Cosmeticsurgeon.co.uk - UK Cosmetic Surgeons

Self-esteem and self-confidence are not ageist. They do not discriminate and the old and young alike are subject to low levels of self-worth. Sometimes they are the result of physical aesthetic imperfections, and correcting these imperfections surgically used to be a luxury reserved only for adults who could afford the costly procedures. However, there is a recent trend in teenagers and young adults seeking medical interventions for their unhappiness.

In the United States, plastic surgery procedures on young people between thirteen and nineteen years old has been qualified as “mainstream” and the spokesperson for the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Dr. Frederick Lukash, estimates that almost three hundred thousands teenagers went under the knife in 2008. Those numbers have only increased in the following years.  Essentially, teenagers are hoping that the procedures will “cure” whatever issues they are suffering from but they should be warned that it is unlikely. This idea typically plagues the psyches of young women in the midst of development. They are excessively exposed to unrealistic depictions of perfection and define their worth in terms in physical ideals. Moreover, in the never-ending quest for societal approval, these imperfections are magnified, appearing both intolerable yet easily resolved with a breast enhancement or a rhinoplasty.

Plastic surgery for teens is not always wrong. Dr. Lukash has seen many cases where a teenaged patient’s quality of life has improved exponentially because of a procedure. But he warns that surgery on a teenaged patient should be the exception, not the rule. He wrote “The Safe and Sane Guide to Teenage Plastic Surgery” to aid parents and potential patients about the risks and concerns of surgery. If a teenager is seriously considering plastic surgery, they should first talk to a therapist. Low self-esteem levels could be the result of underlying issues and the opinion of a therapist could be beneficial before putting oneself through a painful and expensive procedure with an undesirable result.

Furthermore, if a teenaged patient decides to go ahead with the procedure, it is of the utmost importance that they seek out a board-certified plastic surgeon. Doctors should not be concerned with the money that the patient represents, but with genuinely improving their quality of life. A consultation is a two-way interview and the surgeon should not be afraid to turn a patient away if their expectations are not manageable. There are always risks with any surgery and it is irresponsible to take on such a risk without proper research and the guidance of qualified and trusted medical professionals.

Although plastic surgery is commonly thought of as being along the lines of procedures such as nose jobs or face lifts, this is far from the reality. Take the case of Harry Berger for example. When taxi driver Derek Bird shot into a crowded hotel in Cumbria last June, Mr Berger was among those shot. Because he was hit at close range, the damage to his body was extensive. He was hit in the hand and tricep. He also completely lost his bicep in addition to the arteries and nerves surrounding it. Plastic surgery techniques have been practiced in war zones such as Vietnam, Afghanistan and the Falklands and innovations in these techniques have enabled surgeons to perform miracles.

Within hours, surgeons were able to transplant veins from different parts of Mr Berger’s body to replace those that were extensively damaged. A few days afterward, doctors removed a section of muscle that ran between his hip and armpit and reconstructed his tricep and bicep muscles. A couple of months later, Mr Berger’s nerves were replaced.

Before the war in Vietnam, those with injuries to the arteries or veins that were as extensive as Mr Bergers would have most likely lost their limbs. What basically happens is that if you cut off a limb’s blood supply, you don’t have much more than a few hours to repair it. The reason that Vietnam was so different was that it was the first time that helicopters were deployed in battle. This meant that those who were wounded could be helped by surgeons in a matter of hours. Every new procedure that had been discovered this way continued to be practiced and expanded meticulously for every war afterwards.

The types of techniques that plastic surgeons use actually have their origins in operations used during World War I. Due to the intense trench warfare, field medics saw hoards of facial wounds. What essentially happened was that soldiers would look above trenches and get hit in the face by shrapnel, bullets or other types of debris. It goes without saying that those with mutilated faces would need new techniques to repair their injuries. It was a surgeon named Harold Gillies who discovered the procedures that enabled others to reconstruct facial features. These same procedures eventually evolved into the same modern cosmetic surgeries that everyone knows about today.

The cost of cosmetic procedures may double within just one year in Britain. An increase of lawsuits has caused many of the surgeons to raise the price of the procedures that they perform. Private plastic surgeons may even be forced to double the fees of these procedures to help cover the costs of legal insurance. Currently, most breast enlargement procedures in Britain cost about £5,000. If the price were to double, a simple breast enlargement procedure would cost up to £10,000. Face lifts would also cost more, rising from about £6,000 to £12,000.

The Cosmetic Surgery Today website stated warnings about the cost of these cosmetic procedures rising shortly after Penny Johnson started a £54million lawsuit against a plastic surgeon. She claims that the procedure was a botched operation and is completely miserable with the outcome. She says that her career and life was ruined due to this operation. Mrs. Johnson says the face lift left her with a droopy eye. Because she has trouble closing her right eye, she has troubles sleeping. Lawsuits like this one are negatively impacting the industry of cosmetic surgery.

Not only will the surgeons suffer, those who are looking to have cosmetic procedures done will also be discouraged at such high prices. The only people who win in situations like this are the lawyers who are making money off of all of the legal fees. As with all surgeries, cosmetic surgery has its risks as well. Before having any procedure done, a patient must sign their name to give consent for the procedure. Everything should be read before singing so that the patient is fully aware of the possibility of complications that may occur during or after the procedure.

With different legal claims like Mrs. Johnson’s, many practices in the UK may shut down. Every patient has the right to be protected during all circumstances and should be able to seek financial compensation if something is to go wrong. However, £54 million is a very drastic amount especially because a surgeons medical insurance only covers up to £10 million. When a judge awards a patient more than the £10 million that the surgeon is covered, there is a very high possibility that the surgeon will face bankruptcy. As a result of lawsuits like this, future patients will end up paying much higher fees for any procedure.

Most people who have received an invite to the upcoming Royal Wedding are fretting over what they’re going to wear to the event and shopping for the perfect dress and perfect pair of shoes.

Tara Palmer-Tomkinson isn’t fretting over what dress she’s going to wear to the event however, she’s fretting over what nose she’ll be wearing to the wedding. Supposedly the UK socialite is wanting to have a new nose in place before she watches the royal nuptials.

Although this may seem like a bizarre way to prepare for such a special event, Tara is defending her desire for the new nose by saying she wants a nose with a “straighter profile”, something that apparently wasn’t achieved by her last nose job, done due to damage from her previous cocaine habit.

Amazingly, she isn’t the only one planning surgery for big events. Whether it’s the Royal Wedding or tea time with the Beckhams, cosmetic procedures, whether surgical or non-surgical, are being seen more frequently, which is oddly timed when the conditions of the current economic climate are considered. Market analysts have estimated that in Britian almost 20 million adults want to have plastic surgery and although the number of procedures went down when the economy began suffering, plastic surgeons saw an increase of over 15 percent between the years of 2008 and 2010. The most popular cosmetic procedures currently being done are non-surgical.

“While we feel young on the inside, our outside may not look like we feel,” says plastic surgeon Douglas McGeorge. He says treatments increased in popularity because people live longer. Currently the number of treatments performed stands at 1.3 million, which means the number has risen 30 per cent over the previous two years.

Plastic surgery techniques and treatments continue to become more advanced and the results are becoming more satisfactory, also allowing patients to better predict the treatment’s results. Having plastic surgery for cosmetic purposes is believed by many to just be a lifestyle choice, and the the increasing numbers are proof of that.

The 2.3 billion market apparently sees face lifts and breast augmentations as the biggest trends, as reported in recent figures from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons. There’s also been an increase in gynaecomastia treatments, proving men are having more procedures also.

McGeorge says that more than anything, plastic surgery is more “…about the patient’s wellbeing, not just the surgery.”

British citizens travel abroad in hoards of thousands every year for medical treatment. They are prone to cosmetic surgery and dental work.

Having said that, the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons discovered that in 2009 there was a significant increase in the number of patients who have experienced complications after travelling overseas for cosmetic surgery.

When you think about the nature of cosmetic surgery, it’s not very hard to see why this happens. Cosmetic surgery involves complications and risks that may include bleeding, infection, thrombosis and vein clotting. Reputable surgeons are more likely to let patients know about these potential risks ahead of time and give them the opportunity to change their minds. Some of the longer operations such as the “tummy tuck” that require a general anaesthetic typically have higher rates of complication because patients lack mobility after the surgery.

Travelling overseas for treatment might be less expensive than undergoing surgery in the UK, but standards vary abroad. You might find an excellent surgeon for cheap but you might also find shady or poor quality doctors who charge outlandish prices. It may also be more difficult to research a surgeon’s record. The hospital might not even be up to your standards. Aftercare can also be a lengthy process and in many cases, complications won’t arise until patients have already returned home.

As of right now there are approximately 100,000 cosmetic operations conducted annually in the UK but the National Confidential Equiry into Patient Outcome and Death discovered that in 2010, many locations that were carrying out cosmetic surgery failed to both assess and care for their patients in a proper manner. It was found that more than half of the operating locations were equipped poorly. One fifth lacked any emergency readmission policy and monitoring throughout the procedure was insufficient.

Eight general practitioners in both the Western Cape and Gauteng are currently being monitored by the Association of Plastic and Reconstructive surgeons of Southern Africa. The reason being that they have failed to properly care for patients who experienced complications due to their malpractice. These patients have suffered from complications such as septic infections, bodily denting from liposuction and even different sized breasts and hips. The issue here lies in the fact that the Health Professions Council of South Africa is doing little to protect the public from these poorly qualified doctors who are offering cheap surgery.

One committee member of the Plastic Surgeon’s Association has stated that there are around seven general practitioners who are being carefully watched. Each practitioner is estimated to have an average of three or four complaints against them. There may be even more.

If you go to a qualified surgeon, the average price for a tummy tuck is somewhere around R32000. Breast implants or reductions cost about R28000 and 30 minutes of a liposuction is R14000. Doctors who lack the proper qualification for plastic surgery will often attract customers by undercutting the price to R7000 for half an our of liposuction.

There are many potential patients who will look around for the cheapest price before deciding on a doctor because they have to pay out of pocket for the operations. They will often not report complications and unless these problems are reported, then there is not much that can be done about them.

A general practitioner from Kempton Park was found guilty of unprofessional conduct in May for conducting a breast reduction and not recognizing the ensuing complications.

The acting CEO and registrar for the HPCSA has stated that if a practitioner is found guilty, the organisation will ensure that he or she will be given the appropriate penalty.

The aforementioned practitioner was suspended for one year from the register on the condition that he would cease to perform cosmetic surgery for at least three years.

Patients should be advised to verify that their practitioner has the proper qualifications and experience before having cosmetic surgery.

The importance of appearance for dating and mating, particularly for women, points to another domain apart from the stereotype about age and facial wrinkles. There is overwhelming evidence that attractiveness influences woman’s romantic experiences. Although some aspects of attractiveness, such as preferences for perfect body weight, shape and measurements are culturally constructed, many other requirements may be biologically and psychologically constructed and connected to physical and mental health. One such standard that seems to evaluate attractiveness in women in the modern world is the appearance of private parts.

Genital cosmetic surgery on women has increased as much as other cosmetic procedures and more physicians are now offering procedures to enhance genital features. As the attitudes toward these procedures are increasingly favorable and pretty pleases in personal relationships, genital cosmetic surgery has provided individuals bothered by their genital appearance a solution, and researcher such as one from Macquarie University is hoping to find the exact reason for motivation behind the decision to undergo these surgeries, despite any significant illness.

Plastic surgeons and other physicians involved with cosmetic procedures are packing various conferences and surveys to learn more about lesbians and straight women who opt for genital cosmetic surgery. Anthropology PhD student Lindy McDougall who is conducting an Australia-wide study regarding this, is urging women to participate in surveys and take her research to a significant step further based on the survey result. She gathered information from doctors which indicate that when lesbians have surgery, usually both girls agree with the decision, while hetero women do the “correction” to improve their self-esteem and doesn’t involve their partner’s approval. According to her, higher levels of attractiveness achieved through cosmetic surgery are associated with higher levels of life satisfaction, a more positive and balanced affect, and a substantial impact after marriage, but for a woman to decide on labiaplasty and vaginal tightening, the reason is much complex than that.

Although not well understood, genital cosmetic surgery among women can be a means of achieving favoritism with current or potential partners, and some regard the surgery as a tool to assert some control over their visible signs of aging, especially for single women who face an increasingly tight “dating and marriage market” as they age. As a matter of fact, plastic surgery in this field has come a long way since practitioners engaged in cosmetic work catered basically to celebrities, professional beauties and upper-class women, overcoming ethical dilemmas. 

Those looking for alternatives to complicated surgeries or implants to reconstruct body parts have a new option to choose from. “Lipo Modeling” is a technique whereby fat is removed from the patient’s body to be used, as grafts, in re-sculpting another area. This is a particularly welcome technique for those who have asymmetrical body features due to trauma, surgery, or even birth defects. Using fat grafting is much safer and more effective then surgery or expensive implants.

Fazel Fatah, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, performs liposuction in his personal practice. Fatah uses a newer liposuction technique that involves using a laser to melt fat beneath the skin before sucking it out. This is a much quicker and more efficient method then the simple vacuuming the fat out of the body used in traditional liposuction.

Fat grafts obtained from liposuction have been proven effective in cosmetic surgery procedures, but surgeons like Fatah have been using fat grafts for purposes of reconstructive surgery. The fat is removed by use of small syringes and thin tubing call “cannula” that suck the fat out. The fat is then placed inside a centrifuge that removes all the oil and liquid from the fat.

The fat must then be formed into thin lines comprised of multiple tiny “beads” of fat. This prevents the fat from bunching and leaving unsightly globules in whatever area is being reconstructed. Furthermore, shaping the fat into lines allow for very detailed and accurate three dimensional reconstruction. This technique has been used for cosmetic surgeries like face lifts and such, but the applications for reconstructive surgery is tremendous. In breast reconstruction, traditional methods can often leave breasts lumpy and asymmetrical. Fat grafts can be used in addition to the standard breast implants to even out the breasts and make them look natural. In other cases, patients have been born missing parts of their pectoral muscles; fat grafts are used to create the missing areas.

Lipo modeling is greatly improving the quality of life for those who have been inconvenienced or embarrassed because of cosmetic asymmetrical problems. The natural look and feel of the fat grafts give patients a new lease on life.

Experts in the field of science located in Phoenix, AZ, have found a new development involving hair loss. Scientists were researching a gastrointestinal disease and learned accidentally that treatment for this disease may also help prevent baldness, pattern hair loss and alopecia.

Hair loss is a condition that affects approximately 25 per cent of men prior to their reaching age 30. Additionally it affects two thirds of them prior to age 60, some even experience hair loss in their teen-age years.

Reports issued by scientists have described examining mice when they tested a chemical substance on them. These particular mice had been changed genetically to increase their production of corticotrophin-releasing factor, a stress hormone, which caused the mice to drop their coat when they became older.

For this research the mice that were losing their hair were injected five times daily with a new stress reducing hormone called astressin-B. Once injections were completed the mice were placed back into their habitat.

After a three month time period the researchers followed up on their study, and were surprised to find that all of the mice had regrown their coats. The study found this to be the case 100 percent of the time. The scientists used the injections with mice that had not lost their coat yet, and found that the treatment prevented the loss of their fur.

The researchers also discovered that the anti-stress hormone was beneficial for the gastrointestinal system, the cardiovascular system and other areas of the mice’s bodies where receptors are found.

Scientists were excited by the fact that the hormone reactivated the hair follicles. They are hoping that these results can help those who suffer from baldness, hair loss when having chemotherapy and for individuals with alopecia.

Researchers involved with the study have stated that it will take time to discover if the hormone will help humans who suffer from hair loss. The next phase in the study will involve investigating how the stress reducing hormone is able to reactivate the hair follicles. They will also look into which cells in particular are benefiting from the treatment.

For those who aren’t yet ready to embrace a clean shaven head, this treatment may be able to regrow lost hair. It can help regain lost self-confidence that can happen when hair is lost and may be safer because it causes the follicles to reactivate. It may also help other parts of the body.

The Tenor Treatment is non-surgical facelift that does not require the use of a knife. In the simplest terms, the use of heat will increase collagen resulting in a tighter and firmer skin appearance.

What’s the process?

The physician will prep the skin by putting on an anti-bacterial gel. Since, the procedure involves the use of heat, the gel will serve to protect the skin. After the face is rubbed with cream, the heat will be delivered through a probe that will massage the skin. It will take approximately 20 minutes to work the face. Afterwards gel will be sprayed on, to lock the heat in. For almost 12 hours, the collagen will be stimulated.

How does it work?

The body is always at work to repair any damages. The body is tricked into pumping more collagen because of the heat. The deep tissue will feel the radio waves and send out collagen in an effort to repair any damages. The skin will be firmed and most recipients look younger immediately after the procedure.

What does it feel like?

It slowly builds up to very hot temperature. After the procedure, the skin may feel a little sensitive and have minor discomfort.

Who’s it for?

This treatment is for anyone who wants to rewind time, and appear youthful again. It can help deep wrinkles, under eyes bags, and dark circles. The Tenor Facial was designed to fix typical problem areas on the face by noninvasive means. It can also accentuate the cheekbones and jaw lines.

The upside?

The first one is no scars will be left and you’ll be able function normally soon after. The face will be firm, toned and glowing. Not to mention, you would have saved a considerable amount of money compared to a surgical procedure.

How long does it take?

The first treatment includes a consultation, therefore, will take roughly 30 minutes. The treatments after that will take about 20 minutes.