting to refine your nose.

I see stories on the front pages of trash magazines at the supermarket checkout and on the blogs speculating that so-and-so (usually Jennifer Aniston or Catherine Zeta Jones, they alternate each week) has had a nose job. It’s always presented to be scandalous, but my reaction is universally “so what?” the reasons celebrities get nose jobs in Malibu in many cases are the same reasons “regular folk” get nose jobs in Sacramento, Denver, or Baltimore – for an attractive look that better fits their face.

New Lipo Treatments: Slimmer Body or Just Thinner Wallet?

If you’ve been looking around at your body contouring options, many of the newer treatment options at first may sound pretty exciting. Wouldn’t it be great if you could get all the benefits of liposuction in Indianapolis with a minimally-invasive or non-invasive procedure that offers an extremely quick recovery?

Unfortunately, a treatment like that is still science fiction. Many people who look into the newer lipo options – procedures like Smartlipo™ or LipoSelection® – find that the level of body contouring these treatments offer falls short of what can be achieved with tumescent or power-assisted liposuction (PAL). Newer treament options may help some people who want to achieve only minimal reshaping, but these procedures are not effective for larger-volume fat removal and they are not substantial cheaper than traditional methods.

Fat-dissolving treatments, known as mesotherapy, also do not have the proven track record of traditional liposuction methods. The idea of melting fat away through a series of injections may sound appealing, but the results in the real world are mixed at best.

One way to evaluate your body sculpting treatment options is to ask what you’re getting and what you’re giving up. When choosing PAL or tumescent liposuction in Indianapolis, you are getting one of the most trusted lipo treatments, procedures that can dramatically reshape almost any area of the body, including the chin, upper arms, stomach, waist, and hips. In return, you have to give up a few days of downtime and a little bit of discomfort.

Other lipo innovations will give you some amount of body reshaping, but it’s likely that the results will be pretty subtle. And treatment can be pretty expensive for what you’re getting. Who wants to give up a lot of dough for only minimal cosmetic improvements? For your body contouring procedure, think over the options carefully and talk with a cosmetic surgeon who can provide a professional opinion about what works best.