In Season: Teenage Plastic Surgery

It's the summer, which is known as a popular transition period for teenagers to get plastic surgery. In turn, it's a popular time for the media to come out with their yearly stories on the trends in teenage plastic surgery.

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There was just a Today Show segment on the topic, and here's a pretty level-headed article from USA Today by Mary Brophus Marcus.

"According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 160,283 children 18 and under had cosmetic interventions in 2008. The figure was even higher in 2007, tallying 205,119, but industry experts say a slowing economy probably forced the numbers down in 2008. In 2000, the number was just 145,094.

Those under 18 who opt for such procedures are not only children with cleft palates or disfiguring birthmarks. Some children are having more controversial procedures, such as "Asian eye" surgery to widen the appearance of eyes in people of Asian descent. But for the most part, these are otherwise healthy kids looking to improve an awkward but functional feature, such as a large nose or small breasts, says Donn Chatham, a plastic surgeon in Louisville and president of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery."

You can find a complete report of 2008's trends in plastic surgery for patients aged 13-19 here, from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

We will soon have a guest blog from Dr. Frederick Lukash, a plastic surgeon in New York who has been at the forefront of teenage plastic surgery for the right reasons.

Dr. Jason Pozner
Sanctuary Medical Aesthetic Center, Boca Raton
Sanctuary Plastic Surgery, Boca Raton

Dr. David J. Goldberg
Sanctuary Medical Aesthetic Center, Boca Raton
Skin Laser Surgery Specialists of NY/NJ

Catching up with Doctors star Peter Ajello

Peter Ajello is a formerly obese candidate for abdominoplasty and liposuction, who has lost well over 150 pounds based on a bet with a buddy.

The television show "The Doctors" actually had him on the show to share his story and to tell him that I will be donating the necessary surgery; with the caveat that he has to lose another 50 pounds.

Here is the video:

Are nipples the new black?

A post on the New York Magazine website seems to think so.
Nipples, as you can see with Victoria Beckham above, have become a fashionable accesory. New York Magazine speculates that there may be a big jump in cosmetic nipple surgery so women can keep up.

Unfortunately, the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery stopped keeping track of cosmetic nipple surgeries in 2005, so there's no way to know for sure, nationally. But we can tell you that nipple procedures are very common in cosmetic practices. We rebuild nipples that are lost to cancer, correct inverted nipples, increase projection with fillers like Radiesse, and we also do areola reductions often.

Dr. Jason Pozner
Sanctuary Medical Aesthetic Center, Boca Raton
Sanctuary Plastic Surgery, Boca Raton

Dr. David J. Goldberg
Sanctuary Medical Aesthetic Center, Boca Raton
Skin Laser Surgery Specialists of NY/NJ

Botox a cure for baldness?

Colin Stewart at the OC Register's In Your Face blog wrote yesterday about a story in Britain's Daily Telegraph featuring Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Dr. Simon Ourian, who claims that he has been having success regrowing patients' hair with Botox.

"It’s not a claim that’s made by Botox-maker Allergan of Irvine. The announcement came from cosmetic surgeon Dr. Simon Ourian of Beverly Hills, who says injections in patients’ scalps have produced hair growth.

“It doesn’t make sense that Botox would cure baldness,” says Dr. Christopher Zachary, chairman of the UCI Department of Dermatology. “I have injected men numerous times high on the [forehead] and have never seen any hair growth.”

“It simply does not make sense, physiologically. I think he might have the same success if he injected lemonade,” says bariatric surgeon Dr. Brian B. Quebbemann of Newport Beach."

We're going to throw in our own two cents here: we wish.

Dr. Jason Pozner
Sanctuary Medical Aesthetic Center, Boca Raton
Sanctuary Plastic Surgery, Boca Raton

Dr. David J. Goldberg
Sanctuary Medical Aesthetic Center, Boca Raton
Skin Laser Surgery Specialists of NY/NJ

Why we never touch a study without FDA approval

Last week, the U.S. Attorney's office announced that medical device maker Norian Corporation is being charged in connection to unlawful clinical trials. In a nutshell, they were conducting clinical trials for a device that was not FDA approved, for surgeries involving treating spinal compression in the elderly. The device was actually putting people at risk, and they still went ahead with the trials.

This is why many devices cannot be rushed to market; we must follow strict FDA guidelines. We are conducting many clinical trials with FDA-regulated botulinum injections (Botox alternatives), fillers, and laser studies, such as with Invasix, Scar Revlite, and more. This is something we are mindful of at Sanctuary Plastic Surgery, SMAC, and Skin Laser Surgery Specialists.

Despite being widely available throughout the world, it took Dysport a long time to release in the U.S. due to FDA guidelines that simply have to be followed. A paperwork snafu pushed it back from the first half of 2008 to just becoming available now.

Dr. Jason Pozner
Sanctuary Medical Aesthetic Center, Boca Raton
Sanctuary Plastic Surgery, Boca Raton

Dr. David J. Goldberg
Sanctuary Medical Aesthetic Center, Boca Raton
Skin Laser Surgery Specialists of NY/NJ

In Depth: Cancer drugs used cosmetically

Dr. Dana Sachs from the University of Michigan has confirmed what cosmetic dermatologists have known for years –topical use of cancer-fighting fluorouracil not only removes pre-skin cancers, but can dramatically improve the cosmetic appearance of sun-damaged skin.

Topical fluorouracil can lead to great cosmetic improvement. Identical results can be seen when a process known as photodynamic therapy (PDT) is used to treat pre-cancerous changes of the skin. In this process a topical medication called levulinic acid is applied to the skin and is followed by laser/light source treatment of the skin. Both topical fluorouracil and PDT are FDA approved to treat pre-cancerous skin changes. Both cosmetically improve sun damaged skin. But which technique is better? The answer should be known soon.

We are currently comparing these 2 great cosmetic approaches. In a 60 subject study, we are treating 20 subjects with the Carac brand of topical fluorouracil, 20 subjects with PDT and 20 subjects with a combination of topical fluorouracil followed by PDT. Our study goes beyond that of Dr. Sachs in that not only will clinical improvement be evaluated, but biopsy documentation of changes will be looked at as well.

Is one cosmetic approach better than the other? Maybe yes, maybe no! Time will tell. What can be said with certainty is that neither approach will, as suggested by the Daily Telegraph, replace Botox® or Dysport. Botox® and Dysport are used to improve muscle induced stress lines. Topical fluorouracil and PDT are used to treat sun damaged aging skin. These approaches are best when used together.

Dr. David J. Goldberg
Sanctuary Medical Aesthetic Center, Boca Raton
Skin Laser Surgery Specialists of NY/NJ

Dr. Jason Pozner
Sanctuary Medical Aesthetic Center, Boca Raton
Sanctuary Plastic Surgery, Boca Raton

Another DIY Disaster: Silicone Injections for lip augmentation

From WCCO in Minnesota:

"A year and a half ago, another doctor had given her silicone injections. That treatment went well but it wasn't cheap. It was $2700 for a series of three treatment.

So she turned to the Internet and found a site advertising silicone for $10.

The site clearly says the product is to be used externally as a personal lubricant. She thought because it was 100 percent silicone she could inject it. She bought the syringes at a local pharmacy.

"Initially I thought I did a good job," she said.


However, within a day her lips and cheek were disfigured.

"Its very frightening, its very embarrassing having to be in public," she said. "

In South Florida, we see many patients that were injected in garages, spas and laundry rooms by unlicensed practitioners. Many times, patients do not know what was injected, and whether it was temporary or permanent. Most don't have problems, but but when complications arise they are difficult, if not possible to completely correct.

Dr. Jason Pozner
Sanctuary Medical Aesthetic Center, Boca Raton
Sanctuary Plastic Surgery, Boca Raton

Dr. David J. Goldberg
Sanctuary Medical Aesthetic Center, Boca Raton
Skin Laser Surgery Specialists of NY/NJ

Could a chemotherapy drug be used cosmetically?

FoxNews reported today on an Archives of Dermatology article on a small study conducted by Dr. Dana Sachs at the University of Michigan.

"The study involved volunteers between the ages of 56 and 85 who applied cream made from the drug to their skin twice a day for two weeks.

After the two weeks were up, dermatologists reviewed before and after pictures of the patients and found the cream had reduced both fine and course wrinkles, as well as age spots.

Fluorouracil is already used as a prescription skin treatment for actinic keratosis, which is a precancerous skin lesion that is caused by frequent and intense exposure to the sun."

We are in the middle of our own study of this topic and will post some more information soon.

Dr. David J. Goldberg
Sanctuary Medical Aesthetic Center, Boca Raton
Skin Laser Surgery Specialists of NY/NJ

Dr. Jason Pozner
Sanctuary Medical Aesthetic Center, Boca Raton
Sanctuary Plastic Surgery, Boca Raton