Cosmeticsurgeon.co.uk - UK Cosmetic Surgeons

The pressure of looking good and having a nice body has grown overwhelming in today’s society. Men and women alike feel that they must look good to be successful. In many ways, this is true. In order to remain marketable in the job market or to get those promotions, looking good is essential. This ideal has leaked into the psych of teens, who are undergoing a rising number of cosmetic procedures.

The pressure of looking good is felt very keenly by teens. They are picked on at school because of a wide range of physical differences. It doesn’t take much of a difference for a bully to pick at. Many teens are awed by a celebrity idol and they dream of looking as beautiful, as that celebrity. The teen years have always been hard, but now there is a way to lighten some of that burden. Plastic surgery can help to give teens the confidence that they lack and allow them to be more accepted among their peers.

Natural News reported that the figures for 2008, from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, showed that surgeries performed on people under the age of 19 was very high. In fact 160,283 U.S. residents of that age underwent some form of cosmetic surgery. The surgeries ranged from breast augmentation and liposuction to hair removal and birthmark removal.

369 people of that age group actually had a controversial procedure called blepharoplasty. Blepharoplasty, also know as ‘Asian eye surgery,’ is a surgery where the eyes of people of Asian descent are widened. Gerald Pitman, a plastic surgeon in New York City, told USA Today, “The kids I see, their desire is almost uniformly to be normal, non-deviant. Kids don’t want to stand out in a negative way.”

The fact that cosmetic surgery has become very mainstream has made society much less judgmental about it. If a person is willing to undergo a procedure to make themselves look and feel better wouldn’t they do the same for their child? Donn Chatham, president of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, told Natural News, “…parents may themselves even be undergoing cosmetic surgery and may feel for our children that it’s not such a stretch.”

Many parents and surgeons believe that since the technology exists and can benefit their children, then there is nothing wrong with using it. Most people have cosmetic surgery to give them confidence and allow them to live a happier, more full life. In this regard, people under the age of 19 are no different.

According to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), the number of men undergoing plastic surgical procedures has risen substantially in 2009. The increase is an amazing 21% in overall procedures performed on men. Cosmetic surgery is quickly becoming a men’s trend too.

The BAAPS reported that the increase in male procedures was most profoundly shown in the breast reduction (gynaecomastia). These procedures rose an astounding 80% between 2008, with 581 procedures. It is the third most popular procedure in men behind nose-jobs (rhinoplasty) and eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty).

Many men have excess fat cells across there chest that they wish to have removed. Some even suffer from gynecomastia, the development of abnormally large mammary glands resulting in enlarged breasts. Men have tried in vain to get rid this excess fat through work outs, and diet plans.  Out of options, men have turned to plastic surgery to rid them of the embarrassing flab on their chests.

Many new advancements in technology have improved many of the procedures for plastic surgery. In fact, a new procedure is now available for breast reduction which utilizes radiofrequency assisted technology. This technology allows for a much less invasive procedure to remove the fat cells while at the same time tightening the loose skin. This replaces the painful pushing and pulling of liposuction and is drawing more and more patients.

The media has also made an impact on the plastic surgery scene. Mr. Rajiv Grover, consultant plastic surgeon and BAAPS Secretary said, “This year we have recorded a dramatic rise in a number of male surgical procedures, probably due to heightened media attention, which has allowed men to realize the positive outcomes that can be achieved.”

The negative opinion that society once had toward plastic surgery no longer exists. People are much less judgmental of others who have undergone such a procedure and thus everyone is more apt to talk about the results of their procedure. With the plethora of positive testimonials available men are more inclined to consider a procedure to give them the body that they desire.

Cosmetic Surgery Flourishing Despite The Current Recession

BBC News is reporting that cosmetic surgery is still managing to hold its own despite the economic downturn, with the number of those going under the knife increasing as ever.

The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) has released figures showing that the rise in procedures is much higher than expected, including a 1,000% rise in male breast reduction surgeries since 2003. It includes a 44% rise from the previous year and a total of 323 operations in 2008.

Unsurprisingly, breast augmentation procedures for women played a large role in the rise as well, with the amount of surgeries undertaken increasing by 30% in 2008 and a total of 8,000 operations.

But the amount of men undergoing cosmetic surgery has also been on the rise, as is consistent with reports to the same effect in October. As well as opting for breast reduction procedures to treat the effects of a condition known as gynaecomastia, men have also been going under the knife to receive ear correction surgery (otoplasty), eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) and brow lifts.

It seems that even as people’s wallets tighten, the demand for cosmetic treatments remains strong, with the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons referring to a number of possible reasons.

Rajiv Grover who is a consultant plastic surgeon for BAAPS as well as the Secretary in charge of the UK national audit of cosmetic surgery accounts for some of it, “There has been a dramatic rise in the number of procedures such as male breast reduction and brow lifts. This may be due to heightened media attention, which has allowed men to realise the positive outcomes that can be achieved.”

The results do not follow suit for liposuction, with figures down as well as those for women undergoing otoplasty, which Grover also refers to,

“It is also the first year since records began that we have seen a fall in liposuction and eyelid surgery, which may be due to the great number of non-surgical alternatives now available for those areas.”

The figures also show a 1.5% rise in rhinoplasty (nose job) procedures, a 30% rise in abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) procedures and a 1.7% rise in face/neck lifts. In 2008, a total of 34,187 procedures were carried out by BAAPS members.

The main reason for lower eyelids sagging as people get older has been revealed by a new research.

Experts at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) have discovered that the main cause is fat accumulating in the eye socket over time. The researchers monitored 40 people aged from 12 to 80 using high-resolution magnetic resonance in order to establish possible reasons why the face around the eyes changes with age and revealed that it is due to increasing levels of fat in the eye socket.

The revelation is published in the Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and suggests that fat removal should be the main focus of a cosmetic procedure known as blepharoplasty, which is targeted at getting rid off puffy eyelids.

“Our findings may change the way some plastic surgeons treat baggy eyes,” commented study co-author Dr Timothy Miller, who is also a professor and chief of cosmetic surgery at the Geffen school. “Our study showed that a component of a patient’s blepharoplasty procedure should almost routinely involve fat excision.”

Fat Expansion could be the cause of baggy lower eyelids

Researchers at UCLA in America have discovered that fat expansion that takes place in the eye socket is what causes sagging eyelids as we get older. It comes after many years of speculation over what causes this side effect of the aging process.

Researchers say that removing fat from the eye should be a component of treatment for patients who want to return their eyes to a more youthful look. This would involve changes to the traditional way the surgery is carried out.

Dr Sean Darcy is a research associate in the division of plastic and reconstructive surgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine: “A common treatment performed in the past and present is surgical excision of fat to treat a ‘herniation of fat’ — meaning that the amount of fat in the eye socket does not change but the cover that holds the fat in place, the orbital septum, is weakened or broken and fat slips out. This orbital septum weakening or herniation-of-fat theory is what most plastic surgeons have been taught.” The study by his team has shown that there is an increase in fat with age and it is likely that this is what causes the baggy eyelids associated with this, rather than a weakening in the ligament.

This study is the first study to look at this. It was published in the September issue of Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
To carry out the research Darcy looked at the MRIs of forty people between the ages of twelve and eighty. They found that as age increased, the size of the lower eyelid tissue also increases, which is attributed to a fat increase in the area.

The study’s co-author Dr. Timothy Miller added “Our findings may change the way some plastic surgeons treat baggy eyes. The study showed that a component of a patient’s blepharoplasty procedure should almost routinely involve fat excision rather than [the methods used currently].”

Blepharoplasty involves making an incision in the lower eyelids and correcting the tissue so that it removes crow’s feet and the effect of the eyes looking ‘hooded’ or tired. To quote Cosmetic Surgeon’s description of the treatment: “Blepharoplasty is designed to remove the excess fat, skin and atrophied muscle from the upper and lower eyelids.”

Patients who might want to undergo the treatment may have excess skin around the eyes and want it to be removed so that their eyes appear younger.

Growing number of men considering it as a viable option.

BBC News reports that a growing number of men in the United Kingdom are undergoing cosmetic surgery such as tummy tuck’s and liposuction

The news follows figures released by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) this year. It showed that in 2007, the number men who decided to undergo tummy tucks (also known as abdominoplasty) rose by 61%, with Liposuction rising by 18%. However despite these figures the numbers of men choosing the treatments is still relatively small, with the total number of men having a tummy tuck in 2007 being 90 and 582 having liposuction. Currently, the most popular form of cosmetic surgery for men is rhinoplasty (nose jobs).

The BBC talked to Dr Jag Chana, a consultant plastic surgeon at a Hospital in Hertfordshire. He pointed out that liposuction and tummy tucks are not weight loss options and many of the patients he sees in his clinic are unsuitable for the operations.

The procedures are designed for people who have already lost weight and may have excess skin left behind as a consequence. So those who have approached him with a beer belly have been turned away, told to first try and lose the weight via diet and exercise.
“Tummy tucks and liposuction are invasive procedures. Possible risks are scarring, loss of sensation and infection to the area, but these are rare.
“Patients can normally return to work after two weeks but exercise and lifting must be avoided for at least six weeks as an abdominal corset needs to be worn to support the area.”
As time goes on, experts have said that more men will continue to decide on cosmetic surgery as more men care about their appearance.
At Dr Chana’s clinic in particular has seen a 40% increase in the numbers of men having surgeries there last year. The number has since been rising and Dr Chan himself agrees that this will continue.
Liposuction involves removing fatty deposits that can appear in the chest, chin, sides, stomach, thighs and back. It is difficult to remove fat from these areas via exercise, which is why surgery could be an option. Rhinoplasty (or a nose job), reshapes the nose to give it symmetry by removing cartilage.