Price Not a Major Factor for Beauty Product Purchases
October 21, 2010 - Rhys Branman, MD
Women view beauty products as a necessity, not a luxury, according to About.com’s 2010 Beauty Study. Over two-thirds of respondents said they will still purchase beauty products even while watching their budgets, and 80 percent said they plan to spend more or the same this year on cosmetic products. The survey, which had 1,952 participants and was conducted online in August, investigated how consumers shop for beauty products, what influences their purchase decisions, and what they're looking for in beauty products. It revealed that respondents use beauty products for a variety of reasons: 69 percent use them to make sure... 
A new study reported successful breast augmentations using a patients' own fat through a process called fat grafting. During fat grafting, fat cells are harvested via liposuction from one part of the body and injected into another. While fat grafting for breast augmentation has been a relatively obscure procedure, new studies, such as this one, present some evidence that it could be effective and have long-term results for breast enhancement. The study by Daniel Del Vecchio, MD, and Louis Bucky, MD, was conducted over a two-year period with 25 patients who had breast enhancement with fat grafting. The study's authors stressed the importance of... 
A new study found that a combination of nerve blocks and long-acting local anesthetics given before surgery decrease pain for recovering tummy tuck patients, making recovery easier and resulting in less downtime after surgery. Dr. Lu-Jean Feng, a microvascular plastic and reconstructive surgeon, looked at the charts of patients who underwent an abdominoplasty over a ten year period. Seventy-seven patients were treated with the numbing solution, which works by blocking pain impulses between the abdomen and brain, while 20 patients (the control group) were not. The study found that compared to the control group, those who received nerve blocks: Had... 
Considering breast augmentation? In addition to choosing an implant type (saline or silicone), patients also need to decide on what size they want their new breasts to be. This decision involves more than just choosing a cup size, reports New You, the consumer magazine published by the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery. It’s important to work with your surgeon when making the choice, as one of the top reasons women go back for a second augmentation is that they want to go larger than they did with the first surgery, says the magazine. Picking the right size includes taking into... 
Cosmetic surgeon Dr. Rhys Branman will be featured on a panel of doctors on the first episode of the new TV show “The Docs are In.” If you're in the Central Arkansas area, you can attend the live taping on September 29 at noon at St. Vincent Hospitals Main auditorium. The taping will be held from 2 pm – 7 pm; reservations are free and can be made by contacting Kristin Pruss at 501-227-4332. In addition to Dr. Branman, the first episode includes a cardiologist, an OB/GYN, and a pediatrician. The four Arkansas physicians will discuss a variety of medical topics... 
A recent informal user poll at www.implantinfo.com found that women interested in breast augmentation are more likely to want silicone vs. saline breast implants. Since the FDA approved silicone gel breast implants in November 2006, implantinfo.com noticed that choosing between silicone and saline breast implants became one of the biggest topics of discussion on its website. The poll received 481 responses from women who said they were planning to have breast augmentation surgery. The results found that 58 percent said they would choose silicone breast implants; 24 percent would choose saline breast implants; and 17 percent were undecided. Only 6... 
Reality TV star Heidi Montag, who earlier this year had 10 plastic surgery procedures in one day, including a breast augmentation that gave her a G cup, is looking to get a breast reduction, reports ABC News. Is "buyer's remorse" becoming more common among cosmetic surgery patients? The plastic surgeons contacted by ABC News were divided. Dr. Julius Few, a Chicago plastic surgeon, feels it is increasing. "I think in part it's increasing because of the drop in reimbursement by insurance companies, which is driving doctors in other specialties into the plastic surgery market," he said. Dr. Timothy Miller, chief... 
A recent article published in the academic journal Body Image reported that teenagers who watch cosmetic surgery reality shows, such as Extreme Makeover, are more likely to opt for cosmetic surgery themselves. The researchers, Charlotte Markey, an associate professor of psychology at Rutgers–Camden, and her husband Patrick Markey of Villanova University, surveyed 170 participants (59% female) with an average age of 19.77 assessing their impression of reality television shows featuring cosmetic surgery, appearance satisfaction, self-esteem, and their interest in cosmetic surgery. According to the abstract, the results showed that “participants who reported favorable impressions of reality television shows featuring cosmetic... 
More cosmetic surgeons are performing an operation that reverses gauging, a procedure where one's earlobes are deliberately stretched and widened. The surgery is being requested by individuals who have regrets about having their lobes stretched, reports msnbc.com. Ear surgery, also known as otoplasty, is often requested by people going on a job interview, says Dr. Angelo Cuzalina, a cosmetic surgeon in Tulsa, Oklahoma and president-elect of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery. Dr. Cuzalina says, "It’s almost becoming a fad. People have the gauging procedure where they gradually stretch out their lobe so it has a giant hole that’s larger... 
The maker of the wrinkle treatment Dysport® announced that over 100,000 people have registered for the Dysport® Challenge. The challenge, which began in March, allows patients to save $75 when they try Dysport®. If they “love it," patients may receive $75 off their next Dysport® treatment; if they don’t, patients receive a $75 rebate off another botulinum toxin type A product, such as BOTOX®. Between March 1 and May 9, 2010, 91.2 percent of 22,416 patients who made a selection chose "Love It," according to Medicis, the maker of Dysport®. So far, only 2.6 percent of all registered patients have... 