The guidance was issued after the French Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons discovered the PIP breast implants contain an illegal, untested silicone gel substance that makes the implants abnormally susceptible to rupture.

Unlike women with the faulty PIP breast implants, women who undergo breast enlargement with the safe, FDA-approved silicone breast implants used in the U.S. have a choice about when and how to address implant malfunction in the unlikely event of a rupture.

Rupture in saline breast implants tends to be obvious, as deflation and noticeable volume loss will occur in the implants.  However, in silicone gel breast implants, ruptures are not as obvious and an MRI is required for detection. 

When ruptured breast implants do not cause problems with breast appearance or health, occasionally women will choose to forego revision surgery, however most pursue corrective surgery. 

Options for corrective surgery include:

• Breast augmentation revision, or breast implant exchange
• Breast explant surgery, or breast implant removal
• Breast implant exchange or removal with breast lift, or mastopexy

Most women opt for breast augmentation revision to exchange ruptured implants for new ones, while others choose breast explant surgery, or breast implant removal, and do not have the ruptured implants replaced.  

When breast implants are removed and are not replaced, a breast lift may be recommended to remove the extra skin stretched by the breast implants.  A breast lift with augmentation revision may also be recommended if the breasts have begun to sag since the initial breast augmentation surgery.

If you experience a breast implant rupture, don’t panic, as there is no immediate health risk with FDA-approved implants.  Consult a highly qualified cosmetic surgeon with significant experience performing corrective breast surgery.  Once you have discussed all possible options, you and your surgeon can decide whether breast implant exchange or removal, with or without breast lift surgery, is best for you.

The President has issued a proclamation declaring this week “Women’s Health Week.”  In an official Whitehouse press release, goals were outlined by Mr. Obama that he says will help “break existing barriers” and “improve the health of American women for generations to come.”

Some guidelines include advice to:

• Lead healthy lives and set an example for young people.
• Take advantage of preventive care with routine screenings and checkups.
• Emphasize the role of women in promoting the vitality of our children and communities.
• Remember the simple everyday steps like using sunscreen, exercising regularly, and eating healthy.

Online resources were also cited for promoting the goals of women’s health week, including the Whitehouse Council on Women and Girls, womenshealth.gov, and girlshealth.gov.

CNN reports on the growing trend of cosmetic procedures being offered in the war-torn country of Iraq.  As the violence subsides, doctors who treat war wounds are starting to see more patients for elective procedures.

Although none of the spas in question were located in Kentucky, the procedure is likely available in our area. Consumers should be cautious according to the FDA. With an injection of certain chemicals (phosphatidylcholine, deoxycholate, and others) practitioners claim that lipodissolve can remove areas of persistent fat.  However, The procedure lacks supporting scientific evidence as a fat removal treatment.

The Medspas involved were apparently claiming that Lipodissolve was “superior to other fat removal procedures, including liposuction” and making misleading claims about the safety record and effectiveness of lipodissolve.

Given the lack of supporting evidence for lipodissolve and the side effects reported by consumers, officials in the FDA felt it was necessary to crack down on these misleading claims and warn consumers about them.  The medical spas are being instructed to “correct these violations and prevent similar violations in the future.”

Read more about this story on FDA.gov

[Modernmedicine.com]

You probably know that SPF stands for sun protection factor. But how should you apply that to your daily life and choose an SPF rating that is right for you? People often think the sun protection factor is an estimate of how much time you can spend in the sun. According to the Beauty Brains blog, this is only half of the equation….

[Beauty Brains: What does SPF really mean?]

Do you need cosmetic surgery after massive weight loss? Two sisters in Oklahoma did after they each lost over 130 lbs. Marla Sheperd and Kelly Butler decided to undergo gastric bypass surgery. With help from Dr. Louis Garosby and one cosmetic surgeon in Tulsa, the sisters are looking great.

[Sisters See Incredible Results Following Weight Loss Surgery]

If you’re reading this, you probably care a great deal about your appearance and health, so maybe you are motivated to make the time for 60 minutes of exercise every day. However, most people don’t think visiting the health club for an hour every day is very practical, nor is it exciting; so how can we put this advice into practice?

1. Get 30 minutes of high intensity exercise rather than 60 minutes of moderate intensity exercise. If you’re able, push yourself harder and burn those calories faster.

2. Gain some muscle with strength training and you’ll burn more fat. Try the kettlebells.

3. Don’t drive to the health club; bicycle or run there. It provides a great pre-workout warmup and adds a few extra minutes of exercise before and after your gym time.

4. Stop searching for that perfect parking spot. Park at the outer edge of the lot and walk.

5. Ask your boss about implementing a workplace fitness program. You may want to mention the surgeon general’s 2010 recommendation to promote healthier work sites. (Tell the co-workers to stop bringing all those cookies and donuts too.)

6. Know the difference between performance and appearance. When you evaluate your fitness and health achievements, it’s easy to focus solely on body weight and areas of excess fat. If you are faster or stronger, congratulate yourself and remember there are ways to enhance body appearance when nothing else works.

7. Exercise should be fun. If your current routine feels like pulling teeth, try something new and always try to keep an upbeat, positive attitude.

The Academy chose a different approach this year, polling random physicians as well as its own members for the survey. The results show numbers higher than ever seen before.

• AACS members have seen an 8% increase in cosmetic procedures despite the economic recession.
• Procedures that increased markedly include the tummy tuck, blepharoplasty, nose surgery, chemical peels and wrinkle fillers.

“As the economy recovers slowly but surely, we are seeing patients come back and feel better about doing some things for themselves that maybe they’d been putting off for a while.”  – AACS President Mark Berman MD

In this youtube video of an ABC News segment, Dr. Bruce Genter, a surgeon well known in Philadelphia is critical of acupuncture as a wrinkle treatment, citing the lack of scientific evidence for that purpose.

But when people claim that it works, are they seeing real results?  If so, is it a cost effective treatment method?

Julia Engstrom, who is featured in the video, says she has undergone Botox treatment and laser treatment in the past. She believes facial acupuncture has improved her skin texture and reduced her wrinkles. Nearing the end of 10 treatments, she says her improvements are a result of improved sleep and relaxation after acupuncture. “I’ve noticed that my skin is a lot smoother, [there’s] a lot less red pigment in there and the wrinkling seems to be a lot less,” Engstrom said.

Acupuncture, a process of strategic needle placement on the body, is said to bring improved health and well-being. In an article for Prevention magazine, licensed acupuncturist and Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner Phyllis Olson asserts that acupuncture can indeed lessen the appearance of wrinkles. She attributes this to a core premise of acupuncture – that health is reliant upon the healthy flow of chi (energy) in the body, which can be disrupted for a myriad of reasons. Acupuncture treatments are believed to break up energy blockages that prevent optimal blood flow to certain places in the body, improving circulation.

Acupuncturist Beata Maslanka acknowledges that acupuncture doesn’t yield visible results that compare to Botox or other facial fillers, but claims that beauty actually comes from within; when internal imbalances are resolved, people look better overall. Olson agrees, noting that the treatments foster relaxation of facial muscles, thereby reducing wrinkles. “Aside from the light, momentary stings, acupuncture is really quite relaxing,” she adds.

The results Engstrom points to are hard to discern from the video, but one can wonder about the salutary effects of relaxation and optimism. Of course, people also have a tendency to see (and believe) what they want to see.

If acupuncture does produce any wrinkle-relaxing effects, how long can one expect them to last? NYC dermatologic surgeon Barney Kenet, MD tells Prevention: “If acupuncture relaxes the muscles, it might reduce wrinkling temporarily. As for the increased blood flow, at most it will probably give you a temporary rosy complexion–something you don’t want if you have an inflammatory condition such as acne or rosacea,” he warns. “Otherwise, cosmetic acupuncture is relatively harmless.”

Maybe it is harmless if you ignore the cost of acupuncture. The average price is about $60 to $100 per session, with 10 sessions recommended by Olson, followed by monthly maintenance procedures.

In contrast, the average Botox treatment in the US costs $472 and a single treatment will last 3-6 months. By comparison, this makes acupuncture wrinkle treatments appear costly as well as unproven. Dr. Genter, whose Philadelphia Botox patients offer proof of visible wrinkle reduction, says: ”If it increases your well-being that’s great, I just don’t know that it can make your face look younger.”

Now according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, doctors and plastic surgeons at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center are seeking approval to perform a similar operation.

The surgeons evidently have experience with hand transplants — procedures that require advanced techniques to reconnect tissues, veins and blood vessels.  A face transplant however, would have different cosmetic goals and could require donation of organs that are difficult to procure.

Read more on pittsburghlive.com

Patients are learning to prioritize their treatments, while surgeons are offering financing and even money back guarantees, says the LA Times.

Minimally invasive procedures are way up, not only because they’re priced lower, but because some of them are just plain effective. Who’s getting these cosmetic procedures on a budget?

People in North Texas are doing scary things to save money on cosmetics. Some are buying generic injectables and administering them at home with instruction via youtube. DIY Plastic Surgery? No thanks.

Anod of course, while the rest of the world is pinching pennies, celebrities are getting ten cosmetic surgery procedures a day.