Cosmeticsurgeon.co.uk - UK Cosmetic Surgeons

The number of plastic surgery procedures performed in 2009 hit record numbers. In fact the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) reported nearly a seven percent increase in surgical procedures over 2008. Besides the overall numbers of procedures performed there has also been an increasing number of cosmetic surgeries performed on men. Mr. Rajiv Grover, BAAPS Secretary, said, “This year we have recorded a dramatic rise in the number of male surgical procedures, probably due to heightened media attention, which has allowed men to realise the positive outcomes that can be achieved.” The BAAPS actually reported a 23% increase in procedures performed on men in 2009.

The Harley Medical Group also reported an impressive increase in procedures performed on men in 2009, seeing a 5 percent increase over 2008. Men actually accounted for 18 percent of all procedures performed by The Harley Medical Group. Most of the increase can be attributed to men opting for non surgical procedures such as ‘Boytox’ (male Botox and Sweatox).

Men’s busy lifestyles are indeed causing their skin to be at risk for premature wrinkles. Dr. Nick Milojevic is a Botox doctor, voted as the best for Botox in the Daily Express. Concerning men receiving Boytox he revealed, “Young men in the City have been spending a lot of time frowning over the last year and we’re seeing the fallout .. Men coming into the clinics are telling us that they want to stay looking wrinkle-free despite their demanding lifestyles.”

A report by the Dailey Mail reported that much of the increase in cosmetic procedures performed on men is attributed to City bankers spending their bonuses on Boytox. The City clinic saw huge growth once the banker bonuses returned to the agenda with a ’24 percent month by month sales increase in September alone’. Other non-surgical procedures that grew in 2009 were dermal fillers with a 26 percent increase and chemical peels with a 306 percent increase.

Jeremy Baker, Consumer Analyst at ESCP Europe Business School said, “There’s a huge emphasis on grooming in popular culture and the job market is tough – people need to be younger, fitter, and better and this is reflected in the maintenance of personal appearance. Men have now caught up with the times and don’t want to be left behind so I’m sure we’ll see big increases in this sector in particular.” Men have surely
become comfortable with beautifying themselves with cosmetic surgery.

The recession has not seen a decrease in cosmetic surgeries, on the contrary it has flourished. The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) reported nearly a seven percent increase in the cosmetic surgeries performed by them in 2009 in the UK. Mr. Nigel Mercer, President of BAAPS, said, “The public’s interest in aesthetic surgery appears to remain strong and indeed growing..”

Along with the increase in surgical procedures, the cosmetic procedures that are non surgical have increased substantially. These procedures include accent laser treatment, Botox, collagen injections, and others. Liz Dale, director of The Harley Medical Group, said, “Non-surgical procedures, which saw a big growth last year, have continued to be a strong area for us and now account for 32 percent of all our
business.” A non-surgical procedure that has become very popular is the skin peel, also known as a chemical peel. During the recession many people have tried to find less expensive ways to look beautiful and chemical peels are one of these recession-proof procedures. The Harley Medical Group’s Obagi Blue Peel, which gets rid of blemishes, acne scars, uneven pigmentation, sun damage, and wrinkles, has been in high demand. It has actually been dubbed ‘the recession facelift’ since chemical peels have outstripped facelifts in popularity.

Skin peels are a skin resurfacing technique which removes the top layer of skin. The body replaces this skin with a fresh layer of skin that is clearer and no longer has the problem that the old layer of skin had. There are three different levels of skin peels which include light, intermediate, and deep. The different levels of peel correspond to the severity of the problem that the patient wishes to erase. The deep peel is actual able to remove deep lines and medium sized wrinkles. Many people have found that a face-lift is not always necessary because a chemical peel can indeed make their face look fresh and young.

Mr. Dale also reported, “The surgical side of the business is also continuing to grow. While breast augmentations remain the most popular surgical procedure, rhinoplasties (nose operations) are closing the gap in second.” Breast augmentation is very popular for mothers who are trying to regain their figures after giving birth. They actually account for 75 percent of the breast up lift patients, and an astounding 90 percent of the tummy tuck procedures.

2009 also saw the number of men undergoing plastic surgery increase dramatically. In fact 18 percent of all procedures performed in 2009, were on men. The Harley Medical Group reports that Botox and Sweatox actually account for much of this growth in procedures performed on men.

Cosmetic procedures have long been known to have benefits beside looking good. Reconstructive surgery can correct deformities and other medical conditions. Latisse eyelash treatments are actually derived from a glaucoma medication. Trails have actually been successfully performed, to do total face lifts for accident victims. What may be surprising is that, Botox injections have also been found to have health benefits besides wrinkle relaxing.

Dr. Craig Morton and Dr. Tyson Green, of the Center for Orthopaedics in Lake Charles, Louisiana, are actually using Botox injections to help people to walk without pain. Dr. Morton told First Coast News, “If there’s damage to the brain or spinal cord, such as what you’d see in a spinal cord injury, head injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy – it can result in an abnormal posturing of the muscles of the hands and feet.” The muscle spasticities can cause the feet to stay contacted in certain positions. These positions can make it difficult or even impossible for the patient to walk comfortable. Dr. Green has shown that these instances are correctable with Botox injections. He said, “That’s when the botox will come into play to relax the contracture, so that we can either brace the foot or provide casting to provide stability and flexibility within the foot.”

Nursing Times reported that a trial was performed on 34 people with weak bladders to determine if Botox could treat them. Dr. Arun Sahai, from the Department of Urology at Guy’s Hospital and King’s College London School of Medicine, reported that Botox-A bladder injections did indeed help patients with weak bladders where other treatments had failed. Botox injections improved their overactive bladder symptoms
and improved the quality of their lives substantially.

More than 10,000 babies are born each year in the United States with cerebral palsy. Children with cerebral palsy often suffer from debilitating spastic muscle contractures. The Neurology journal has declared that Botulinum toxin -A (Botox) is an effective treatment of this. Botox injections can treat muscle tightness,
weakness, and abnormal reflexes in these children.

Botox is a popular non-surgical solution for both men and women to relax wrinkles. The injections help to loosen up the contracted muscle and thus smooth out the wrinkles. But this simple aesthetic compound has so much more potential. It is a vital tool in the treatment of many medical conditions and future research into Botox could prove it to have many more benefits.

Though plastic surgery has grown in popularity, to encompass the common man and woman, the rich and famous are continuing to benefit from these procedures. People in the entertainment industry, especially, find that they can be more successful if they look their best. Many times looking their best means having some plastic surgery. The 2010 Grammy Awards showcased a wide range of celebrity cosmetic surgery results.

Many of the music business’s biggest stars attended the Grammy award ceremony and used their beauty to mesmorize the crowds. According to the plastic surgery website ,Make Me Heal, quite a few of the stars in attendance owed their dazzling affectations to plastic surgery. Among these were, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Mary J. Blige and Fergie.

The Best Female Pop Vocal Performer, Beyonce has been rumored to have had a few cosmetic procedures to maintain that impressive look. Breast augmentation and possibly liposuction are on this list of surgeries. Plastic surgeon Dr. Anthony Youn has said of Beyonce, “It does appear that her nose has been thinned to look more elegant. It matches her face well, is not overdone, and overall looks great. She has extraordinary grace in front of the camera.” Many young girls and women idolize the poise that Beyonce has and will turn to cosmetic surgery to try to match it.

Mary J. Blige stood out dramatically in her pink (fuchsia) dress at the Grammy awards. The 39 year old hip hop queen’s dress had a cutout which displayed her prominent breast implants. Her implants were not nearly as obvious, before she had lost a substantial amount of weight, now the tightness of her skin displays the shape of the implants very distinctly. The criticism that she once received because of her implants has diminished due to societies continually growing acceptance of cosmetic surgical procedures.

Lady Gaga, at 23 years old, won the award for best dance recording, for her song Poker Face. A fitting song to showcase her nose job and possible breast implants. Dr. Paul S. Nassil, a member of the California Society of Facial Plastic Surgery and rhinoplasty specialist, said, “Lady GaGa definitely had a rhinoplasty. It looks a little pinched, but not bad.”

Of all the celebrities gathered at the Grammy awards Black Eyed Peas singer, Fergie, is rumored to have had the most cosmetic procedures. Sources say that throughout her life she may have had, rhinoplasty, breast augmentation, endoscopic brow lift, Botox injections, chin implants and cheek implants. Dr. Michael Salzhauer, a Miami plastic surgeon says , “Fergie look’s amazing at the 2010 Grammy’s. Compared to a year ago, her face seems softer and more rejuvenated. I suspect that she had some great skin care such as chemical peels and a touch of botox to give her face that flawless glow.”

Before there were silicone implants women who wanted breast augmentation were forced to have saline implants put in. Now that silicone implants are available, and approved to be used, many women are rushing to get them. Women who already have saline implants must not be discouraged, because the switch from saline to silicone is easy and quick.

Dr. Allan Parangao, the author of ‘A Woman’s Guide to Cosmetic Breast Surgery and Body Contouring’, reports that replacing saline implants with silicone implants is a simple procedure. In fact, the surgery can take less than 45 minutes to complete because a pocket already exists in the breast where the old implant had been. A local anesthetic is sufficient and Dr. Parangao reported that many women returned to work the very next day after having their breast implants switched.

Some women with saline implants wonder if it is really necessary to have their implants changed. In a press release, Dr. Cohen, a board-certified plastic surgeon of the Scottsdale Center for Plastic Surgery, said, “Some of my corrective surgery patients choose silicone partly because they weren’t happy with their experience with saline, but what’s interesting is that we’re starting to see many more patients wanting to ‘trade up’ to silicone for its own sake, without necessarily requiring significant correction at the same time.” He says that the silicone implants have a more natural texture and that they can help to compensate for many of the aesthetic challenges that come along with revision breast surgery.

Dr. Parangao said , “silicone gel implants feel more like natural breast tissue than saline implants do. Especially for women with relatively little natural breast tissue, silicon gel implants can give much more natural looking breast enhancement.” Saline implants sometimes take on a rippled effect which is not seen with silicon. Also silicon gel has been refined with a property that causes the gel to ‘stick’ to itself in the same way that breast tissues stick to each other. This creates a feel that is nearly indistinguishable from natural breast tissue.

In an article by American Health and Beauty, 41 year-old Patty said although “saline implants improved my figure 100%…they were hard. They looked great but did not feel natural.” After her breast implants were changed she said that her silicone breast felt better and she was actually able to push them together in a Wonder bra, which had been impossible with the saline.

UK cosmetic surgery companies such as The Harley Medical Group and Make Yourself Beautiful offer breast augmentations.

Cosmetic surgical procedures on men used to be nearly non-existent. Over the years, however, men have become more and more comfortable about going under the knife for aesthetic reasons. The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons reported that there was a 21 percent increase in procedures performed on men in the UK in 2009 over 2008. In the United States the group of men that is ‘holding up cosmetic surgery’ are the gay men.

Despite the recession gay men in the US are choosing cosmetic surgery with increasing numbers. The gay lifestyle is much more accepted in today’s society and thus young gay men are more comfortable admitting their sexuality. Thus older gay men find it increasingly necessary to try to look young. They don’t want to be ‘charity cases.’ This fact pushes them toward plastic surgery, to fight back those ravages of time.

Dr. Paul Chasen of La Jolla says that his practice receives a lot of support from his San Diego based gay clients. He told GLT, “For men, they’re much more knowledgeable about plastic surgery. They’re into aesthetics, they want to look good.”

Young gay men also feel the allure of plastic surgery. Among gay men appearance is as important if not more so than for women. Lance, a gay man who spoke to the Gay & Lesbian Times (GLT) said, “I’ve thought about it, especially lipo[suction]. I’m always working out and I watch what I eat, but it’s almost impossible to get a six pack. It would be so much easier to just get it sucked out.” Nearly a quarter of a million Americans underwent liposuction in 2009, making it one of the top five most popular procedures.

Dakota Calloway, American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) spokesperson, told GLT that Botox injections are also popular among men and the popularity is increasing more rapidly than for women. Botox, being the number one non-surgical procedure in the US, is very popular among gay men who want to slow down the procession of wrinkles. She said that none of the consultation paperwork asks about sexual orientation, so specific numbers of gay men undergoing procedures is not possible. But she says, “…we’re an open minded profession, so patients usually don’t hesitate to share their personal stories with us.”

The trend observed in the UK of men receiving Botox injections has not been attributed to gay men. Many British men are having these injections for relaxing wrinkles, so that they can remain competitive at work. They are encouraged by celebrities having Botox such as Simon Cowell and Gordon Ramsay.

Improvements in cosmetic surgery are constantly being implemented. Procedures are revised and then revised again, to ensure that they are the best that they can be. Advances in technology also contribute to the improvements in plastic surgery. One of these improvements is the Vaser liposuction technique which is quickly becoming very popular.

It is said that Vaser Liposuction is the next generation in body contouring and has been named the ‘magic wand’ liposuction. It utilizes an ultrasonic wave, in a new and revolutionary way, to create a much less invasive procedure. Ultrasonic waves, better known as ultrasounds, have been used in the medical field for many years. They help a mother to get the first look at her baby and have been employed in teeth cleaning. Now a technique has been created which allows these waves to liquefy unwanted fat cells. An ultrasound wand is passed over the area where the fat is to be removed. Ultrasonic energy emanates from the wand and is able to liquefy the fat cells without harming any of the surround tissue. Thus, nerves, blood vessels, and connecting tissue are safe form the energy. Once the fat is liquefied, it is sucked out of the area through a small incision. The procedure is quick and a local anesthetic, ensures that it is painless.

Carla McKay wrote an article, for the Daily Mail, describing her experience with the Vaser Liposuction procedure. While doing a headstand in her yoga class she was disconcerted by her stomach as it reached for her chin. She described it as ‘a sagging lump of excess blubber’ and she was disgusted by it. When she looked around at the other people in her group she was unable to find a stomach that was any where near, as flabby and gross as hers. She quickly decided that, as a 58th birthday present, she would have liposuction.

After exhaustive research she decided that the new Vaser liposuction, performed by Dr. Mike Comins, was worth a try. After being thoroughly numbed around the abdomen the doctor rubbed the Vaser wand over her. The wand was not painful, however she said, “it felt like a scraping sensation inside, as if he were weeding my stomach with a trowel.” It took around one and a half hours for the entire procedure and recovery time was not very long at all. She was thrilled with the results. She had lost three inches on her waist and was able to fit into jeans that she had not worn in a long time.

Vaser Liposuction is a wonderful new way to have fat removed, without having to undergo a very invasive surgery. Big incisions are not necessary with this innovative approach and the results have been described as ‘a dream come true’.

Cosmetic surgery has grown quickly in popularity. With society’s increasing acceptance, of people who have undergone plastic surgery, the number of procedures performed continues to multiply. Women can get breast augmentations, liposuction, and face-lifts. But what has been surprising, is the increasing number of procedures that men are undergoing. In fact according to The Hospital Group, one of UK’s leading providers of cosmetic surgery and obesity surgery, the number of tummy tuck procedures performed on men has increased by 60 percent in the last five years.

Many men, who have lost a substantial amount of weight, find that if they want to look good they will need to have a procedure done to remove the excess skin. A spokesperson for The Hospital Group, said: “Men often opt to have a tummy tuck if they have had substantial weight-loss and are left with sagging skin around the abdomen. We have seen an increase in men having obesity surgery which could have had a knock-on effect.” Tummy tucks, also know as abdominoplasty, can improve the look of the stomach drastically. The procedure is performed by tightening the abdominal muscles and removing excess skin. The remaining skin is then pulled tight and secured. This will create a tighter and firmer abdomen.

As reported in Surgery Lowdown-Cosmetic Surgery Advice, John Wright form Lincolnshire had a tummy tuck operation and breast reduction after loosing 22 stone. He said, :After the immense effort and hard work of losing so much weight it was utterly soul destroying to see vast folds of skin hanging from my body…….. I used almost ,10,000 of my savings but I think it was worth every penny.” Many testimonials from men who have had a tummy tuck are the same as Mr. Wright’s. The result of a tummy tuck make many men feel like they are a whole new person.

There has been a substantial increase in plastic surgeries performed on men in the last few years. According to Mr. Rajiv Grover, Secretary of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, “This year [2009] we have recorded a dramatic rise in a number of male surgical procedures, probably due to heightened media attention, which has allowed men to realise the positive outcomes that can be achieved.” Men have begun to put a greater emphasis on their own appearances and thus the increase in cosmetic procedures performed on men is merely a logical extension of this.

Even during the recession cosmetic procedures are growing in popularity.  The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons reported that there were 36,482 surgical cosmetic procedures performed in 2009. This is nearly a seven percent increase over 2008, despite the recession. Non-surgical cosmetic treatments have seen a substantial increase in 2009 as well. Many people are happy to be able to make their body more beautiful without having to undergo surgery. One particular treatment that has become very popular is Latisse.

Latisse is a bimatoprost ophthalmic solution sold by the pharmaceutical company, Allergen. Bimatoprost is used to treat glaucoma and patients using it, noticed that their eyelashes got thicker and more full. Allergen perfected the new drug for use as a cosmetic treatment. Latisse has proved to be very effective at lengthening and increasing the prominence of eyelashes. It is a cream that is applied to the base of the upper eyelash, which works by prolonging the growth phase of the eyelash hair follicles. Within a few weeks the results will be noticed and within four months the lashes will reach full maturity.

Dr. Alexis Parker, founder of Lasair Aesthetic Health, said in a press release, “Even though there is an economic crunch, women are still willing to spend for longer, fuller eye lashes. Especially when the product works as well as Latisse®. In my practice I have seen dramatic results in almost all of my patients, including myself and my staff. I am seeing more and more women with lashes touching their eyebrows. And, as women, we know that eyes are definitely seductive.”

The medical condition hypotrichosis can also be treated with Latisse. Hypotrichosis of the eyelashes is a condition in which the eyelashes are either inadequate or their are not enough hairs present. Latisse helps these people to grow more eyelash hairs and these new hairs are stronger and longer. Some patients have even reported that their eyebrows grow better, with the use of Latisse. Though Allergen reported
that discontinuing the use of Latisse will cause eyelashes to slowly return to their previous state.

“Our patient satisfaction rate is well above 99%. Nearly everyone who has tried Latisse® is astounded by the way their lashes grow,” Dr. Parker said. “My patients…are concerned about maintaining and improving their appearance on every level. They always want to look like themselves only better.” Having long thick lashes used to mean sticking artificial eyelashes to the eyelids. Now women can grow beautiful lashes that are natural. Accenting the beauty of the face is simple with Latisse.

According to a recent study, women may be more likely than men to develop perioral wrinkles. These are wrinkles that form around the mouth and not only are women more prone to develop them but these wrinkles also develop deeper in women than in men. Researchers for the Netherlands hoped to find out why this is.

Emma C. Paes, of the University Medical Center in Utrecht, said in a news release, “The aim of this study is to obtain new insight into the perception that women wrinkle earlier and more severely than men. If we understood the reasons for differences in wrinkling between women and men, then we might be able to develop better strategies for the treatment of perioral wrinkling.” The research was actually performed on cadavers and measurements were taken of the upper lip region in both males and females.

The results of the research were enlightening. They found there were fewer sweat and sebaceous glands in women than men. This deficiency could influence the natural filling of the skin. Women’s skin tissue around the mouth also contained fewer blood vessels which would create poorer circulation. Again this deficiency might be a cause for the formation of wrinkles. The researchers believe that the deepness of
the wrinkles may be caused by the closer attachment of muscle fibers surrounding the lips to the middle layer of skin. This might cause a strain on the lips pulling them inward and thus making deeper perioral wrinkles. The conclusion was that these results do provide a feasible explanation for why women are more prone to these wrinkles.

Paes said; “We think it is important to consider the reasons why a particular treatment may or may not be effective. Sometimes one has to go back to the basics instead of just moving forward. In the end, having more basic knowledge about a problem can speed up the process of finding the right solution.” It is hoped that this study will give surgeons that basic knowledge and help them to better treat facial wrinkles.

There are many treatments for wrinkles such as Botox injections and injectable wrinkle fillers. There are also lasers, dermabrasion and chemical peels. There is even a treatment called Aluma that uses radio frequency technology to smooth out the wrinkles on the face. These treatments have helped people to get rid of their wrinkles and enjoy a fresh smooth face.