According to BAAPS president Fazel Fatah, who recently spoke out in an interview with the Independent, the plastic surgery industry has been marred by a rogue attitude:

“We have warned against the unrealistic expectations set by reality ‘makeover’ shows and against crass competition prizes promising ‘mummy makeovers’ and body overhauls. In no other area of surgery would one encounter two-for-one offers. The pendulum has swung too far.”

The association has proposed a six-point plan to counter these rogue practices:

1. Ban all advertising for cosmetic procedures. Prescription medications in the UK may not be advertised and Fatah argues that this should also apply to cosmetic medical procedures.
2. Establish an implant registry to track all types of silicone implants.
3. Reclassify dermal fillers as medicines and limit their usage. While only about a dozen fillers are approved in the United States by the FDA, British authorities have approved over 100 different types of fillers.
4. Compulsory registration of practitioners in all aspects of aesthetic medicine and lasers.
5. Mandatory annual safety audits.
6. Revalidation and mystery shopping.

These proposed measures have met with significant support, although some groups are calling for a more measured response. The Independent Healthcare Advisory Service, an industry body, says that it opposes a wholesale ban on advertising, arguing instead for responsible and ethical advertising.

Two sisters, who note that they usually give clothing or personal items for presents, may be exchanging different items this year. Sister Tina’s #1 wish for a gift? Botox.

Though her sister feels she may not need the injectable, Tina is sure about her request for a plastic surgery gift. She says she began getting Botox treatments after a recent break-up and continues to see improvement in the appearance of crow’s feet.

While the 2011 Christmas season may see an uptick in the number of plastic surgery gifts, it’s nothing new for many consumers. In 2010 alone, patients spent more than $10 billion on cosmetic surgeries and treatments.

With the continued acceptance of injection treatments like Botox and Juvederm it may be increasingly common for people to give plastic surgery gifts, which one woman called “injectable youth.”

Though non-surgical options are the most cost-effective way of giving plastic surgery gifts this year, some gift givers may choose to help out with cosmetic surgeries, too. Popular procedures include facial rejuvenation, body contouring and breast surgeries.

To learn more about plastic surgery gifts and specials on Botox in Munster, please email plastic surgeon Dr. Robinson.

The plastic surgery film, which is titled About Face, focuses on the importance of youth in today’s society and specifically discusses plastic surgery in the modeling industry and Hollywood.

In the first clip for the plastic surgery film, which is to be released on HBO this summer, several noted models and actresses talk briefly about their views on plastic surgery and aging, both good and bad.

American model Carmen Dell’Orifice seems to have a “why not?” perspective on plastic surgery.

“If you had the ceiling falling down in your living room, would you not go and have a repair,” Dell’Orifice asks in the plastic surgery film.

On the other hand, Italian actress and model Isabella Rossellini may have not chosen plastic surgery as Dell’Orifice has as she ages, but she has seen how growing older in Hollywood has changed her life.

Rossellini shares in the plastic surgery film that while her daughter receives invites to Hollywood A-list parties, she herself no longer does. While Rossellini may feel somewhat shunned by young Hollywood, she is still able to laugh about aging in About Face, adding, “As you grow old, you don’t count any more!”

Other actresses and models are profiled in the plastic surgery film and give their wide-ranging views on getting older and trying to stay youthful and healthy in today’s society. The clip is available on YouTube.

To find out more about plastic surgery in Munster, please email plastic surgeon Dr. Robinson.

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Though Fonda said in the past she had no desire to get plastic surgery, she recently decided to undergo facial rejuvenation. Known for her physical health and activism, Fonda says she wanted to look as vibrant as she feels in her early 70s. After seeing a reflection of herself in a store window, Fonda settled on cosmetic improvements.

Fonda admitted on TODAY that she underwent plastic surgery on her lower eyelids, chin and neck.

Patients often choose eyelid surgery to remove small pockets of fat under the eyes, which can give the appearance of advanced age and tiredness.

Procedures of the lower face and neck, like a neck lift, work to smooth the skin and minimize the appearance of bands on the neck. Like fat beneath the eyes, these neck bands and deep lines can make a patient appear older.

Although Fonda visited TODAY to speak about her new fitness DVDs for seniors and the topic of aging and health took center stage.

While she believes exercise is “the number one ingredient for successful aging,” Fonda also shared that her choice to have plastic surgery on her face bought herself some time.

Her dedication to fitness throughout her life has helped her to feel great and rested, she said, and now the face Fonda presents to the public better reflects that.

To learn more about plastic surgery, even later in life, email Munster plastic surgeon Dr. Robinson.

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 Munster, please email plastic surgeon Dr. Robinson.

Patients who choose neck liposuction as a double chin treatment should have adequate skin elasticity, however, to ensure a toned result. If you lack skin elasticity, a neck lift, combined with liposculpture may be more appropriate.

After undergoing her successful neck liposculpture treatment, Terry says she likes the look of her face. While before she complained of a “long, sort of fat part” her jawline is now more defined. A more clearly defined jaw can help a patient’s face appear thinner.

As long as patients maintain a healthy lifestyle, including diet and exercise, the results from neck liposculpture as a double chin treatment can be long lasting.

If you would like to learn more about facial rejuvenation surgery in Munster, please email or call plastic surgeon Dr. Robinson.

Because some patients choose to go overseas for surgeries that may be cheaper, plastic surgeons in the US and internationally are also seeing “alarming” rates of patients who experience complications. Due to lax and inconsistent safeguards and guidelines used by some international plastic surgeons, patients do not always receive the care they should when traveling for plastic surgery.

For example, patients from the UK who went abroad for plastic surgery reported a 20% complication rate, according to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS).

As a remedy to this issue, the president of the ISAPS proposed a checklist to ensure safe cosmetic surgery. This proposed checklist covers four key factors for safe cosmetic surgery as follows:

• The patient should be a good candidate for the requested surgery.
• The surgeon must be properly trained and credentialed.
• The procedure should be appropriate for the patient.
• The surgical facility should be an accredited and proven safe venue with properly trained staff and emergency preparedness.

The World Health Organization also champions patient safety. A safe cosmetic surgery checklist it promoted in 2008, with the support of ISAPS, has shown to greatly improve patient safety when used properly, In fact, under the use of the checklist, patient complications were reduced by more than one third and patient deaths decreased by nearly 50%.

The ISAPS stresses that patients understand that just because a doctor has a medical degree does not mean they are qualified to perform any surgery. In order to undergo a safe cosmetic surgery, patients should ensure that their surgeon is trained and credentialed in the procedure/field and that surgery will be performed in an accredited, safe facility.

The ISAPS says it has seen an increase in patients contacting its offices to verify their surgeon’s credentials. This, coupled with appropriate local research, can help patients choose a plastic surgeon who is ideal for performing their safe cosmetic surgery.

To learn more about choosing safe cosmetic surgery options, please join the mailing list of Munster plastic surgeon Dr. Robinson.

The study, which was conducted at the University Health Network Breast Restoration Program at the University of Toronto, asked women about the procedure three weeks after surgery, and again three months after. What it found was that even three weeks out, when healing was still taking place, is that many patients reported an improvement in their overall well-being.

Even if some patients experienced complications following their procedure, which were remedied, many still felt the surgery had improved their lives.

What was interesting, however, is that the type of reconstruction the patients chose affected how they felt about the surgery and their healing. A common breast reconstruction option is to use implants to recreate the breast. This procedure generally has a shorter recovery time than other breast reconstruction options, but may require implant revision within several years. The second, more involved breast reconstruction option is to use tissues from the patient’s own body, such as the stomach.

Patients who selected a tissue-based breast reconstruction option experienced a longer recovery, as well as weakened abdominal muscles. This weakening of the stomach muscles is an expected side effect, but some patients feel it can inhibit everyday functions, even like getting out of bed in the morning.

To remedy this, the researchers suggested that more should be done to make patients aware of the side effects of tissue-based reconstruction. This would include the patient working with a physiotherapist, to help them regain use of the stomach muscles.

Even with these new findings, the researchers stress the importance of finding a breast reconstruction option that fits with the patient’s lifestyle. What is ideal for one woman, may not work for the next.

To learn more about your breast reconstruction options in Munster, please join the mailing list of plastic surgeon Dr. Robinson.

While plastic surgeons in the past had largely used Restylane for its previous FDA approved treatment of lines and wrinkles, this new approval opens up the doors for Restylane lip augmentation. Previously, though it was not FDA approved, plastic surgeons could use the injectable for Restylane lip augmentation, as an off-label treatment.

This announcement comes after the release of findings from a recent study of Restylane lip augmentation treatments. In the study conducted by 12 doctors, it was found that Restylane was “well tolerated and highly effective for lip augmentation for up to six months.”

When measured on several points, researchers found Restylane lip augmentation to be effective and long lasting. The effects of the treatment are said to least up to six months for many patients. Those patients who participated in the study were so pleased with the results of their Restylane lip augmentation, in fact, that 80% of them chose to undergo another treatment after six months.

Restylane is an injectable gel comprised of hyaluronic acid, a key hydrating component of your skin. When injected beneath the surface of your skin at the site of a wrinkle, Restylane provides immediate correction. During a treatment for thin lips, your plastic surgeon will inject a specific amount of the product into your upper and sometimes lower lip. This form of Restylane lip augmentation will provide immediate volume to your lips, creating a larger kissable area.

If you struggle with thin lips, we encourage you to learn more about Restylane lip augmentation in Munster. Please join the mailing list of plastic surgeon Dr. Robinson to find out about specials on Restylane and other non-surgical treatments.

In a recent study, many patients who underwent testing of a new anti-wrinkle prescription saw a decrease in visible wrinkles on the face, when taking the product as directed. Unlike creams which may only target surface wrinkles, researchers believe this new anti-wrinkle prescription works because it is able to access the deepest layers of skin—the dermis.

For the study, 480 middle-aged women from across Europe took part. Some were given a placebo, while others were given a true dose of the anti-wrinkle prescription. Even researchers did not know whether patients were given the placebo or not. After taking the anti-wrinkle prescription three times a day for 14 weeks, wrinkles on the faces of the participants were assessed.

While wrinkles were 30% shallower for some of the patients who received the actual anti-wrinkle prescription, many patients who received the same dose experienced wrinkles that were 10% shallower.

The anti-wrinkle prescription was developed after the researchers tested what natural components would increase collagen production in women of a certain age. What they found was that combinations of Vitamins C and E, acids from fish oil, as well as additional components, promoted collagen synthesis. It is the natural production of collagen that helps to keep skin looking young and smooth.

As an added boon to the producers of the anti-wrinkle prescription, government approval may not be necessary since the extracts they contain are already widely used. It is unclear whether FDA approval would be necessary should the product come to the US. Unilever, which produces the medication, plans to launch it in spas in the UK, Spain and Canada in October.

Testing only included short term effects for the anti-wrinkle prescription, and researchers recommend patients take the medication three times daily for at least three months to see the effects. It is likely that if a patient discontinues use of the capsule, that the normal aging process would resume.

To find out about non-surgical wrinkle treatments currently available in your plastic surgeon’s office, please join the mailing list of Munster plastic surgeon Dr. Robinson.