Public Service Announcement from Little Rock Cosmetic Surgery Center October 14, 2013 - Rhys Branman, MD Back to school wardrobes these days are beginning to include cosmetic surgery. Highly disturbing, the self-esteem lost due to the constant torment of bullying has driven children, particularly teens, to cosmetic surgery. 90,000 adolescents a year have cosmetic surgery. If you recall, in one instance, school officials negligent in their duty suggested a bullied teen have surgery. I say negligent because it would have been more appropriate to institute an anti-bullying program. There has been a lot of commentary around the Internet by surgeons and psychologists and I would like to comment as well. Cosmetic surgery is becoming more and...
Quit Now and Stay Healthy October 11, 2013 - Rhys Branman, MD When you come to Little Rock Cosmetic Surgery Center for liposuction, a face lift, or any other surgical procedure I will ask you to stop smoking for a period of time before surgery. On all preoperative instructions you will see this statement: NO SMOKING because nicotine reduces blood flow to the skin and can cause significant complications during healing. Stopping smoking right now will hold you in good stead for future cosmetic surgery procedures you may be considering. According to a new study published by JAMA (the Journal of the American Medical Association) earlier this year, smokers who quit smoking...
Not a Baby Bump? Little Rock Cosmetic Surgery Center Has the Answer! October 9, 2013 - Rhys Branman, MD Has this ever happened to you? You are in the grocery store, and because you generally like to eat healthy organic food, you happen to be in the health food aisle. Suddenly a granola munching maxi skirt draped dreadlocked white girl smiles up at you and asks, "Aww, what month are you in?" You want to punch her because you are not pregnant, but you look at her and state in a deadpan voice, "It's not a baby bump, what's your excuse?" Now my personal etiquette is to never, ever comment on a woman's stomach. I thought everyone knew this...
Why Are Younger Women Seeking Blepharoplasty? October 7, 2013 - Rhys Branman, MD Most patients seeking blepharoplasty, or eyelid surgery are 40 years old or older. Generally this procedure is sought to reduce ptosis, or drooping of the upper eyelid or to reduce bags under the eyes that increase as one ages. Often this is desired to remove excess skin from the upper eyelid that impedes vision. But there seems to be a trend of younger women requesting eyelid surgery. These young women are seeking to reduce bags under the eyes or enhance the natural crease of the upper eyelid. Some want to reduce puffiness or excess skin of the upper or lower...
The Importance of Common Nose Corrections October 4, 2013 - Rhys Branman, MD Bet you didn't know that rhinoplasty, the nose job, has important psychological implications. Various studies have shown that this 5th most popular procedure in the United States is intimately connected to how people feel about themselves. Consequently, it is very important for me, as a cosmetic surgeon to be sure the patient is a candidate for the surgery in two ways: physically and psychologically. No, at Little Rock Cosmetic Surgery Center, we don't require patients seeking rhinoplasty to undergo psychological tests; the key is in discussing all the ramifications, expectations, and the patient's reasons for wanting a nose job to...
The Male Face Lift October 2, 2013 - Rhys Branman, MD Men and women basically have the same facial structure so that the face lift (rhytidectomy) surgical technique is not significantly different. The best candidates for face lifts are between 40 and 60 years of age whose skin still has some elasticity and whose bone structure is strong and well-defined. Men do tend to get face lifts about a decade later than women. Face lifts can be performed on people in their 70s and 80s if they are strong and healthy. Little Rock Cosmetic Surgery Center's Smartlift Face Lift is appropriate for men and women both. The basic face lift involves...
Millennials VS Boomers in the Cosmetic Surgery World and Where is Gen X? September 27, 2013 - Rhys Branman, MD Confused? Me too! As a Little Rock cosmetic surgeon I like to stay informed! Let's define some terms! Wikipedia says, "Gen X is the generation born after the Western post-World War II baby boom describing a generational change from the later Baby Boomer cohort who were born in the late 1950s." Note the word "cohort," which refers to a 10 year span rather than the 20 year span of a whole generation (bet you didn't know that). Unlike the Baby Boomers (adults between ages 51 to 64), Gen Xers (adults between the ages of 31 and 45) are more...
But Isn’t Botox Poison? September 25, 2013 - Rhys Branman, MD Occasionally I run into articles on the Internet overstating the dangers of BOTOX® and issuing dire sounding warnings about how BOTOX® is a deadly poison. Well, so what? Did you know that many drugs are made from what we call poisons? Let me tell you about some. Some examples would be the chemical weapons of sea creatures. A very poisonous cone shell snail in the sea produces a toxin to ward off predators that is now used as a pain medication. The drug is called Prialt™ and it is 1000 times more powerful than morphine! Some of the lethal venoms...
Choosing the Correct Breast Implant for Your Body September 20, 2013 - Rhys Branman, MD One of the most important factors in reaching your goal, and being satisfied with your breast augmentation is to match the breast implant to your body type. There are many decisions to be made when you choose breast augmentation at Little Rock Cosmetic Surgery Center, and one is which implant? Let's take a general look at who might want what. So read this and follow the links for more detailed information. If you are a larger woman, and I am talking about bone structure, your frame, with a wide chest wall, you may want a traditional round shaped implant with...
Juvederm at Little Rock Cosmetic Surgery Center September 18, 2013 - Rhys Branman, MD Did you forget your sunscreen at all this summer? Are you feeling the consequences of that? Well, even if you never forget your sunscreen, age takes its toll on your skin. However, throughout the summer you have the extra problem of the sun's ultraviolet rays at their strongest. Not only that, but in hot weather drinking more water becomes important. Lack of hydration and ultraviolet radiation, along with environmental pollutants are the major causes of skin damage, hence wrinkles! And as your skin ages, it begins to lose the ability to produce the very substance that keeps it hydrated. This...