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Tabloid Frenzy Surrounds Bristol Palin Jaw/Chin Surgery

May 16th, 2011 by newseditor

Jaw surgery or chin surgery have never been hot or trendy topics in cosmetic surgery. But with the recent tabloid stories focusing on Bristol Palin’s new look, more people are discussing these procedures.

“I had corrective jaw surgery” Palin tells US Weekly. “It improved the way I look, but this surgery was necessary for medical reasons…so my jaw and teeth could properly realign,” she explains. While it sounds like she is probably talking about Orthognathic surgery, the aesthetic change in Palin’s chin is hard to miss, leading some to suggest that she had chin augmentation.

Could chin augmentation be considered a corrective or “medically necessary” surgery? Because it treats microgenia – i.e. smallness of the chin – it could be considered corrective.

When the chin is small in relation to the nose or forehead, those features can appear noticeably large. By increasing chin length by a small degree (with an implant or genioplasty), a surgeon can enhance the patient’s overall facial balance.

In chin augmentation, an incision is made inside the mouth or below the chin A pocket is then created in front of the jaw bone where the implant will reside. As an alternative, especially for more severe cases of microgenia, the tip of the chin bone can be moved forward.

Latisse for Hair Loss – on Good Morning America

May 9th, 2011 by newseditor

This story, about Latisse for hair loss, was recently aired on Good Morning America. In an article, they describe one 27-year old who used Latisse to grow fuller eyebrows before her wedding. Treatment of hair loss is not an FDA-approved use for the drug, but an “off-label” application that some doctors may provide in select cases.

Since Latisse was FDA approved in 2008, we’ve heard more and more discussion about the drug’s possible application as a hair loss medication. For now, most people are only considering Latisse for its eyelash-enhancing benefits. Daily application of Latisse can help you grow longer, thicker, darker eyelashes.

How much does Latisse cost? View our homepage to read more.

Abdominal Liposuction for Men: Featured on The Doctors TV

May 2nd, 2011 by newseditor

Can you sculpt the abdomen with liposuction to create a flatter abdomen or “six-pack” appearance? This question is the subject of a recent episode of CBS “The Doctors” television show.

Blair Underwood from L.A. Law appears on the segment, saying, “I am good right now with the 6-pack, but I hear there’s a plastic surgery you can do to work out the 6-packs when I am older. If there’s a plastic surgery for a man, let the brother know.”

The doctors respond with a mention of Ultrasonic Liposuction, what Dr. Drew Ordon describes as “super-charged lipo.” “It not only sucks out the fat, but it first melts those fat cells… loosens them up so you’re allowed to remove more fat cells evenly” he says.
So, can liposuction actually accentuate a man’s abdomen? According to Dr. Ordon, a technique called “etching” can work in this manner. “We turn the instrument up, we bring it more superficial, to the skin, and actually etch out a six-pack,” he explains.

Read more about Liposuction in Cincinnati

Tags: lipo for abdomen, liposuction
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FDA Panel OKs Restylane for Lip Enhancement

May 2nd, 2011 by newseditor

FDA indications for Restylane may soon be expanded to include lip augmentation, according to a recent press release from Medicis Pharmaceutical.

An advisory panel on plastic surgery devices voted to expand approved indications for the popular wrinkle filler, which could allow Restylane to be marketed for lip augmentation purposes.

Restylane is already approved for non-surgical correction of facial wrinkles – typically the nasolabial folds on each side of the mouth. The filler was one of the first hyaluronic acid based products to receive FDA approval (in 2004). Expansion of its approved indications would make Restylane the first HA filler approved for lip augmentation.

Jonah Shacknai, CEO and Chairman of Medicis, says his company is “pleased with the panel’s recommendation,” and they believe the recommendation “reflects confidence in the robust clinical data provided by Medicis.”

What is Restylane?

Restylane is a wrinkle filler made from hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring substance in the connective tissue of your skin. The product is made with a special form of HA, a non-animal stabilized hyaluronic acid, which restores volume in the tissue. Treatment can address wrinkles and folds to provide a more youthful appearance.

Wrinkles form over time as fatty tissue degrades, collagen breaks down and the skin loses elasticity. These normal signs of aging can be accelerated by factors like weight loss, smoking and sun exposure. Wrinkles and vertical lines on both sides of the mouth are common. The rounded fat pads in the cheeks can also become thin and migrate downward, giving the face a tired or worn look.

Products like Restylane and Perlane are ideal for addressing these skin problems without surgery and its associated downtime.

Tags: lip augmentation with restylane
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Sculptra Study Shows Long-Lasting Results Over Collagen Filler

April 22nd, 2011 by newseditor

A study examining the results of poly-L-lactic acid (Sculptra Aesthetic) dermal filler was recently published. The multi-center study looked specifically at Sculptra’s treatment of the nasolabial folds, the lines that travel from each side of the nose to the corners of the mouth.

Doctors followed 233 people for 25 months during their treatments with either Sculptra or, for comparison, injectable human collagen (hyaluronic acid was not approved yet when this study was designed).

Among the group treated with Sculptra, a total of 106 out of 116 continued their treatments and remained in the study’s “long-term surveillance phase.” Their results indicate that Sculptra (poly-L-lactic acid) is superior to human collagen for treatment of nasolabial folds.

Photos via SculptraAesthetic.com

The initial results of both treatments were comparable, but after three months, the collagen group experienced a sharp decline in their results. Their “scores declined from 95.7 percent at week 3 to 15.3 percent by the month-13 follow-up visit, representing an 84 percent reduction from the maximum measurement of overall improvement,” write the authors.

The Sculptra group, however, saw results that endured much longer. At week 3, more than 99 percent of them reported “overall aesthetic improvement” in their nasolabial folds. Those results (patient evaluations) were maintained for 90 percent of the patients at 13 months, and 81 percent of the patients at the 25 month follow-up visit.

You can find this study in the April 2011 PRS Journal

Tags: nasolabial folds, sculptra aesthetic, wrinkle filler
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Cryoneuromodulation May Freeze Frown Lines Away

April 8th, 2011 by newseditor

With the invention (and popularity) of Botox, nearly everyone became familiar with the concept of paralyzing facial muscles to smooth out wrinkles. Now a new treatment is looking toward freezing them away in a similar manner.

Cryoneuromodulation is in early phases of clinical trials. The new technology is believed to zap away forehead wrinkles by freezing the nerves, according to U.S. News & World Report.

“It’s a toxin-free alternative to treating unwanted lines and wrinkles, similar to what is being done with Botox and Dysport,” said Francis Palmer, director of facial plastic surgery at the University of Southern California School of Medicine in L.A.

“From the early clinical trials, this procedure — which its maker calls cryoneuromodulation — appears to have the same clinical efficacy and safety comparable to the existing techniques.”

The procedure uses small needles to deliver cold to nerves running through the forehead. The cold freezes the nerve, which interrupts the nerve signal and relaxes the muscle that causes forehead lines. According to Palmer, the technique does not permanently damage the nerve.

They are still refining the technique, say they expect the results of the treatment to last about the same amount of time as Botox, which works for about three to four months. A study of 31 people, all of whom had fewer wrinkles after two to eight injections, and the level of discomfort was comparable to that from Botox or injectable fillers, Palmer said.

If this new technique is eventually approved by the FDA, it could significantly change the market for aesthetic treatments, where Botox has been the number one treatment for several years.

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Doctors Perform First Full Face Transplant in U.S.

March 23rd, 2011 by newseditor

A team of surgeons, anesthesiologists and other physicians have performed America’s first full face transplant.

The patient was a 25-year-old Texas man who had experienced severe electrical burns just three years ago. Through an incredible reconstructive procedure, he received a new nose, lips, facial skin, nerves and muscles for facial animation.

Last year, the first ever full-face transplant was performed in Barcelona, Spain. The 24 hour procedure was carried out under the leadership of plastic surgeon Joan Perre Barrett.

Tags: facial surgery
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Nose Surgery May Address Breathing Issues, Improve Quality of Life

March 14th, 2011 by newseditor

Both facial surgeons and Otolaryngologists help patients resolve problems of airway obstruction in the nose, which are typically caused by “nasal deviation”. In a technique similar to rhinoplasty, a surgeon can correct this deviation – by straightening the airway and nose – to resolve breathing problems.

Why is this important? Because nasal deviation was recently linked to depression and lower quality of life. In a new study, plastic surgeons at the Universidade Federal de São Paulo selected 32 people with nasal deviation and 28 with normal-functioning nasal anatomy. By photographing and mapping the nasal structure, they could positively determine whether or not a patient exhibited nasal deviation. A survey was then used to measure factors such as their self-esteem and mental health.

The doctors found some interesting correlations between nasal deviation and quality of life. They write (emphasis added):

Nasal deviation was found to be a risk factor for depression, and had a negative impact on quality of life. Patients with nasal deviation reported higher depression scores [compared to the control group].

Given this assessment, surgical correction of these problems may be quite beneficial. But how is nasal deviation corrected? If you have a deviated septum or some other form of nasal deviation, your facial surgeons may recommend e a variety of techniques for improvement of breathing. Septoplasty is one common procedure, which balances the nasal airways through surgical reshaping of the nasal cartilage and bone. Less common corrective techniques include turbinectomy or cartilage grafting.

The study referenced above can be accessed through Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Journal, in their e-published ahead-of-print feature.

Read more about nose surgery in Cincinnati.

Tags: rhinoplasty, septoplasty
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Topical Botox Drug Still On the Horizon

March 8th, 2011 by newseditor

As the economy rebounds, sales of wrinkle-blockers like Botox and Dysport are increasing in surgeon’s offices nationwide. Many consumers however, may be waiting for a game-changing version of botulinum toxin – in the form a topical wrinkle treatment.

Both Botox and Dysport, while they are distributed by different companies, contain similar formulations of botulinum toxin. (though the products are not considered “interchangeable”). The active ingredient stops muscle movement in the tiny muscles of the brow, effectively diminishing wrinkles between the brows after injection. Aside from cosmetic use, botulinum toxin-based products have been used for therapeutic treatments for reduction in excessive sweating and migraine headaches.
Now the next logical step is to make Botox widely available to patients who are less inclined to undergo a facial injection.

At this point, the news looks good for these consumers. The second phase in trials for topical botulinum toxin, which was completed in October, was successful. While no market date has been set for the topical version of Botox, nor for its Medicis-produced rival Dysport, needle-shy individuals can still test the possible effects of Botox by using Allergan’s Treatment Visualizer.

To learn more about injectable wrinkle treatments in Cincinnati, as well as other skin care options, view any of these pages:

Tags: injectables
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Can Fruits and Veggies Help You Heal After Cosmetic Surgery?

February 28th, 2011 by newseditor

In a new clinical study out of Brazil, doctors asked 60 women to dramatically increase their intake of fruits and vegetables during their recovery from cosmetic surgery. Their findings reveal some promising potential benefits of antioxidant intake, not only after surgery, but also for the treatment of inflammatory conditions.

Doctors hypothesized that a diet rich in fruits and veggies would produce an anti-inflammatory response in the participants. In this case, they decided to examine the relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and levels of C-reactive protein, a common marker of inflammation and infection.

According to the study, the subjects were interviewed the first day after elective cosmetic abdominal surgery. They started the experimental diet on the third day and doctors followed their progress for one more month.

They explain the post-operative diet as follows:

“Six servings each of fruits and vegetables, reflecting a diet rich in such foodstuffs, were advised. Seven easy and convenient recipes were developed by the team with the objective of improving palatability and intake.”

Results of the study showed that both the control group and the dieting group experienced a reduction in C-reactive protein, but according to the study authors, “a more expressive decrease could be demonstrated for the high fruit and vegetable participants.”

Although the authors caution against making any hasty conclusions, they do suggest some interesting benefits based on the findings. In particular, they argue that fruits and vegetables are safe, tolerable and inexpensive. They also mention a “synergistic” effectiveness associated with good nutrition.

This study is currently accessible for free through Pubmed.gov

Tags: post operative diet
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