Inland Cosmetic Surgery

A magazine called New You is scheduled to debut this month, brought to you by the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery.

Visually stunning images and cutting-edge information will populate the pages of New You, to keep consumers informed about proven cosmetic procedures and new trends in medicine.

Each issue of New You will offer tips and features like these:

• Patient stories and photos – from consultation through recovery
• How a cosmetic surgeon can enhance your appearance with the latest medical techniques.
• How you can avoid negative results and stay safe
• How to choose a trustworthy cosmetic surgeon

The primary distribution of New You will be in the waiting rooms of 2500 practicing cosmetic surgeons. An additional 50,000 copies will be distributed to newsstands and other medical professionals.

For more information, visit newyoumag.com

Remember the old saying, “beauty is only skin-deep”?  According to new research, the scientific truth may be quite the opposite.

Your appearance may be an accurate indicator of your health and potential after all, according to results of the study: “Perceived age as clinically useful biomarker of ageing: cohort study.”

Danish researchers measured the perceived age of twins and found that perceived age was correlated with survival; i.e. the younger looking twin was likely to live longer than his or her counterpart.  Researchers also found significant correlations between perceived age and healthy functioning – both cognitive and physical.

Read More online in the British Medical Journal. Perceived age as clinically useful biomarker of ageing: cohort study.

The healthcare reform bill unveiled by the Senate Wednesday night includes a 5 percent tax against elective cosmetic medical procedures, a last-minute addition that is projected to collect $5 billion over the next ten years.

Cosmetic surgeons all over the United States have made their opposition to the tax public, and societies such as the ASPS and ASAPS have organized their members to contact members of congress.

“You’d be surprised how price sensitive people are to this.  It’s a tax against women and the baby boomer generation having these procedures” comments Tulsa cosmetic surgeon Dr. Angelo Cuzalina.

5 reasons to drop the cosmetic tax from the U.S. healthcare reform bill.

1. Discriminatory: Women purchase almost 90 percent of all cosmetic medical procedures in the United States.
2. Taxes middle class America: In a 2005 ASPS survey of people planning cosmetic surgery, 60 percent of the respondents reported incomes of $30,000 to $90,000 a year.
3. Record of being ineffective: New Jersey implemented a similar tax in 2004 and it fell drastically short (59 percent) of its projected revenue.
4. Distinguishing reconstructive from cosmetic isn’t always easy: the tax imposes the burden of making clear distinctions between procedures that are medically necessary and simply elective.  Who will make these distinctions?
5. Could promote medical tourism: Patient safety is a major priority; keeping costs down will discourage Americans from seeking risky cosmetic surgeries abroad.

Online readers about cosmetic surgery are probably all too familiar with the “age gracefully” versus “freedom to enhance” type arguments.  The UK Observer just published an editorial that sums up each position fairly well.  British journalist Alice Hart-Davis and Grazia beauty director Annabel Jones offer contrasting opinions in response to the question “Can cosmetic surgery ever be a viable solution to aging?”

The question is inherently flawed; can anything at all be a viable solution to aging?  Unless you’re very optimistic about regenerative medicine and  stem cell research, the aging process is a fact you must accept.  So, perhaps the word “solution” is misleading; cosmetic surgery doesn’t have a solution to aging, but it does offer many options.

Read more »

Our own Dr. Jacob Haiavy was recently quoted in an LA Times piece about the business of cosmetic surgery making “a comeback” in this uncertain economy.  When discussing patient incentives he said the following:

We used to give discounts on multiple procedures anyway, but we took it to the next level at the beginning of the year.  It’s tough because 90% of what we do is elective. People have been more scrutinizing and resistant to spending money.

But as the article suggests, a strong surge in business may be nearing as cosmetic practices start offering special prices, and baby boomers consider the possibility of looking better to enhance their prospects.

President of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, Mark Berman says a large part of  the U.S. economy “moves with the baby boom,” so if boomers grow dissatisfied with their appearance, surgeons will see an increase in business – even in down economy.  An international research group called Freedonia predicted an 8.5 percent growth rate in demand for cosmetic procedures through the next three years.

Read more »

As reported by the New York Times, medical practices in Prague are offering free surgical enhancements to nurses as an employment incentive.  One nurse opted for breast augmentation and liposuction, free of charge.  

The piece raises some interesting ethical questions: While the procedures could certainly be beneficial to individual nurses in the short term, would such a practice harm the nursing profession as a whole?  

According to reporter Dan Bilefsky, nurses in the region “insist they are under enormous pressure to look good in a society where attractiveness is often as highly prized as clinical skills.”  Critics argue that the incentives could promote an idealized body image for nurses, in a profession already suffering from misconceptions about technical competence.  A spokeswoman from the Czech nurses association argues that nurses are still perceived as “low level workers” with little to offer besides manual labor.  Nurses after all, aren’t intended to be models, but caregivers that provide an enormous benefit to the medical profession and the public they serve.  A misplaced emphasis on their physical appearance could undermine public perceptions of their competence and value.

Still, others see no ethical problem; perhaps breast augmentation or rhinoplasty is analogous to employee discounts at a retailer, employee vacation packages, or other career perks.  

The supposed ethical problems brought by these surgical incentive programs probably shouldn’t be directed at the programs alone, but rather, toward the sexism and discrimination that underlie them.

A star-studded Hollywood charity event sponsored by Botox manufacturer, Allergan Inc, had Brooke Shields, Mandy Moore, Marisa Tomei, and other big name celebrities in attendance, supporting the new Latisse Wishes campaign.

The campaign will raise money for the Make-A-Wish foundation, as well as spark interest in the new eyelash enhancement drug.

Latisse is Allergan’s latest eyelash enhancing drug, the first drug to be approved by the FDA for the treatment of hypotrichosis (inadequate eyelashes). When applied to the base of the upper eyelids, Latisse causes longer, thicker eyelashes.

It isn’t a mere coincidence that the Make-A-Wish foundation was chosen as a beneficiary for Allergan’s campaign; the superstitious tradition of “blowing on an eyelash to make a wish come true” provides a clever marketing strategy, now backed by philanthropy.

Beauty expert and participant, Anastasia Soare, enthusiastically expressed her support, saying “I constantly work to help make women’s beauty wishes come true, and now we can help children’s wishes come true through the LATISSE™ Wishes campaign.”

During the event, a $500,000 initial contribution was granted to Make-A-Wish, but Allergan is encouraging consumers to help double the donation amount by visiting www.Latisse.com and registering their support.  From now until the end of the year, the company will donate 5 dollars for each new registration, up to one million dollars.

Latisse, and other eyelash enhancements, are available at Inland Cosmetic Surgery; give us a call for more information.

If you haven’t already heard, a new eyelash-enhancing drug called Latisse has received FDA approval and is now available by prescription. Latisse is manufactured by Allergan Inc, maker of Botox and Juvederm.

When applied to the base of the lashes, Latisse keeps hairs in their growth phase, producing longer,thicker and darker lashes. The effects are not permanent;the patient must keep using Latisse to maintain the look and eyelashes return to normal after discontinued use.

Like many new drugs in recent years, positive side effects of the Latisse’ active ingredient came about inadvertently during late clinical trials of a drug called Lumigan, which was meant to treat glaucoma. Researchers documented an interesting, unintended effect of Lumigan; significantly longer, fuller eyelashes were seen in patients.

Further research and clinical trials were conducted and now Latisse is available to treat Hypotrichosis, or “inadequate eyelashes.”

Click here to see video of CBS 2 Los Angeles’ recent report on Latisse.

Contact us for more details on Latisse!

A diverse medical team of doctors and surgeons at Cleveland Clinic have performed the nation’s first ever 80 percent face transplant.

While personal details on the patient have been withheld, the clinic issued a press release stating that the patient is a female who had previously suffered serious facial trauma. During the procedure, many complex facial components of the patient’s face were restored.  Trained in microsurgery and transplantation techniques, the surgeons integrated facial structures like the nose and lower eyelids, while also replacing complex tissues like nerves, arteries and skin.

Dr. Maria Siemionow, director of Plastic surgery research and team leader for the project has spent her career researching and developing such procedures. She was able to direct professionals from a variety of disciplines. Surgery, transplant, anesthesia, opthamology, dentistry and bioethics are just a few of medical disciplines that played a significant role.

A multifaceted approach of this caliber is probably the only way to achieve such a complex surgical procedure.

Regarding the importance of facial surgery, Siemionow says, “No other aspect of our anatomy is capable of even a fraction of the complexity of motion and emotion allowed by the muscles and tissues of the face.”   She describes her motivation in a recent Wall Street Journal article saying,”Patients with facial disfigurement have very difficult challenges in society. We hope that one day we may be able to help the tens of thousands of patients who are quietly suffering.”

Unless you’re living under a rock, you know that consumer demand for Botox and injectable is still growing. Botox is a common household name and over the last ten years has grown to be a part of our everyday lives.

A recent FDA report reveals 900 reports of adverse events over the past six years. The FDA will also convene a panel of experts to review the safety and efficacy of cosmetic fillers now on the market.

The problems reported to the FDA, although extremely rare, included facial numbness, swelling, and in the worst cases, severe allergic reaction and disfigurement.

Safety is extremely important and we recommend that you have Botox and all injectables with a trained cosmetic surgeon.