Botox for Teen before TV Debut
July 21st, 2010
The new star of Glee has had Botox right before she makes her debut appearance – at just 18-years-old. Teenage singer Charice Pempengco says she wanted to have the procedure “to look fresh on camera” before joining the show as a foreign exchange student. I hope this not another new pop culture trend.
It is hard to imagine any cosmetic facial problem that an 18 year old would have, which warrants the use of Botox. Facial animation wrinkles just have not had time to develop. The fact that she had Thermage is quite disturbing. Thermage is a non-surgical procedure that tightens skin and smoothes wrinkles. Superficial skin conditions like irregular pigmentation might also be improved by Thermage, but she was reported to be treated for wrinkles. Skin tightening effects are not necessary, nor are they indicated for teens. This is particularly true for Asian women. In my experience, their skin remains tighter than patients with lighter skin tones. Thermage cannot narrow the face. This requires facial sculpting. Liposuction or buccal fat pad excision remove facial fat to narrow the cheeks and certainly not recommended for teenagers.
The entire situation is absurd! It sounds like another Hollywood publicity stunt or medical grandstanding to me.
Eyelid Nipntuck
June 21st, 2010
I frequently hear that nipntuck procedures for the eyes, called blepharoplasty are the best bang for the buck to freshen the appearance of the face. It is actually one of the surgeries that is popular with male patients, as well. It is a common belief that by removing eye bags, cosmetic surgery can restore a rested and more youthful appearance. I agree. Keen competition in the business world drives more executives to maintain this vibrant and healthy look. Repairing droopy eyelids for both men and women has an overall positive impact on patients’ quality of life.
The procedure involves the upper eyelids, lower eyelids or both. It is a common misconception that liposuction is used for eyelid surgery. Upper eyelids require removal of skin and a small amount of fat. Lower eyelids have fat repositioning, followed by re-draping the skin and muscle. Only a very small amount of skin is removed from lower eyelids. Patients usually have minimal bruising and may return to work in as little as a few days. Makeup easily covers slight bruising during recovery, however it needs to be applied with a light touch.
I have a conservative approach to eye surgery and avoid the more severe “almond eye” look that seems to be popular in Hollywood. My patients simply look more rested, like they’ve just come back from vacation. Here in Minnesota, mid-summer is a likely time for that “cosmetic surgery vacation.” I usually see a slight uptick in requests for facial rejuvenation surgery, particularly eyelid surgery and facelifts.
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