Melasma treatment blog posts and news

Bottom 10 Cosmetic Procedures In The RealSelf Worth It Index

Earlier today we posted about the Top 20 cosmetic procedures according to our Worth It index and rating scale. 

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20 Highest Rated Cosmetic Surgery Procedures

There is no return policy in cosmetic surgery. Unlike a bad purchase decision during your last vacation or misguided selection of a restaurant for your date night out, you can very rarely brush off a bad cosmetic treatment experience and hope for better luck next time.

The cosmetic changes we pursue from plastic surgeons, dermatologists, and dentists are designed to be long-lasting; and that's a good thing because many procedures are expensive, involve recovery time, and carry some inherent risks. Of course, the ultimate downside and fear is the botched job. Done wrong, you physical appearance may be permanently altered in an unfavorable way.

RealSelf.com has designed its community around reducing the unknown by empowering people to openly share their unbiased opinion and experiences with a cosmetic treatment.

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Claim Check: The Botox Boob Job

The Claim: Botox lifts Breasts

A posting today by a RealSelf.com community member appears to have been inspired by The Mail article: Botox for breasts: New treatment helps women lift sagging cleavage.

They ask the RealSelf doctor community for more information about breast injections.

The Mail's reporter asserts that the Botox breast lift is a breast implant alternative where "Injections of Botox into the bust tighten sagging cleavage" which gives mothers a new perk to their breasts. Furthermore, it adds:

It is the 21st century solution for new mothers desperate to look their best for a party or wedding...With the treatment taking just half an hour, it is proving popular with busy young mothers who don't have time to go under the knife...

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New National Trend Data For Cosmetic Surgery And Treatments

Noses in Northeast, Tummy Tucks in the South, Breast Reductions in the Pacific Northwest

Despite the down economy, cosmetic procedures continue to be a hot topic across the country as people research various treatments they may consider in the future. But does where people live affect what’s hot and what’s not in cosmetic makeovers? Our geographic based search data suggests the answer is “yes.”

Here are some highlights:

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Anti-cellulite Tights A Hot Trend In The UK

The British department store John Lewis reportedly sells 25,000 pairs of Scala cellulite fighting tights each month. The store promises the Brazilian-made tights work:

Fight cellulite and create a seamless silhouette with no gym required! Sounds too good to be true? New to John Lewis, Scala’s range of Anti-Cellulite underwear can do just that! Perfect for when you need to squeeze into that dress…

What's Scala's secret cellulite treatment?  Crystals. Crystals impregnated into the fabric supposedly massage the skin, improve blood flow, and decrease cellulite.

Medical experts consistently warn consumers away from simple cellulite solutions, whether it be tights, cellulite creams, pills, or massage products. Doctors find that these cellulite products are clinically unproven and amount to marketing ploys that can't plausibly address the complex underlying mechanisms that cause cellulite.

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10 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Breast Implant Size

The more questions I answer for RealSelf the more I have realized that there seems to be a lack of help, for some patients, to determine the correct size and style of breast implant for breast augmentation.

Guest post by Christopher L. Hess, MD, FACS.
Dr. Hess is a plastic surgeon based in Fairfax, Virginia.

Whether this is due to a failure of plastic surgeons to assist their patients in the decision making process, a lack of understanding on the patient’s part of the complexity involved in choosing implants or an over abundance of haphazard information from both the surgeon and the internet that ultimately confuses patients, I’m not really sure.

So in an effort to help all patients here are 10 things patients need to think about when choosing breast implants.

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Skincare Social Media: RealSelf Partners With The American Society For Dermatologic Surgery

Should you be contemplating a cosmetic procedure for a skin condition or complaint--such as sun damage or facial wrinkles--you're likely to be extremely focused on getting informed on all your options before making a dermatology appointment. Afterall, nearly all cosmetic treatments are not covered by insurance and can represent a significant personal investment.

Dermatologists who offer cosmetic services, such as laser resurfacing or Restylane injections, increasingly see the advantage in helping aesthetic consumers find reliable information on the web by connecting with consumers on social media sites.

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Dr. Arnold Klein -- Back To Work

Despite the media maelstrom he's faced after the death of Michael Jackson, it's good to see Beverly Hills dermatologist and RealSelf member Dr. Arnold Klein is back to what he does: look after patients with skin care needs. 

Today, for instance, Dr. Klein responds to a community member unhappy with their lip shape. "my top lip gets lost and the shape of my top lip when I smile looks like the McDonald arch. I hate it."

More on RealSelf

• Dr. Arnold Klein's answers to your questions.
• Beverly Hills dermatologists active on RealSelf
• Have a question about a cosmetic treatment?  Ask the doctors

Also see Lip augmentation before and after pictures

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Megan Fox Has Wonky Thumbs, And Other Beauty And Skincare News

A highly patriotic edition of RealSelf's roundup of the latest news in the trades and papers.

1. Megan Fox has freaky thumbs and Drew Barrymore hates her acne. 

Everyone's talking about Megan Fox's thumbs -- again, with that idiotic Transformers flick out. (The short-thumb condition is called brachydactyly.) But A-Line also runs down a whole litany of celebs and their "imperfections" (heavy air-quotes): Kate Hudson's modest decolletage, Shannen Doherty's "crooked face," Kim Kardashian's cellulite, and Christina Applegate's short legs. And you're welcome for the Fox shot. [A-Line]

2. Shocker: Americans getting fatter than ever.

A big new study tells us what any trip to the mall food court will tell you quickly: Americans are fat. Adult obesity went up in 23 states in the past year, and more worryingly, there are 30 states in which almost a third of the kids are obese, too. [LATimes]

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Hairy Black Tongue? Maybe It's The Skin Condition Meds

You're about to read just about the best lead sentence in a medical trade mag -- in any mag, for that matter -- we've ever seen:

Bent penis, black hairy tongue, ear ringing, nightmares and psoriasis are just some of the rare side effects of drugs commonly prescribed by dermatologists and other physicians.

So says Dermatology Times, which got this tremendous bit of scoop from dermatologist Jerome Z. Litt, M.D., of Beachwood, Ohio.

Litt's been writing and updating the Drug Eruption Reference Manual for the past 15 years, and he's compiled some of the more bizarre (and disturbing) side effects of taking derm drugs in a new book, Curious, Odd, Rare, and Abnormal Reactions to Medications.

Most of the freaky reactions described in Dr. Litt's book emanate (on rare occasions, we must stress) from antibiotics, methotrexate, and other powerful drugs prescribed for skin conditions.

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