Cosmeticsurgeon.co.uk - UK Cosmetic Surgeons

A common treatment for wrinkles, Botox is now being used as an acne scar therapy. Botox, which is a drug that is a derivative of Botulism bacterium, is being shown to reduce the appearance of facial pits caused by acne. It does this by causing the muscles around the scars to relax.

According to Monash University’s Greg Goodman, “If it happens to be that… Botox can help to… relax that area so it doesn’t have so much stress on the existing scar tissue.” He also stated that Botox is generally used in conjunction with dermal fillers. These fillers are injected into a person’s skin after the Botox treatment to smooth the scar tissues.

Professor Goodman also found that while he was reviewing the use of Botox in the treatment of acne scars, that the Botox did indeed help to reduce the look of acne scars. He has published these findings in the Journal of Cutaneous Aesthetic Surgery.

Since Botox was introduced in 1999, it has been widely used to assist in the treatment of wrinkles. It has since been found to help lessen excessive sweating, help those afflicted with cerebral palsy to relieve their muscle spasms, and to aid chronic migraine sufferers with their pain. In 2009, cosmetic surgeons began to use Botox as an acne treatment after determining it could prevent excess oil and sebum production in skin pores. This excess build-up is a primary cause for the appearance of acne on your skin.

Botox works by obstructing the brains signals from the nervous system to the muscles, thus making them relax. This relaxation of the muscles is what reduces wrinkles and acne scarring. There are side effects of the drug, as with most any other. According to the Therapeutic Goods Administration, there have been 40 cases of unfavourable side effects in those who received the Botox treatment. Among those side effects, the most commonly reported were vomiting and fatigue. As with any cosmetic treatments, it is imperative that you discuss it at length with your doctor, to avoid complications and minimize the chances of adverse effects of treatment.

The cosmetic surgery field has continuously grown to encompass more and more different procedures. Not only are there more procedures, but there are also better techniques and tools. Technological advances from many fields have helped cosmetic surgery to become safe and efficient. More advances are made every day to improve plastic surgery. One of these improvements is a procedure called, cell enriched breast enhancement.

Cell enriched breast enhancement, dubbed ‘Stem Cell Boob Job’, involves taking fat cells from other parts of the body and putting them in the breasts to increase bust size. It is a chemical free treatment, and there are claims that it is permanent. This could be the next generation of breast implants, however a cosmetic expert advises against rushing into the procedure. Dr. Ravi Jain, medical director at Riverbanks Clinic, says, “Almost all the best cosmetic treatments currently available are actually 3rd or 4th generation versions of earlier treatments which have been refined and improved over time and as more data became available. Stem cell-based beauty treatments are certainly going to be big in the future but the treatment is still in its infancy, and in my opinion, has at least another 12-18 months of modification ahead of it.’

The new stem cell procedures are being offered in some clinics in the UK. Cell enriched breast enhancements and cell enriched Botox can be found being offered by certain surgeons but not Dr. Jain. He will most likely be offering some selected trails in 2010, however these trials will be done in order to gain better data about the long term success of the treatment. He said, “If the trial prove successful, this approach could be used to treat a range of conditions more effectively including sun damage, scars, skin tone, and lines and wrinkles. This is definitely going to be the future of cosmetic treatments, but still has some way to go.”

His statements show that he is very excited about the procedure, but being a doctor since 1995 he has gained some wisdom, when it comes to new treatments. He does not want to see a flood of people rush into something that is not yet perfected and then be disappointed with the results. Most procedures require some fine tuning before they become efficient. His advice is, merely, that people wait a little while before
having this new procedure performed on them.

Over the last few years we’ve seen many different advances in plastic and cosmetic surgery which have meant that many more people are now able to undergo the procedures they want and enjoy much quicker, easier recovery times. Well, there may well be another revolution on the way which seems set to shake the very foundations of the industry.

According to the editor of Makemeheal.com, Lois W Stern, stem cells could be engineered in such a way which as would offer a huge helping and innovative hand to the cosmetic surgery industry.  Lipoaspirate, which is a product generally used for liposuction, could, according to Stern, by engineered into cells which can regenerate. It is hoped that such a move could lead to less invasive procedures for such major work as facelifts.   Stem cells always seem to find themselves in the news as they are a highly controversial thing to begin tampering with; essentially they are cells, found naturally in the body, which have the ability to grow new cells and even to change the type of cells which are being produced.

Recently, thanks to legislation pushed through by new U.S President Barack Obama, medical research regarding stem cells has become legal and Stern feels that this change to the law could well yield exciting and innovative breakthroughs.   The biggest changes seen could be in the sustainability of fat tissue implanted in the face; if the tissue were to last longer then this would reduce the need for complex and highly invasive procedures which can often take a long time to recover from.  Other possible innovations include manipulating stem cells to differentiate into fat cells, something which could have far-reaching consequences for the world of plastic surgery.

The world of stem-cells will always be a controversial one, for political and religious reasons but, if these new discoveries will help plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery as much as is being suggested then they should certainly be welcomed by an industry which is always trying to regenerate itself and come up with new and fresh ideas.  The numbers of people undergoing cosmetic surgery all around the world have dramatically increased over the last decade and this is due to the new treatments and the quicker recovery times which are now being offered. If these new ideas come to fruition then that can only be a good thing for the industry.

Previously considered an age where people should start winding down and looking forward to retirement, 50 is now being considered the start of a brand new life by a new generation of people who feel 50 should be fabulous!

Increasing numbers of both men and women have been going under the knife in recent years in order to rejuvenate their bodies but new research has suggested that it’s not just the young and the vain who are image conscious; older generations are getting in on the act as well.

Alina Deeble from Euromedica has spoken out about this latest trend in cosmetic surgery, saying that: “Older women have many reasons for wanting to look younger and are prepared to spend cash they have been putting aside to get the face and the body they want.” The money aspect here is an important point; even if we are happy with our bodies now and don’t think there’s anything we would change, this might well change as we get older.

Putting aside money now can ensure that you are able to afford to make the changes you want to make. In the last year alone, the number of treatments performed on people aged 45 to 65 doubled; this is certainly good news for the cosmetic industry.

One reason behind this startling rise in the number of older women going under the knife could well be the pressure put on them from the celebrity culture which all age-groups are now immersed in.  Examples from Madonna to Helen Mirren could be cited as women who look fabulous as they age and thus send out the message that getting older can mean getting more glamorous. If young people are under pressure to sculpt their bodies according the latest teen-star in Vogue, older women are under pressure to grow old with glamour and, for many, this means going under the surgeon’s knife.

Ultimately, retirement should be about relaxing and enjoying your new found freedom. However, if you haven’t got the confidence to go out and do what you want then this might not be possible. Plastic surgery and cosmetic treatments offer the chance to regain some of the confidence you might have had in your 20’s and thus be able to live each day to the most.  Start setting aside now for the surgeries you might want when you’re older and ensure you enjoy every moment!

Researchers report that more and more USA residents express interest in cosmetic surgery as a way to save their workplaces in the competetive market.

Dr Goesel Anson, a well known plastic surgeon, claims that the complicated financial situation forces people to look for ways to secure their job status. Cosmetic treatments and procedures are often seen as one of them.

The surgeon reported: “People sometimes think looking good on the outside will make them feel good on the inside and that is usually a temporary solution. We”ll see people come in who have lost their jobs, are having marital problems or are just down on their luck for one reason or another,”

“Plastic surgery takes what you already have and enhances it. If a person is 50 years old and wants to be a great-looking 50-year-old, or wants to bring out their inner confidence by being more attractive, then they are in it for the right reasons.”

It has been established in scientific studies that improving appearance and confidence is one of the main reasons why people turn to cosmetic surgery

The General Medical Council (GMC) has published a new document concerning the use of botox which is aimed at recuding medical complications that occur as a result of a popular trend called ‘botox parties’.

The GMC’s ‘Good Practice in Prescribing Medicines’ guidance has been amended to target improperly performed botox procedures that do not meet supply and administration requirements, especially if a medical doctor is not present during the procedure.

Before the release of the amended document, doctors have been able to prescribe botox to groups of people, which enabled a nurse to perform the procedure on a group of people without them needing to see a doctor. However, from now on prescriptions of botox and other non-surgical cosmetic treatments will have to be “patient specific”, according to a GMC spokesman who was interviewed by the Daily Telegraph.

“The doctor must know the patient’s medical history or have for example seen a photo of the patient,” he added. “This is because the treatment is delivered by injection and the doctor needs to be able to assess where (for example on the face) the injection is needed and where it should not be administered.”

Patients are recommended to only address reputable plastic surgery clinics at all times to receive botox injections and should strictly avoid alcohol consumption in botox parties.