Every month, we strive to bring you a balanced mix of breaking news (Nene Leakes’ recent BBL, for instance) and advice you can always use, like facts on breast implant safety or the things that surprised one beauty writer about her rhinoplasty recovery. Invariably though, there’s an intriguing headline or viral post that doesn’t make its own stand-alone story yet is still worthy of a share.
Which brings us here, to the latest installment of This Month in Aesthetics, an ICYMI recap of industry-molding moments that we’d be remiss not to acknowledge—from a former Laguna Beach star’s surgery confession to a new FDA approval for jawline filler to yet another Kardashian post that had people buzzing.
Kim Kardashian gets Morpheus8 on her stomach
Another day, another treatment for Kim Kardashian. At the beginning of the month, she posted an Instagram Story of herself getting Morpheus8 from her go-to doc, Dr. Ashkan Ghavami, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills.
“This is a game changer!!! I did Morpheous [sic] laser to tighten my stomach at @drghavami’s spa @gpsaesthetics I think this is my fave laser but it’s painful lol but worth it!” she captioned the frame. However, plastic surgeons and derms were quick to clarify that Morpheus8 isn’t actually a laser—it’s a microneedling device that uses radiofrequency energy to trigger collagen production. And while the skin rejuvenation treatment is great for improving texture issues and fine lines and tightening mild sagging, it won’t tighten stomach muscles or excess loose skin.
FDA approves Juvéderm Volux XC for improvement of jawline definition
Juvéderm Volux XC recently became the sixth product to join the popular Juvéderm collection of injectable hyaluronic acid fillers. On August 3, Allergan announced that Volux XC had received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the improvement of jawline definition in adults over the age of 21 with moderate to severe loss of jawline definition. It’s the first and only hyaluronic acid filler approved by the FDA for the improvement in jawline definition.
In a clinical study, Volux XC—which the company says provides “even more structure, cohesivity, and lift capacity” than the existing products in the lineup—was found to effectively improve jawline definition in 69.9% of participants at six months. However, the filler won’t be widely available in the U.S. until 2023.
Kristin Cavallari admits to a breast lift after breastfeeding
The former MTV reality star and Uncommon James founder recently did an AMA on an Instagram Story and responded to one fan who asked, “Are your boobs real? They look amazing! (Jealous mom of 2 here 😂).” Over a photo of herself in a white bikini, Cavalleri replied, “Gonna keep it real with y’all: got a lift after breast feeding all 3 kids.”
A breast lift is a common solution for sagging breasts, loose muscle, and excess tissue after pregnancy, and recovery is typically only five days (if you get implants with your lift, you’ll want to build in more downtime). Doctors recommend waiting to get surgery until a few months after you finish breastfeeding.
Cavallari, who is 35, also responded to someone who asked about her Botox and filler use, saying, “It’s not for me (or maybe I should say, I’ve never done it.) But I’ve seen it look amazing on some people.” She expressed concern around not knowing the effects of it 20 years down the line and added, “I think your face is a muscle, so we need to work it out the same way we would any other muscle.”
Keke Palmer asks plastic surgeons to find a way to put the “beautiful skin from [her] ass” on her face
Since being diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), actress and singer Keke Palmer has been open about her struggle with adult acne. She says she’s tried Accutane and made diet and lifestyle changes, but nothing has helped. Now she has a plea for plastic surgeons: come up with a surgery to clear skin.
In an Instagram video, Palmer ranted that doctors “can give you a boob job, above the muscle, under the muscle, liposuction, tummy tuck, BBL, they can even implant muscles” … “but you can’t figure out how to take the beautiful skin from my ass and put it on my face? I’m tired of it, I’m done with it,” she said.
She wrote in the caption, “Give us the plastic surgery we’re begging for, and make it possible for black skin as well… I need the dual love. I’ll put my house on the market to pay, whatever it takes…” The message clearly resonated; over 455,000 people have liked the post so far.
Joe Jonas wants men to be “open and honest” about injectables use
Joe Jonas is the unlikely new face of Xeomin, an injectable that markets itself as a “clean” form of botulinum toxin. The musician told People that he doesn’t think taking care of your skin is something men “have to shy away from” and that the Xeomin injections he gets between his brows and in his frown lines have given him a new level of confidence. “I liked that it relieved the area a little bit and I was like, ‘Okay, this is great,’ without it being too much for my liking. I appreciated that it wasn’t over the top. It’s very light.”
Paulina Porizkova responds to being age-shamed by a cosmetic surgeon
Supermodel Paulina Porizkova has graced the cover of just about every fashion magazine there is and looks incredible at 57, yet one doctor on Instagram decided to offer some unsolicited advice on the many ways she could fix her face.
Porizkova wrote in a post, “I found this photo, which I have posted here before, (and thought I looked great in) reposted here on IG by a cosmetic surgeon, and discussing in detail what I needed done. Those pesky hollows under my cheeks could be gotten rid of with fillers, Botox for my forehead, those wrinkles on the side of my mouth, and the chords [sic] in my neck, and a whole bunch of lasers to tighten and smooth and tighten everything.” She noted that when she went to look for his post to share, it had been deleted.
She then went on to say, “This is what an older woman in the public eye gets to deal with. I’m told my face needs ‘fixing.’ It has somehow gone ‘wrong’ by aging. Is it any wonder that most of us who have the means will resort to some forms of fixing what we’re told is broken?”
