Plastic surgery used to be the closely held secret of affluent socialites and the Hollywood elite. But today, cosmetic procedures have come into the mainstream, and the public no longer passes judgment on those who go under the knife, according to a new survey. Read the full story

My scar, which is located on the left side angle of the mouth, is approx. 2.5cm. The scar was generated due a car accident when I was 15 years old, as doctors made stretches in the wounded area where its size was 1.3cm. I was looking for the treatment for this scar, though, in April 2007 I went for a facial surgery hospital in Kabul and they did their surgery, but its size changed to 1.8cm, due the poor quality of their surgery.

The latest surgery that have I made was about 7 to 8 months ago in one of the Afghan hospitals “Cure International”. However, this surgery has made my scar look thicker and bigger in size/shape. It might be cause of the reaction of usage (silk/nechrom) in the operation. We can refer also the reasons to a poor surgeon or it can be due the lowest equipment facilities at relevant hospital, although its clear we don’t have the latest technology in our hospitals for such treatment throughout Afghanistan…

I have attached the recent scar photo as well as the scar after the first surgery that I took in late 2007.

For your more information, we have been invited to participate on a Biosafety/Biosecurity event at Dubai and my flight has been confirmed from Jan 11 till mid Jan 2010, so I will be there available to discuss this with you from 11 Jan 09.

Your thoughts and guidance in relation to the best treatment for my face lift scar are highly appreciated before my arrival,

Thank you!

Is it possible to get a cosmetic procedure to rid dark circles COMPLETELY under the eyes? (And I mean JUST dark circles, NO bags, NO wrinkles.) Also, can spider veins a long with darkening on the actual eyelid going all the way up to the eyebrow be completely removed? Thank you, this has bothered me my whole life and I’m finally going to do something about it, I need your help!  -Heidi B.

A facial filler that just hit the market means looking younger just got less expensive and less painful. It’s the first filler approved by the FDA that has an anesthetic premixed in the solution. Read the full story

Plastic surgery has long been a taboo topic among beauty pageant contestants. But, an upcoming contest in Hungary aims to break new ground by featuring only women who have had some form of cosmetic surgery. Read the full story

Plastic surgery is increasingly popular in the Philippines, but new legislation mandates that women considering a cosmetic surgery procedure must first undergo a pregnancy test. The bill comes after some pregnancies unexpectedly terminated after plastic surgery procedures were performed. Read the full story

Quick Fixes During Economic Crunch

While a shaky economy has consumers thinking twice about spending, they aren’t willing to sacrifice looking their best.  And for some, that means putting off surgery or major procedures and focusing on the smaller, more budget friendly procedures like Botox, fat or collagen injections or skin resurfacing.

It’s true that spending on more expensive cosmetic procedures like tummy tucks and facelifts, is down. In fact, overall, spending on cosmetic procedures in the U.S. is down about 9% annually.

But the U.S. market is steady right now at about $9 billion, in part because spending on other cosmetic procedures is actually increasing.

For example, Botox injection sales rose 8% between 2007 and 2008. Other procedures that have seen an increase are laser treatments for spider veins in legs, skin resurfacing, and wrinkle filler injections.

Reportedly, some consumers see these less invasive, more affordable procedure as a quick fix until the economy picks up and they can invest in more permanent solutions.

Growing older is unavoidable, but breakthroughs in modern technology have made it possible to look younger with a treatment called facial rejuvenation. Read the full story