Cosmetic treatments blog posts and news

The Super Gummy Breast Implant

"Extra" may call them "Super Implants," but we're much fonder of the name gummy bear implants.

Dr. Steven Teitelbaum, a Los Angeles plastic surgeon and contributor to our community, gets plenty of attention for being a surgeon to the stars as shown in his appearance on  the celeb show.

Teitelbaum is also an investigator of new breast implants filled with "cohesive filler." That is, the implant is filled with a gel that remains fixed in its position.  Should the implant rupture, the gel wouldn't spill out. The gel allows the implants to be anatomically shaped versus round, giving the patient a more natural appearance.

Gummy bear implants are approved in the UK and Canada, and under clinical trial in the US.

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RealBuzz: Is LifeSculpt Laser Lipo Really "A Godsend"?

Laser liposuction is a red-hot -- sure, we said it -- topic within the RealSelf community. One of our members, Kible,  is interested in recently-rebadged laser lipo treatment LifeSculpt, and wanted to know if, using Dr. Steven Bloch's wording, 

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Dysport Leads To Wedding Bliss -- First Review In!

Dysport -- the long-awaited Botox competitor -- has started shipping to docs, and RealSelf's first member review has arrived!

Jen629 tells the RS community that she "wanted to look natural but good" for her August wedding -- and so she took the leap a week ago.

She says it's "similar to Botox" but had her first no-movement moment the very first day after treatment.

We know you've tried Dysport -- and want to hear from you!

More on RealSelf

• There's plenty of buzz about Dysport on our Q&A pages.
• What's in a name? The challenge of branding Dysport
• Dysport vs. Botox: the doctors explain the difference

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Q&A Of The Day: How Much Does Latisse Cost?

In today's Q&A of the day, RealSelf user Miss Yates is looking for the answer to a question a lot of our community has been asking:

What's it going to cost me to get longer lashes with Latisse?

As Miss Yates found out, over 30 of our MDs chimed in, and the general consensus is that it's about $120 for a 60-day supply (at least that's what Allergan is suggesting).

Dr. Eric Joseph in West Orange, NJ says he's using a slightly different treatment regimen, so a $120 bottle will last you four months. And SF plastic surgeon Corey Maas, MD is offering it at cost -- $92 for a bottle. And the range (for various amounts) can veer between $72 and $150.

Wherever you get it, watch out for possible side effect that have been reported, as Dr. Arnold Oppenheim points out, including patients "having their blue eyes turn brown."

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VH1 Diva Prancer Gets Stabbed Over And Over (with Botox)

Only the strongest and bravest plastic surgeon could get the normally irrepressible Prancer of VH1's "I Love Money 2" to actually shut up for him ... and let him jab her with a Botox needle, repeatedly.

In this video from FOX 2 in Detroit, Prancer (real name: Mercedes Clausen) gets her excessive sweating problem fixed by Dr. Anthony Youn -- and we must say, for a woman who gets paid to be a histrionic trainwreck, Prancer actually handles the sharp end of a syringe pretty well. 

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Could Botox Really Cure Baldness?

Curing baldness is just about the Holy Grail of the cosmetic universe -- and now Botox is the latest magic bullet, says a Beverly Hills cosmetic surgeon. But this story is getting a mysteriously slender amount of play here in the US.

Dr. Simon Ourian says he's been testing Botox on his patients for three years, reports the UK's Telegraph, starting when he gave his mother injections for migraine headaches after chemo, which also made her hair fall out. When Dr. Ourian discovered the Botox was helping her hair grow back, he began trying out the technique on other patients.

"With my patients these Botox vitamin injections for baldness have been very safe and more effective than anything I have seen before," says Dr. Ourian. He has yet to publish a scientific study proving his findings.

Huge news, right? Oddly, it's been the foreign press picking up the story -- but barely a peep from US media, even though the original release went out back in February.

Have any of you tried Botox for hair loss with any success? Any doctors want to chime in on their own experiences?

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The Rise (and Fall) Of The Muffin Top

The rise

They might not admit it exactly, but Aussies brought the rest of the world the “muffin top." The Oz sitcom "Kath and Kim" is cited as the source of the term that now refers to the roll of fat that overflows out of the top of low-cut or too-tight jeans (and recently, shoe overflow!)

Many years later, muffin top is climbing the charts for Google trends, with oddly, Boston named the leading city for “muffin top” searches.

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Q&A Of The Day: Should I Wax Before Laser Hair Removal?

In our Q&A of the Day, Toronto-based RealSelfer M.J. wants to know

Is it a good idea to get a wax treatment before laser hair removal?

Says M.J., "I went to a clinic where they say do this as the hair follicle is open and more receptive to the laser."

• Dr. Gregory Turowski in Chicago tells M.J. waxing is definitely off: "When you wax, you remove the follicle or the root of the hair and leave no target for the laser to attract." Dr. Turowski recommends waiting 4-6 weeks on the face and 8-10 weeks for the body after waxing.

• Likewise, L.A. plastic surgeon Raffy Karamanoukian, MD says waxing can remove hair follicles, which makes the lasering less effective. And Dr. D.J. Verret of Dallas tells M.J. he's concerned about the redness from waxing, which might interfere with laser transmissions.

Have you waxed on pre-laser and gotten good results? Let us know.

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My Tummy Tuck: A Weight Has Been Lifted

What made you decide to have a Tummy Tuck?

I've always wanted to have the Tummy Tuck done.

Between having children and being a bit overweight, I just felt embarrassed--really only in front of my husband. It didn't show under my clothes, but you could see my saggy skin and stretch marks when my clothes were off.

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Visualize Your Before-and-after Cosmetic Surgery In 3-D

Plastic surgery trade shows are an eclectic mix of fascinating technology, mundane text books, and unusual items to decorate the doctor's office like brass figurines (that make the physician look....well, a bit intimidating!).

The main theme for these events is to sell doctors on the latest products and services that attract new patients. 

And given the consumer demand for plastic surgery before and after photos, it's fitting that the show floors have a number of companies offering “computer morphing” to depict before and after results.

Visualize your "after" cosmetic procedure

Morphing software has evolved to what are now highly realistic looking "afters" of yourself in 3-D such as a hump-free nose, smaller breasts, or higher cheekbones. Just like an architect can "fly" you through their design for your home addition, the surgeon now has the means to show you a highly realistic looking perspective of your body, post-surgery.

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