The Scotsman 04/02/08

RECORD numbers of people across the UK are going under the knife, according to new figures which show a large increase in plastic-surgery procedures.

The figures, released by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (Baaps), show the stigma of “having some work done” is falling away.

Some 32,453 people chose to have cosmetic surgery last year, an increase of 12 per cent on 2006, when 28,921 procedures were carried out.

Facelifts are becoming ever more popular according to data, with 4,238 women opting for the procedure last year, a rise of 37 per cent on 2006.

The Sunday Times October 14, 2007
These days it’s not just women who are opting for a nip or tuck. Since 2004, the number of men turning to cosmetic surgery has more than doubled to about 2,500 last year, according to figures from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS).

The most popular procedures are nose jobs (rhinoplasty), eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty), liposuction, ear correction (otoplasty) and face or neck lifts. Many people expect surgery to change their life, improve their job prospects or fix a relationship, but this is not necessarily the case. About half the men who have nose jobs aren’t happy with the immediate results, warns BAAPS.

emediawire.com 26/09/2007
Prospective patients can actually view cosmetic surgeries in their entirety online. This website also includes voice-over narration and even post-operative photographs, according to Dr. Edward Domanskis, the innovative plastic surgeon who has introduced this free service.

Viewable surgeries at www.seesurgery.com include liposuction, breast enlargement, blepharoplasty, rhinoplasty, and abdominoplasty(tummy tuck), which are the five most common cosmetic procedures that patients have done.

“I have patients who really wanted to see how these surgeries were performed, and how they looked after them,” said Dr. Domanskis, an Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery(Plastic)WOC at the University of California(Irvine).

Following research by the University of Aberdeen which revealed that British women have cosmetic surgery to please their partners, healthcare provider, BMI Healthcare said that it wrongly reflects the British cosmetic surgery industry. BMI Healthcare has conducted approximately 1262 procedures since January this year for their national cosmetic surgery product and one of its surgeons,Akhtar Hussain, believes that the majority of patients are doing it for their own reasons.

(HealthNewsDigest.com) 
Cardinal Health, a global provider of products and services that improve the safety and productivity of health care, today announced Presource® Standard Cosmetic-Surgery Packs – prepackaged kits that provide the core surgical components needed for common cosmetic surgery procedures.

The new procedure packs are available for liposuction, abdominoplasty, rhinoplasty, blepharoplasty, facial rhytidectomy, breast augmentation, breast reduction and breast lift. Consumer demand for these procedures is growing at a rate of 12 percent annually, with Americans spending approximately $12.4 billion on cosmetic procedures in 2006.

By Angela Parker Indystar.com 15/08/07
If you’re thinking those laugh lines aren’t so funny anymore or that surgery might be the only way to shed dangerous extra pounds, here’s a tip: Having realistic expectations and determination are requirements for successful cosmetic or bariatric surgery.
 
For cosmetic surgery patients, realistic expectations are like best friends who tell the truth even when it hurts. Expecting surgery to turn a Phyllis Diller into a Julia Roberts is just not realistic — but expecting to look like a younger version of yourself is totally achievable. Dr. Catherine P. Winslow, FACS, Winslow Facial Plastic Surgery, recommends looking at photographs from 10 years ago to get an idea of what surgery can accomplish.

Lipostabil, also known as the Flab Jab, is currently yet to receive a licence for cosmetic purposes in the UK due to a lack of clinical testing and concerns over its safety.

Lipostabil is licensed in Germany as a treatment for fat embolisms, where blood vessels become blocked by fat particles. However, it has been discovered that when injected directly into problem areas, such as a double chin or fat behind the knees, fat can be broken down and lost in those specific places.

 The treatment has even been demonstrated live on television on Channel 4’s Richard and Judy show. A guest was given two injections of Lipostabil two months apart and showed a marked improvement.

By Lesley Thomas DAILY TELEGRAPH
9:14am BST 01/08/2007
 
Frank Sinatra advised in the song Wives and Lovers: “Don’t send him off, with your hair still in curlers. You may not see him again.”

However, it seems that British women couldn’t care less after a survey showed they are the least likely to put effort into their appearance for the sake of men.

They have the lowest levels of concern in the world for what husbands, boyfriends and other male observers might think, with only 51 per cent caring whether men liked their appearance, the study said.

by HILARY FREEMAN The DAILY MAIL 2nd August 2007
Full story- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=472558&in_page_id=1879
Dark hollows under the eyes can make you look tired and are very ageing. A new non-surgical procedure called tear trough rejuvenation promises to restore your looks quickly. HILARY FREEMAN spoke to two women who have tried it.
Fran Cook, 42: For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a tendency to develop dark circles around my eyes, which worsen when I’m tired.
I should drink more water and do more exercise, but I’m a working mum and never seem to have the time.
I don’t spend a lot on skin care, although I do use concealer.
Recently, a couple of incidents made me feel very self-conscious about the circles.
First, my boss asked me if I’d considered having a health check-up because he thought I looked really tired and feared I was ill.
A couple of days later, I showed someone round an acquaintance’s house.
My client was an ocular plastic surgeon named Raman Malhotra. He called me that evening. “I hope you don’t think I’m being rude,” he said, “but you look very dark around your eyes. Have you ever thought about doing something about it?”
He said that hollows under the eyes are very common in women my age and that he was using a new, non-surgical procedure called tear trough rejuvenation to treat them, which research has shown to be much more effective, safer and quicker than surgery.
The surgeon uses Restylane injections to fill in the hollows under the eyes, which deepen when fat is lost as you age. It’s these, rather than eye bags, that make you look tired and old.

Whether a person loses weight through diet and exercise or through bariatric surgery, there are a few problems that arise as a result of the weight loss. One that will be most noticeable is the loose skin that remains after the weight is gone. When someone is overweight, the skin stretches to accommodate the increased volume of weight. After weight loss, the skin often fails to tighten, and so it sags. In many cases, it hangs (especially in the arms, stomach, thighs, breasts, and buttocks). It acts as a constant reminder of the weight you once carried around. Exercise WILL NOT tighten skin (exercise never tightens skin - only muscles). The only way to tighten loose skin is through cosmetic plastic surgery.