Cosmeticsurgeon.co.uk - UK Cosmetic Surgeons

Many of us are embarrassed by our mothers and do as little as we possibly can with them, but one mother and daughter have spoken out about how they were brought closer together by undergoing breast surgeries together!  The Daily Record reported on how Kimberly Skinner and her daughter, 28 year old Elaine Conroy were both in the same boat; they were both suffering from low-confidence after breastfeeding had left them with a reduced breast size.

Ms. Skinner was the first of them to undergo the procedure; she finally took the plunge after years of being unhappy with her appearance and, after an initial consultation in Edinburgh, enhanced her cup size from a 36C to a 36E. Ms. Skinner, as well as being very happy with the outcome, also had a very quick recovery time. She claimed to be up and walking around very soon after her surgery. Inspired by her mother’s success, daughter Kimberly Skinner was the next to undergo surgery.  She too had a very good experience and said that she was “more laidback” and was “happy” with who she was now. The story is testament to the fact that it doesn’t matter what age you are, breast augmentation surgery can give you a new found confidence.

Ms. Skinner and her daughter are not the only people discovering the life-enhancing qualities of breast enhancement.  There was a 30% increase in women seeking breast surgeries in Britain in 2008 and this number looks set to rise again this year despite the recession which the country appears to be mired in.  Mothers who have breast-fed their children are among the most likely demographic to be seeking breast surgery as many feel the need to give themselves something extra which nursing a child may have taken away. The plethora of companies now offering these surgeries and the amount of credit-schemes now available means that breast augmentation is now within the reach of many more women and this is also a huge factor behind the huge ‘boost’ in the number of surgeries being performed.

The mother-and-daughter story is heart warming and also shows how one person’s story can inspire someone else to take the plunge into surgery.  What may seem scary at first should become exciting once one hears of the many different inspirational success stories.  Improved confidence is only a few short steps away.

It’s been almost a decade since the dawning of the new millennium and many things have changed; not least the economy which now seems mired in a recession. Despite these uncertain economic times however, and perhaps less disposable income around then there may have been 10 years ago, it doesn’t seem to have harmed the number of people undergoing plastic and cosmetic surgery treatments. In 2000, a survey carried out in America showed that just 31% of women would consider a cosmetic procedure and yet, when the same question was asked in 2009, that figure had risen to 40%. 

Interestingly, the figures also pointed to an ebbing away of the stigma which has long surrounded plastic surgery. Previously, people had been under the impression that they had to lie about having a procedure or attempt to pass their young looks of as natural. This no longer seems to be the case, however.  Over half of the women questioned in this survey, carried out by the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, said that they approved of plastic surgery and, amazingly, almost 75% of those questioned said that they wouldn’t have a problem telling people if they had undergone surgical enhancement to their body. Not only is plastic surgery becoming more popular, it’s becoming something to be proud of as well.

It’s not just women who have an increased interest in plastic surgery.  Men between the ages of 18 to 35 were the ones most open to the idea of plastic surgery 65% of them said they would approve of it; this figure shrinks down to just 49% for those aged 55 to 64. This can only be good news for the industry as a new generation of young people seem much more likely to seek surgery to slow down the aging process than their parent’s generation were.   One of the procedures which is hotly tipped to be very popular in 2009 is that of Body Contouring. As more and more of us go on strict diets and lose dramatic amounts of weight, we will need help shaping and tightening our bodies when we have reached our goal.

This is where Body Contouring surgery will likely come in. Despite tough economic times it seems that plastic and cosmetic surgeries are well placed to ride out the recession with more people seeking improved confidence and a better life.

This may well go down as one of those really obvious news stories which highlight something which you already know but now there is research data to back up the point and so it’s worth rehashing what may well be well-trodden ground.  Research published in the latest issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (don’t pretend you’ve never read it, you clearly have a subscription!) has shown that women who weigh less and who have a smaller waist-to-hip ratio are considered more attractive.

The official journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons   published the data which had been collected in Germany through a process of digitally manipulating images of women. Several physical features would be altered on the picture; legs, weight, bust-size and hip and waist width were all messed with in order to create a range of different sized figures. 34,000 people, both men and women, were then asked which they found to be the most attractive body.

 The resulting data showed that it was indeed slimmer women with a smaller waist and hips who were voted the most desirable. Plastic surgery has really become a viable way of achieving this ‘perfect’ body in recent years and research such as this is only likely to spur more people on into taking the plunge and getting surgery.

Other research within the journal has also raised the interesting point that environmental issues may well be connected to ageing.   “A person’s heritage may initially dictate how they age – but if you introduce certain factors into your life, you will certainly age faster” commented one doctor who was the author of the study in question.  Bahaman Guyuron carried out his study on twins as they are genetically programmed to age in the same way at the same rate. The ones who had been through a divorce were found to look up to 2 years older than their siblings who were married, single or widowed. Clearly the message here is not groundbreaking either but it is one which needs repeating; stress ages us much more than our genes do.

Both these studies highlight the flaws and imperfections in our bodies and also point us towards the optimum physical condition to which most of us strive.  Affordable cosmetic surgery is now an accessible way for this striving to become reality; If this is in and stress is out, make sure you don’t get left behind.

The eyes are very often the first thing we notice about another person and the first thing which another person might notice about us.  The eyes can offer the key to our beauty but can also age us dramatically, especially as modern-day life makes us more and more tired. This is probably why eyelid surgery and the removal of bags from beneath the eye are among the most popular cosmetic surgeries around.  More and more people are attempting to make themselves look younger by changing how people first see them. 

Sometimes, however, such surgeries can leave the skin looking stretched or strained and often times it is easy to tell when someone has had such surgery. This is clearly not good for those who wish to keep their anti-aging techniques secret. Well help may finally be at hand from New Jersey plastic surgeon, Dr. Paul Parker.

Natural looking results are now said to be available by using the latest techniques and a high level of skill.  Blepharoplasty is a surgery which it is essential to get perfect, results either way will be highly visible and thus every effort must be made to achieve the highest level of aesthetic naturalness.   Parker says that he strives for an “un-operated” look but that this is hard because “millimetres matter” when it comes to a part of the body as small as the eye.  However, Parker thinks that his painstaking attention to detail and craft pays off; a youthful look is often achieved.

However, he has also warned that patients should be realistic when approaching this type of surgery.  Parker likes all his patients to be “on the same page”, to know what to expect and thus he shows his potential clients imaged photographs of what he believes the finished results will look like. This seems like a wonderful idea because, as well as allaying any fears a patient might have, it will also stave off their disappointment by preparing them to be realistic about what surgery can actually achieve for them. Eye surgery was the second most popular procedure amongst both men and women in the U.K last year and thus it is easy to see why doctors are keen to go to so much trouble to make sure the results look natural. We all want to stay looking young, we just don’t want to look like staying young is making us age with effort!

Ever had that feeling that you really need to lose weight but the problem has become so great that you just don’t know where to start? The mission of tackling your entire life and completely changing the way you view diet and exercise may just seem insurmountable. Well, now there may be a helping hand coming your way in the form of cosmetic surgery. It has long been warned that Liposuction is not an alternative to weight loss and that it is not a quick fix; this remains the case but there is a new form of liposuction on the market which is set to shake things up.

“Smart Lipo” is the new kid of the liposuction-family on the block and it is said to allow surgeons to undertake liposuction but in a much less aggressive way.  The treatment is said to be able to “jump start weight loss” according to Dr. Ronald Downs.  As much as the results are a physical change, Downs also believes that the mental changes Smart Lipo can provide are just as important. He commented that if someone has been trying really hard to lose some weight, but aren’t really seeing any impressive results then Smart Lipo can often give them the visual stimulus they need to continue with their weight loss program and pursue a much healthier life.

There are also, according to leading doctors, surgery and scientific benefits to the procedure as well.  The Smart Lipo allows surgeons to get just underside of the skin and thus the tightening of the skin which can be achieved during the surgery is vastly improved on normal liposuction. Of course, as with previous forms of liposuction, this surgery will not do the work of a diet for you. Rather, it will help show you the type of body which you may want and which you wish to achieve and thus you should be spurred on to continue with your new healthy regime.

The introduction of this new procedure is also designed to bring the flagging liposuction industry in a more healthy state of being. Liposuction was once the most popular procedure in the United States but this is no longer the case; new advancements and new procedures have knocked it off the top spot. However, this new form of quicker, less invasive lipo could well see Liposuction sprint back to the top of the league tables.

Those people who still doubt the massive impact which a facelift can have upon a woman with low self confidence should pay heed to this story.  Ann Ford, a 54 year old woman who took the dramatic step of having cosmetic enhancements made to her face, has spoken out in the Daily Mail saying that, after the operation was complete and she had fully recovered, she was mistaken for a woman in her forties. She claims the operation has given her a “new lease of life”.

Many women are in the same boat as Ann; wanting to look younger, feeling unhappy with their appearance and her story should be seen as encouragement to others who have thus far been too apprehensive to take the reconstructive plunge. Ann herself finally made the decision after she had applied makeup for a wedding, looked in the mirror to check herself and decided that she “still looked dreadful.  “The eye shadow just made my eyes look even more tired and I couldn’t cover up the wrinkles” she went on to comment. Whilst friends and family thought she looked fine, it was Mrs. Ford’s own personal confidence which was being affected and that is why she decided to finally go ahead with the surgery. The decision to take action over the way she looks has clearly paid off for Ann.

Ann, who had been tired of people thinking she was older than she actually was, has said that she had a universally positive reaction to the surgery and that nobody ever ages her now! Her husband has said that it was like “getting a younger wife” and Ann herself is clearly exceedingly happy with the results. It’s not just about a physical change; facelifts are about giving someone the inner confidence to let their true beauty shine through. This is what Ann Ford has found, and what thousands of other women find every year too. Face and neck lifts were the third most popular surgery in 2008, and eyelifts came in at number 1. Clearly more and more people are taking the initiative and fighting back against the detrimental signs of aging.  Ann Ford has now come to the end of her journey which marks the start of her brand new life in which she can celebrate, not hide from, the way she looks. Her story should inspire more people to do the same.

Many industry analysts have been surprised that, despite the credit-crunch, the numbers of people having Botox treatments actually rose in 2008. The surgery has increased in popularity recently as more and more people want a younger look which can be achieved through a minimally invasive procedure. Now people work such long hours and struggle to find free time, Botox provides an excellent opportunity as it has relatively quick recovery times.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is the organisation who have made the claim about the rise in people taking up Botox after it had carried out research. There was a 5% increase across the board in people having non-invasive treatments and the most popular of these non-surgical options was found to be Botox. Perhaps the recent plethora of celebrities undergoing the treatment is what has spurred so many of us to start our own fight against the detrimental effects of the ageing process. 

According to John Canady, the President of the ASPS, there is a double-fold reason for this increase in the numbers of people seeking Botox. The main reason behind the boom is the number of people who are becoming regulars to the treatment. Pleased with the effects of the first bout of injections, they are returning again and again to have the treatment and this is helping to bolster the Botox figures. The second wave of patients who are helping to strengthen the numbers of those seeking Botox are people who are undecided about surgery. People who wish to start combating the signs of ageing but don’t yet feel ready for more invasive procedures. These surgery-lite patients are discovering Botox provides excellent results without the prolonged recovery times needed after more strenuous facelifts.

It’s not just Botox which is being helped by the numbers of patients shying away from surgeries in favour of less invasive alternatives.  More than 1 million people chose to have chemical peels to rejuvenate their skin in 2008, whilst the numbers of people having hyaluronic acid fillers rose to a staggering 1.1 million.  If you’re lucky enough not have started ageing yet then Botox could still be of use to you.  The injections can be used to tackle excess sweating; the perfect solution to an embarrassing problem especially as we approach the summer months and you won’t want to be hiding behind layers. Get Botox to help banish your insecurities!

Giving birth is probably the most rewarding experience in the world; it’s just the devastation it can wreak on the mother’s body which many people are not too keen on. Celebrities and magazines are now bombarding us with images of “yummy mummy’s” who seem to gain very little weight during pregnancy and then, just to make it all a little bit more sickening, snap straight back into that size zero dress a day after they’ve popped out the latest addition to their brood. With such social pressure it really is no wonder than many more mums are now opting to go in for mini tummy-tucks in an effort to keep up with the rest of society.

The surgery would seem to be so popular because it is minimally invasive, although one supposes most things would be in relation to pregnancy, and because loose skin can be removed or tightened around the abdomen which is the area most normally affected during pregnancy. The skin stretches so much that often surgery is the only way to get back to the pre-pregnancy body.  The lower abdomen is very resistant to toning in women anyway and only the most gym-obsessed can obtain optimum results without surgery. Such a time-consuming fitness schedule, especially for new mums, is out of the question and thus surgery enters through the door as the only viable alternative.

Whilst pregnancy is clearly a wonderful thing, it stretches and tears the stomach muscles and causes damage to tissues to such an extent that no amount of “crunches” or other exercises could ever repair the problem. Mini tummy-tucks are a fairly swift procedure, involving an incision made across the lower abdomen, and the recovery time is relatively quick. This makes it ideal for young mums but should certainly not be seen as an alternative to exercise.

The  surgery can fix the unfixable in the sense that it can get rid of ‘flaps’ or ‘rolls’ of excess skin left over from pregnancy that would be impermeable to exercise. However, it is not a substitute for a healthy weight loss program of dieting and exercise. Most of all, don’t feel too pressured to conform to the celebrity image; take time to enjoy your baby and don’t be worrying whether you fit into that new dress, the baby will probably just throw up on it anyway.

In these worrying and uncertain financial times every worker in every company will be doing their upmost to ensure that they have a secure future within their organisation; that they are fully trained and that their CV looks as good as it possibly can do.  One thing which most people will not consider, however, is just how much cosmetic surgery may be able to enhance and advance their careers. In these days where looks and image are everything, the pursuit of physical perfection may well be able to help you climb up to the next career rung of the ladder.

In China this is a mentality which is already taking off.  Doctors in Shanghai have spoken out, saying that graduates and jobseekers are now turning their attention to aesthetic bodily enhancements in order to give themselves an edge in the current competitive and dwindling jobs market.  The Los Angeles Times has quoted Dr. Liao Yuhua, the President of the Shanghai Time Plastic Surgery Hospital, as saying that “White-collar employees after being laid off are having surgery so they are more attractive for the job search.” This might seem like a wonderfully superficial solution to a deeply ingrained economic problem but it does have some sense in it; business, just like anything else these days, is a superficial, looks-obsessed arena. 

Facial rejuvenations are top of the list for these Chinese workers, with eyelid surgeries being undertaken to remove the telling signs of stress and tiredness and much more dramatic procedures such as nose-jobs and, in some cases, entire face lifts are also being sought.  It’s not just recent graduates who are trying to give themselves a cosmetic boost-up into the jobs market, older workers, who are finding that they are having to compete with people 10 to 15 years younger them as the jobs market shrinks, are now seeking treatments too. They are hoping to make themselves look younger and thus open the doors of more employers.

This trend has now seemingly spread to the United States with workers there also attempting to secure their next promotion, or indeed just keep their job, by making themselves more physically appealing. Perhaps the U.K will be the next stop of this latest plastic surgery craze. Rather than hearing Sir Alan say “your fired” he might just decide to say “your facelifted” instead!

At one point in time it seemed you couldn’t move without hearing stories about facelifts. Who’d had what done, who was about to have one, who very much needed one. But now the surgical zeitgeist seems to have moved away from the traumatic and expensive procedure and stepped towards a less-invasive set of alternatives. 

Injectable treatments are fast becoming popular as people feel the effects of the credit-crunch and opt for lower-costing alternatives which don’t require them to be absent from work for long periods of time.  In the trade they are known as “liquid face lifts” and they are certainly helping the industry to stay afloat as the recession takes its hold on every household in the U.K and around the world.

Dr. Dean Kane, a cosmetic surgeon based in Baltimore,  has commented that: “”Especially in today’s economy, many people feel that they need a bit of a ”lift” in their looks and their lives, but they want a flexible way to address just a few characteristics easily, quickly and cost-effectively.” This seems to sum up the ethos of why these treatments have become so successful. When everything else in the world seems so gloomy, people need something to pick their mood up which won’t cause them worry or anxiety. A facelift is a major procedure which takes a lot of planning, a lot of recovering from and overall adds unnecessary stress into the patient’s life. These non-invasive alternatives are quick, effective and, above all, cheap.

The most popular of these treatments is obviously Botox, but there are lesser known alternatives which are working wonders for patients.  Dermal fillers, such as Restylane and Juvederm can be used to smooth out the appearance of wrinkles and also plump out the areas around the eyes or the cheeks which may become sunken.  However, facelifts have not dropped off the radar entirely, there was a 1.7% increase in people have them in 2008 when compared to the year before. 

They may be a more expensive option, but they are more permanent and those women who have had success with these non-invasive alternatives often find themselves turning to facelifts as a more long-term solution.  As expensive surgeries and recovery times become luxuries most people cannot afford, however, it is likely that more and more people will be opting for Botox and Dermal Fillers and fighting back against ageing without breaking the bank.