News blog posts and news

Will Dysport Challenge Botox In The Wrinkle Marketplace?

Medicis recently announced the long-awaited FDA approval of Dysport, the first and only competitor to Botox. You can see a related story in The New York Times.

Doctors on RealSelf.com have been looking forward to the launch of Reloxin, grateful that there will be a choice in products and some competition in the marketplace, but disagree on whether or not the new product will affect the price of Botox.

Baltimore facial plastic surgeon Theda Kontis, MD recalls that "when Juvederm came out, we were wondering how it would affect Restylane prices. They came out priced the same--so competition didn't change a thing."

Kenneth Steinsapir, MD, a Los Angeles oculoplastic surgeon, thinks we need to "recognize that Allergan's BOTOX is the market leader and Reloxin [Dysport] will be the johnny-come-lately."

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Prevent Breast Cancer, Get Skin Cancer?

Living in the cloudy Pacific Northwest lends to plenty of concern about vitamin D deficiency.  Many take Vitamin D supplements or mega-dose shots as a growing body of research shows Vitamin D deficiency linked to cancer and a host of other ailments.

The tanning industry (think: tanning booth owners) smells opportunity, and has jumped on the linkage between low UV exposure and breast cancer.  Tanning, they promote, is a safe way to overcome vitamin D deficiency.

Skin care experts are alarmed by the suggestion that consumers should ignore their advice to avoid tanning beds and get a golden tan.  

The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) response is that, indeed, studies suggest that vitamin D deficiency during childhood is linked to the later development of breast, lung and prostate cancers, and recommend the best source of vitamin D is 10 to 15 minutes of full sun exposure. Unfortunately, says the ASDS, the recommendation to boost sun exposure may cause more harm than good (e.g. increase the risk of skin cancer).

3 healthier alternatives to increase your vitamin D

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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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Pastor Commits A Sin For Botox

Without a worry line in sight, a former pastor in New York City stands accused of stealing from his parish to pay for plastic surgery, Botox injections and prescription drugs. 

Source: Episcopal priest from Staten Island nabbed in 84G theft from church

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Latisse May Cause Hair To Grow Anywhere

ABC 13 in Houston, Texas reports that Latisse, while working as expected for eyelash lengthening, caused unwanted hair to grow on the face for one woman who didn't wipe off the excess solution after application.

Other reported Latisse side effects include darkening of eyelid skin and a transformation of the eye color.  Houston ophthalmologist, Dr. Linda Pope, tells ABC that "a hazel-colored eye will turn dark brown, and it's not reversible" should Latisse enter the eye. The medical experts posting on RealSelf.com point out that there is no clinical evidence suggesting Latisse has systemic side effects such as vision damage.

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Star-Studded Latisse Event Raises Money For Make-a-Wish

Allergan introduced the "Latisse Wishes" campaign at a star-studded charity event last week in Hollywood, California. Celebrities Brooke Shields, Marisa Tomei and Mandy Moore attended the benefit to express their support for Make-A-Wish, the non-profit organization that aims to grant wishes for suffering children.

Latisse is Allergan's latest offering and the first drug to be approved by the FDA for the treatment of hypotrichosis, a condition characterized by inadequate eyelashes. The Latisse Wishes campaign was launched with a $500,000 initial contribution to Make-A-Wish.

Hollywood beauty expert and participant Anastasia Soare enthusiastically expressed her support, saying "I constantly work to help make women's beauty wishes come true, and now we can help children's wishes come true through the LATISSE™ Wishes campaign."

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Orange County Boob Job Bandit Surrenders To Police

A 30-year-old California woman turned herself into Huntington Beach police on Tuesday afternoon on charges of commercial burglary, grand theft, and identity theft after using another woman's name to establish a line of credit at the Pacific Center for Plastic Surgery.

Yvonne Pampellone, known in the area as the "Boob Job Bandit," had a breast implant replacement and liposuction at the Pacific Center totaling $12,000 in September of 2008. Pacific Center staff became suspicious when Pampellone failed to show up for two follow-up appointments.

She was caught by detectives who identified her through the tracking numbers in her old breast implants.

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Reloxin One Step Closer To Taking On Botox In US Market

Everyone is on pins and needles (pun intended) waiting for Reloxin, especially Allergan, the maker of Botox Cosmetic.

This week, Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery published a new study evaluating the long-term safety of Reloxin for repeated use in moderate to severe glabellar lines (forehead wrinkles) over thirteen months.

Medicis Pharmaceutical expects to receive FDA clearance for Reloxin injections later this year. When this occurs, it will be the first real competitor to Botox, which created about 1.3 billion in revenue last year.

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Breast Implants Most Popular Plastic Surgery In 2008

New statistics released by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery reveal that for the first time, breast augmentation surgery was more popular than liposuction.

355,671 breast augmentation surgeries were performed in 2008, compared to 341,144 liposuction procedures.

Society president Alan Gold, MD said in a press release that “for the first time in the twelve years these statistics have been collected liposuction is a runner up in popularity to breast augmentation. There is no doubt that this turnabout will generate discussions in the medical community and the public at large.”

Dr. Gold theorized that “changes in fashion, i.e. décolletage baring styles, might be a factor behind this change.”

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6 Ways To Diet At The Bar

1. Eat before you go. Between salt-laden bar snacks, greasy bar menus, and the "can you carry my tab over to my table" move, if you're at a bar, chances are there's food. The less you crave, the more you save in calories (and money).

2. If it has a cute name, skip it. If it has a name that's not on a bottle, it's mixed; and mixed drinks come with a high calorie count—many starting at over 200 calories per drink. A tame-sounding Long Island Iced Tea packs well over 700 calories.

3. Order up two at a time. No, don't double-up on those Martinis. Instead, make sure you order a glass of water when you order your drink. Alternate sips between the two. It slows down your cal intake while filling you up.

4. Give yourself a spritz. A fave of models and celebs, the wine spritzer is always in fashion when looking for a low-cal drink. Opt for one instead of regular wine—it'll save you about half the calories.

5. Smaller doesn't mean fewer. Thinking smaller portions will deliver smaller calorie counts? Not if smaller means shots. Rule of thumb: a 1.5 oz. shot of any 80% alcohol is about 100 calories. It adds up—think of that Long Island Iced Tea.

6. Ask for diet. Sounds simple, but for some reason ordering diet at the bar is harder than ordering it at a table. Do it. It can save you close to 100 calories per drink. Newer on the market but hard to find in bars: McDowell’s DietMate Whiskey. And, of course, opt for Light Beer.

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