Cosmetic treatments blog posts and news

10 Must-haves For A Comfortable Cosmetic Surgery Recovery

As a personal concierge in New York City, I’ve helped numerous men and women recover from plastic surgery in their own homes and in hotel rooms. Through these experiences, I've discovered there are many items you need  to make your recuperation as easy as possible.  The 10 must haves in your home are:

1. Medication from your doctor. Your doctor will almost certainly prescribe you pain medication along with an antibiotic. Be sure to have your prescriptions filled a few days ahead of time. Sometimes pharmacies have to order medication and you don’t want to be running around town the day of your surgery trying to get your prescription filled. You’ll have enough on your mind already.

2. Surgical gloves. If you are having a surgery, such as a tummy tuck or facelift, that requires drains that will need to be emptied, your caretaker will appreciate it if you have these on hand. Gloves are also useful should there be any unexpected bleeding or vomiting from an interaction with the anesthesia. Extra gauze is also a good idea.

3. Reusable gel ice packs. With smooth edges, gel ice packs are gentler on bruised or sore body parts than regular ice. Plus the packs don’t drip.

4. Neosporin and Aquaphor. It’s not uncommon to incur minor scrapes after surgery. Neosporin will ensure these don’t get infected. Aquaphor is a thick, soothing moisturizer, especially for lips.

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Does God Approve Of Plastic Surgery?

For many contemplating cosmetic surgery, there's a search for an answer to "Am I doing the right thing?"

Beyond concerns of being accused of vanity, those with strong religious views may face the concern that plastic surgery is a sin, concluding, "God made me this way, so changing myself is going against his wishes."

One of our site members recently reflected on her decision to get a nose job and whether it was going against God's intentions.

MissIlinois2009 started out believing cosmetic surgery was a sin, then later rectified it as in line with her beliefs.  In her own words:

While I acknowledge that God made us all unique in our own way, I no longer think that getting cosmetic surgery is in any way a sin, especially if it can have medical benefits or even just make you feel better about yourself.

God does not want us to suffer?

MissIlinois2009 continues, "I do not think God wants us to suffer but to reach our full potential and be happy."

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A Medical License May Not Be As Trustworthy As You Thought

It would seem logical that when a doctor administers fake Botox or repeatedy botches a plastic surgery procedure, they would lose their medical license. Unfortunately for consumers, even in these extreme cases of negligence, it's really hard for a doctor to actually lose their medical license.

Caught injecting fake Botox?  The doctor gets probation

Recently a Sacramento dermatologist was injecting patients with an illegal, fake Botox. Instead of losing his medical license, Dr. Timothy Rosio was placed on probation.

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Can Breast Implants Get You Ahead At Work

Do fake breasts help a female attorney's career? 

This was the question recently posed at BitterLawyer.com, which claimed that their plastic surgeon source revealed that "a lot" of their patients were female attorneys. Nearly 58% of their readers said "Yep, looking hot can help."  The American Society of Plastic Surgery statistics cite breast implants as last year's most popular cosmetic surgery procedure.

Breast augmentation: a set back or the wrong answer to getting ahead?

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Does Microdermabrasion Work For You?

Microdermabrasion is a popular way to exfoliate your skin and brush away the dead cells so new skin can come to the surface.  It's marketed as good for fine lines and minor sun damage.

There are many ways to do microdermabrasion. Most spas use the small diamond crystals on your face. It's like having your face sandblasted.

Microdermabrasion is one of those treatments where sometimes you see the difference, and sometimes you can just feel it, depending on the condition of your skin. I did it for years at my dermatologist's office and I was never really satisfied by it.

There are now microdermabrasion kits for home use, although experts on RealSelf.com don't recommend them, Instead, they say that glycolic acid and Retin A can do as well if you use them faithfully.

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Dentists Want To Kill Teeth Whitening Discounters

With professional teeth whitening now available in spas, discount warehouses, and shopping mall kiosks, the question consumers face in these economic times is why spend more to go to a dentist for teeth bleaching?

Soon, you may have no choice.

Dental organizations across the US are working hard to ban retail outlets that offer cosmetic teeth whitening without the presence of a dentist.

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A Revolution In Eyelashes: Latisse Lash Lengthener

Anastasia Soare, the founder of the Anastasia Beverly Hills cosmetics line, is often referred to as "the definitive brow expert" by beauty industry insiders.

Anastasia recently commented on Latisse eyelash lengthener, a new lash-growing formula available from Allergan, better known for wrinkle reducer Botox and lip plumper Juvederm.

Transformational lash results

Soare states that she's "seen the results of Latisse firsthand and truly believes it's going to change the way women see eyes."

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Cosmetic Vaginal Surgery Draws Protest

This week saw a NYC street protest by a grassroots anti-plastic surgery movement that seeks to end female genital cosmetic surgery.

The protest was organized by the New View Campaign, which is "opposed to the growth of the unregulated and unmonitored genital cosmetic surgery industry that is medicalizing women's sexuality and creating new risks, norms and insecurities."  Specifically, the group seeks to bring critical debate to the recent batch of new below-the-belt plastic surgery procedures: Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation, Designer Vaginoplasty, G-Spot Amplification ("G-shot"), Revirgination, or Cosmetic Labiaplasty. The group's spokesperson, psychologist Dr. Leonore Tiefer, compared the before-and-after images promoted by surgeons to what others would call "female genital mutilation.‟

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Top 10 Cosmetic Procedures That Are Worth It

Getting "work" done should always be worth it. The cost, recovery time, pain, all should result in a great gain. But what treatments are really worth it?  

We're trying to address this key question with consumer reviews about skin treatments, plastic surgery procedures, dental procedures, laser vision correction, and other cosmetic enhancements offered by medical experts.

At RealSelf.com readers rate which cosmetic treatments and procedures are "worth it." This information is a great starting point to read the stories people share about their cosmetic experiences.

The current top 10 procedures rated as most worth it are:

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Want Better Orgasms? Some Are Trying The G-Shot

A woman in London is sharing her experiences after having the G-shot: a procedure that applies a collagen injection to the infamous G-spot and makes achieving multiple orgasms much easier for both a woman and her partner. Basically, this outpatient procedure plumps the hard to find G-spot with a bit of collagen, making it easier to find. Here's what she had to say:

'That first time, the whole thing was so intense I was actually a bit scared. I was so overcome, but thankfully the intensity is something I've got used to. I still have multiple orgasms every time I have sex, but they no longer leave me flat on my back.' - source

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