Cosmeticsurgeon.co.uk - UK Cosmetic Surgeons

People undergo plastic surgery for a wide range of reasons. Some have a procedure to ake themselves look younger and be more marketable in the job market. Others have surgery to be more attractive in the eyes of the opposite sex, and some just want to possess that perfect beauty that they have always wanted. Many brides-to-be decide that getting plastic surgery, before their wedding, is necessary to give them the wedding that they always dreamed of.

New research performed by The Good Surgeon Guide showed that 58 percent of women engaged to be married, are considering having a cosmetic treatment before the wedding. The study asked 512 brides-to be a series of questions concerning their intentions concerning cosmetic surgery before their wedding day. The results were intriguing. Botox, teeth whitening, and liposuction were the three most appealing treatments according to this group of women. Botox, the wrinkle relaxing injection, is a very popular procedure. It is non-surgical, which appeals to many people and is a quick temporary treatment. Teeth whitening is of course high on many people’s list. A bright flashing smile is important, especially when a person’s picture is being taken. Liposuction is much more invasive, but the patients who have undergone
this procedure are amazed at the results.

Breast augmentation ranked in the fourth position with only 47 percent of the women, that would have surgery, considering this procedure. Breast augmentation is the most popular plastic surgery in the cosmetic surgery field. In fact during 2009 the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons performed 8,565 breast augmentations. This is over 23 percent of all procedures performed for both men and women. The Harley Medical Group has also reported that they have performed an increasing number of breast augmentations and expect 2010 to have record numbers.

The most common reason for these brides-to-be to consider cosmetic procedures was because of the wedding pictures. Every bride wants her wedding to be perfect, and wants to be able to look back at the wedding pictures with fondness. Every thing has to be just right and that includes how she looks. Christiana Clogg, co-founder of the Good Surgeon Guide, said, “A wedding is the single most important day in plenty of men and women lives and a large number want everything to be perfect, including their appearance. I can understand the appeal of a flawless image for weddings; there’s absolutely nothing wrong with people getting some work done before they get married, providing they do their homework.”

The survey also included 509 engaged men, of which around 33 percent said they were considering a cosmetic procedure. Their choices ranged from veneers to chest reduction and most men said that they considered a procedure in order to please their partner.

Many people would like to have cosmetic surgery. There is at least one feature on their bodies that they don’t like and can’t change, except through a cosmetic procedure. However, many have fears and thus, never pursue their dream of improving their appearance. The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery (AACS) is hoping to allay these fears and arrest hesitation from potential patients with a new cosmetic surgery magazine.

The magazine to be launched is titled ‘New You’ and it is an official consumer magazine to accurately represent the views of the AACS. The 2,500 member organization is hoping to overturn the stigma surrounding cosmetic surgery. Editor J.P. Faber says, “For every person who has undergone a cosmetic procedure, there are at least two more people who would like to. Our job is to overcome their barriers to
making that decision.” He says that the purpose of the magazine is to promote the practices of cosmetic surgery, “so that people who are thinking about it today will take action tomorrow.”

According to a study done by the global market research firm Synovate, 77 percent of the Americans surveyed, said that beauty is something that is not about physical attributes. However, nearly half said that they would change the way they look if they could. 26 percent of the Americans said that they would consider plastic surgery, if money were not an issue. Synovate also reported that 41 percent of all the people surveyed pay attention to beauty tips in magazines.

Jeff Knezovich, executive vice president of the AACS, says, “Our goal is to educate the public about their choices in cosmetic procedures. Whether our readers want to reduce wrinkles to look younger, or change something more fundamental with a facelift or liposuction, we want them to be fully informed about the costs, the results and the safety issues.”

The magazine’s first run is to have 250,000 copies. They will be delivered to waiting rooms in plastic surgery clinics, hotels, and spas. Also book stores and newsstands will carry the publication. Faber explained that they were not planning on making it a mass audience magazine because of the downturn that has been witnessed with other publications of this type. They have geared the distribution toward a specific demographic instead. He said, “Our readers are actively spending on their appearance, specifically to reverse the signs of aging. This is a great audience for any provider of cosmetic products or procedures.”

Faber is encouraging AACS members to submit ideas for the magazine to him. He would like these members specifically to send in before and after pictures, and other real stories that will depict the true benefits and effectiveness of AACS doctors.

Cosmetic surgery has indeed come a long way from its days of being a thing only spoke of in whispers and performed under clandestine conditions. Today most people are not afraid to talk about their procedures and some are even willing to broadcast them. A new show in Ireland is doing just that.

The Cosmetic Surgery Show: What A Load of Botox, airing on TV3, is taking a thorough look at plastic surgery. Caroline Morahan, star of Off the Rails, and Dr. 90210′s Dr. Robert Rey will present the six part series. TV3 says, “This amazing multi-item magazine show will take an in depth look at cosmetic surgery in Ireland as we follow a different Irish person each week going through a different procedure whose result
will be revealed in studio.” This show will give people a really good look at what each procedure entails. Plastic surgery procedures such as tummy tucks, liposuction, breast augmentation, and face lifts will be shown.

The program is also featuring some non-surgical procedures. As stated by TV3, “the programme will feature non-invasive treatments, such as dermal fillers, being carried out live in studio. The series will get to the heart of many of the issues surrounding cosmetics in Ireland, featuring a studio discussion about an issue each week, as well as poling the public.” There are many issues and confusions shrouding cosmetic procedures and it is hoped that this series will be able to pull that shroud aside and get to the truth of the issues.

The series is not to be solely based on Ireland cosmetic surgery. It is also going to look at things around the word. As reported by TV3, “the show will take a look at many of the ground breaking procedures being practiced in other parts of the world such as the United States, which range from extraordinary to completely shocking, and as we ask whether these techniques used could be replicated in Ireland.”

This series should be able to open the eyes of many people, to the benefits of cosmetic surgeries. It will also give people a better understanding of what procedures are available and what these procedures could mean for them. The series will broadcast for six weeks beginning on Wednesday 13th January at 9pm on Irish TV3. Its result should be a new understanding of plastic surgery for many in society.

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.

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.

2009 saw a substantial increase in a lot of cosmetic procedures. According to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons there was a 6.7 percent increase of surgical procedures since 2008. There was an 80 percent increase in breast reductions for men and a 43 percent increase in brow lifts for both men and women. Many other procedures increased as well but a particular one has made the headlines.

The Harley Medical Group is UK’s biggest cosmetic surgery provider and has helped more than 450,000 patients to get the bodies that they have always dreamed of. In a press release, they reported a 17% increase in neck lift procedures during 2009 as compared to 2008. Excess skin hanging off of the neck, called ‘turkey neck’, is associated with getting old. The decrease of collagen in the skin causes it to lose it’s elasticity and makes it more susceptible to sag. 63 year-old Brenda Scott had a face and neck lift performed at The Harley Medical Group, and said “The loose flapping skin on my neck and under my chin bothered me for years so I would cover it by wearing scarves and high-neck jumpers. I always felt young for my age but where I could help disguise the lines on my face with good make-up, my neck was more
exposed.” During 2009 many women rushed to the surgeons office to get these turkey necks chopped off.

Lisa Littlehales, Regional Clinic Manager at The Harley Medical Group, said, “A neck lift procedure will give a long-lasting firm, and youthful looking appearance – liposuction is also often used in the same procedure to eliminate the fat pocket under the chin. The procedure does require an overnight stay in hospital and will require up to two weeks recovery time. Our patients are advised to keep the incision
out of direct sun light and wear sun block until colour and bruising has completely faded – so if you’re going to have this type of surgery winter is the perfect time of year to do it.” This does not bother most people because they would rather be in doors during the cold months. Why not spend that time recuperated from a beautifying procedure?

Neck lift procedures can make a person’s neck look years younger. The hanging skin under the neck usually indicates a person is old and getting rid of it really does magic to their appearance. The number of neck lift procedures increased substantially in 2009 and will probably continue to increase as people see the amazing results.

January is a popular month for inquiries into plastic surgery. With the coming of the new year people begin to think about their goals for another year in their lives. The emphasis that society places on good looks, influences these goals and thus many people decide to look better in the new year. Dr. Richard Chaffoo, a triple board-certified plastic surgeon, said in a press release, “Most New Year’s resolutions boil down to one simple desire: to look and feel more like the person you want to be.” More often now, than previous years, people hope to accomplish this through plastic surgery.

Make Yourself Amazing (MYA) cosmetic surgery is a leading clinic in the UK. They reported that between January 1st and Jan 14, 2010 there was a 15% increase in enquiries when compared with the same time period in 2009. John Ryan, MYA Chairman, says, “January is a busy time for the cosmetic surgery industry. After the Christmas and New Year period people often start setting new goals or New Year’s resolutions.
These goals often include improving one’s appearance or completing a goal they never achieved last year. We get a lot of people coming in saying that they have been interested for a while but have never got round to arranging a consultation.”

The figures for enquiries showed that breast augmentation was the most sought after procedure. The number of enquiries for this procedure actually increased 21% over last year. Breast augmentation is followed by liposuction, breast uplift, nose reshaping, and tummy tuck, in that order. These numbers show that plastic surgery is continuing to grow in popularity and no end to this growth is in sight.

The GoodSurgeonGuide performed a study at the end of 2009 which revealed that women in particular are putting more emphasis on looking good in 2010. This study showed that 51 percent of the women surveyed expressed that they were considering having cosmetic surgery. Christina Clogg, co-founder of the guide said, “We were surprised that it [looking good] was more important to some than a more successful career or finding someone special.” Looking good has become a very important factor in society and women feel it more strongly than men. Women are expected to look young and pretty, so under going plastic surgery is an understandable extension of this ideal.

According to these surveys, 2010 will prove to be a very popular year for cosmetic surgery. People have become much more comfortable with having procedures done, and society has become much less judgmental of people who have had them.

With cosmetic surgery becoming more and more important in our society, the popularity of the types of procedures that people are choosing is shifting. Breast augmentation was the most popular procedure in 2009, and a recent survey by MYA, a plastic surgery group, has found that it has also been the most popular surgery in 2010 so far. Liposuction is not very far behind in the popularity ratings. What is surprising, is that liposculpting is slowly overtaking full liposuction in popularity.

According to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, nearly one in ten procedures performed in 2009 were liposuction procedures, with a total of 3,509 surgeries in the UK. Liposuction is a cosmetic surgery where fat cells are removed from the body in medium to large amounts. This reduces fat in areas below the chin, upper arms, lower stomach, hips and thighs. Liposculpting, on the other hand, is a
liposuction procedure where small to medium amounts of fat cells are removed. This procedure is designed to sharpen features and accentuate areas with a more sleek appearance. The areas normally associated with liposculpting are the neck, lower cheeks, upper stomach, outer buttocks, calves, and ankles.

The refined and more localized procedure of liposculpture has slowly become more popular than liposuction. Mario Russo, medical director at The Hospital Group, said, “The market and business demands of the patients are moving very much towards localised [liposuction] now and therefore the main requests are more for minor areas and more for sculpting one or a few areas at a time.”

Liposculpting is a less invasive and less extensive form of liposuction. Instead of a large incision, a small incision is made and the cannula is inserted there. It is usually an outpatient surgery due to its reduction in invasiveness, compared to liposuction. The procedure also requires less recovery time, and thus many people are rushing to the surgeons for some sculpting.

Liposculpting is not a weight loss procedure. It should be understood that having this procedure done will not create drastic changes like liposuction. Liposculpting is the sculpting and reshaping of small to medium problem areas on the body. Little pockets of fat are sometimes very frustrating. Some people have tried every exercise, weight loss pill, or diet, and still cannot get those pockets to go away. Liposculpting is a surefire way to remove those pockets for good. Many people have found that liposculpting has accentuated parts of their body and given them the look that they had only ever dreamed of.

During a consultation, a plastic surgeon will help a person decide what procedure is right for them. They will be able to give the patient advice as to whether they should get liposuction or merely liposculption. They can encourage chemical peels or a face lift. One thing that they try to do is give the patient a visualization of what they will look like after the procedure. Most surgeons will rely on before and after pictures of other patients. Some may even have a computer program that can give them an idea of what the results of the procedure will be. One surgeon has gone much further than that. He has a 3-D simulator, that will give the patient a picture of what they will look like after the surgery.

Dr. Brett Kotlus, of the Allure Medical Spa in Michigan in the US, has an innovative 3-D simulation system. This system ‘sculpts’ a 3-D image of the patient’s features into the more desirable profile. He reported, “This 3-D system has a clever interface that constructs a realistic, modifiable image that can be sculpted in the same way that cosmetic surgery would sculpt a nose or a breast. Within minutes, we can see possible surgical results. In this scenario, a picture is truly worth a thousand words.” He likes that the system allows him to make modifications or changes based on the patients desires, before they go under the knife.

It is called the Vectra 3-D system, from Canfield Imaging Systems, and has become an integral tool in Dr. Kotlus’s consultations. It captures an image of the face or body with 12 different cameras at a resolution of 36 megapixles. This image is then placed on a computer screen. Dr. Kotlus is then able to make modifications to it and create, before and after images.

There is a Canadian website called Modiface that allows potential patients to see how they might look with a procedure also. This site allows a person to download their picture and then see what it will look like with a nose job or face lift. These images however are not as advanced as those made by the Vectra 3-D system.

Good cosmetic surgeons want to give their patients the best consultation possible. Dr. Kotlus has found that his new imaging system makes it easier for a patient to have realistic expectations, because it gives them a very good picture of what they will look like after the procedure. This has helped to increase patient satisfaction and makes them feel more comfortable about having the procedure done.

There are many different types of cosmetic procedures and they are divided into two categories: surgical and non surgical. Surgical procedures include breast augmentation, liposuction, and tummy tucks. Non-surgical procedures include accent laser treatment, Botox, and collagen injections. A non-surgical procedure that is becoming more and more popular is chemical peels.

The Press Association reports that chemical peels have actually become more popular than face lifts. The number of chemical peels performed in 2009 was three times the procedures performed the previous year. The Harley Medical Group’s Obagi Blue Peel is a treatment which gets rid of blemishes, acne scars, uneven pigmentation, sun damage, and wrinkles. It has been called by some the ‘recessions facelift’ due to
the increased popularity of the treatments. Liz Dale, director of the Harley Medical Group, said, “Non-surgical procedures, which saw big growth last year, have continued to be a strong area for us and now account for 32 percent of all our business.”

Chemical peels are a skin resurfacing procedure, in which the top layer of skin is removed so that the body can replace it with new skin. The new skin will grow back without whatever problem had been on the old skin. There are three different classifications for chemical peels. There are light peels which are basically
exfoliants. Intermediate peels are good for fine lines and superficial hyper pigmentation from sun damage. Deep peels can remove deep lines, medium sized wrinkles, and darker pigmentation. Many people find that they do not need to get a face-lift and are happy to settle for a chemical peel which makes their facial skin
look fresh and young.

In the plastic surgery field chemical peels are indeed increasing in popularity but the most popular cosmetic procedure is still, by far, breast augmentation. The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons reported that in 2009 there were a total of 8,565 breast augmentation procedures, in the UK. Studies done in January of 2010 also show that breast augmentation should prove to be the most popular
procedure in 2010. The Press Association reported that 75 percent of breast up lift patients in 2009 were mothers.

Undergoing a plastic surgery procedure can help to make a person look and feel young. Chemical peel are a way for some people to achieve this without a surgical procedure. The popularity of these effective yet non-invasive treatments has been increasing quickly and shows no sign of slowing.