Restylane and Perlane are now available in a more comfortable formula, with the addition of 0.3 % lidocaine.

Just like the regular Restylane formula that has been available for years, Restylane – L is made with clear stabilized hyaluronic acid gel, a natural substance that already exists in the body.

To reduce the discomfort of injection, the anesthetic lidocaine has been added.  In clinical studies of Restylane–L, 71 percent of the 60 participants reported less pain after injection into the nasolabial fold than with Restylane alone.

Restylane L and Perlane L are now available in Bellevue.  Contact us for more information.

2009 may have been a down-year for plastic surgeons, but when you examine the long-term trends for the past decade you see a major spike in consumer interest.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons just released their 2009 statistics.  In collaboration with Seattle-based company RealSelf.com, the society says that plastic surgery is up 69 percent for the decade and “consumer interest continues to rise.”

Given the economic situation and the fact that elective surgery is typically considered a luxury purchase, these are strongly positive statements by both parties.

Minimally invasive procedures appear to be the driving force behind the 10-year trend.  Procedures like Botox, Injectable Fillers, and Laser Skin Resurfacing have increased 99 percent since the year 2000.  People have many reasons to visit their plastic surgeon these days.  One of the biggest reasons is skin renewal.  “Skin is in,” says ASPS President Michael McGuire.

Read more from the ASPS on PlasticSurgery.org and check out the RealSelf blog for more information on this story.

FDA warnings were issued to several medical spas on April 7th (although none were located in the Seattle area) regarding claims made about the safety and effectiveness of lipodissolve.

With an injection of certain chemicals ((phosphatidylcholine, deoxycholate, and others) lipodissolve is said to remove areas of persistent fat.  Consumers should be cautious about lipodissolve says the FDA; the procedure lacks scientific evidence supporting its use as a fat removal treatment.

The Medspas involved were apparently claiming that lipodissolve was “superior to other fat removal procedures, including liposuction” and making misleading claims about the safety record and effectiveness of lipodissolve.

Given the lack of supporting evidence for lipodissolve and the side effects reported by consumers, officials in the FDA felt it was necessary to crack down on these misleading claims and warn consumers about them.  The medical spas are being instructed to “correct these violations and prevent similar violations in the future.”

As you approach your milestone birthdays, how do you plan on maintaining a healthy and beautiful appearance?

If you don’t know the answer to this question, there are professionals in cosmetic medicine who can help. Television personality Dayna Devon is leading the Juvederm “Switch Up” campaign, using social media to educate women on keeping their look fresh to portray their best selves.

Become a fan of Juvederm on Facebook and you’ll see Dayna’s advice on beauty, fitness, health and expanding horizons. She says she has experience with wrinkle fillers and with Juvederm specifically:

When Juvederm became available a few years ago, I switched because it has a smooth formulation and is the only dermal filler made of hyaluronic acid that is approved to last up to one year from initial treatment.”

What is Juvederm?

Juvederm has become one of the most requested non-surgical enhancements available, offered by plastic surgeons and dermatologists here in Bellevue and all over the United States. Made with a smooth hyaluronic acid gel, Juvederm gets injected beneath the skin to restore volume and reduce the appearance of wrinkles or folds.

Juvederm also comes in different formulas, so your surgeon can effectively treat wrinkles of varying degrees. The latest formula, Juvederm Ultra XC, contains lidocaine to make the treatment quicker and more comfortable than ever before.

A west coast surgeon is talking publicly about his patient’s harrowing story of workplace violence, hoping that implant manufacturers will contribute supplies to cover the cost of her reconstructive surgery.

According to the story published on the LATimes website, Lydia Carranza’s breast implant deflated when she was shot in the chest last summer – an incident that claimed the life of her co-worker and left her with disfiguring scars.  When a man opened fire in the dental office where she worked, Lydia was shot twice: “The bullet fragments were millimeters from her heart and her vital organs,” said Dr. Ashkan Ghavami to the LA Times.

A firearms expert speaking to the Times said the deciding factor between life and death for Lydia may have been the presence of her saline breast implant.  Of course he advises readers, “don’t go getting breast enhancements as a means to deflect a possible incoming bullet.”

Read about this on LATimes.com

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Abdominoplasty is usually discussed when women are trying to improve their figure after pregnancy. So many potential patients, men included, remain unaware of the surgery and how it may be a benefit to them.

Some men may even feel embarrassed to ask about a tummy tuck. One man who documented his surgery on a blog writes that he felt a “stigma or shame was associated with male tummy tucks,” that caused him to be “embarrassed” when he first made inquiries about the operation.  If you’re one of those men researching the procedure, know that plastic surgeons should be able to give you gender-specific advice.

A man on the realself.com forum asks about skin laxity on his abdomen due to weight loss:

I’m dealing with loose skin after a 50 lbs weight loss in my teens. I’ve totally transformed and I’m very athletic with well-defined abs, but have laxity mostly below the navel and around the lower back. The problem areas are very localized and I hide it under the belt line with no one suspecting I was obese. But I feel “unfinished.” The front skin is very thin and hangs, the back is mostly smooth. Is there a tummy tuck technique that would excise the abdominal skin and provide modest tightening in the lower back?

Christopher Hess MD, a plastic surgeon in Fairfax, Virginia, answers: “Even though we tend to have better skin tone than women, we can still end up with excess skin due to skin memory. It sounds like you could undergo a mild excision of the excess tissue– less than a mini tummy tuck.”

Some cases aren’t that simple. When a man has experienced a greater weight reduction, the full tummy tuck may be recommended. Dr. Angelo Cuzalina in Tulsa advises other surgeons:  “Do not hesitate to use a full abdominoplasty for a male patient with extreme skin laxity. Men tend to heal better than women after abdominoplasty.”

The comprehensive approach he recommends may be necessary to provide satisfactory results. Dr. Alan Matarasso, scientific editor of Aesthetic Surgery Journal agrees. He says in Cosmetic Surgery Times, “you really need to treat [men] circumferentially, all the way around, because if you ask most men what bothers them, it’s the ‘love handles,’ and that goes all the way around to the back.”

Clearly, many plastic and cosmetic surgeons can offer specific advice for men considering a tummy tuck. So if you think you might benefit from the procedure, ignore any perceived “stigma” and ask a qualified surgeon for more details.

The latest news stories about plastic surgery seem to follow a do-it-on-a-budget trend, which is understandable given the economic landscape.  However, safety should always be number one priority  – another lesson in the news that seems to repeat itself.

Patients are learning to prioritize their treatments, while surgeons are offering financing and even money back guarantees, says the LA Times.

Minimally invasive procedures are way up, not only because they’re priced lower, but because some of them are just plain effective.  Who’s getting these low cost cosmetic procedures?

People in North Texas are doing scary things to save money on cosmetics.  Some are buying generic injectables and administering them at home with instruction via youtube.  DIY Plastic Surgery? No thanks.

While the rest of the world is pinching pennies, celebrities are getting ten cosmetic surgery procedures a day.

Lasers recently celebrated their 50th birthday, according to National Public Radio.  But what are we able to do with these devices, now that they’ve reached maturity?

a) Distract tigers
b) Treat sun damage
c) Remove unwanted hair
d) Project giant image of Britney Spears into the stratosphere
e) All of the above

Listen to the whole story on NPR to find out.

Q: Why do I keep hearing about new liposuction methods?

A: Surgeons are trying to set themselves apart with more advanced liposuction methods. You might hear about “reduced downtime” or “reduced trauma to surrounding tissues” in the ads for these procedures. Just know that any proven liposuction technique will utilize the same basic tools as the standard tumescent liposuction technique.

Q: What is the best type of liposuction?

A: Several new liposuction platforms have been introduced in recent years, but the operator is always the most important factor. There is no best method because each platform has particular benefits. For example, water assisted liposuction is great for removing a large volume of fat, while laser liposuction is good for precise body contouring.

Q: Can I get liposuction anywhere on my body? What is the most common area to treat?

A: Many people aren’t aware that liposuction can be done on so many areas of the body. While the abdomen and thighs are probably most common, you can also get liposuction below your chin or even on the ankles.

Q: What type of doctor is most qualified to perform liposuction?

A: See a board-certified plastic surgeon for your liposuction.

Q: Is liposuction “minimally-invasive” like some of the advertising says?

A: The techniques have improved over time, making recovery quicker and incisions smaller, but liposuction is still cosmetic surgery. It’s not like getting a quick Botox injection.

• Click here to read more about liposuction in Bellevue, Washington.