Whether it means dropping a few pounds or putting on mascara in the morning, everyone wants to look good. But do you really want to look good—or do you want to be looked at?
An Ohio woman is raising money for breast implants, which will help improve her self-esteem, she says, but instead of picking up some extra shifts at work, she’s taking her cause to the streets. Thirty-seven-year-old Chrissy Lance, clad in a silver bikini and perched on a shiny motorcycle, has been panhandling at the side of the road to pay for her plastic surgery. You’ve got to give her props for putting it all out there to get what she wants, but her quest for $5,000 to pay for a boob job seems to be as much about attention as self-improvement.
Maybe it’s just me, but if I ever decided to opt for plastic surgery over my real breasts, I wouldn’t be parading around in next to nothing with strangers ogling my goodies. I would feel completely objectified. There’s got to be a better way! I’d keep it a private matter, maybe ask family and close friends for loans—or invest in a padded bra. But no busking on the street corner.
The 2014 plastic-surgery statistics will be released later today by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS). Thanks to an advance peek, I can report that butts are getting bigger, while breasts are getting smaller.
Buttock augmentations are up 86 percent over 2013. Michael C. Edwards, a plastic surgeon and the president of the ASAPS notes that most women don’t want giant backsides, they just want more shapely ones. The other big news is breast revisions, which are up 30.4 percent. Many attribute that rise to aging implants in need of replacement, along with many women’s desire to switch from saline to silicone-gel-filled implants, which may not have been available when they originally had surgery. What’s more, insiders say most of these women are exchanging their old implants for smaller replacements.
The other news in the numbers is a five percent drop in overall procedures: 10,663,607 in 2014, down from 11,419,610 in 2013. The decrease was mostly in minimally-invasive procedures like Botox and fillers. No explanation for this was offered by the ASAPS, but could it be what I call injection fatigue? Many women I’ve spoken to don’t want to return again and again for refills. Surgical procedures fell only 1.5 percent from 1,883,048 to 1,764,956, a drop that the number crunchers say is not statistically significant.
Fat—and getting rid of it—is still a high priority. In recent years the top surgical procedures for women have flipped back and forth between breast implants and liposuction. In 2014, liposuction held the number one spot, followed by breast augmentation (down 8.5 percent), tummy tuck, blepharoplasty (or eye lift), and in fifth place, the breast lift. Facelifts are in eighth place.
Liposuction may still be king (or is it queen?) in the surgical department, but non-surgical fat reduction with devices such as CoolSculpting and VASERshape rose a whopping 42.7 percent, from 94,922 in 2013 to 135,448 in 2014. That number could rise even more this year if ATX-101, an injection for fat reduction under the chin, gets FDA clearance, which it’s expected to receive.
There are a lot of myths surrounding plastic surgery and various procedures. As myths tend to be, none of them are true. If you’re considering plastic surgery but you are holding back due to something that you’ve heard, take a look at this list of popular plastic surgery myths.
Plastic surgery doesn’t help with self-esteem: While changing the way that you look can’t change who you are on the inside, nearly 88% of plastic surgery patients felt better about themselves post-surgery — that’s a pretty decent amount!
Most procedures are not affordable, and only celebrities can afford plastic surgery. While this might have been true many years ago, it is no longer the case. Thanks to new technology and practices, plastic surgery procedures are far more affordable than they were before. Some doctors will also work with patients when it comes to things like payment plans, so that’s worth looking into as well. You’ll never know how much the procedure you want will cost until you book a consultation!
Breast implants are dangerous: For some reason, this rumor still flies, though it’s not the case at all. Breast implants are not linked to cancer in any way, and the materials used for implants are constantly monitored for possible problems. The FDA has signed off on breast implants because they are, in fact, safe.
It’s too much of a risk: Any kind of surgery comes with risks, but plastic surgery risks can be minimized if you find the right surgeon. Surgeons that have experience performing the procedure that you have in mind perform the same surgery every day, and that means that these surgeons are far less likely to make mistakes. Risks that come with surgery often have very little to do with the actual procedure, and any risks associated with the procedure will be clearly outline prior to the day of surgery.
Only women have plastic surgery. This can seem true, since most of the time we read about female celebrities getting plastic surgery. The truth is that men have many different procedures during regularly as well. Maybe men just don’t talk about it as much?
You can’t breastfeed if you have implants. Many women have no problem breastfeeding after breast augmentation. Once again, this is very much a myth, and if there are any issues that could arise, your doctor will discuss these with you before surgery.
Really Putting Rumors to Rest
It can be easy to believe rumors that are spread all too frequently, but rumors also tend to breed fear. Often, people that want to explore plastic surgery options will not book a consultation appointment for fear that some of the rumors heard are true. However, the best way to find out if there’s any truth to your fears is to visit with a surgeon, ask questions, get answers, and really find out the truth behind those concerns. You can also take a look around our blog for additional information about various plastic surgery procedures.
Gravity won big at the Oscars, but the American public parted with more than $12 billion last year trying to defy it. According to figures to be released today by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), spending on plastic surgery and other cosmetic procedures has increased by nearly $1.5 billion. Slightly less popular than the previous year—but still the number-one operation among women—was breast augmentation, with 313,000 surgeries. Liposuction came in second (312,000 procedures) among women, followed by tummy tucks (151,000), breast lifts (137,000), and eye lifts (133,000).
It was also a good year for face-lifts. Although that particular surgery has not been in the top five for years, in 2013 the number of procedures jumped from 107,000 to 117,000—the highest number ever recorded—and that in spite of the ready availability of filler injections that can refresh the face without incisions. As for women’s nonsurgical interventions, no surprises there: Botox and similar injections topped the list with a whopping 3.4 million procedures, up from 2.9 million in 2012. Hyaluronic acid fillers were number two, up 32 percent; and photo rejuvenation, also called intense pulsed light, was up 34 percent.
When the American Society of Plastic Surgeons released their statistics, it was no surprise to Dr. Frank Filiberto that breast augmentation, rhinoplasty, eyelid surgery, liposuction, and facelift were the most popular cosmetic surgical procedures in the United States. However, we have noticed at our practice that nonsurgical procedures – particularly injectables – are increasing steadily in popularity.
The current trend in aesthetic enhancement is a less aggressive approach to rejuvenation. For our average patient seeking cosmetic treatment, the goal is an end result that looks natural and realistic, rather than overdone and artificial. The dramatic increase in injectable treatments is, in part, due to their overall ease, availability, and minimal down time. Injectables such as BOTOX® Cosmetic and JUVÉDERM® can often be a more practical and conservative approach to achieving younger-looking skin without making an overly-dramatic impact on your appearance. Patients seeking to reduce fine lines and wrinkles and restore lost volume – or to take preventive measures against these common signs of aging – have many nonsurgical treatment options available if a full facelift is not considered an options by the patient.
A SMASface lift, short for superficial musculo-aponeurotic system face lift, is a surgical procedure that addresses sagging jowls, cheeks, skin folds on the neck and other excessive skin issues that occur in the lower two-thirds of the face. Unlike a traditional face lift, a SMAS face lift performed by our experienced plastic surgeon in Melbourne, Florida is done by manipulating the deeper layers of the skin, which helps achieve more natural and longer lasting results. Below the skin, there is a layer of fibrous and muscular tissue that is tightly attached to the superficial skin layer, which shapes several facial regions. This connection is especially prominent at the nasolabial folds, also known as smile lines. During a SMAS face lift, our highly trained plastic surgeon from Melbourne, Florida will make a well-hidden small incision in the hairy region of the scalp. Then the surgeon will proceed by finding the deeper fibrous skin layer and manipulating it so that the skin will look tighter and sagging skin regions or neck folds will disappear. Any excessive skin will be removed and the skin will be re-attached carefully in the appropriate position.
Unlike a conventional face lift, a SMAS face lift performed in Melbourne, Florida is done to achieve a more natural lift of all skin elements rather than just the superficial skin layer. Although a SMAS face lift that is performed by our highly skilled plastic surgeon in Melbourne, Florida is a safe and effective surgical procedure, it is important to discuss your preferences and expectations with our experienced medical team. The surgeon will carefully evaluate your medical history and may ask you about any prescription medications that you may be taking. If you are prescribed blood thinners or steroid anti-inflammatory drugs, the surgeon may ask you to lower the dosage to avoid potential excessive bleeding and to speed-up the healing time. A SMAS face lift is usually associated with mild swelling and bruising that is temporary and will disappear in a few days. Our skilled plastic surgeon in Melbourne, Florida chooses the best SMAS face lift surgical technique after individually evaluating each case to minimize swelling and achieve superb results with minimal risks.
People have studied and been preoccupied with beauty since ancient times. Along with an attractive and well-shaped body, a beautiful face was always regarded as a sign of charm and charisma. Although we all recognize a beautiful face when we see it, it is hard to define what it is exactly that makes it appealing and magnetic. Scientists believe that a beautiful face is all about anatomical symmetry and proportions. In other words, a beautiful face combines a proportionate, proper sized and shaped nose, mouth, eyes, jaw and even neck. Nose shape is especially important since it is the most prominent facial structure, and it can distract people’s attention from other parts of the face if it is not properly structured. For example, you may have big, beautiful eyes and attractive, well-contoured lips, but if your nose distracts someone’s attention because it is too big, too long or has distinctive features that makes it unattractive, your facial advantages may go unnoticed.
A rhinoplasty, also known as a nose job, is a type of plastic surgery that involves modifying the shape and structure of the nose to achieve an appearance as close as possible to what the patient desires to have. Usually people have rhinoplasty because their nose is disproportionate with the rest of the facial features including being too wide, too long, having humps on the bridge, being deviated to one side, bulbous and others. A rhinoplasty effectively attempts to correct the problem with the goal of achieving a facial symmetry and the right proportions that will accentuate the person’s advantages and make his or her face more attractive and beautiful. A rhinoplasty performed by an experienced and skilled plastic surgeon may yield impressive results in changing the overall appearance of a person. Beautiful facial features such as deep, big and sincere eyes or seductive, proportionate lips may suddenly be brought out by a corrected nose shape.
Police: Ex-Fiance’s New Girlfriend Attacked Brevard Co. Woman
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. —A Brevard County woman said on Tuesday her breast implant saved her life after it absorbed the blow when she was stabbed with a pocket knife.The victim, who doesn’t want to be named, said her ex-fiancé’s new girlfriend, Amy Winter, attacked her outside of his Melbourne apartment.
Police said Winter first scratched the victim’s car, then turned the knife on the victim, stabbing her repeatedly in the left side of her chest. “It happened so fast. I’m like, ‘Put down the knife.’ I look down, and I was covered in blood,” the victim said. The victim said she realized the knife had punctured the implant and she was soaked with saline. Doctors said the stab victim’s breast implant had just enough saline in it to stop the knife from piercing through her chest. The 41-year-old victim said that the decision to spend $6,000 on breast augmentation three months ago might’ve been the best move she ever made. “It was just really lucky. Just think about it, three months ago, if it happened to her, she would have been dead,” said the woman’s doctor, Dr. Frank Filiberto, of Artful Awakenings. Doctors said the implant prevented a deadly blow. “When you stab it, it gives a little. It probably gave and couldn’t get through it, then it went through it and couldn’t go through the back wall. She would have had a collapsed lung or (the knife would have) hit her heart,” Filiberto said. Filiberto said that in his 30 years of cosmetic surgery, this is a first, and it gives him a whole new outlook. If this saves lives, there’s nothing wrong with passing a law that everyone should have breast prosthesis,” Filiberto said as a joke. The kind of damage the victim had to her breast implants isn’t typically covered by warranty, but because the patient is a victim of a crime, the manufacturer said it will cover the cost.