“Bro-tox” is the name for the latest cosmetic surgery trend, which has seen an increase in men getting Botox injections, according to ABC News.
Actor Johnny Markoudakis told ABC that he got Botox injections in his forehead and around his eyes, and a week later people told him he looked more refreshed.
But Bro-tox patients include more than just actors, models and metrosexuals, according to ABC.
For instance, Marc from Detroit is 38 and works at a chemical company. “I do a lot of industrial type work, getting dirty. … And I restore old cars,” Marc told ABC.
When he started noticing that he had some wrinkles and that he was looking older, his wife decided to get him Botox for Christmas.
“The card was very nice,” Marc said. “But then there was a little note that said … ‘Botox’ on it, and I was a little shocked. … It’s just not anything I thought I would do for myself.”
Marc used the gift and now has less noticeable crow’s feet thanks to Botox.
Cosmetic Procedures Becoming More Popular for Men
ABC News reports that over 300,000 men got Botox last year, a 10% increase from the previous year. Men are getting more cosmetic procedures in general — one in eight cosmetic surgery procedures is now performed on men.
According to the report, from 2010 to 2011, eyelid surgeries increased by 15% for men, facelifts by 14% and liposuction by 7%.
The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery (AACS) says the five most popular procedures among men are Botox, hair transplantation/restoration, laser hair removal, microdermabrasion and liposuction.
A consumer survey by the AACS found that 12% of men plan to have cosmetic surgery at some point in the future and that 83% of men believe that personal appearance plays a role in their professional success and advancement.
The breast and buttock are two areas of the body where it is becoming more common to have multiple cosmetic procedures in one surgery session, reports Cosmetic Surgery Times.
Dr. Samir Pancholi, a Las Vegas cosmetic surgeon, says that he often performs breast augmentation and breast lift surgery in the same session and liposuction with fat grafting techniques when performing the Brazilian butt lift.
Breast Surgeries
Patients who have lost the shape and fullness of their breasts, such as massive weight loss patients and postpartum women, are often good candidates for a combination of a breast lift and breast implants.
The breast lift, also known as mastopexy, results in a more ideal positioning of the nipple and breast, but it does not adequately address the lack of fullness of the breast in those patients, Dr. Pancholi says.
“In order to achieve a more voluptuous-looking breast…I often combine a mastopexy with breast implant surgery. The breasts are not only higher up but also have a fullness to them because of the implant,” he says.
Buttock Enhancements
By combining liposuction with fat grafting techniques when performing a Brazilian butt lift, the rounded shape of the buttocks can become more enhanced.
Dr. Pancholi says he typically performs liposuction to remove fat at the waist and upper and lower back, which causes a slight hollowing of the area and results in an accentuated curve of the buttocks. Then for a more enhanced curving effect, he takes the fat harvested during liposuction and injects it into the buttocks.
Benefits of Combination Procedures
In the past, patients might have had one breast surgery and then had the other six months later, but combining them can have benefits.
“Combining the two makes much more sense in terms of having one surgery, one recovery, reduced cost and achieving the final result without a second surgery,” according to Dr. Pancholi.
There are other areas of the body where surgeons are performing multiple procedures at one time. The New York Times recently reported that a California surgeon has combined eyelid surgery and a brow lift to create an “All-in-One Eye Lid and Brow.”
In the wake of a French breast implant scandal, Allergan reassured consumers about the safety of its silicone breast implants. Allergan’s products are not part of the recent investigation.
Allergan released a statement after France’s health minister recommended French women have their Poly Implant Prosthese (PIP) silicone gel implants removed.
PIP used cheaper industrial silicone instead of medical silicone for the implants to save money, according to investigators. The PIP implants were removed from the market last year and have never been used in the United States.
Estimates say that around 30,000 women in France have the PIP implants. Tens of thousands more women in Britain, Italy, Spain and other countries in Europe and South America also have had PIP implants.
Allergan’s breast implant devices, including Natrelle, were not part of the investigation. Just last year, the FDA reaffirmed the safety of silicone breast implants in the U.S.
“All Allergan implants are manufactured at our state-of-the-art facility using silicone and saline that is approved for use in medical devices and are designed to meet all relevant national and international Quality Control Standards and Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP),” stated Allergan’s press release.
Allergan also offered specifics on the manufacturing of its implants: from start to finish, it can take up to 12 days to manufacture an Allergan breast implant, which undergoes almost 100 quality control tests.
Allergan’s breast implants have been used for almost 50 years. Their gel-filled breast implants have been available in Europe since 1997 and received U.S. FDA approval in 2006.
According to Allergan, silicone gel-filled breast implants are among the most studied medical devices, with more than 3,000 studies supporting their safe use.
In addition to Allergan, Johnson & Johnson’s Mentor also makes a silicone breast implant approved by the FDA.
Patients should recognize that while breast implants are safe, they are not lifetime devices. It’s possible that at some point a patient may need to have an implant removed or replaced.
Learn more about breast augmentation in Rancho Cucamonga.
A new study found 75% of women and 68% of men wanted body contouring procedures after weight loss following bariatric surgery.
Post weight loss surgery is often a last and necessary step in a patient’s weight loss surgery journey.
Medically-assisted weight loss often results in loose and hanging skin on the upper arms, breasts, abdomen and thighs. Because of this, one or more body contouring procedures — such as a tummy tuck, breast lift, body lift, arm lift, liposuction or thigh lift — may be desired.
The Austrian study, published in Obesity Surgery journal, examined patients’ expectations of body contouring after massive weight loss. A questionnaire on body image, quality of life and expectations of body contouring surgery was answered by 252 patients who had gastric bypass surgery between 2003 and 2009.
While 90% of women and 88% of men surveyed said their appearance after weight loss was “satisfactory, good, or very good,” 96% reported having surplus skin that caused itching. Some also said they had problems playing sports and finding clothing that fit well.
A majority of men and women surveyed expressed a desire for body contouring, and the top three expectations of the surgery were:
- Improved appearance
- Improved self–confidence
- Improved quality of life
Both men and women ranked the abdominal area as most in need of contouring, followed by the breasts, thighs, upper arms and buttocks.
The researchers concluded that the success of using weight loss surgery to treat obese patients can’t be judged on weight loss alone. “Patients’ expectations for body contouring surgery are very precise and high,” so it is important that patients are given realistic expectations from their cosmetic surgeon before surgery, according to the authors.
For more information, view the full text of the study.
Excess skin is common after weight loss from bariatric surgery and can be corrected with body contouring procedures. Less common is extra skin on the face and neck, but when this occurs, facial surgery may be necessary.
Msnbc.com reported on one man’s struggle to get surgery for the removal of excess skin from his face and neck after his weight loss.
Before bariatric surgery six years ago, Paul Brian weighed 420 pounds. He lost 240 pounds and found that in addition to body contouring surgery, surgery for his face and neck seemed necessary because he had so much sagging skin as a result of the weight loss.
“You’re so overwhelmed with the joy of losing the weight, but there’s this point of realization,” said Brian, who is 60. “You look in the mirror and you say, oh, that’s not good.”
Substantial weight loss can leave some with under-eye bags, slack jaws and wrinkles.
Facial surgery, such as a facelift or neck lift, is less common after massive weight loss than body surgery because the face tends to adjust better, and often insurers won’t cover it.
Brian’s doctor says that his jowls and the flesh under his chin are so heavy that they interfere with his speech and hygiene. Because of the extra skin, the muscles pull things down and make it hard for Brian to talk without drooling, according to his doctor.
While Brian would like to have surgery to fix the problem, he can’t afford it. He has been rejected by his insurance because it considered the procedure cosmetic.
But Brian and his doctor say that it is an issue of function. Brian is a radio announcer, and therefore his job depends on him talking a lot. He plans to appeal the decision made by his health insurance.
For men with excess breast tissue, having male breast reduction corrects the problem, known as gynecomastia.
Treating gynecomastia also improves patients’ quality of life, according to a new study. Additionally, researchers found that patients reported a high degree of satisfaction with the procedure.
What is Gynecomastia?
Doctors believe the excess breast tissue is caused by hormonal problems. Men with gynecomastia can get a more masculine chest by having male breast reduction surgery.
During surgery, excess glandular tissue or fat is removed, either through liposuction or surgical tissue removal.
Results of Treating Gynecomastia
The study examined 126 patients who had undergone male breast reduction surgery in Siena or Pisa, Italy. The patients, whose average age was 28, were given questionnaires both before and one year after surgery. The survey asked patients about their motivations for treatment, degree of satisfaction with the procedure and quality of life.
All of the patients said their quality of life improved after the surgery, with an average satisfaction score of 8.2 out of 10.
The researchers found the results of surgery to be so positive that they suggested that patients with gynecomastia “undergo surgery always and as soon as possible.”
The surgery is relatively short — generally about one hour of operating time. The study reported a 17.72% complication rate. Potential complications include scarring, pigment changes, asymmetry, infection, bleeding and fluid loss or buildup.
Recovery from male breast reduction takes about one week, and exercise can usually be resumed about three weeks after surgery.
Contact Inland Cosmetic Surgery in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., for more information on male breast reduction.
There has been an increase in the number of women seeking treatment after complications from silicone buttock injections, reports the Baltimore Sun.
A dancer in Baltimore was admitted to the hospital in March with silicone in her lungs after the procedure, and the FDA is investigating this and other instances across the U.S.
The woman who injected the dancer, who is not a doctor or nurse, was arrested in October. Court records also showed the silicone may have come from a home improvement store.
The medical-grade liquid version of silicone is only approved for the treatment of detached retinas, according to the FDA. But in the past, doctors have used it for procedures, including breast augmentation and lip enhancement.
Surgeons say injectable silicone is dangerous and is not used in procedures today, as it causes an inflammatory reaction in the tissue where it’s injected, and it can spread to other organs. The encased silicone used for breast and buttock implants is considered safe.
Safe Alternatives to Silicone Buttock Injections
There are cosmetic surgery procedures that are safe for augmenting the buttocks, such as fat transfer. The procedure, which is often used for the face, is referred to as a Brazilian butt lift when used for buttock augmentation.
During the procedure, fat is harvested from another area of the body, such as the abdomen, through liposuction. The fat is then purified and injected into the buttock tissue.
Buttock implants are another option. During the procedure, a silicone gel implant is inserted beneath the gluteus maxiumus muscle.
If you are interested in a cosmetic procedure, be sure to choose a qualified cosmetic surgeon. The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery provides guidelines for choosing a surgeon on its website.
Dieting may not only be good for your waistline — it may also help your body fight the aging process.
Consuming fewer calories can slow down the aging process, according to researchers at Sweden’s University of Gothenburg. And the sooner one cuts down on calories, the greater the effect.
”We are able to show that caloric restriction slows down aging by preventing an enzyme, peroxiredoxin, from being inactivated. This enzyme is also extremely important in counteracting damage to our genetic material,” says Mikael Molin of the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology.
Other studies have shown that restricting calories can delay the onset of some age-related diseases, such as cancer and type 2 diabetes, but it was unclear why. The researchers were able to identify peroxiredoxin 1, Prx1, one of the enzymes needed for the anti-aging effects of caloric restriction to work effectively.
The study showed that Prx1 is damaged as we age, but caloric restriction counteracts this by producing more of the enzyme Srx1, which repairs Prx1.
“Impaired Prx1 function leads to various types of genetic defects and cancer. Conversely, we can now speculate whether increased repair of Prx1 during ageing can counteract, or at least delay, the development of cancer,” according to the study.
The enzyme has also been linked to disorders that affect the nervous system, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. The researchers plan to study if stimulation of Prx1 could delay the onset of these diseases.
The study’s results, published in Molecular Cell journal, are promising, but be sure to consult with your doctor before making any significant changes to your diet.
While cosmetic procedures can’t slow down the internal aging process, they can help you look younger. For instance, Botox and fillers can help smooth away wrinkles that appear as we age. Schedule a consultation with your cosmetic surgeon to learn more about procedures that are right for you.
Breast augmentation patients can learn more about the procedure through participation in forums and message boards. A new study finds that these online communities also provide women with emotional support.
The study found that overall the forums are a positive experience for women. “Through electronic postings, they cared for and nursed each others’ anxiety and feelings throughout the whole process,” wrote the researchers at Oslo University Hospital.
Online forums have made it easier for patients to connect and communicate with others interested in breast augmentation. The researchers suggested that for women who are looking for information on the procedure, the Internet “is one of the most important or perhaps the most important, source of knowledge on the topic.”
The women used forums and message boards to share information and experiences on breast augmentation and to examine their reasons for choosing the procedure.
The message boards are also a place for getting support and building relationships as well. “The most profound element of the forum culture was the provision of support to other women,” the researchers wrote. “By sharing and exchanging thoughts, the women nursed each other in terms of their doubts, bitterness, pain, sadness, excitement, elation, and happiness.”
The study found the forums offered women support throughout the process. For instance, before surgery women discussed how they were making decisions with regard to implant size, profile, shape, placement and material. After surgery, discussions included their experiences with soreness, swelling, pain and postoperative self-care.
Women on the message boards also discussed relationships with their self-image and their surgeons.
The researchers located the online forum they studied using Google. Here are a few popular breast augmentation forums:
Learn more about breast augmentation in Rancho Cucamonga.
According to clinical trials, an injectable has shown promising results for double chin reduction.
The injectable drug ATX-101 reduces the amount of fat that develops under the chin (also called submental fat).
KYTHERA Biopharmaceuticals, maker of ATX-101, reported that 80% of participants in the study saw a significant reduction of fat under their chins after the first two years of the five-year trial.
“Treatment results with ATX-101 appear to be sustained and well-tolerated, which illustrates its potential as a novel, non-surgical approach to reducing submental fat,” said Kevin C. Smith, a dermatologist in Canada and an investigator in the Phase 2A and long-term follow up studies.
ATX-101 is a formulation of deoxycholate, which is a natural compound that breaks down dietary fat. The procedure is done over several sessions, during which the patient gets around 50 small injections of the treatment into the chin area. The injections work to eliminate fat under the skin’s surface.
“While these results are still preliminary, they support our expectation that ATX-101 may result in a long-term aesthetic correction,” said KYTHERA’s chief medical officer Patricia Walker, MD, PhD. “We look forward to continuing to follow these patients and to further characterizing the long-term safety and efficacy profile of ATX-101.”
Surgical Options for Double Chin Reduction
ATX-101 needs FDA approval before it becomes an option for treating double chins. There are cosmetic surgical options for patients looking to reduce their double chins.
A lower facelift or neck lift targets the chin. During a lower facelift, the skin is lifted and removed as necessary to make the transition between the chin, neck and lower face more defined.
Neck liposuction is another surgical option for reducing a double chin and restoring definition to the lower face. Submental liposuction gets rid of the sagging, fatty tissue below the chin and is a less invasive option than a facelift.
Read more about the ATX-101 trials.