Though the term “best cosmetic surgery procedures” may seem subjective, hundreds, if not thousands, of research studies and trials are conducted each year on procedures and non-surgical treatments. Researchers are often on the lookout for treatments that provide optimal results, with minimal side effects for the patient. The better the results of the study, the more likely the product or treatment may be included among the best cosmetic surgery procedures.

In his review of 98 studies, Dr. Murad Alam of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and surgeon at Northwestern Memorial Hospital found the best cosmetic surgery procedures, based on his research.

Botox and other botulinum toxin-based injectables:

Dr. Alam said that based on the two decades of research and findings on Botox-like treatments, they are safe and effective for patients to use.

Tumescent Liposuction:

When tumescent liposuction is performed, special fluids that are used help the surgeon to safely remove fat cells. Dr. Alam added that tumescent liposuction minimizes the chance for excessive bleeding, improving the patient’s comfort and overall health and safety.

Dr. Alam looked into additional treatments, some of which are relatively new on the market. While he found that treatments that freeze fat or shrink it with laser light, and treatments that tighten skin are safe for use, he was not able to confirm the long-term benefits of each treatment.

To find the best cosmetic surgery procedures for you, Alam suggests talking it over with your surgeon and confirming what will best meet your needs.

For more about the best cosmetic surgery procedures in Owensboro, please email Dr. Edds.

Pamela, who had suffered from crippling migraines for most of her 47 years, says she chose to undergo the migraine headache surgery, as a means of reclaiming her life. Before, Pamela suffered from migraines on an almost daily basis, but after the surgery, the headaches have ceased.

She says her “life began at 47.”

The migraine headache surgery worked for Pamela by removing the corrugator facial muscle, located on the inner part of the eyebrow. For facial function, this muscle allows the brow to make a frowning shape. Though Pamela’s facial functions have changed from the surgery, she now says she has nothing to frown about since the surgery worked to treat her migraines.

While the form of migraine headache surgery Pamela underwent is still not widely performed and may not work to treat all types of migraine headaches, results from the procedure are positive.

Still, limited research has been published about this type of migraine headache surgery, and many other non-surgical options are available.

Before looking into alternative treatments for her migraines, Pamela used prescription medications to treat her condition. Additionally, Pamela saw success when using Botox injections to limit movement of the corrugator muscle and diminish the occurrence of migraine headaches.

Many cosmetic surgeons use Botox to treat not only facial wrinkles and folds, but also for patients who suffer from migraine headaches.

To learn more about applications for Botox in Owensboro, please email cosmetic surgeon Dr. Edds.

Around the globe, and especially in Spain, the beauty industry is actually growing. While some industries, like construction, are seeing decreases in demand, salon and beauty shop owners are seeing an influx of returning and new customers.

Many people credit a need to feel good about oneself as the reason for a boom in the beauty industry.

Salon manager Patricia Marquez knows the importance of personal care to her clients, saying, “A person needs to feel handsome, to feel comfortable with themselves. If they don’t look good it doesn’t matter what they do.”

Perhaps it is this desire, or even need, for personal upkeep that is causing the beauty industry in Spain to grow by 3% this year.

Even in times when other industries may be struggling, the “Lipstick index” still applies. The “Lipstick index,” as described by Estee Lauder founder Leonard Lauder, shows that even during an economic crisis, his customers bought more lipstick.

It’s safe to assume the “Lipstick index” applies to non-invasive cosmetic surgery stateside, as well. In an effort to look and feel their best, even if money may be tight, patients often choose non-invasive cosmetic surgery as a means of beauty upkeep.

Popular Options for Non-invasive Cosmetic Surgery

Injectable fillers like Radiesse and Juvederm can fill lines around the mouth, while Botox treatments can diminish crow’s feet near the eyes. Treatments like an Obagi Blue Peel can also improve a patient’s overall complexion at a lower cost than more involved procedures.

To learn more about non-invasive cosmetic surgery and treatments to fit your needs, please email Owensboro cosmetic surgeon Dr. Edds.

The new hyaluronic acid dermal filler, which is called Belotero Balance, has been approved to treat moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds. This includes nasolabial folds, the lines that run from your nose to the edges of your mouth.

Belotero Balance joins Merz Aesthetics family of non-surgical injectables, including Radiesse. Radiesse is a popular filler comprised of calcium-based microspheres in a water gel that works to restore lost volume in the face. Though its uses are similar to Belotero Balance, the new hyaluronic acid dermal filler works differently.

Like similar hyaluronic acid dermal fillers, Restylane and Juvederm, Belotero Balance works to restore lost volume to your skin by increasing its hydration. Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring hydrating component in your skin and these dermal fillers work to mimic it. When injected into the skin beneath the site of a wrinkle, a hyaluronic acid dermal filler provides a sort of scaffolding for depressed areas of skin, supporting them and improving the appearance of youth on the face.

To test the effectiveness of Belotero Balance, it was compared in a split-face study with a collagen-based filler. Using a scale that rates wrinkle severity, Belotero Balance was shown to provide a greater reduction in the appearance of nasolabial folds over 24 weeks. In fact, at the six-month mark, Belotero Balance still showed a greater correction of the wrinkles than its counterpart.

To learn more about your hyaluronic acid dermal filler options in Owensboro, please email cosmetic surgeon Dr. Edds.

In May, Dr. Edds, along with a member of his staff, as well as his son, joined a surgical mission to Colombia with the goal of helping reconstructive patients.

Dr. Edds, Dr. Young Kim, the practice’s anesthesiologist and Steven Edds, were part of a 16 member burn team compiled by Healing the Children. In addition to helping patients who had suffered burn traumas, the team also treated patients with cleft lips and palates, hand injuries and various scars.

When performing these types of surgeries, the main goal is usually to restore function to the damaged body part. In the case of a cleft lip and palate, daily tasks like eating and communicating can be difficult. For patients who have suffered burns and have scars, in many cases, the skin may be tightened and will not move naturally, making common tasks nearly impossible.

Over the several days the team spent working in Colombia, they started with what they saw as simpler cases to treat, like scar revision surgeries, but soon saw the difficulty of the cases increase.

One such patient was an infant who was abandoned by his mother when he was born prematurely and with a cleft lip. While at a remote hospital, he also sustained an injury to his right hand. Both of these conditions were corrected by the team and the infant was healing well when the team finished its work.

By the time the team left Colombia, they had performed more than 100 surgeries, correcting burn trauma for 34 patients. Additionally, nearly 50 patients underwent scar revision treatments and the team provided medical advice to local doctors, nurses and therapists.

To read more about Dr. Edds, Dr. Kim and the rest of the team’s work in Colombia, you can download the full article from Surge, the AACS magazine.

Sunscreen, the study found, was the most popular form of sun protection chosen by the 3,000 Caucasian adults who participated. In fact, 30% of those studied said they applied sunscreen when out in the sun for longer than one hour. Seeking shade was the second most popular form of sun protection with protective clothing options also being listed.

Startling is the fact that those who said they regularly apply sunscreen were at a 23% higher risk of sunburns, compared to those who rarely apply it.

While avoiding the sun, especially midday when its rays are strongest, is the best way to prevent sunburns and sun damage, applying the appropriate amount of sunscreen is key. For each body part that is exposed, like the legs or arms, a golf ball sized glob of sunscreen should be applied. This should be done half an hour before going outside so it has a chance to absorb and then be reapplied at least every two hours. If you get wet, sunscreen should be applied every 60 to 90 minutes.

People who say they regularly apply sunscreen are often likely not applying it correctly or often enough. Sunscreen should absorb at least 2mm for every square centimeter of skin. When reapplying, those who participated in a Brazilian study only used a quarter of what would be necessary for protection.

Though appropriate sunscreen application can help to prevent sunburn, other forms of protection, though less popular, may guard your skin better. Staying in the shade on sunny days is a prime form of protection from sun damage and burns, as is wearing a hat and clothing that does not leave your legs or arms exposed.

Proper sun protection, whether it comes in the form of correct sunscreen application or avoiding the sun’s rays in another manner, is important. Not only can it guard against the signs of premature aging like wrinkles and age spots, but it can prevent sunburns. Though sunburns may be uncomfortable for several days, in the long-term, they can increase your risk for skin cancer.

To learn more about products to protect your skin and prevent sunburns, as well as non-surgical treatments to correct sun damage, we encourage you to contact us or join our mailing list.

Nearly half of the sunscreens tested earned either a “recommended” rating or a “Best Buy” rating. Consumer Reports wanted to know how well they each protected against the UVA/UVB rays and how they performed in water.

Three sunscreens earned Consumer Reports’ “Best Buy” rating including Up & Up Sport SPF 30; No-Ad with Aloe and Vitamin E SPF 45; and Equate Baby SPF 50. Six other sunscreens earned the “recommended” rating and none of the 22 received a poor rating—good news for health-conscious consumers.

While your cosmetic surgeon would no doubt encourage you to apply an SPF regularly when you are out in the sun, Dr. Edds does recognize that many patients come to him with existing sun damage. This can rear its head in the form of age spots, wrinkles, and uneven pigmentation. Though you can protect your skin moving forward, Owensboro cosmetic surgeon Dr. Edds also offers options to repair previous damage.

Laser skin resurfacing in Owensboro is a non-surgical treatment that targets these superficial skin issues deep within your skin and diminishes them. If you exhibit more severe sun damage, you may require multiple sessions.

Obagi’s Blue Peel penetrates your skin, removing damaged outer layers to reveal healthy, refreshed skin below and is completed as a one-time in-office treatment.

Microdermabrasion in Owensboro is also completed as an in-office treatment and may be done in multiple sessions. This mildly abrading treatment is ideal for treating more minor skin issues.

To learn more about treating sun damage with non-surgical options, we encourage you to join the mailing list of Owensboro cosmetic surgeon Dr. Edds.

In the survey, the AAD found that indoor tanners had a 65% chance of having a family member who also tanned indoors. These indoor tanners, the AAD found, were four times more likely than outdoor-tanning peers to have a mother who also tans indoors.

The effects of this practice are where your cosmetic surgeon comes into play. Frequently, cosmetic surgeons treat various types of sun damage, such as photoaging and wrinkles. These can be corrected with a variety of professional grade skin care products and skin resurfacing treatments. If the damage from indoor (or outdoor) tanning has already been done, your cosmetic surgeon is eager to explain your options.

However, it is most likely that as summer approaches and the desire to get a healthy glow increases, that your cosmetic surgeon would advise you to avoid future damage and risk of cancer. You can do this by seeking out alternatives to UV tanning (like spray tans) and by wearing a sun block whenever you are outside.

Dermatologist Ellen S. Marmur, MD, FAAD, associate professor of dermatology at The Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, stressed that point.

“We urge parents to educate their teens about the dangers of UV exposure from tanning beds and to discourage or prohibit this activity for all family members,” Marmur said.

Dana Gaiser, a 27-year-old bride-to-be, said thin eyebrows, perhaps caused by too much teenage plucking, have often troubled her. After seeing an ad for Latisse, which grows fuller eyelashes, Dana asked her doctor about her options. While he originally tried to steer her toward more first-step options for hair growth, Dana persisted and her doctor gave her the Latisse prescription.

When applied to upper eyelashes regularly, Latisse prolongs the lash growth phase resulting in longer, fuller-looking lashes. Six weeks after Dana started applying Latisse to her eyebrows, she began seeing growth in previously sparse areas.

“People say eyebrows frame a face, and I really believe that now,” Dana said. “To be able to actually shape them and make them look the way I want, it’s a huge deal.”

These positive results may, in part, be what is spurring Allergan, the manufacturer of Latisse to test its effectiveness in treating brow and scalp hair loss.

If the testing proves successful, Allergan is hoping these current off-label uses for Latisse will gain FDA approval by 2013, according to a company spokeswoman.

Seven-year-old Samantha Shaw struggled with children in her first grade class asking about her protruding and cup ears. Samantha’s mother says she has experienced teasing and probing questions from adults, too, who have asked what happened to her daughter’s ears, calling them “gross.”

The ear pinning surgery Samantha underwent is also known as otoplasty and is performed to correct overly large or protruding ears. By accessing the cartilage, the cosmetic surgeon is able to shape the ears and place them closer to the head. It can be performed on adults and children whose ears are fully developed.

After her surgery, Samantha showed little sign of pain while getting her bandages removed and said she thought the new appearance of her ears was “good.”

Though bullying can have a negative effect on a child, Cheryl Rode who is the director of clinical operations at the San Diego Center for Children, warns about being quick to lay blame on the victim. Rather, she says schools should be responsible for preventing bullying. This reminder just stresses the fact that anyone’s desire for cosmetic surgery, young or mature, should come from within.