The Right & Wrong Reasons For Cosmetic Surgery
November 28, 2012 - Rhys Branman, MD
Cosmetic surgery should always be for your own self enhancement, after all, this is elective surgery. While it is true that studies have shown that cosmetic surgery can improve self esteem, you must have a realistic self image to begin with. For instance, some patients have wanted that nose job since they were teens, a flaw has always bothered them, and now they want to correct it. A patient may want to reduce wrinkles with laser resurfacing later in life. These are examples of healthy motivations for surgery. Particularly if the patient has a strong sense of self to begin... 
There is much confusion about the difference between a cosmetic surgeon and a plastic surgeon. Both specialties require over a decade of training. Very basically, a cosmetic surgeon is trained to improve or enhance the aesthetics of appearance. A plastic surgeon is specifically trained in reconstruction, trauma, and correcting deformities. A plastic surgeon may or may not have concentrated training in aesthetics. A cosmetic surgeon may be a plastic surgeon, or may have previously specialized in another surgical area. This is because there is no cosmetic surgery residency program in the United States. As stated on the American Board of... 
A recent study in Norway concluded that 49% of Norwegian women would consider cosmetic surgery. PhD. Iiná Márjá Jávo was surprised to find that half of the young women in her study were so amenable to cosmetic surgery. Most women wanted breast augmentation, liposuction or tummy tucks. Some of the women who participated in the study had been bullied about their looks. Others had eating disorders. In fact, apparently in Norway, there is a strong link between eating disorders and the desire for liposuction. Dr. Jávo has been the first to document this. In fact, she reported that "20% of women... 
Cosmetic surgery is about symmetry, proportion, and aesthetics. As humans, we naturally recognize another human face, we even recognize the distinction between a beautiful face and a not so attractive face. Somehow we do this without doing mathematical calculations in our heads too! But it turns out there is a mathematical aspect to beauty. It is a mathematic concept that you may have heard of , even if you are not sure what it means, called Phi. Phi is a ratio, a relationship of parts, and I am going to leave that as the definition because frankly, I don't want... 
Over the past year, I have become horrified at the sheer amount of news stories reporting illegal cosmetic surgery. I have written about this before, but now I wondered just why the trend is on the increase. It seemed to me that it would be obvious that a patient would know that legitimate cosmetic surgery would not be performed in someone's apartment! I could not believe that people would risk their lives seeking procedures from people who were not medical professionals. Well it's about money. When people are desperate, for whatever reason, they will try to cut corners. Just this... 
Cellulite is not a medical term at all. The term "cellulite" was made up to refer to the dimples of fat some people accumulate over the years. Cellulite is plain old body fat that is mixed in with connective tissue. The connective tissue under the skin is made up of fibrous bands called septae. These septae that connect the skin to the muscle underneath become stiff and contract as we age. As the septae contract, the fat deep in the connective tissue is squeezed outward. The result is the skin appears to have a dimpled appearance. Thus cellulite is formed.... 
Do you wonder what the difference is between a Micro Laser Peel and micro-dermabrasion, laser skin resurfacing and a chemical peels? Many Arkansas cosmetic skin resurfacing treatment patients are confused! Let me explain the options I offer for cosmetic skin resurfacing treatments at Little Rock Cosmetic Surgery Center. Please feel free to click on the highlighted links to see just who would be a candidate for each procedure. I use the latest technology for all of these procedures. Micro-dermabrasion (the word is a combination of derm = skin and abrasion = abrading, or sanding ) is advanced exfoliation procedure. Micro-dermabrasion... 