General Cosmetic/Plastic Surgery

Patients to Steer Clear of Injection Fat Loss Treatments

Filed under: General Cosmetic/Plastic Surgery — Carol on May 15, 2007 @ 9:07 am
Avoid mesotherapy/injection lipolysis treatments until further research on safety, efficacy
New York, NY (May 14, 2007) – The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) released today a warning against the use of injection fat loss treatments. Patients are advised to avoid these procedures, which are commonly known as lipolysis, mesotherapy, or the brand names Lipodissolve and Lipostabil. Although marketed as fat loss treatments, these procedures are scientifically unproven, lacking any objective data on safety and efficacy. In addition, none of these procedures has received FDA approval, with the ingredients poorly defined. The procedures may also be offered by persons without sufficient medical training, thereby putting patients at risk of harm.
“Safety needs to come first. We do not have definitive information on injection fat loss treatments. All we have is a few small studies and anecdotal evidence. Until we know more, we cannot recommend these procedures to patients,” said Foad Nahai, MD, president of the Society. “The bottom line for patients is this: Don’t allow yourself to be injected with an unknown and untested substance.”
Despite media and advertising claims that mesotherapy or injection lipolysis treatments can safely and effectively eliminate unwanted fat, published peer-reviewed scientific reports of properly performed controlled prospective trials to confirm either safety or efficacy do not exist. Furthermore, there is no objective data on how these treatments produce ‘fat dissolving’ effects and there are numerous reports of complications documented in the medical literature, including bacterial infection, granulomas (disfiguring masses of chronically inflamed tissue) and localized necrosis (tissue death), particularly when injections were done by lay people.
“ Mesotherapy treatment centers are opening all over the country and these consumer outlets may not be staffed by trained medical professionals. Patients seeking fat dissolving treatments should be educated about the lack of clinical data supporting these treatments and cautioned to wait until there is reliable information to guide their decision,” said Alan H. Gold, MD, president of the Aesthetic Surgery Education and Research Foundation (ASERF). “For now, the only proven method for eliminating unwanted fat cells is suction assisted lipoplasty, a procedure that has a long and successful track record for both safety and effectiveness.”
A placebo-controlled study is being sponsored by ASERF to demonstrate safety and efficacy—or lack thereof—of one type of injection lipolysis treatment. The formula that will be used for injection in this 20-patient study —phosphatidylcholine (PPC)/sodium deoxycholate (DC)— is one that has shown the most promise in small, published trials. The study, which will be conducted under FDA supervision, will follow patients for 46 weeks to evaluate the efficacy of PPC/DC for injection lipolysis and collect data on local and systemic reactions and any long-term complications. At present, n either drug being studied in this trial is FDA approved for subcutaneous injection for any purpose. Once completed, the results will be published in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal and presented at an annual ASAPS meeting.
 

The 2400-member American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) i
 

Want long eyelashes?Here is the stuff

Filed under: General Cosmetic/Plastic Surgery — Carol on April 24, 2007 @ 12:10 am

Talk about COOL STUFF, Jan Marini cosmetics has developed a liquid eyelash grower! Apparently, glaucoma patients noticed that their eyelashes started growing like WEEDS after they used their drops. The people at Jan Marini then turned that nifty side benefit into a product that, well, sort of waters eyelashes to make them grow. Now instead of reaching for fake lashes, we can grow our own…I would not believe it had I not seen it with my own eyes.

Age Intervention® Eyelash Conditioner*

NEW! Breakthrough Technology

Your Lashes Will Appear Fuller, Thicker and More Lustrous

Age Intervention Eyelash Conditioner can produce dramatic improvement in the appearance of volume, texture and density.

By using breakthrough technology that features reconstructive components, Age Intervention Eyelash Conditioner prevents new virgin hair from being adversely affected by cosmetic and environmental factors.

Plus, by increasing flexibility and preventing breakage, eyelash hair can reach its full potential. Users will quickly perceive that their lashes appear far fuller and more lustrous.

.23 oz. mascara-style tube with eyeliner brush applicator (one tube lasts about six months

Got sun damage? Well, here is the stuff to fix it!

Filed under: General Cosmetic/Plastic Surgery — Carol on @ 12:09 am

Seraphim Skin Care Rx* Peel & Bleach Cream for the Body I’ve been using them for years, and learned about Seraphim from watching the amazing woman who developed the products as she experimented in the early days, mixing up different combinations of skin care ingredients until, voila, she found the formulas that worked. And not a moment too soon for me. I was Miss Brown Spots, after baking in the sun for years, and hormonal changes in my 40s didn’t help, either.

Specifically, I had developed large brown splotches on one side of my face and on my arms. Then I started using Seraphim, and the spots disappeared.

I also use the bleach and peel for the body, peel and bleach for the face; both are prescription strength.

Seraphim Skin Care Rx* Peel & Bleach Cream for the Body

You’ll agree this revolutionary product is a real breakthrough in skin care.

Use with our Lotion Applicator for easy application.

Seraphim all-in-one Peel & Bleach Cream for the body will bleach, tone, diminish the appearance of spider veins and remove sunspots. The results are stunning!

Rx Active Ingredient: .05% Tretinoin,
4% Hydroquinone

11.5 MILLION COSMETIC PROCEDURES IN 2006

Filed under: General Cosmetic/Plastic Surgery — Carol on March 22, 2007 @ 7:40 pm

NEW YORK, NY (March 09, 2007) — Nearly 11.5 million cosmetic surgical and nonsurgical procedures were performed in the United States in 2006, according to statistics released today by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS). Compared to 2005, cosmetic surgical and nonsurgical increased 1 percent. The Aesthetic Society, which has been collecting multi-specialty procedural statistics since 1997 says the overall number of cosmetic procedures has increased 446 percent since the collection of the statistics first began. The most frequently performed procedure was Botox injections and the most popular surgical procedure was liposuction.

“The FDA approval of silicone breast implants in late 2006 seems to have made an impact, as silicone implants are up 18 percent from 2005.  For the first time breast augmentation is the top surgical procedure for women, although lipoplasty continues to be the top overall surgical procedure as it has been since the Aesthetic Society started collecting nationwide procedural statistics in 1997,” said Aesthetic Society president James Stuzin, MD.   “Furthermore, as the safety and efficacy of the nonsurgical procedures on the market continue to improve the numbers of those procedures performed by board-certified plastic surgeons continues to rise year after year.”

TRENDS AND DEMOGRAPHIC DATA

Top surgical and nonsurgical cosmetic procedures among men and women in 2006:
Surgical # procedures Nonsurgical  # procedures
Liposuction 403,684 Botox 3,181,592
Breast augmentation 383,886 Hyaluronic Acid
(Hylaform, Restylane)		 1,593,554
Eyelid surgery 209,999 Laser Hair Removal  1,475,296   
Abdominoplasty 172,457 Microdermabrasion 993,071
 Female breast reduction 169,314 Laser Skin Resurfacing 556,172
Top cosmetic procedures for WOMEN:
Surgical # procedures   Nonsurgical # procedures
Breast augmentation 383,885  Botox 2,881,119
Lipoplasty 350,420 Hyaluronic Acid 
(Hylaform, Restylane)		 1,519,923
Eyelid surgery 182,397  Laser Hair Removal 1,308,739
Abdominoplasty 164,800 Microdermabrasion 921,970
Breast Reduction 145,822  Sclerotherapy  541,291

Women had 92 percent of cosmetic procedures.  The number of procedures (surgical and nonsurgical) performed on women was over 10.5 million, an increase of 1 percent from the previous year.  Surgical procedures decreased 9 percent; nonsurgical procedures increased 4 percent.  Since 1997, surgical procedures increased 123 percent, while nonsurgical procedures have increased 749 percent.

Top cosmetic procedures for MEN:
Surgical # procedures Nonsurgical # procedures
Liposuction 53,263 Botox injection 300,472
Rhinoplasty 33,143 Laser hair removal 166,557
Eyelid surgery   27,602 Hyaluronic Acid
 (Hylaform, Restylane)		 73,634
Male breast reduction 23,670  Microdermabrasion  71,102
Facelift 14,051 Laser Skin Resurfacing 48,451

Men had 8 percent of cosmetic procedures.  The number of procedures (surgical and nonsurgical) performed on men was nearly 1 million, a decrease of 5 percent from the previous year. Surgical procedures decreased 9 percent; nonsurgical procedures decreased 3 percent.  Since 1997, surgical procedures have decreased 2%, while nonsurgical procedures have increased 722 percent.

Frequency of cosmetic procedures by AGE GROUP:
% of total Age # procedures  Top surgical procedure  Top nonsurgical procedure
47% 35-50 4.5 million Liposuction Botox
26%  51-64 2.9 million Eyelid Surgery Botox
20% 19-34 2.5 million Breast Augmentation Laser Hair Removal
5% 65 and over 589,229 Eyelid Surgery Botox
1% 18 and under 178,041  Rhinoplasty  Laser Hair Removal 

Racial and Ethnic Distribution
Racial and ethnic minorities accounted for 21.7 percent of all cosmetic procedures in 2006.  Hispanics again led minority racial and ethnic groups in the number of procedures: Hispanics, 9.7 percent; African-Americans, 6.6 percent; Asians, 4.7 percent; and other non-Caucasians, 0.8 percent.

Location and Fees
46 percent of cosmetic procedures in 2006 were performed in office-based facilities; 28.9 percent in freestanding surgicenters; and 24.8 percent in hospitals. Americans spent just under $12.2 billion on cosmetic procedures; $7.6 billion was for surgical procedures, and $4.5 billion was for nonsurgical procedures.

About the ASAPS Cosmetic Surgery National Data Bank
ASAPS, working with an independent research firm, compiled 10-year national data for procedures performed 1997-2006 by multiple specialists, including but not limited to plastic surgeons certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.  More than 14,000 questionnaires were mailed nationwide, and results of the survey were used to project national data. The survey data has a standard error of +/- 3.14 percent at a 95 percent level of confidence.

View 2006 ASAPS Statistics

They're back..Silicone implants

Filed under: General Cosmetic/Plastic Surgery — Carol on December 3, 2006 @ 11:41 pm
Arlington Heights, Ill. (November 17, 2006) – The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and The American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the two largest plastic surgery membership organizations, applaud the FDA’s decision today to approve (manufacturer’s) silicone breast implants and return these devices to the U.S. market. This decision comes 14 years after the FDA restricted access to the silicone implants because of safety concerns.
“This is a great day for American women and the plastic surgeons who care for them,” said Roxanne Guy, MD, ASPS president. “Silicone breast implants have been scrutinized more than any medical device, and we applaud the FDA for making its well thought-out decision and allowing American women to make informed choices about their health care.”
Today’s FDA decision follows a lengthy process in which the agency sent “approvable with conditions” letters to the two silicone breast implant manufacturers in the second half of 2005. The approvable letter stipulated a number of conditions that the manufacturers needed to satisfy in order to receive FDA final approval to market and sell silicone breast implants in the United States. These letters came after an FDA advisory panel hearing in April 2005, in which the panel heard more than 20 hours of data presentations from the manufacturers and public comment.
“Plastic surgeons are committed to patient safety and education,” said James Stuzin, MD, ASAPS president. “It is clear that the agency has carefully evaluated the data presented by the manufacturers, as well as the testimony of physicians, patients and advocacy groups and has made a thoughtful decision to give our patients the access to silicone gel breast implants that women in 60 countries around the world have.”
The specialty of plastic surgery supports a woman’s right to make informed personal choices about her health care based on all the available and accurate information about cosmetic plastic surgery, breast augmentation and breast reconstruction. Cosmetic plastic surgery is serious surgery. It requires a complete medical consultation with a plastic surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery who will fully inform a potential patient about the risks and benefits of surgery.
Approximately 300,000 women chose breast augmentation in 2005, according to ASAPS and ASPS statistics. Nearly 58,000 women had breast reconstruction in 2005, according to ASPS. Both breast augmentation and reconstruction have been proven in numerous studies to have psychological and physical benefits for women who choose these procedures.
The ASPS and ASAPS will continue to offer their assistance to the manufacturers for the conditions set forth by the FDA related to physician and patient education. One comprehensive example of this assistance is a joint Web site, breastimplantsafety.org , which offers objective and science based information regarding saline and silicone breast implants.

 

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