By Carolynn Grimes
ThePlasticSurgeryChannel.com

Whatever you want to call it, “Bro-tox” or Botox, men are now learning what women have know for years; that Botox injections can help them look younger and more refreshed, taking years off the aging process.

The number of men getting Botox and cosmetic procedures has doubled in the last 15 years.

Doctors verify that they are seeing more men come into their office, many times at their wife’s or girlfriends prompting. But also to gain a professional edge in the workplace. Dr. Caroline Glicksman a board certified plastic surgeon and board member for ThePlasticSurgeryChannel.com says, “In my practice, one of the leading drivers of men trying Botox is the positive influence of their wives and girlfriends. Although their personal reasons may vary, a man who has the emotional support and encouragement of his wife or girlfriend, is more likely to try Botox for themselves, and continue using throughout the year. ”

Some men consider Botox because they want to look their best and compete in the workplace.

Another reason Glicksman says is men want that competitive edge  in the workplace.  “One of the things I’m seeing more recently with the economy, a lot of men have to go through job interviews, they are competing a little bit, so it helps them feel a little bit better about themselves for an interview,” states Glicksman.

Botox is now the number one plastic surgery procedure for men. According to the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), more than 2.4 million individuals underwent these procedures in 2010.

Dr. Robert Grant a board certified plastic surgeon says when men get a little older into their 30’s and 40’s they should start thinking about the use of fillers and neurotoxins like Botox and Dysport to keep them looking their best.  Grant says, “These can help very subtly restore some of the age related changes in volume of the face and the lines and wrinkles that make us look older before our time.

Dr. Glicksman says the ideal candidate is someone who wants to see how much better they can look without having surgery and taking time away from work. She states, neurotoxin injections have no down or recovery time, are inexpensive compared to surgical alternatives and are relatively low-risk.

However, Glicksman warns that “men should take Botox injections seriously and be evaluated by a board certified doctor before getting the procedure.”

By: Carolynn Grimes
ThePlasticSurgeryChannel.com

Unapproved and potentially dangerous breast implants sold overseas stir debate over the safety and risks associated with aesthetic plastic surgery.

According to the author Alexander Edmonds, the recent scandal involving unapproved and potential dangerous breast implants sold by a French manufacturer should raise questions about the safety and risks surrounding all aesthetic surgery.  Edmonds received a PhD in anthropology from Princeton and has written on the social dimensions of plastic surgery.  He is the author of “Pretty Modern: Beauty, Sex and Plastic Surgery in Brazil,” and is assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Amsterdam. Edmonds says, “With most surgeries, the risks are weighed against expected health improvements. But aesthetic procedures, by definition, do not improve health.”

Dr. Jeffery Kenkel, President of the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) disagrees. “What would be next? Will physicians be banned from performing procedures on cleft lip children because it doesn’t prevent or cure disease?”

According to reports, the recent breast implant scandal could affect up to 300 thousand women world wide.  The French manufacturer, Poly Implants Protheses (PIP) has admitted to authorities it was producing and distributing breast implants with a cheaper industrial grade silicone instead of a medical grade silicone which could be harmful according to officials. The implants have also shown to have a high rate of rupture. Edmonds says, “The fact that a surgeon is putting in implants sends a subtle message that they are safe.”

Edmonds points out that one response to the PIP scandal is a ban on doctors performing cosmetic breast augmentation altogether. He says, “It’s well known that breast implants of many types can cause burning pain, loss of sensation, hardening of breast tissue and serious infection.”     Breast implant expert, scientist and  Vice President of  The Aesthetic Society Education and Research Foundation (ASERF) ,  William P. Adams, Jr, MD says he  does not  agree with this conclusion,  “it  appears he is  quoting the  exceptions and not the rule, in fact the science and data says when implants are used with modern techniques that outcomes are optimized, patients have very few issues and have  an extremely high degree of satisfaction.”

The FDA says both saline and silicone breast implants in the U.S. are safe.

He quotes the FDA’s 2011 ‘Update on the safety of silicone gel-filled breast implants’, which states that: “Frequent complications include implant rupture, wrinkling, asymmetry, scarring, pain, and infection, among others.” But Kenkel says, “That’s not true.”  Last year the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) concluded that the silicone-gel implants are safe as long as women understand they come with complications.  According to Kenkel, “Breast implants are one of the most studied medical devices in the history of the FDA. Both saline and silicone implants that are manufactured in the U.S. are safe.”

However, Edmonds says the FDA made clear that local complications are not uncommon. He quotes the FDA’s 2011 ‘Update on the safety of silicone gel-filled breast implants’, which states that: “Frequent complications include implant rupture, wrinkling, asymmetry, scarring, pain, and infection, among others.”

Kenkel says Edmonds is confusing the issue of an unethical manufacturer using non-medical grade silicone and the legitimacy of plastic surgery. “When surgery involves a medical device that was fraudulently manufactured, it’s more logical to question the manufacturer than question the patient’s motivation for wanting the surgery.”

Dr. Leo McCafferty, President Elect for ASAPS says, “Cosmetic Surgery, if performed by a board certified plastic surgeon in a properly licensed and accredited facility has never been more safe.”   Dr.  Adams  agrees. He says, “If we look at the benefits of cosmetic and plastic surgery procedures to patients, it’s very well documented that patients have incredible elevation of their quality of life, and there’s data to support that.”

From 2009-2010, there was almost a 9% increase in the total number of cosmetic surgical procedures, with over 1.6 million surgical procedures this year, according to ASAPS. It is also reported that the number of breast augmentations alone have tripled during that same time frame with a 90% plus satisfaction rate.

Edmonds says his goal in the piece was to add to the already extensive debate about the risks of cosmetic procedures and whether consumers are adequately informed about them.  Drs. Kenkel and Adams , both Board Certified Plastic Surgeons in Dallas, Texas,  agree that patients need to be more educated on procedures and say patient education by qualified Board Certified Plastic Surgeons is a top priority in their practices.  In the end, they say,  an informed and educated plastic surgery patient results in a better outcome for the patient.

McCafferty states that anyone considering plastic surgery should “seek properly trained Plastic Surgeons certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and members of ASAPS and ASPS (American Society Plastic Surgeons). These surgeons operate in accredited, licensed facilities using safe effective FDA approved products, devices, implants and equipment.

Don’t gamble on your plastic surgery.  Finding the right doctor for your procedure should not be something that’s taken lightly. In view of recent headlines around the world where patients go to doctors who are not qualified or perform surgeries in questionable facilities, patients need to take the process of choosing a plastic surgeon seriously.

Researching a doctor’s credentials needs to be a top priority when considering any plastic surgery procedure, says Dr. John Gross, a contributing member for ThePlasticSurgeryChannel.com. Dr. Gross, a board certified plastic surgeon from Pasadena, California explains the steps to find the right surgeon and the credentials you should look for.

The first step in choosing a plastic surgeon is make sure your surgeon is board certified in plastic surgery.

Dr. Gross says, “In many states, surgeons and sometimes doctors without any plastic surgery training can perform plastic surgery procedures without ever having any formal training.”  He says, board certification in plastic surgery does the discriminating for you and makes sure your plastic surgeon has the appropriate background, training and credentials to do your procedure.

The second step is to ask where your procedure or surgery will be performed. Gross says it needs to be at an accredited surgical facility. These include accredited surgical outpatient facilities, or an accredited operating room in the office or hospital. Currently, only 21 states require accreditation of offices where doctors perform surgeries, making it even more critical for potential patients to do their homework. However, Gross says if you choose a doctor that is a member of the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), they are required to only perform surgical procedures at accredited facilities.

What does it mean to be an accredited facility?

Accredited facilities are required to adhere to strict rules and regulations. They must have certain life saving equipment, strict safety procedures, and the right drugs and anesthesia on hand to treat patients.

Once you find a surgeon and a facility, Dr. Gross says step three is make sure you choose a surgeon you feel you can communicate with. “Someone who will ask what’s important to you, listen to you, and do a thorough examination,” says Gross.

ASAPS recommends patients communicate with their plastic surgeon by asking a few key questions: What experience does the doctor have performing this procedure? What are the possible risks? And, what is the expected time for recovery?

Gross says, “Many times your surgeon may present you with some options you have not thought of.” He says, “Communication is the final key to getting the best outcome for your plastic surgery procedure.”

With plastic surgery procedures becoming more commonplace and the number of plastic surgeons providing such services increasing, it has become necessary to be aware of the qualifications and credentials of one’s surgeon before agreeing to go under the knife. Clients today, are no longer agreeable to going along with whatever the surgeon suggests and the increase in educational material and information available has made clients more knowledgeable about procedures and techniques.

As a result of the same knowledge, clients are now more careful about who they choose as their surgeon. Having access to public information and their doctor’s credentials gives clients an upper hand and helps them make a more informed decision.

Dr. Sanjay Grover, who is a board-certified plastic surgeon and a Diplomate of the American Board of Plastic Surgery, agrees that this trend is for the clients’ benefit and feels that in plastic surgery procedures, clients should try and seek out Board Certified surgeons and enlist their help. This makes a lot of difference in their techniques especially when it comes to delicate procedures such as facial rejuvenation.

Procedures such as Rhinoplasty, if done incorrectly, or if not done with adequate precision, can dramatically change the way one looks and can remove traces of ethnicity and genetics, which one might like to preserve. It is important to realize that a Board Certified surgeon may be one’s best bet to get the perfect nose job done while retaining the natural look of one’s face and features.

Board Certified surgeons are required to practice safe, ethical, efficacious plastic surgery techniques by maintaining high standards for education and examination. Certified surgeons have been tested and examined on their knowledge and techniques and require keeping their standards of care high in order to maintain their certification.

Dr. Gryskiewicz also describes the technology behind a revolutionary microchip that can detect leaks in silicone implants. The device, although still experimental, promises to offer a less expensive alternative to MRIs, which are recommended every two years for women with silicone breast implants beginning three years after their breast augmentation procedure.

Click the video player below to watch this exclusive interview from the 2009 Aesthetic Meeting in Las Vegas.

What’s in a name? Well, when it comes to the tools used in cosmetic surgery, it seems the brand itself has become more important than ever. More and more healthcare providers are offering branded tools and services – specifically cosmetic surgery offices that purchase laser-assisted liposuction machines with zippy names, like SmartLipo, Vaser, Zerona and AccuSculpt. The idea behind the popular purchases is to make the surgery offices stand out to prospective customers already familiar with these brands.

The manufacturers of these machines often provide extensive marketing resources – plus incentives– to the doctors who agree to use their products. The result is that, as in many other industries, some machines have become more popular and widely sought than ones that may be safer and easier to use.

Still, some experts are skeptical of the branding wave. Dr. Robert Singer, past president of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and the Aesthetic Society Education and Research Foundation, noted that there is no scientific data to support many of the claims made manufacturers that laser liposuction is any more effective than other liposuction technologies already in use.

Despite the lack of data, more and more patients may be looking to brand names for laser liposuction. Although the American Society of Plastic Surgery recently reported that liposuction surgeries are down 19 percent since the beginning of the economic recession in 2008, office-based cosmetic procedures have increased by 13 percent. And so, in time, the popularity of brand name treatments and the convenience of in-office procedures may drive more people to get liposuction, and offset the downward trend.

To this, Dr. Singer, who helped establish the Emerging Trends Hot Topics Task Force to examine developing trends in the field of plastic surgery more closely, noted that anyone can purchase one of the devices. To minimizse the risk of complications, patients should only seek treatment from a board certified plastic surgeon.

According to data recently released by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, approximately 4100 girls ages 18 and younger got breast implants in 2008. The figure was a little less than 50 percent of the augmentations done in 2007.

If those figures are disturbing, keep in mind that some of these young women experienced micromastia, or underdeveloped breasts, and some had breasts that developed asymmetrically. For instance, one breast might be an A or B cup, while the other a C or D cup.

Of course, some teens simply wanted implants to enhance their appearance. Regardless of the reason, choosing to get breast implants can be a bigger decision than it seems at first glance.

Breast augmentation can require additional surgery within 10 to 15 years, which could mean several trips under the knife for a patient whose first augmentation is during her teens.

Although the FDA has approved breast implants only for women ages 18 and older, there are no legal restrictions on the procedure. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons has an official position against breast augmentation for most teens younger than 18, but there’s no enforcement.

The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery has no official position regarding augmentation for teenagers.

When plastic surgery is the best decision for a teen, parental guidance is always crucial. When teens have surgery for the right reasons, often for congenital breast deformities, the positive benefit in terms of self esteem and quality of life is often profound.

Before and after pictures can be persuasive, but it’s more important to select a board certified plastic surgeon whose first priority is the patient’s long-term health.

New York plastic surgeon Dr. Jennifer Walden says most of her breast augmentation patients are women in their twenties, thirties and forties who want to change the size or symmetry of their breasts. She recently completed a survey of her patients that began two years ago. And out of 100 women, most of them sought an augmentation all on their own.

“It wasn’t because of a spouse or a significant other,” Walden says. “It wasn’t because a family member pressured them to. It was just because they wanted to make themselves look and feel as good on the outside as they did on the inside.”

Walden added that in the same survey, results showed that 66 percent of the women who wanted to know more about breast operations went online first. They found information through search engines, like Google, through a plastic surgeon’s website or through a breast augmentation portal. The other 34 percent got their information in person during a consultation with a surgeon.

However, Walden cautions that many doctors can look more credible online than they really are.

“Just because a surgeon pops up number one on Google doesn’t necessarily mean they’re the best breast augmentation surgeon,” she says. “Patients have to do their due diligence. Just like doctors learn in training, patients need to educate themselves about credentials and board certification.”

Dr. Walden advises women to seek out surgeons who are board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, and who are members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons or The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. From there, a prospective patient should look for a doctor who has extensive experience in breast augmentation procedures, and who has hospital privileges. After those criteria are met, it comes down to the doctor who makes the person feel most comfortable.

More and more Americans are seeking cosmetic surgery in hopes of improving the rest of their lives, but there has been a growing trend in patients who want work done to improve only one day – their wedding day.

Surgeons from Georgia to California are admitting that many patients, men and women, are undergoing procedures to look more attractive as brides and grooms.

Interestingly, many of these requests aren’t necessarily made with the long term in mind. Dr. Foad Nahai, past president of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, pointed out during an interview with another media outlet that often people seek cosmetic surgery to simply improve how they look in their wedding photos and how they will look on the beach during those tropical honeymoons.

He said, patients ask for everything from Botox injections to facelifts, eyelid surgeries, liposuction, tummy tucks and even full body lifts. Brides-to-be are requesting breast augmentations, and both genders are demanding laser skin therapies.

Most of these procedures, of course, require weeks or months of preparation prior to the big day, since the patient needs ample recovery time so they don’t walk down the aisle bandaged and bruised.

“Timing of your surgery prior to a major event like a wedding is very crucial,” said San Diego plastic surgeon Brian Reagan. “It’s important that you give yourself time to seek out multiple consultations, and to give yourself not only plenty of time to heal when things go as planned, but…you need to give yourself time to do a revision, if that’s necessary.”

Dr. Reagan noted that some patients will start planning their cosmetic surgery up to a year prior to a wedding to get the look they want.

And, he made another alarming revelation: These pre-wedding surgeries aren’t always just limited to the bride and groom, but also their parents, aunts, uncles and even long-time family friends.

Who knows? It might not be too long before couples start adding Botox and lipo to their wedding registries.