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Unfortunately, after nearly 100 years of plastic surgery advancements, and thousands of cosmetic surgery patients, doctors are still hesitant to transfer fat from other places in the body to the breasts. With all the other safer, more aesthetic options on the market, doctors are hesitant to perform the procedure.

Allow me a brief moment to wax historical. Back in the day – the early 20th century to be more specific – doctors began experimenting with grafting autogenous tissue (i.e. body tissue harvested from the patient’s own body) onto the breasts for cosmetic enhancement. Doctors generally tried to use the tissues that contained high concentrations of cellular fat. However, their attempts were to no avail.  Often the tissue would reabsorb into the body, however, the rate that the fat reabsorbed was not uniform, of course, which left some highly dissatisfied patients with lopsided boobs. Many patients also had infections on their breasts after the procedure as well.

Fast forward about 60 years. As liposuction bursts on the scene, doctors attempt to use purified, whole fat cells attained through liposuction to plump up breasts. After some debate, doctors decided that the reabsorption levels were still unclear, and could not be maintained or determined before surgery.  Women were reporting between 20 and 100 percent of their added breast fat was reabsorbed into their bodies during the first 12 months. Again, patients were left with lopsided breasts.

On a more serious note, there was also some question about breast cancer after fat transfers. Some claimed that the fat transfers could cause problems detecting cancerous areas in the long run, and may even contribute to higher breast cancer rates. Finally, the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons elected not to support the procedure due to these health risks, and in most of the United States, the procedure is not performed. Occasionally, in other countries, the procedure is still used.

On the plus side, fat transfers after liposuction have proved effective in many facial wrinkle treatments. They often last longer than artificial dermal fillers, and because they are your own cells, there is no chance of allergic reactions. Although it hasn’t worked for breasts, many women will enjoy beautiful smooth, wrinkle-free skin thanks to a little thigh fat.

Even though we are getting older, we don’t want our skin to look like it. Here are some tips and tricks on how to age with grace. From your teens to your 60’s, we have your age covered!!

In Your Teen’s

The most important thing for this age is to start developing good habits. You can start by applying sunscreen daily. UVA and UVB rays from the sun hurt your skin, so look for sunscreens with a broad range of protection and at least an SPF f 15. If you don’t protect your skin from the sun now it will start to wrinkle and sag sooner.

In Your 20’s

Keep applying sunscreen daily. Along with that begin to pay more attention to the skin around your eyes because this is the first part of the face that begins to show signs of aging. In addition to sunscreen, wear sunglasses to avoid squinting and add an eye cream to your nightly routine.

Microdermabrasion is a procedure that you may want to consider in your 20’s. Microdermabrasion is a non-chemical, non-invasive procedure that uses a spray of microcrystals to remove the outermost layer of dry, dead skin cells and reveal younger, healthier-looking skin. Microdermabrasion also encourages the production of a new underlying layer of skin cells with higher levels of collagen and elastin, which further improves your skin’s appearance.

You may also want to think about starting BOTOX® treatments as a preventative method. This cosmetic procedure provides a quick and effective remedy for the facial lines and wrinkles that age, stress, worry, and environmental factors can produce, even on a younger person’s face. Even if you don’t have wrinkles now, those lines and wrinkles that occur with age may never become an issue if you do BOTOX® now.

In Your 30’s

This is the time when most women start to see their first signs of aging. You could see a few fine lines, unevenness of the skin, or even skin that isn’t quite as tight as it used to be.

BOTOX® is the most popular treatment for those 30 and older. A BOTOX® injection skin treatment smoothes frown lines on the forehead, between the eyes, and at the base of the nose. BOTOX® Cosmetic is an injectable agent used to temporarily diminish or eliminate lines and wrinkles on the face by relaxing underlying facial muscles.

Your 30’s is also a prime time for body contouring procedures . Liposuction is the most popular method of body contouring surgery because it allows the surgeon to re-sculpt specific areas of the body. Using only a few tiny incisions, your surgeon can target stubborn fat deposits and permanently remove fat cells from the area. The tummy tuck,” or abdominoplasty, is a unique body sculpting surgery that combines removal of excess skin and fat from the midsection with the surgical tightening of the abdominal muscles. Abdominoplasty is typically offered as an individual procedure, but may also be performed during full body lift surgery. Body lifts allow surgeons to remove excess skin and fat from one or many areas of the body. You can re-sculpt your entire body with a total body lift or lower body lift, or choose one or more less extensive body contouring techniques such as an arm lift, thigh lift, and butt lift

40’s and Beyond

After 40 is when you can see the results of your previous year’s habits. If you smoked or spent too much time in the sun, your skill will most likely look older than its age. However, if you have been good to your face, you will only need small procedures to keep your skin looking young. <a href = “http://www.docshop.com/education/dermatology/injectables/botox/” Title = “DocShop.com” >BOTOX® </a> and <a href = “http://www.docshop.com/education/dermatology/injectables/” Title = “DocShop.com” > wrinkle fillers </a> are your best bet in your 40’s. This will relax the facial muscles and the skin will be smoothed out by the filler.

In your 50’s you may now want to consider a minimally invasive surgery called blepharoplasty, or eyelid surgery. Cosmetic eyelid surgery dramatically improves the appearance of the eyes. This is accomplished by removing excess skin and pockets of fat from the upper and lower eyelids. You may also want to combine blepharoplasty with other treatments such as brow lift to eliminate drooping eyebrows, and various cosmetic dermal fillers to treat crow’s feet.

In your 60’s your best tool is face-lift surgery. A face lift, or rhytidectomy, is a surgical procedure used to reduce facial wrinkles, eliminate telltale signs of aging, and improve the overall appearance of the face and jaw area. Face lift surgery can help reverse the harmful effects of time, stress, and the elements.

Do you really have to be thin to be gorgeous?

Not so much according to the American Next Top Model TV show host, Tyra Banks. After some criticism from the unflattering photos of Banks in her bathing suit in many tabloid magazines, she finally came out and fired back to let the world know that she is still beautiful by posting in swimsuit for People magazine.

Banks is now fighting back to the criticism not just for herself, but for all women who look up to her. Yes, she had gained about 30 pounds since the last time she was on the cover of the Sport Illustrated magazine in 1997, but it was ten years ago.

We all want to have a perfect shave, but the main reason that we should be worry more than our look is not to be overweight because it will cause more health problems in a long run. One of the easiest ways that can be use to identify possible weight problem is Body Mass Index (BMI).

BMI Formula: weight (lb) / [height (in)]2 x 703

Interpretation of BMI for adults

What’s Tyra Banks’s BMI?

Weight = 161 lbs., Height = 5′10″ (This information is from People Magazine)

BMI = 161/ (70)2 x 703 = 23.1

The result of Banks’s BMI indicates that her weight is within the normal range for adults of her height.

Now at age 33, it appears that putting more weight makes Banks has more credibility as a businesswoman. Her talk show is now entering its second season, and American Next Top Model has its strongest ratings than ever.

What is Computer Vision Syndrome?

The American Optometric Association defines Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) as “the complex of eye and vision problems related to near work which are experienced during or related to computer use.”

Symptom of CVS

•    Eyestrain
•    Headaches
•    Fatigue
•    Burning or tired eyes
•    Dry eyes
•    Loss of focus
•    Blurred vision
•    Double vision
•    Neck and shoulder pain

How to reduce the effect of CVS

•    Computer glasses are prescription glasses designed to be worn when working on a computer.
•    Have an anti-reflective coating applied to your glasses to minimize glare.
•    Proper lighting can reduce eyestrain and glare.  When using computers, lighting should be about half of that used in most offices.
•    Adjust the brightness of your computer screen.
•    Blink more often.  Blinking is very important when working with computer because it rewets your eyes to avoid dryness and irritation.
•    Take a 10-15 minute break every hour to reduce eyestrain.

Sure plastic surgery or BOTOX is the easiest way to go when come down to a quick fix for your skin, but keep in mind they are not the painless options.  Until you have no other way to fix your skin, why won’t try other options that are less invasive or needle free.

Tip 1: Microdermabrasion
By getting Microdermabrasion treatment, you can get rid off dry, dead skin cells.  Then your skin will look younger and healthier.

Tip 2: Change your hairstyle
Make a little adjustment will worth your effort.  Maybe go with a little carefree style to make you look younger.  The easy way is to get some advice from your hairdresser.  Some color and layer won’t hurt!

Tip 3: Fragrance
Younger fragrance helps you seem younger than you really are.  According to www.perfume-online.org:

Neurologist and psychiatrist, Hirsch, conducted a study about men’s opinion of women who wear grapefruit scent. The men thought these women who wore pink grapefruit scent were 6 years younger than their real age.

Tip 4: Makeup
Accept it, good make up can give you a flawless look.

For extra tips about hairstyle and makeup, read more on Oprah’s website.  There are many good tips that you can definitely apply to your everyday routine.

Dos
1. Do your research: I think this is a must for everyone who considering go under a knife. You better know really well about your surgeon and about the procedures you’re considering.
2. Do maintain a healthy weight before surgery: This is so true. Liposuction is helping you get rid of excess fat in particular area, but not an option for overall weight loss. Here, read Dr. Stanly Poulos makes a comment about the myth of liposuction in his e-patient newsletter:
3. Do understand your options: To be able to understand your option clearly, you have talk to your doctor and ask a lot of questions.
4. Do follow post-operative directions carefully: This is a must!

Don’ts
1. Don’t expect to look “skinny” the day after surgery: There is no miracle exist, every thing takes time. Liposuction is not a one day deal; it will take a little while to show the result.
2. Don’t hesitate to ask questions: It’s a big decision to go though liposuction, you need as much information as you can get. Don’t be shy, ask you doctor.
3. Don’t continue over-the-counter supplements: This is to make sure that you are not taking anything that will give side effect to your procedure. Be safe!
4. Don’t assume all areas are treatable: You doctor will tell you whether you’re a good candidate for certain procedures or not.

At the end of the day, we all want to look good. Don’t put too much risk on yourself, be very careful of any kind of surgery you try to get yourself into.

A recent Canadian study suggests breast implants are linked to lower cancer rates, but higher suicide rates among women. Information was collected from 24,600 women participating in the 15 year study “who had received breast implants for cosmetic purposes between 1974 and 1989”. The findings revealed a suicide rate 73% higher and cancer rate 26% lower than the general population. During this period 480 women in the study had died; 58 to suicide and 229 to cancer compared to the expected 33 and 303, respectively, from the general female population.

The lower cancer rate can be explained by the physical conditions required to become a plastic surgery candidate: you must be in good health. Also, cosmetic surgery is considered a ‘luxury’ so the socio-economic status of patients tends to be higher than the average person.

But what can explain the higher rate of suicide? Isn’t cosmetic surgery supposed to make people feel better about their self image, self esteem, etc.? Apparently fixing the outside doesn’t fix the inside; kind of sounds like the saying ‘money doesn’t buy happiness’. “Studies have characterized women who receive breast implants by a low self-esteem, lack of self-confidence and more frequent mental illnesses such as depression”. In such instances candidates may need to receive psychological counseling to be a mentally healthy person before going under the knife.

Cosmetic surgery isn’t going away any time soon. In 2006 11 million cosmetic surgery procedures were performed (7% increase from 2005) with breast augmentation being the top surgical procedure (329,000). Both surgeons and patients can improve this problem. Surgeons need to do a thorough job of evaluating plastic surgery candidates and the candidates need to have a stronger self image as well as an ideal goal.

On Feb 20, 2007, Desperate Housewife star, Marcia Cross gave birth to twin baby girls in Los Angeles. The girls were name Eden and Savannah.

Cross was married at age 44, so there was a concern about the difficulty for women in her age to have a baby. Cross and her husband decided to do in vitro fertilization a week after her wedding.

What is In Vitro Fertilization Treatment?

In vitro is the procedure that eggs from a woman’s ovary are surgically removed and placed in a Petri dish, where they are united with sperm from a male.

There is a chance that in vitro will not work, but it did work for her. Here she is at age 45, happy and pretty than ever! Cross told People Magazine, “I’m in Heaven Right Now.”

Outsourcing is done with countless products and services in our country (mainly for tech companies), so why not add cosmetic surgery to that list?

The most popular cosmetic surgery travel destinations are Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico and Turkey. Experience is being pushed in South America; an estimated 1 in 30 Argentineans have had some cosmetic procedure performed, putting the country behind U.S. and Mexico for the most nipped and tucked population. With its abundance of U.S. trained plastic surgeons, Costa Rica is known as the Beverly Hills of Central America. India is even jumping into the game positioning itself as the primary medical destination for the most complex medical procedures in the world.

Cosmetic surgery isn’t minor by any means; there is always the possibility of complications. Once you leave the U.S. standards for regulating physicians and procedures may not be the same. Dominican Republic, Mexico and Colombia had the highest incidence of patients who went there for cosmetic surgery and came back with an infection. I’m sorry, but if you aren’t supposed to drink the water, what are you doing getting cut open in those countries??
Getting plastic surgery is not like clothes shopping; getting the cheaper version is not always the better idea. There are talented cosmetic surgeons all over the world, but doing your homework to find the right one is a definite must before getting your passport stamped. Is discount cosmetic surgery really worth it?

10. Breast Implants will make your breasts sag earlier
It’s called gravity folks! Of course your new Cs and going to head south a bit faster than your old A cups, it is the added weight. A natural breast of the same weight will sag just as much as an implant.

9. The implant is always best placed below the muscle
With 3 different choices (under, partially under, or over the muscle) and pros and cons to all, it really depends on your body type and the look you are going for.

8. There is a “best” incision approach
This depends on the implant is chosen as well as the surgeons capabilities and methods. Certain implants have fewer incision options than others, and with that, it may have different and slightly larger scaring.

7. Any patient can have any shaped breasts
No one can predict the future and every body is different; just because you want your breasts to look like a Victoria’s Secret model doesn’t mean that is how they are going to look in your body.

6. Implants rupture all of the time
Studies have shown implants are quite strong, however, they are not meant to last forever with an average lifespan of 16.4 years they will eventually have to be replaced. The older the implants, the odds of rupture become greater.

5. Silicone gel is currently unavailable
After 14 years off the market, the FDA approved silicone for augmentation in women age 22 and older.

4. It is dangerous for women with breast implants to breastfeed
Although there are no current methods for detecting silicone levels in breast milk, there is convincing evidence that infants breast-fed by mothers with breast implants receive no higher silicon intakes from breast milk than infants breast-fed by mothers without breast implants.

3. Saline-filled breast implants are safer than silicone gel-filled implants
Both are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Approval means that an implant has been rigorously researched and tested, and reviewed by an independent panel of physicians for safety.

2. Breast Implants make it very difficult to detect breast cancer or Women with breast implants can’t have mammograms
At age 35 and over mammograms are important; between telling the technician of implants and the advancement of technology, implants shouldn’t pose a problem here.

1. Breast implants are dangerous
In 2006 breast augmentation was the most commonly performed cosmetic surgery, but as with anything having to do with your body, there are always going to be risk’s involved. Before making any decision, it is very important to do your research and not make assumptions.