A Global Perspective

Recently the ISAPS (International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery) released a “Biennial Global Survey” for plastic surgery procedures (learn more about it here). They compiled a list of the top procedures (both surgical and non-surgical) and the top 25 countries and regions where plastic surgery is most popular, which represented 75% of all cosmetic surgery procedures in 2009.

The United States leads the survey as the country with the most plastic surgery procedures, with China and Brazil rounding out the top 3. The survey may surprise people because of the inclusion of several countries that are not commonly associated with plastic surgery, such as India, Germany and Argentina. Another interesting result of this survey is that breast augmentation is no longer the most popular procedure worldwide; it is now replaced by liposuction.

As a board-certified Los Angeles plastic surgeon, I believe that this survey enables us to see plastic surgery from a different perspective. We are now able to look at this topic from a global standpoint and compare on a geographical level, by comparing trends by country or even region. Although this may not be the first time plastic surgery statistics for other countries have been released, reliable and credible statistics are few and far between, and I think some more detailed analysis of the data will reveal interesting trends in beauty across and inside different cultures.

If you’ve taken a moment to look at the stats, what is interesting or surprising to you? I welcome your thoughts.

Tags: los angeles plastic surgeon
Posted in Plastic Surgeon

The Features of a Facelift

Women and men who wish to combat the signs of aging often consider procedures such as BOTOX® Cosmetic, dermal fillers, or facial plastic surgery. In Los Angeles, I see many patients who are unsure about their options. One procedure that gets a lot of attention – and that offers several variations – is the facelift. Here is an overview of the facelift techniques commonly used by surgeons today.

• SMAS Facelift: The SMAS (superficial musculo-aponeurotic system) facelift is designed to lift the deep tissues of the face. This can be performed by using either the lateral SMASectomy (my personal favorite), or a more traditional SMAS surgery. The SMAS technique is so often used because it provides more mid-face and nasolabial correction. It also allows the cheeks to become more accentuated.
• Short Scar Facelift: This method derives its name from the nature of the procedure. The incision can be made either in front or behind the ear. Having the incision made behind the ear will provide more of a lift to the neck, and having the incision in front of the ear will lift the face more. A short scar facelift may provide optimal results for patients who do not need a major lift of the neck and who do not have a significant amount of excess facial skin. Because this technique uses smaller incisions than other facelift methods, patients often experience minimal scarring.

While these are not the only facelift techniques that are performed, they are the most “mainstream” techniques out there. To find out which method will give you optimal results, be sure to talk with your surgeon.

Tags: facial plastic surgery los angeles
Posted in Facial Cosmetic Surgery

Mini vs. Full Tummy Tuck

When they’re considering a tummy tuck, many people may have heard about the option of a “mini” tummy tuck and wondered how it was different from a full tummy tuck. I explain to my patients that it’s important to realize that choosing between the two can actually be quite simple because they are appropriate for two distinctly different sets of patients.

Full Tummy Tuck

A full tummy tuck patient will be someone who has a great deal of excess skin and fat in the abdominal area, as well as weakened abdominal muscles. The full tummy tuck procedure will address these concerns –both above and below the belly button. The procedure may require two incisions instead of one and generally repositions the belly button. Recovery takes several weeks.

Mini Tummy Tuck

On the other hand, a mini tummy tuck patient will be someone with small fat deposits and very minimal excess skin located primarily below the belly button. For these patients, only a single small incision is made where it will be easily concealed by clothing or a bathing suit. While the improvement that can be achieved with a mini tummy tuck is not as comprehensive, it requires less time during surgery and less recovery time.

Your surgeon should be able to advise you as to which procedure can best accomplish your goals.

Tags: tummy tuck los angeles
Posted in Abdominoplasty

Breast Enhancement – Before or After Weight Loss?

If you’re trying to lose weight, seeing those extra pounds start to melt away is exciting. But remember, you can’t always control where you’re losing the weight – it’s going to come off across your entire body, not just in one or two “target areas.” What this means for women is that, whether they like it or not, there’s a good chance their breasts will get smaller as the rest of their body gets slimmer. This is an important factor to consider if you’re planning a breast enhancement. Here’s why:
 

• Breast lift: Weight loss often causes breasts to droop or sag. Subsequent weight loss could undo the results of a previous breast lift. Women considering a breast lift should definitely wait until after they’ve reached their target weight.
• Breast augmentation: Results of breast augmentation will be impacted by weight loss in several ways. First, larger breasts may look out of balance with your new, slimmer physique. Second, weight loss may cause breasts to droop, creating the need for a second breast surgery.

I suggest that my patients wait to have their breast lift or breast augmentation in Los Angeles until they’ve lost the weight. By waiting, they are ensuring that they choose an implant size that fits with their new body contours and that they will have perky, youthful-looking cleavage.

And, just to note, I would also recommend waiting to perform other procedures until my patients have accomplished their weight loss goals in Los Angeles, such as face lift, tummy tuck, or liposuction.

Tags: breast augmentation in los angeles, los angeles face lift
Posted in Breast augmentation,Facelift