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A Spanish man posing as a medical doctor has been arrested in Spain for performing cosmetic surgery procedures on human patients while using veterinarian instruments designed for use on animals.

The 63 year old man who resides in Barcelona was cited for practicing medicine without a license. His home office where he performed the procedures was filthy and contaminated by the presence of three dogs, a cat, and a parrot.

For the hefty price of 250 to 500 Euros (330.00 to 660.00 USD) the so called doctor used a veterinary tool to inject liquid silicone into his human patients. Performing both breast augmentation and buttock implants, the man is reported to have injected silicone directly into the patient’s bodies without using an implant. This procedure is dangerous and potentially life threatening. Authorities were tipped off to the man’s home medical practice when they received a complaint from a patient about a defective breast implant.

The arrest of this supposed doctor illustrates not only the popularity of cosmetic surgery, but the frustration patients have when considering the exorbitant costs of plastic surgery procedures. Patients desperate for the surgery were willing to have an invasive medical procedure done to them in a private citizen’s home without the benefit of sterile conditions and hospital care simply because it was offered to them at a fraction of the cost the procedure would cost in a reputable hospital.

 As society becomes more comfortable with the concept of cosmetic surgery more and more disreputable opportunists will make themselves available to perform dangerous procedures at deflated prices. Though the fact that this man would do such a thing is reprehensible, what is more shocking is that people would go to him in the first place.

Statistics show that the only surgery performed more often on men than on women is otoplasty, more commonly known as the re-shaping of the ears.

Although primarily performed on children, the new found popularity in cosmetic procedures has men seeking out the minimally invasive surgery to repair overly protruding or misshapen ears. There are several different types of otoplasty but most are considered reconstructive rather than cosmetic, hence allowing a patient’s health insurance to cover the costs.

Perhaps it is because men tend to wear their hair shorter than women that they are gravitating to this type of surgery. The most frequent type of otoplasty is pinback otoplasty where a piece of the cartilage is removed from the ear. The remaining cartilage is then sutured back together so that the ear will mend and grow closer to the head, reducing the look larger than average ears.

Another type of otoplasty involves snipping a section off the ear lobe to lesson the length of the lobe caused by a congenital defect or the childhood habit of ear pulling. Birth deformities such as missing the visible part of the ear called the auricle, and syndromes like Stahl’s ear can also be eliminated through the surgery. Otoplasty can also be used to correct injuries caused by trauma to the ear or to correct surgical scars. Otoplasty is not used to correct problems with hearing, it is only effectual in correcting the outer shape of the ear.

The Hospital Group on Birmingham, England reports that men are more likely to have this procedure than women because hair styles dictate that men’s ears are more easily seen than women’s.

A spokesperson for The Hospital Group said: “We carry out more ear re-shaping procedures on men as they tend to suffer with this problem a lot more than women do. Women more commonly grow their hair and therefore can cover ears they are not completely satisfied with.”

For whatever their reason, men are now joining women in the plastic surgery revolution as they accept societal norms for what the perfect body should look like.

Baldness is one of the most obvious and psychologically damaging defects which men can suffer.

Especially if baldness strikes at a young age, sufferers can have huge confidence-losses and sometimes struggle to go out or be seen in public because of how they fear they look.  Previously, the only solution, apart from a good hat or wig, was a hair transplant, but this is really only a solution for those with thinning hair. It can provide excellent coverage of balding areas, but for those with baldness spread over most of their head, this is not really a practical option. Well, never fear, because now it is being suggesting that Botox could not be a solution.

New research by a U.S –based specialist, Dr. Simon Ourian, used the non-invasive cosmetic treatment of his mother who was undergoing chemotherapy at the time.  The doctor has originally intended to make use of Botox’s anti-migraine qualities and yet he has made an even more startling discovery. He found that, when the drug was injected into his ill-mothers scalp that hair started to grow back. This result obviously astonished and baffled Ourian in equal turn and thus he set out to research the uses of Botox for balding patients. He found that there was a queue of people waiting to try it out:

“Because hair loss is a significant source of insecurity for many people, both men and women, there was no shortage of volunteers with thinning hair. The results for many were astonishing, and for some, a single session yielded dramatic results.”

This news, if it is found to be viable and true, will send shockwaves of excitement throughout the cosmetic surgery industry and is likely to induce a plethora of new treatments which will be offered to both men and women with receding hair lines or thinning hair.  The news will also be welcomed by Botox makers Allegran, who days before this discovery announced strong sales of its product around the world to both men and women. This new found use for the wonder-treatment will only increase these sales figures and, even though we are in the midst of a recession, Allegran is likely to be the main financial benefactor from Ourian’s discovery.  Money issues aside, many balding people will be overjoyed that a new, and much cheaper, alternative to full hair transplant may soon be on the market. Wig manufacturers may be less pleased by the news.

In an effort to attract customers and be contemporary in their rewards for frequent fliers, Finnish airline Finnair has partnered with a Helsinki hospital to offer breast implants, facelifts, and hair replacement surgeries as a art of their customer loyalty programs.

With the use of special deals and giveaways rampant in the competitive plastic surgery market, Finnair joins an every growing group of businesses who peddle plastic surgery as if it was just another over the counter remedy.

In a world competing for the attention of the consumer, Finnair has found a way pique people’s interest in their airline and get some free publicity just by offering the creative ways to use frequent flyer miles. Though frequent flyers can still exchange their miles for upgrades, free hotel rooms, or consumer products, the diversity of their customers requires diversity in their reward offers in order to keep people in the air. Finnair has capitalized on the recent interest in cosmetic surgery in the hope that it will attract a new group of flyers by offering the cosmetic procedures as part of the Finnair Plus Loyalty Service. A free breast augmentation can be earned with 3.18 million points, roughly 120 round trip business class flights between Helsinki and New York. The program was created by Finnair together with the Nordstroem Hospital in Helsinki. Mikko Tuomainen, the director of loyalty programs for the arline said: “The idea was to incorporate partners and services from all walks of life.” The airline would like to expand the program so that it is not limited to just cosmetic procedures and includes other types of health care as well.

Though flyers still primarily use their points for the traditional offerings of free flights and hotel rooms, the trend toward plastic surgery rewards is a very real one. It stirs interest in the airline and creates a casual feeling toward the procedures so that they are no longer seen as serious medical surgeries with risks and rates of failure. Though the 4,640,000 flyer miles required to get a free facelift might be enough to send some customers to Finnair, the publicity of the offer itself is definitely enough to get people talking.

With so many consumers confused about cosmetic surgery and swayed by sometimes unscrupulous advertisers, two medical doctors have launched a quarterly magazine aimed at demystifying the cosmetic enhancement industry and educating the public regarding all aspects of the rapidly growing industry.

Absolute Cosmetics is a glossy magazine with interviews, articles, and advice columns to help the average patient find their way around the often complicated web of cosmetic surgery facts. Written on a laymen’s level, the quarterly’s goal is to be accessible to average customers while at the same time being a source of information for industry professionals. By creating accountability through this form of media, the wntire industry can become safer and more attractive to potential patients.

The creators of the magazine are both industry professionals who see this quarterly as a way of educating the public to the different aspects of cosmetic surgery. It is their hope that the magazine will strive to present an unbiased look at the industry and be an honest venue for discussion regarding procedures and concerns. The magazine has the potential to be an asset to industry professionals as well as a tool for everyday people considering cosmetic procedures.

Partnered with the web based organization MyFaceMyBody.com, the quarterly claims to be the first of its kind created by industry professionals. Magazine founder Kelly Wilson states that the goal of the magazine is “To demystify what has become a very confused marketplace and give potential clients the knowledge to make informed decisions.”

Acknowledging the need for women to be empowered with information regarding surgical procedures, the founders of the magazine are looking to provide consumers with the education they need to make informed choices. Wilson admits that cosmetic surgery has become “a minefield” filled with “unscrupulous practitioners” and the creation of this magazine aims to set the record straight by being a voice for all that is good about the industry and at the same time uncovering the harmful aspects of less than honest plastic surgery practitioners.

By debunking industry myths and misperceptions the magazines hopes to become a waiting room staple in the offices of cosmetic surgeons worldwide with a reputation for honest reporting of facts and open discussion.

Few plastic surgeries can change the physical appearance as drastically as a nose job. Even a slight augmentation to the nose can make a patient look and feel like a brand new person.

Recent advances in rhinoplasty have made the procedure even more attractive to patients as studies have shown that the best grafting material for use in nose reconstruction might come from the patient’s own rib cartilage.

In the past rhinoplasty surgery didn’t get the respect it deserved because the end results were often unsatisfactory due to the inability to find a great grafting material. The emergence of studies revealing rib cartilage as not only a suitable alternative, but the preferable alternative to other tissues has aided a renewal in the enthusiasm for this type of plastic surgery.

Previously surgeons would use bone cartilage from the septum or the concha of the ear to graft onto the nose to give it a new shape. Synthetic implants have also been used, however, none of these options gave the desired results and patients often felt displeased with the results of their procedure.

Studies done at the University of Texas Medical School in Houston claim that using rib cartilage provides fewer allergic reactions and better long term results. A survey was taken of 357 patients who had nasal reconstruction using rib cartilage and 94.2 per cent reported long term satisfaction with the results of their procedure.

Though cosmetic concerns are the number one reason for having a rhinoplasty done, many patients seek out the procedure to improve their ability to breathe. The rib cartilage seems to provide a better graft and therefore more stability for the long term success of the reconstructed nose. Revision rhinoplasty surgery was not requested with any of the patients surveyed and there were no reported allergic reactions when rib cartilage was used.

Though it is important for all candidates for cosmetic surgery to have realistic ideas of what they hope their surgery to achieve, because of the advances in rhinoplasty involving rib cartilage the potential negative results and side effects of the procedure have lessoned making it a more viable alternative for those who want to make a permanent change in their facial structure.

It was only a matter of time before someone used image modification technology to create a video application that can show how a person would look after various cosmetic surgery operations were performed.

Photo “makeovers” have become an obsession with young people who use the technology to explore the possibilities of what they would look like with a smaller nose or fuller lips. Though the use of photo editing programs is nothing new, however, one plastic surgeon has taken it a step further by creating a beauty makeover application for use through an iPhone/iPod Touch device.

Board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Michael Salzhauer combines personal imaging software with gaming features to create an application that puts changing your physical appearance into a video game mode. The game is called iSurgeon and it allows a user to upload personal photos to see what they would look like after various cosmetic procedures. The game mode of the application comes with sound effects and allows players to play the role of the actual surgeon and score points by successfully modifying the “patient’s” appearance.

The highest points are scored by getting as close to emulating the desired appearance of the patient as possible. By using an iPhone users can easily send images of their completed procedures to family and friends or upload the image onto their Facebook page as a link to Facebook is built into the App.

Dr. Salzhauer’s game introduces players to procedures that he provides in his Miami cosmetic surgery offices. Breast augmentation, liposuction, face lifts, tummy tucks, and nose jobs are only a few of the surgeries that can be performed on the game. Dr. Salzhauer believes that his App is not only a fun and entertaining way to pass the time, but it is a valuable tool to assist people in seeing if plastic surgery is something for them to explore. Dr. Salzhauer explained, “iSurgeon serves a dual purpose, providing those interested in cosmetic surgery treatments with a clear visual of what they would look like post-surgery, while also providing a fun entertaining game tool.” Is cosmetic surgery gaming the wave of the future? Maybe so.

The world’s largest breasts have a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. American stripper Maxi Mounds and her size 61MMM breasts were awarded the dubious distinction in 2005 for the world’s largest breasts.

The only problem is that Mounds achieved this record through a dangerous, and now banned procedure called polypropylene string breast implants. In 2005 this procedure was banned in the US and the European Union over safety fears.

Mounds breasts weigh over twenty pounds each and measure 91.44 centimeters around. The surgery that gave her these massive implants is a tricky and controversial surgery. After surgery, the yarn-like implants absorb water slowly which causes a constant irritation to the breast tissue. The tissue then reacts by producing a natural serum that then fills the implant pocket causing enlargement of the breasts in an extremely unhealthy way. It is too soon to know what long term affects this procedure will have on the body, but the potential for dangerous, and even life threatening complications has warranted the ban.

Though this size of breast is rarely seen outside the adult film community, the sheer weight of the implants are a health hazard as they can cause back problems and nerve damage. Experts believe that the surgical implants can cause life threatening infections from the production of the fluid within the body. The long term effects of the procedure are still not known.