Quick Anti-aging Fixes for the Holidays
December 5th, 2012
What are some quick fixes to look younger for Holidays? There are several temporary options for facial rejuvenation. Lip wrinkles are quite simple to treat with the introduction of hyaluronic acid injections (Restylane ®, Pearlane ®). Dermal fillers reduce the look of wrinkles around the lips, giving a fresher appearance by restoring fullness to the lip. Reduced lip fullness is a common complaint and is a normal facial change as we age. Careful placement of fillers during the injection treatment can re-sculpt the lips to make them look fuller, more youthful.
Laugh lines may contribute to looking older, as well. Hyaluronic acid can also be injected beneath laugh lines to reduce those wrinkles. This combination of treatment areas can often provide the effects of a mini- facelift without the expense or more substantial recovery time. However, the facial changes are not as long-lasting, compared with a facelift. Depending on the patient, the optimum results from hyaluronic acid injections may last on average of 4-6 months. Many of my patients are quite happy with the temporary rejuvenation, while others choose a round of fillers to delay making the choice to have more permanent anti-aging changes that a facelift offers.
Cosmetic Surgery Too Much of a Good Thing?
November 26th, 2012
When is cosmetic surgery too much of a good thing? I filmed a segment for the local Fox News Affiliate here in Minneapolis, hosted by Medical Correspondent, Dr. Archelle Georgiou. They filmed part of the segment while I was performing a lower blephaorplasty or lower eyelid surgery. My patient did have some other plastic surgery in the past and while gathering routine background information, Dr. Georgiou inquired whether I felt that the patient was perhaps choosing cosmetic surgery too often. In other words, did I think the patient suffered from a possible cosmetic surgery addiction? As with all my patients, I am careful to evaluate a patient’s motivations for surgery and attempt to uncover any unhealthy desires for seeking cosmetic surgery. In this case, I feel confident that my patient had legitimate concerns regarding the unsightly bags under her eyes and that she was an excellent candidate for eyelid surgery. She expressed realistic expectations from the surgery and in my opinion; she is certainly not a cosmetic surgery addict.
However, while we are on the topic, let me elaborate. There are several characteristics that are common among cosmetic surgery addicts and for the most part, they are not dissimilar to other addictions. Patients that have Body Dysmorphic Disorder are likely to seek cosmetic surgery to correct “perceived†physical flaws. This disorder has significant psychological components and it is unlikely that any amount of cosmetic surgery will correct feelings of having physical deformity that may not exist. This disorder leads some patients to have excessive cosmetic surgery. As a physician, I feel a professional and moral obligation to refer patients that exhibit these difficulties to the proper psychological care when it is appropriate.
Without a doubt there are patients who do suffer from this problem. The pop culture media machine is quick to point out the cosmetic surgery obsessions of Michael Jackson, New York’s “Cat Woman†and Joan Rivers, to name just a few.
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