amoreradiantyou.com

New Bill Proposed in California Will Increase Safety of Plastic Surgery Procedures

The tragic and well-publicized post-plastic surgery death of Kanye West's mother, Donda West, has thrown the spotlight on the safety of plastic surgery. The truth is that some individuals, for various health reasons, are not good candidates for surgery because of possible complications due to existing health conditions. At amoreradiantyou.com we believe that surgeons need to comprehensively assess a patient's health prior to going into surgery that involves a general anaesthetic.

A new bill has been introduced in California by assemblywoman Amina Carter, requiring patients to have medical clearance before undergoing elective cosmetic surgery.

Donda West, 58, died at a Los Angeles-area hospital on Nov. 10, a day after she underwent breast reduction, tummy tuck and liposuction procedures.

Democrat Wilmer Amina Carter says Donda West's niece asked her to introduce a bill that requires a health check before a person chooses to have cosmetic surgery. She introduced the "Donda West Law" on Friday.
A coroner's autopsy report found that West most likely died of heart disease coupled with complications after plastic surgery. But, it said the exact cause of death couldn't be known.

Donda West's niece, Yolanda Anderson, says Kanye is enthusiastic about the bill.

Celebrities Prepare for The Oscars With A Little Help From Plastic Surgery

In just over 24 hours, everyone will be arguing about the Academy Awards - whose dress is best and who should sack their stylist.

But beneath the glamour is where things really get interesting. Those celestial bodies are the product of power-bleach, armpit botox, stiletto foot surgeries, cleavage facials, antianxiety drugs and last-minute liposuction.

And when the world's most beautiful people are chatting about who designed their fabulous gowns, bags, jewellery and shoes, don't expect them to thank the real people behind their look: the personal trainers, cosmetic surgeons, podiatrists, facialists, dermatologists and dentists who got them there. . .

Nip-Tuck

The months before the Oscars are the busiest in the cosmetic surgeon's diary. Dr Renato Calabria, a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, pioneered the new One Stitch Facelift, which lifts loose facial skin and anchors it via one stitch under the hairline on each side of the face.

"The effect is more subtle than a full facelift and popular among clients in their late 30s," Dr Calabria says.

Actresses who've hit 40 but don't want to look it are turning to plastic surgeon Dr Richard Ellenbogen. He uses the Volumetric Face Lift to make the face look young again by treating it like a deflated balloon. Taking fat via a needle from a patient's abdomen, he inserts it under the eyes, in the cheeks or between the nose and mouth to sculpt full features.

Manhattan-based cosmetic surgeon Dr Cameron Rokhsar says the hottest pre-Oscars skin filler this year is Radiesse.

"Used for facial sculpting, it smoothes laugh lines and creates higher cheekbones and a more prominent chin," he says. "The results last for up to a year."

Glow

The most crowded waiting room pre-Oscars is at the Beverly Hills clinic of celebrity skin specialist Sonya Dakar - where stars line up for her signature £1,000 facial.

Madonna is said to have headed there for a treatment last year which includes a diamond scrub (using diamond particles to exfoliate the skin), an exfoliating skin peel, green tea face mask and red-and-blue UV light therapy to prevent acne.

Hollywood stars like Drew Barrymore and Gwyneth Paltrow also swear by the extravagant procedure. In the weeks before the Oscars, celebrities come every day, even arriving at 10am on Oscars morning.

"They have to fly out of here, as it takes four or five hours to prepare, but I make a beautiful canvas for the make-up artist so they can create a beautiful picture."

If a celebrity suffers an attack of spots the night before, Sonya is ready. "I use the blue light, get rid of the inflammation, put medication on and they're ready," she explains. "Next day, the skin looks like it never had a breakout."

Last-Minute Lipo

On the eve of a recent Oscars, one TV star decided she was less than thrilled with her designer gown - or rather the way she looked in it.

It seems there was a tiny bump of fat which stuck out over the back of her dress. Rather than change her outfit, she dialled Manhattan dermatologist Dr Patricia Wexler, who says "it was easier to do a little liposuction than to fix the dress."

With liposuction treatment often taking only a day, Dr Wexler admits this is not uncommon: "I have had designers demanding liposuction for an actress who didn't look as good in their gown as they wanted her to.

"One designer rang ten days before the Oscars complaining that it was impossible to change the dress. It was a really low-back dress and the star's waistline wasn't smooth enough. The dress required this long, elongated waist.

"I did the lipo and by Oscar night she looked great."

Stars such as Jennifer Aniston opt for hair extensions
Hair

Stylists regularly advise celebrities to grow their hair longer before the Oscars. John Frieda stylist Demetrius Pombo is doing Helen Mirren's hair this year.

"I'm planning a Twenties or Forties look, a single wave with a bit more movement, so I asked her to let her hair grow." Stars such as Jennifer Aniston and Gwyneth Paltrow often opt for temporary extensions that can be removed quickly.

There are other tricks: Reese Witherspoon once had some Oscar gold sprayed into her hair. Top LA stylist Mark Townsend used Vavoom Gold Heat, a dry oil spray containing real gold. That way, Reese really sparkled on TV.

Exercise

Celebrity trainer David Kirsch is known in Hollywood circles as "the master of the a**" for his work-out regime.

David says: "If their schedule allows, they'll come in a month beforehand, but on average it's 2-4 weeks before the big night."

He consults with his client about the gown they're wearing and works from there. "I want to make sure the exposed area is at its best, bearing in mind the camera will add a little weight. There can be no jiggle."

David says that, with the popularity of Spanx and other "magic pants," the red carpet has been transformed.

One client, Liv Tyler, went for twice daily workouts to prepare for last year's Oscars. "Nowadays, the areas that remain exposed are the arms and shoulders, back and lower back. I work on the upper back with a lot of my clients."

David also advises on their diets. "I provide my clients with "Thermo Bubbles" - natural appetite suppressants and fat burners."

He worked with Liv Tyler to get her ready for last year's Oscars and says she came in for twice-daily workouts.

He adds: "I have just finished an intense three weeks of training with Ellen Barkin; we focused on her arms, legs and lower back. She is going to blow everyone away."

Another popular pre-Oscars trick is the Suddenly Slimmer body wrap. Stars are wrapped in bandages soaked in a special mineral solution (said to remove toxins) and then jump on an exercise machine for one hour. The inches are guaranteed not to come back unless they gain weight.

Diet

Helen Mirren confessed before one Oscars ceremony that she'd been "dieting for a month" to get into her dress. And she is not alone. For most actresses, this weekend is going to be especially nerve-racking.

Says one insider: "With the Hollywood writers' strike paralysing productions, everyone took holidays and gained some weight; you have a lot of panicking actresses right now.

"Most of the women in LA have been on the Master Cleanse (that's lemonade with cayenne pepper and maple syrup, a saltwater drink and laxative tea) all week."

A top trainer admits: "One Oscar presenter spent three weeks eating meal replacement shakes for breakfast and dinner with a small salad in between."

Kym Douglas and Cindy Pearlman, authors of the Hollywood Black Book Of Diet Secrets, say that celebrities such as Heidi Klum eat salads spritzed with vinegar to kill their appetite before heading onto the red carpet, and sniff grapefruit essence to stop sugar cravings.

Kym says: "I know of one actress who gained a lot of weight with twins and when she ordered an organic baby food delivery service she ordered it for three. She ate the extra serving of baby food herself and got the weight off fast."

Eyelashes

While last year everyone clamoured for the best "eyebrow specialist," this year it's all about having your own "eyelash expert." Jennifer Lopez began the trend by glueing on red fox-fur lashes at a recent Oscars.

This year, LA make-up artist Valerie Sarnelle has created thick and furry mink and squirrel fur false eyelashes, in blacks, browns and blondes.

"They look like butterflies, but they're not overdone," said Sarnelle. "It's the ultimate accessory."

Madonna recently sported custom fake eyelashes made from mink fur and diamonds. A single pair of mink eyelashes costs £5,000 and is good for only five to seven wearings.

Don't Sweat It

Botox isn't just used forforeheads any more. It also prevents sweat stains around armpits. About eight to 10 injections in the area can do the trick.

"When you're on the red carpet," says Beverly Hills surgeon Dr Nicolas Nicolev, "and perhaps feeling nervous, the last thing-you want is to get perspiration on your gown."

The Botox lasts for up to a year-and each treatment costs £500. "But when you're wearing a £10,000 gown it's worth it to stay dry, plus it saves on the cost of deodorant and dry cleaning,' said Dr Jessica Wu, a dermatologist who treats celebrities.

Feet

Ever wondered how celebrities stand all night on the red carpet in 4in designer heels? They get stiletto foot surgery!

Podiatric surgeon Dr Suzanne Levine is known as the queen of Hollywood's feet. She says: "Celebrities come in about a month in advance for the procedure on the bottom of the feet. It's a way of creating internal padding - like pillows for your feet. It lasts up to nine months."

Dr Levine also does a lot of "foot facials." This involves salt scrubs, a foot "mask" peel and massage, and even whitening the toenails. And celebrities with unsightly bunions needn't fear.

"I inject an anti-inflammatory the day before to get swelling and redness down," Dr Levine says. "You don't want that on show when the cameras are focusing on your Jimmy Choos."

She's had some odd pre-Oscars requests: "One actress wanted liposuction on her big toe. I told her no, it was ridiculous."

With your feet taken care of, it's time for a professional polish. The La Prairie Spa in the Beverly Hills Hotel has a popular but pricey £110 pedicure involving reflexology and massage. This works out to £11 per toe.

Smile

To prepare for their Oscar night close-ups, stars turn to cosmetic dentists for power bleaching. During the one-hour procedure, whitening gel is applied to teeth before the patient sits in front of a light that promotes absorption.

Hollywood dentist Kevin Sands says: "I've done hundreds of one-hour whitenings this week. I can take off a whole year of coffee stains. People have even asked me to put diamonds in their teeth.

And it was not for a rap star - in this town everyone wants a little extra bling. An actress wanted diamonds in the centre of her teeth and even had them chauffeured over from LA jeweller Harry Winston."

Cleavage Close-ups

Cosmetic dermatologist Dr Patricia Wexler uses Botox to tighten the skin on the breasts and create a younger-looking cleavage.

She even applies Botox under the breasts to give a sagging cleavage a much-needed lift.

Actress Isla Fisher was rumoured to have had a bust boost. Dr Wexler says: "It works the same way as on the face - it paralyses the muscles, pulling your breasts down and therefore pulling them back up!"

After that, celebrities head over to the Sonya Dakar Skin Clinic to have their cleavage pampered, a must-have for any actress in a low-cut dress.

Drugs

If all else fails, medicate. No matter how good you look, the pressure can be overwhelming. Many stars arrive on the red carpet armed with a pharmacy of prescription drugs stuffed in pockets and evening bags to ease anxiety.

Says one celebrity physician: "The Oscars seem to bring out great anxiety in people. They know they're going to be in the limelight and the fact that so many people will be watching them makes them more nervous."

The drugs Inderal or Atenolol are popular as they "slow down your heart so, when you're up there on stage, you don't get palpitations and become sweaty."

Other anti-anxiety drugs such as Xanax and Ativan "help people who stutter or get a panic attack. They will take one pill or half a pill before walking down the red carpet so their legs don't get shaky."

A date with Oscar costs the average celebrity upwards of £7,000, not to mention indignities such as swelling, bruising, soreness and plenty of hunger pangs. All for those few brief moments on the world's most famous red carpet runway.

New Method of Growing Fat Could Change the Face of Cosmetic Surgery

MELBOURNE surgeons are planning human trials of a fat-growing technique that could revolutionise breast reconstructions and the treatment of congenital deformities and burns.

If the procedure proves successful, naturally produced body fat in future may replace collagen or other dermal fillers used in cosmetic surgery.

Initial human trials of the technique - in which fat can be stimulated to grow in specific areas of the body - could begin soon, according to Professor Wayne Morrison, director of the Bernard O'Brien Institute of Microsurgery and head of surgery at St Vincent's Hospital.

Professor Morrison's team found that by inserting a small plastic chamber into pigs and mice and running blood vessels through it, fat spontaneously filled the box. In pigs, this natural fat production produced a fatty deposit the size of a small breast in just six weeks.

The researchers are unsure exactly how the fat is produced but know that the growth of fatty tissue does not depend on fat cells being used - in fact any tissue seems to do the trick.

"If you put even bits of kidney or bits of something else in there, fat still forms," Professor Morrison said. "It turns out that the fat that forms is not actually from the fat you put in but it's from the animal itself.

"The implanted bit of tissue you put in is just sending a signal to that animal to make its own fat. This has significant implications."

In humans, the technique would eliminate scarring and the risk of rejection which occurs when implants or fat from other body parts are inserted.

Instead of patients undergoing major surgery, the technique would allow them to grow fat under their skin while they went about their daily lives. The fat could be used to fill body cavities caused by deformities or cancers and provide a platform for skin to grow on in victims of severe burns.

Professor Morrison said his team was almost ready to test the technique in humans. The trial had been delayed by the absence of a biodegradable chamber, which was still being developed by chemical engineers.

However, he said researchers would probably use a metal mesh box instead to test the technique in a breast reconstruction. The metal would be removed later.

"It would demonstrate proof of the principle," he said. "We've done it in a pig and it should work the same way in a human."

In a related development, researchers found that by stripping the cells from muscle and turning it into a jelly-like substance, they would be able to inject the material into tiny body cavities to stimulate fat growth.

The jelly material would create a space, similar to a chamber, allowing blood vessels to grow followed by fat cells. This would be more effective than injecting a patient's own fat removed from another part of the body. Transplanted fat often dies or partly dissolves when injected, resulting in a lumpy appearance.

Professor Morrison will announce detzzails of the research to 1100 plastic surgeons today when opening a four-day conference of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons at the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre.

Melbourne researchers are pursuing two methods of inducing fat growth on specific body sites. The first, favoured for large volumes of fat, involves inserting a plastic chamber containing fatty tissue attached to blood vessels.

The second method involves injecting a gel to create a space and adding tissue - muscle, liver or kidney. This prompts blood vessels to invade, followed by new cells probably derived from bone marrow as stem cells. These then turn into fat cells.

Researchers hope the fat could be used as a natural filler for breast and other reconstructions and in cosmetic surgery.Growing

An Electronic Alternative to Botox?

Beauty routines have come a long way since pink rollers, poodle-curl perms and Pond's Cold Cream. These days, beauty seekers can, among other things, turn to infrared light and negative-ion technology to style their strands, and lasers and light-emitting diodes to smooth wrinkles, diminish age spots, remove unwanted hair and whiten smiles.

And treatments are moving from salons, spas and doctors' offices to homes, as consumer versions of beauty tools become more advanced -- and affordable.

Safetox (pictured) pitches itself as a safe and painless alternative to Botox. The blue plastic headband purports to relax the muscles in the central and upper portion of the face, thus reducing wrinkles. The product works, the company says, by transmitting electronic impulses to the target muscles via an adhesive patch worn between the eyes. Several weeks of twice-daily five-minute sessions are suggested, after which maintenance sessions are required. Safetox costs $488 (£244). But hey, if it doesn't work, at least you get to look like Wonder Woman.

New Rules For Plastic Surgeons in Arizona Protect Patient's Safety

A year after the death of a Tucson attorney following cosmetic surgery, Arizona has passed new rules for doctors who perform surgery in their offices.

This is the first time the state has tried to gain some control over this highly controversial and sometimes dangerous trend, with doctors — especially plastic surgeons — doing more invasive surgeries requiring heavy sedation in the bare-bones office setting, rather than in fully equipped and staffed hospitals. The move was spurred by several recent patient deaths during and after undergoing office-based surgeries in Arizona — most of them elective cosmetic surgeries.

One of those occurred a year ago in Tucson, when attorney Kimberley Taylor, 53, stopped breathing and suffered cardiac arrest during cosmetic surgery in the office of plastic surgeon Dr. Armando Alfaro. When efforts by Alfaro and his nurse anesthetist failed to resuscitate her, Taylor suffered profound brain damage and died 10 days later.

However, the new rules — drafted by the Arizona Medical Board last year and just approved by the Governor's Office — have been criticized as too vague to be truly effective. "The requirements in some of the rules are not specific enough to really mean anything," said Dr. Peter Kay, a longtime Tucson plastic surgeon.

"For example, they require staff involved in the surgery to have 'sufficient education, training and experience,' but they don't spell out what that is — what exactly would be 'sufficient.' "This is a good start, though," he added. "I think what happened in Alfaro's office woke up those guys in Phoenix. The rules are better than the nothing we had."

Until now, only the offices or surgical suites of physicians using general anesthesia — with the patient on a breathing machine — have been inspected and licensed by state health authorities. But in recent years, surgeons have used a wide variety of sedation techniques short of full anesthesia, and so have escaped state oversight.

Among the new rules for office-based surgeons using sedation:
● The office must have equipment necessary to safely perform the procedure, to safely administer the sedation, to monitor the use of the sedation and rescue a patient who enters a deeper state of sedation than intended by the physician.

● Informed consent must be obtained from the patient authorizing the office-based surgery.

● A physician cannot perform office surgery using sedation if the patient has a medical condition that indicates it should not be done there or will require inpatient services at a hospital.

● From the time sedation is administered, a licensed and qualified health-care professional, other than the physician performing the surgery, must be present whose sole responsibility is attending to the patient throughout the surgery.

● A minimum of equipment for resuscitation must be available for use in an emergency, and the physician must have a policy and procedure for getting the patient to emergency care.

● While the patient is sedated, the doctor must be able to measure the patient's oxygenation levels and circulatory function, and must check blood pressure and heart rate at least every five minutes.

"These requirements will offer more protection for patients, yes," said Mary Wiley, assistant director of licensing at the Arizona Department of Health Services. "Having a second professional in the room whose only job is to monitor the patient, requiring adequate equipment and constant checks of the patient — these are great strides."

But the failure to specify exactly what "licensed and qualified health-care professional" should attend solely to the patient during the surgery is another example of the rules' vagueness, Kay said.

"This is a very important issue. For example, a licensed practical nurse would not be adequate for that role, but a registered nurse would be," he said. "But there are no specific qualifications required here."

A crucial omission in the new rule, in Kay's view, is no rule requiring the doctor to disclose to the patient what specialty, if any, the doctor has board certification for, indicating specialized training.

"So, right now in Tucson, we have three ophthalmologists doing cosmetic surgeries, and most patients don't realize that," he said.

"This is a huge issue. Every Tom, Dick and Harry can and is doing cosmetic procedures and patients are not told if they have the training for it."

Even so, such a rule would not have improved Taylor's chances. Alfaro is a fully qualified, board-certified plastic surgeon who had the necessary resuscitation equipment in his office when Taylor stopped breathing.
However, when he and his nurse anesthetist tried to intubate Taylor to get her breathing again, they did so incorrectly — placing the breathing tube down her esophagus instead of her windpipe — according to a lawsuit filed by the family.

That is why some plastic surgeons — such as Kay — perform office surgeries only with a physician anesthesiologist, with the highest training in such techniques.

This new oversight of office-based surgeries does not include inspections to verify the rules are being followed.

But they do offer a basis for disciplining a physician if a complaint is filed and the physician is found in violation of the rules.

A New Way to Face The Future: Plastic Surgeons Better Understanding of The Aging Face

New figures out today show that facelifts are suprisingly more popular than ever before.

Almost every week it seems that dermatologists have a new non-invasive beauty treatment to offer us that promises 'a virtual facelift'.

From new applications of Botox, to high-tech fillers and laser-based anti-ageing treatments, if you believe the hype, the scalpel's days are numbered.

After all, who needs to go under the knife when a syringe full of this or a quick blast of that can do the job in your lunch hour? However, figures released today by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) show the number of facelift operations carried out in 2007 has shot up by 36 per cent compared to the previous year.

In fact last year, for the first time since BAAPS began keeping figures in 2003, the facelift became the third most popular procedure, behind breast augmentation and eyelid surgery.

'We live in a youth-orientated society,' explains Douglas McGeorge, president of BAAPS.

'And there's a generation of people who have seen too much sun and maybe smoked and drunk as well — all of which age the skin - who don't feel as old as they look.

'They know they're more likely to live longer and feel fitter than the previous generation and that's why facial rejuvenation is so popular.'

This doesn't explain why, with the huge number of non-surgical procedures available, more and more women are choosing to go under the knife rather than opting for a less drastic alternative.

But Harley Street cosmetic surgeon and secretary of BAAPS, Rajiv Grover, believes that these procedures are actually partly responsible for the facelift boom.

'Before, there was nothing between a face cream and a facelift,' he explains. 'Now people can dip their toes in the water with a number of non-invasive procedures, so the decision to have a facelift doesn't seem so drastic.

'There are no official statistics regarding the number of nonsurgical treatments carried out in this country, but I have no doubt that if these were measured, you'd see that they, too, have increased hugely over the past few years.

'And as these type of treatments become more commonplace, I think it's not surprising that we will see an increasing number of people opting for surgery.'

Dr Mike Comins, who carries out a lot of these 'in between' treatments from his practice in London's Knightsbridge, agrees that there is definitely a link between the facelift statistics and the non-invasive procedures that he carries out on a regular basis.

'These days, there is a lot that you can do without resorting to the scalpel,' says Dr Comins.

'Alongside treatments such as Botox, there are some reliable and effective fillers on the market. Then there are the laser treatments, like Thermage which tightens and plumps skin, which have been around for a few years and have gradually been refined to give really fantastic results.

'However, there comes a point when some patients want results that a non-surgical treatment just can't give them, maybe because they actually need skin to be removed rather than just tightened. At that point, surgery would seem the logical next step.

'As most of my patients range from their late-30s to mid-50s, it's quite common for me to see patients for ten years or more.

'This means that we build up a relationship and they know they can trust me to refer them to a reputable surgeon who will give them the sort of results they have come to expect from me.

'That sort of confidence has to be a factor when you look at the increase in the number of people opting for surgery.'

So if you are one of the thousands contemplating a facelift, what's new in the world of nip and tuck? For a start, there's been a move towards creating a subtler, more natural look. The taut skin, cat's eye look that seemed prevalent in Los Angeles in the early 1990s and didn't make you look more youthful, just more alien, is now as unfashionable as Posh's bob. And there's a good reason for that.

The wind tunnel look

Latest research into factors that affect ageing shows one of the most significant issues is not wrinkles, but loss of volume in the face.

So simply tightening the skin and giving that 'wind tunnel' look associated with Joan Rivers and her ilk doesn't actually make a person look younger.

Surgeons have realised that the key to giving a facelift that looks natural is to accompany any lifting treatment with a volumising treatment. That will help restore a younger face shape and, increasingly, this approach is the norm.

Douglas McGeorge says: 'We're able to restore a natural look to the face which means that after a facelift, patients look good, not odd. Gone are the days when you could look at someone and know they had had a facelift.' As well as getting a more credible result, women going under the knife these days benefit from new techniques and procedures that mean shorter scars and minimal downtime.

Quite simply, surgery today is not nearly as traumatic as it once was.

Back in the day a facelift meant a cut being made from ear to ear around the entire hairline, and then weeks of hiding away while the scars healed, now that's not the case. 'Traditionally the facelift has been associated with lots of bruising and a long recovery period,' says Mr Grover.

'But new techniques, such as injecting fluid into the facial tissues at the beginning of the operation, help to minimise swelling, and mean patients can recover more quickly.'

One of the most common procedures is something called a MACS lift (Minimal Access Cranial Suspension). Rather than slicing around the entire face, a number of shorter cuts are made in the temple and in front of the ears, meaning smaller scars and swifter recovery.

Keyhole techniques have also revolutionised the facelift. For example, patients can now opt for an endoscopic browlift.

Three small incisions are made behind the hairline and, using specially developed instruments and a tiny camera, the surgeon is able to rejuvenate the forehead, eyebrows and eyes with no visible scarring at all.

But at the very frontier of facelift surgery is the true 'Lunchtime Lift' - a surgical facelift done under local anaesthetic in just a few hours.

Having surgery without a general anaesthetic might seem like taking a step back rather than forwards, but Dr Christian Ferlaud, of London's Skin Health Spa, who has recently brought this technique to the UK from France, insists that a facelift under local anaesthetic will soon become the norm because of its advantages.

'It's quicker and less traumatic than surgery done under general anaesthetic, and it results in minimal swelling, bruising and downtime,' explains Dr Ferlaud.

'And it's cheaper for the patient as they require no hospitalisation or anaesthetist services.' His technique, which is being dubbed The Velvet Facelift because it is so gentle, uses lasers and endoscopic techniques.

Rather than making large incisions using a scalpel, he makes several tiny incisions using a laser - which minimises any bleeding - around the edge of the eye, just by the ears and above the temple in the hairline. He then uses endoscopic techniques to reposition the muscles.

While most of us might baulk at the prospect of being awake for a facelift, Dr Ferlaud insists that his patients don't feel any pain and get a better result. But having a patient who is awake and can take an active part in the operation has other advantages, too.

'The patient is in a seated position which means that you can see what they will really look like,' says Dr Ferlaud.

'If you're operating on someone who is flat on their back, gravity affects their face in a slightly different way than when they are upright.

'Moreover, as they are awake, I can ask them to open and close their eyes, to move their cheeks and even ask them to have a check in a mirror so I can make adjustments that will ensure they get the result they want.'

Dr Ferlaud says his patients remain under observation for a few hours following surgery, but are then free to go home. It all sounds too good to be true, but detractors of his techniques have their reservations.

'While some operations can be carried out under local anaesthetic, any serious facelift surgery should probably be carried out under a general anaesthetic,' says Mr McGeorge.

'It means the surgeon has greater control over things like blood pressure and the pulse. I can't believe you could achieve the same results through surgery carried out under local anaesthetic as those you'd get if you'd operated using a general anaesthetic.'

Despite his concerns, with ever increasing numbers of us seduced by the appeal of the facelift, it seems inevitable that this sort of no pain, all gain approach to the surgery will appeal to the thousands of women who every year decide that 'putting their face on' means more than just a dab of foundation and a slick of lipstick.

It's Official: Smoking Ages You

It’s hard to believe, with so much information available on the risks of smoking, that many women are unwilling to quit. However, a study published in the journal Addictive Behaviors shows that fear of gaining weight still plays one of the biggest roles in carrying on the harmful habit.

A University of Michigan research team discovered several years ago that an incredible 75 percent of female smokers would not quit if it meant gaining more than five pounds, and nearly half consider just one extra pound too much. Study leader Cindy Pomerleau, PhD, recently followed up that research with the discovery that women who smoke are, in general, more dissatisfied with their bodies than women who don’t smoke, and that they are more likely to diet and binge than non-smokers.

Pomerleau also deduced that women who are concerned about their weight, smokers included, are typically very interested in maintaining other aspects of their looks. Ironically, while smoking may suppress the appetite and boost metabolism, it can sabotage the rest of one’s appearance. The trade-offs include face and body wrinkles, yellow teeth, thinning hair, and foul breath; not to mention all of the life-threatening side effects that make gaining a few pounds pale in comparison.

Surgical Lift for Your Bottom

It's no secret that things start to head south as we age, and the derrière is no exception. In the past, many surgical buttocks solutions have been conceived as "young person's procedures," but it's actually an individual's health, medical history and skin that are the defining factors for treatment eligibility—not candles on the cake. Additionally, each kind of surgery must be modified to fit the patient's age and issues.

Skin sags as gravity takes its toll after years of weight gain and loss, and fat begins to atrophy as well, causing the posterior to appear flat. A buttocks lift or lower bodylift (which can include the abdomen and thighs, too) can improve or remove excess skin and reshape your behind. The procedure tightens the skin and creates a younger-looking shape and contour. Side effects include temporary bruising, swelling, tightness, asymmetry and dimpling. Scars are a trade-off of this procedure, but they can usually be placed in a pattern that can be concealed by a bathing suit bottom.

DNA Facial Gives You Younger Skin

Skin regenerates itself on a daily basis. DNA Cryostem Skin Cell Therapy introduces new, fresh cells into the imprinting process (the method where DNA cells copy themselves according to genetic makeup), replacing older, weaker skin cells with younger ones. Using a cryogenically preserved serum of live stem cells extracted from unborn cows, the serum, which also contains essential proteins, acids and enzymes, penetrates deep into the dermal layer of the skin.

During the facial, skin is first cleansed to remove any product residue, dirt and grime which can interfere with the absorption of the serum. The serum is then applied to the skin, and fully absorbed in two to three minutes, and is followed by a layer of moisturizer. After just one treatment, skin is noticeably plumper, firmer and more even in skin tone.

Approximately $300 per treatment; 800-676-4616 or dnaskincare.com for locations

How I Got Rid of My "ManBoobs"

From The Times

Last year, 4,000 men had their ‘man-boobs’ removed. Steve Beale, who had the op in 2003, tells his story

A record 4,000 blokes in the UK had their man-breasts, or “moobs”, removed by cosmetic surgery last year. According to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, that’s almost double the number for 2005, when 2,100 went under the knife for the same reason.

I had the operation – known as gynaeplasty, the moob condition itself being more sensibly known as gynaecomastia — back in 2003, making me something of a pioneer. Since then gynaeplasty has gone up from eighth to third place in the top ten cosmetic procedures undergone by men.

Man boobs are certainly the defect du jour. Venerable famous females avoid the worst excesses of the celebrity press – Angelina Jolie’s scrawny hands might make Heat ’s “circle of shame” while Judy Dench’s varicose veins are spared – but any chap is fair game.

Newspapers have taken to printing shots of noted moobies, such as Simon Cowell, Tony Blair, Robbie Williams and Chris Moyles, going topless on holiday.

Farcical, saucy, and somewhat tragic, man-breasts make ideal fodder for the British tabloid media.

And as someone who sported a spectacular pair for most of his life, I can confirm that people do find them vividly intriguing. During my ample-chested days I lost count of the (unwanted) pleas of others, both male and female, to give them an exploratory mash.

So it’s unsurprising that thousands of men with unwanted tits are having them taken off. I had one of the first “day case” operations, where you’re in and out in a couple of hours. The anaesthetist put me under, the surgeon made crescent-shaped cuts around the lower half of each nipple and the offending flesh burst out like roots from a germinating bulb.

Two keyhole incisions were made on either side of my chest and liposuction employed to suck out the fat that had built up around the moobs themselves. When I came round afterwards, the theatre nurses triumphantly presented my vanquished breast flesh on a silver surgical tray. Humble in defeat, the two little piles of orangey-pink offcuts resembled Nigella Lawson’s mango salsa. I felt a very masculine rush of man’s mastery over nature. Then the nurses tipped my man breasts into the bin, which dashed any hopes of having them preserved in formaldehyde.

I’m dwelling on the gory detail of the breast flesh itself because the most common misconception of man-boobs is that they’re purely a result of obesity (recent thinking plumbs more for a genetic inclination, and they certainly run in my family, or the more way-out theory that there’s too many female hormones in the water system due to the contraceptive pill).

My man-boobs appeared postadolescence, at around the time I was expecting mutant super-powers instead. They were so unattractive that at 16 my mum pulled me along to the local health centre to see if anything could be done. The family GP’s advice was simply to go on a diet. I got down to ten and a half stone (67kg) , which is pretty slim for a 5ft 10in (1.78m) guy with a pocket battleship frame.

Unfortunately the doctor was proved wrong — my moobs didn’t recede at all and became even more apparent on top of a svelte(r) torso. In the rugby team changing rooms at my West Country all-boys’ grammar school, I was second in fascination only to the unassuming guy with a willy down to his knees. Like many blokes with an “unfortunate characteristic”, as much as I could have done without the gibes, I can’t say that I descended into de- spair and self-hatred when I got teased about my man-breasts.

Man-breasts.co.uk says it’s “the site that says it’s fat and it’s proud — then quickly puts its shirt back on” and I employed a similar combination of humour and bravado. My party piece was sucking my own nipples — and that was usually the last word on the subject. Once I entered the more diplomatic world of London media people stopped mentioning my man-breasts. There were isolated incidents — the Brazilian transsexual who gave them an uninvited grope and casually inquired “hor-mona?”; the Northern lap-dancer at whom I’d been throwing money all night who joyously reminded my fellow stags “He’s got tits!”; and the caring female colleague who asked in all seriousness if I had ever worn a bra (er, no).

But despite the comparative lack of interest I did indeed still have those tits that maybe justified said bra. I could accept them as part of me, but it was still pretty unpleasant to cast my gaze down, during sex for instance, and see two white chocolate walnut whips dripping down from my chest.

In my late twenties, plastic surgery kept coming up as a solution. My moobs hadn’t come between myself and romance, and I was seeing a girl whose mum worked in cosmetic surgery and reported that gynaeplasty was very common. My own mother passed on news of a fireman who’d got his done on the NHS, citing “pressures within a masculine professional environment”. Then a close friend underwent the op himself. He was evangelical about the results, which did look perfect. “Am just enjoying my first man-breast-free summer, lying on beach with T-shirt well and truly OFF,” he texted me. Worries about cost and danger assuaged, I resolved to rid myself of my man-breasts through medical science.

Which takes us back to the recovery room. Afterwards I had to wear sutures for two weeks — this was during the sweltering summer of 2003, and I chucked back far more painkillers to take my mind off the itchy dressings than for the very temporary pain of invasive surgery. Then they were gone — almost. Admiring myself in the mirror, I was suspicious that one half of my new flatter chest was slightly bigger than the other. I put off reporting this back to my surgeon as I was plagued by worries that I had now entered a new strata of physical obsession, and was perhaps “addicted to plastic surgery”.

“Everyone has one boob bigger than the other” said my girlfriend of the time. “Not men,” was my earnest response. When I did summon up the courage to reapproach the good Dr Malik I was extremely relieved that he confirmed my doubts. He said he could have another go at it “under local” but a bit of working out would suffice instead. I took up Thai boxing and thanks as much to that I now have the figure of a Victorian strongman.

And it’s great. Not only do I no longer have the “unattractive protuberances” themselves but the effect on my overall silhouette has been just as dramatic. I’ve a V-shaped torso rather than being noticeably top-heavy. I was very quick to bring up these changes in conversation — “men tend to keep their decision to have an operation very secretive, they don’t want anyone to put them off, but afterwards they tend to be very open

about it,” says Bernice Berry, spokesperson for the cosmetic surgery chain Harley Medical. I’d also had my teeth whitened at around the same time. “What do you think?” I’d ask in the pub, rising to my feet in self-presentation. “We didn’t even know you had man breasts,” was the most common response. “But your teeth,” which I was a lot less conscious of, “look amazing.” I got a handle on the widely disputed comment girls make when they say they’re “wearing this miniskirt for me”. My own perception of my body was ultimately more important than others’.

I wasn’t guilty about changing myself — I was glad the damn things were gone. I’ve taken part in several TV mini-debates on the subject and on the majority of occasions the person on the other side of the argument is a slim blonde who disingenuously tells me that “beauty is on the inside”. I’m not sure if no longer possessing moobs has had a huge impact on my love life, bar my own image of myself naked, which is obviously much improved. But what I am convinced of is that it’s made me a more presentable and confident professional.

“In an information and ideas-based economy where so many of us have similar skills, what differentiates people is their appearance and how vibrant they are,” says Sean Pillot de Chenecy of Captain Crikey trend consultants, whose clients include that staple of male bathrooms, Lynx deodorant. “So appearance and ‘aura’ have become very important for younger men wanting to get on. It’s not a silly fad, it’s a multimillion-pound industry based around men looking fitter, younger and more alert.”

I do feel terribly sorry for fellow moob sufferers who can’t afford the operation, which costs about £4,000. Yet cosmetic surgery is beginning to be seen as a far better way to spend your cash than on this year’s TV or yet another disappointing beach holiday. Having grown up part of the sci-fi generation I’m quite comfortable with having undergone a procedure considered extreme. While I do profess awe — and a little scepticism — for those who say they’re happy with themselves and would never “fiddle with their bodies”, I have no regrets whatsoever. I very much doubt any other bloke who had moobs, and now doesn’t, would disagree.