Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery Blog – Harley Medical Group

Experts from the Independent Healthcare Advisory Service (IHAS) have launched a fresh bid to stamp out those offering cut-price Botox to unsuspecting consumers.

The IHAS has already set up Treatments You Can Trust – a database service that offers consumers an easy way to find registered and reputable clinics offering injectable treatments. Experts from the organisation are now going a step further; meeting health workers and government representatives this week to agree measures that, when implemented, will help to cut down on the number of rogue Botox practitioners.

The action has been prompted by a boom in those visiting unregulated practitioners to get cheaper treatment and being left with lumps, bumps, and serious infections.

Sally Taber, director at the IHAS, told The Sun: “It is very dangerous. You are putting your lives in the hands of someone who does not know what they are doing or what could happen. We have seen a rise in unqualified practitioners masquerading as professionals.”

Botox and other dermal fillers should only ever be injected by doctors, nurses or dentists, in other words, experts that have been properly trained and regulated.

An increasing number of people in the UK are turning to cosmetic surgery following a divorce.

According to an article by the Daily Mail, research has found that over a quarter of people now choosing to have cosmetic surgery performed are divorcees.

Lisa Hanson, who went through a difficult divorce, decided to have a tummy tuck and liposuction on her hips and thighs, followed later by breast surgery. She also opted for Botox treatment in order to banish her wrinkles.

Lisa said her decision to undergo a cosmetic surgery procedure was very much linked to her divorce, and following the procedures she has enjoyed increasing self-confidence.

She said: “I am virtually unrecognisable from the woman who went through such a bitter divorce four years ago.  With each procedure, I felt my confidence increasing.”

And it’s not just women that are having cosmetic surgery performed. The Mail said 11 per cent of cosmetic surgery patients are newly divorced men.

Deciding to undergo cosmetic surgery shouldn’t be a kneejerk reaction however. By going through a reputable clinic, you will receive help and advice to ensure that you are choosing procedures for the right reasons.

The rate at which party girl Lindsay Lohan is ageing is unnatural, alarming even. But the actress doesn’t have a rare condition, she simply drinks too much, doesn’t get enough sleep and tries her very best to ensure cosmetic surgery covers up the effects of these bad habits.

One critic described Lindsay Lohan’s forehead as so tight and shiny that it looks like “an iPhone 4”, while another said that the combination of dark circles and a “trout pout” put her face-age well into the thirties.

When the Lindsay Lohan look was under intense scrutiny – around the time of her arrest for breaching her probation order – facial plastic surgeon Dr Richard Fleming said: “Her cheeks don’t have the definition they had before and I suspect she’s had fillers as she doesn’t look like she’s put on weight. It’s rare that a 24-year-old needs fillers. Very seldom would I do that.”

So it seems that the way to avoid the dreaded Lindsay Lohan look is to avoid overdoing cosmetic surgery and minimally-invasive treatments such as Botox at a young age, and stick to procedures that enhance what you already have. The unnatural fullness of her face, cheeks, lips and nose, and the tautness of her forehead only serve to make the troubled 20-something look much older than her years, removing those enviably high and defined cheekbones and fresh-faced innocence that everyone loved about her in the beginning.

And the second lesson in being less Lindsay Lohan and more Scarlet Johansson, is to pick a surgeon with ethics, one who knows that 24-year-olds don’t generally need dermal fillers…or a trout pout…or so much Botox that they look like a popular brand of mobile phone.

A competition to find the man with the hairiest back has been sponsored by an aesthetic spa and clinic, which offered the winner free laser hair removal treatment.

The competition, held as part of the second annual “Mantown” event in Wisconsin, USA, saw five men strutting their stuff down the runway, displaying their hairy backs to the audience. The contest was judged by two Playboy playmates, Heather Rae Young and Jaime Faith Edmondson, and the winner received a free course of laser hair removal from local sponsor, The Aesthetic Spa of Green Bay.

Visitors were also treated to a mini casino, live entertainment, and mixed martial arts shows, with more than 30 vendors advertising their wares. Goods on show were aimed towards a predominantly male market, and included gym memberships and fireworks.

Confidence comes from a combination of life experience and good skin, according to a recent survey published by online news site American Health and Beauty.

The study revealed that 66 per cent of women are happy with their overall appearance and 65 per cent of those said that stretch marks or other skin imperfections don’t have much of an impact on this. However, 42 per cent admitted that their confidence would probably increase if they could iron out these blemishes.

Self-confidence also appears to grow with age, with 48 per cent of women admitting that they are more confident now than they were 10 years ago. The results revealed that women aged 55 or younger tended to be more concerned with stretch marks than those aged 55 plus.

When interviewed following the results of the survey, psychologist Dr Marci Fox told women: “Don’t be afraid to use a product or ask for help.”

These days there are some great stretch mark treatments available and consumers should look for FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved solutions in UK clinics.

Cavemen and women of the Roman Empire all desired smooth, hair-free skin, according to a recent report published in online newspaper ArabNews.com – meaning that it is far from a new phenomenon.

The story suggested that removing all body hair was a defence tactic used by cavemen, who wanted to ensure that their enemies had as little to grab onto as possible during hand-to-hand combat. It also said that, in Roman times, removing body hair was a privilege reserved for women of the upper classes, who were given access to pumice stones, tweezers and hair removal cream.

Hair removal has a great religious significance in Arabic countries, being part of sunan al-fitra (customs of nature), which refers to “a collection of hygienic or cosmetic practices enjoined by Prophet Mohammed.”

ArabNews.com reports: “Both men and women possess a yearning to be hair-free, and today, that superficial need is both easier and less painful to achieve – thanks to laser hair removal devices.”

Dermatologist Lillian Khan said: “We have both men and women that come in for laser sessions. The most popular areas for women are the underarms, bikini and face, while men often come to outline their beards.”

This summer will see the release of Bad Teacher, a film starring Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake, in which Diaz decides to become good at her job so she can save up for a boob job.

In the comedy, Diaz plays a foul-mouthed high school teacher who hates her job and so spends her time getting drunk. After being dumped by her fiancé and sugar daddy, she decides to woo a colleague (Timberlake) who, needless to say, isn’t short of cash either. But the moves see her put in direct competition with a well-loved teacher in a plot that is bound to be hilarious.

In real life Diaz has reportedly had a nose job (rhinoplasty) to correct breathing problems, having broken her nose several times. However, in June last year she told Vogue that while she hadn’t undergone any cosmetic surgery so far, it is not something she would rule out in the future.

Four out of 10 men and seven out of 10 women in Korea would choose to have plastic surgery if they could afford it, that according to recent research.

The statistics were collated and published by large Korean market research companies Embrain and Trend Monitor, as part of an online book of trivia. Embrain has more than 600,000 paid members across Korea.

The book, called Catch Up, also reveals that 43.4 per cent of those surveyed about plastic surgery wanted nose jobs, 39.9 per cent wanted eye lid surgery, and 37.4 per cent would opt for liposuction.

In other statistics published in the online book, 89.4 per cent of people had bought more than one lottery ticket in their lifetime and 49.2 per cent of respondents said cash was the gift they would most like to receive – presumably to pay for their cosmetic surgery desires!

International news hub Forbes has named Salt Lake City the vainest place in America, ahead of previous title holder New York City.

According to recent figures, Salt Lake City in Utah is home to 45 plastic surgeons, which equates to six surgeons for every 100,000 residents. New York City boasts an incredible 590 cosmetic surgeons, but this only equals four per 100,000 people.

Experts put the growth in numbers down to the pressure that the recession puts on older jobseekers to compete with younger rivals.

In an interview with online newspaper Utah Business, Dr Renato Saltz, former president of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) said: “In a recession it’s even more critical to remain competitive. I’ve had people tell me they have an important interview and need to look better. I haven’t seen that in the past.”

Experts also attribute the rise in demand for cosmetic surgery procedures such as face lifts and non-surgical solutions such as Botox and laser hair removal, to the advances in technology that have significantly reduced recovery and down time.

Shane Warne, Sam Newman, and Paul Hogan are all famous Australian men who have reportedly turned to cosmetic surgery and non-surgical solutions to stave off the visible effects of getting older.

One-time world record wicket-taking spin bowler Shane Warne has had his teeth whitened, ex-Aussie Rules footballer and now actor Sam Newman had Botox live on air, and Paul Hogan, best known for his role as Michael “Crocodile” Dundee is rumoured to have had a face lift.

But it’s not just these three Aussie icons that have taken advantage of cosmetic advances – according to a report published in the Sydney Morning Herald 20 per cent of all patients are men. This is an increase of 10 per cent on the same figures from five years ago and experts say that 10 years ago the very few male patients undergoing surgery did so for medical reasons.

Chris Moss, consultant plastic surgeon in Melbourne, said: “Now we get a lot of men coming in for things like rhinoplasty, upper and lower eyelid lifts, neck lifts and then things like Botox and fillers.”

Moss attributes the rise in men opting for cosmetic surgery to reality television shows that have removed the taboo, saying that it has “become a bit more normal and therefore less intimidating for men to go down that path.”