Dr. Leff is now offering permanent lip augmentation in his Bellevue, Washington office.

Although Dr. Leff’s Bellevue practice is known for performing mostly body contouring procedures, permanent lip augmentation with the SurgiSil Perma Facial Implant™ will now be an option available to our patients.

This single procedure can provide fuller, sexier lips in one visit.  Lip augmentation with Juvederm or Restylane has recently been the norm around Seattle, but such treatments offer only a temporary enhancement; to maintain their look, patients often have to return after less than 1 year.  The lip implants can be placed alone or during other facial plastic surgeries, such as a facelift, brow lift, rhinoplasty, or eyelid surgery.

Contact us for more information on the SurgiSil Perma Facial Implant.

The Beauty for Life survey conducted by the ASAPS and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons found marked differences in the way certain age groups perceived beauty in themselves and their partners.  ASAPS President Renato Saltz says the survey was intended to help surgeons “understand what patients are most concerned about at different stages of their lives.”

Participants were grouped by age to determine how members of each generation approach physical appearance of the self, and physical appearance of a partner.

Survey respondents in their 20s, 30s, and 40s reported that a “fit, well proportioned body” was what they found most appealing in another person.  Patients over age 50 gave responses indicating that healthy skin was of significant importance.  When it came to their own physical characteristics, every age group was concerned about their faces.  The abdomen and hips were said to be areas of significant concern (especially in the 30s), but the breadth of patients said they were most conscious of their facial appearance.

In all age groups, use of cosmetic procedures ranked fairly high, alongside diet, exercise, and skin care.  Through the link listed below you can easily view the results (in a pdf file) of the Beauty for Life survey.

http://www.surgery.org/private/download/BFLUserSurvey.pdf

Blogs, news outlets, and even radio programs in the U.S. are making a buzz about a cosmetic surgery tax proposed to help finance health care reform. According to LA Times blog Top of the Ticket, the tax could attach a 10 percent charge to any elective procedure – your liposuction, tummy tuck, breast implants, or Botox could be heavily taxed. Political blog writers for the Speaker’s Lobby say the tax proposal is probably “off the table” for now, and that the idea likely came from a treasury department official.

People are taking issue with this so-called ‘Botax’ or ‘vanity tax’ for a few different reasons, but here are two arguments that keep being reiterated:

Would it be gender discrimination?

The tax would be paid almost entirely by women. Despite the growing popularity of cosmetic procedures for men, women still make up over 90 percent of the patient demographic in the United States. Obviously, imposing a tax such as the one in question would unfairly discriminate against women. Think about it this way: would a tax be imposed on men who purchase expensive tattoos, fashionable clothing, or bodybuilding equipment? It doesn’t seem likely.

Would it affect the upper or middle class?

There’s a common misconception that’s probably at work here: it’s that “only the rich and famous pursue cosmetic surgery.” Experience in the industry will show you otherwise. A 2004 survey conducted by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons showed that “about a third of people considering plastic surgery reported average household incomes below $30,000.”

Recall this New York Times piece by Natasha Singer titled “Who Is the Real Face of Plastic Surgery?” Ms. Singer discusses the fact that a large number of patients choose to finance their cosmetic surgeries, just as they would a new car.

At our Bellevue surgery office, we think hair is pretty sexy actually, but it’s a different story when it’s anywhere other than on top of your head.  But don’t worry!  These days, it seems like the we have an endless array of options to remove unwanted body hair from the bikini line, back arms, and even the underarms

You could choose to keep shaving, plucking, using the different types of electronic tweezers, waxing, using creams, or electrolysis.  But these methods are basically temporary. The ideal method is laser hair removal.  It’s safe and permanent, and won’t feel any worse than a rubber band snapping against the skin.

Lasers send a low-energy beam through the skin. The dark pigment (melanin) present in the shaft of the hair follicles absorbs the laser beam. Initial hair reduction is seen immediately after treatment. Permanent results require repeated treatments because of the hair growth cycles.
There are different types of lasers that can be used to remove unwanted hair.  The first lasers approved for hair reduction by FDA were the ruby, alexandrite and diode lasers. But these could only be used on select individuals – not those with tans or ethnic skin.

The newest lasers have longer wavelengths and therefore, the ability to treat darker skin types, including African-American skin, Asian skin, and those with a tan.  One of the biggest benefits is the convenience; immediately following your hair removal treatment you can return to work, school or any of your regular activities.  Contact Overlake Plastic Surgeons for more information.

Last week, we brought you the first segment from the ASAPS series of videos about breast augmentation. Here’s a newer episode in the series in which a patient discusses her satisfaction with breast implants and the reaction of her peers.

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Sometimes in the pharmaceutical world, drugs make their way to the market in an unexpected manner.  It might surprise you to hear what some of the most popular drugs were intended to treat (Viagra anyone?).  In the case of the new eyelash enhancer Latisse, researchers at Allergan Inc. took note of a particular ‘complication’ associated with one of their widely used glaucoma drugs.

The topical prostaglandins lumigan caused a condition called “hypertrichosis,” characterized by darkening, thickening, and lengthening of the eyelashes.  The effect was caused by a chemical component called bimatoprost.

Two important precursors to the development of Latisse occurred after that point, when the FDA gave clearance for Lumigan:

$2 million worth of Jan Marini skin research product was seized by the FDA.  The product in question – Age Intervention Eyelash – evidently contained bimatoprost, which was unapproved for cosmetic use at the time. Allergan later filed a patent infringement suit against Jan Marini and several other companies that had tried to market bimatoprost in their eyelash enhancing drugs.

Doctors began prescribing Lumigan ‘off-label’ to enhance the eyelashes of their patients.  But Lumigan wasn’t formulated for cosmetic use and many believed more research was needed to confirm the safety of topical prostaglandins for cosmetic use.

Research and clinical trials are exactly what Alllergan did.  278 healthy adults with minimal to moderate eyelash prominence applied bimatoprost or a placebo to their lash line.  The results were favorable; researchers observed “statistically significant differences in eyelash growth and resulting patient satisfaction” while only 3.6 percent experienced itchy eyes and redness, and only 2.9 percent experienced skin hyperpigmentation.

Latisse received FDA approval late last year for the treatment of ‘inadequate’ eyelashes.  For information on Latisse in Bellevue, Washington, contact Overlake Plastic Surgeons.

Do you remember when collagen first received FDA approval over 20 years ago?  If so, you might recall the hope people had about looking better, but also the fear about side effects and painful injections. Now, we have a wider, safer variety of fillers to choose from that really get results.

Wrinkle fillers can be injected into deep wrinkles, folds, lines, or fill-in areas that have lost volume, like thin lips and sunken cheeks.  Using a filler will often allow one to postpone surgery.

Now the most common question is, “Which one should I choose?”

Below is a list and brief description of 5 popular dermal fillers:

• Restylane – a hyaluronic acid based filler touted as “the world’s best-selling dermal filler.” We use it as indicated, for correcting moderate facial wrinkles and folds.
• Perlane – very similar to Restylane, it is designed primarily for treating deeper and more severe wrinkles and folds.
• Radiesse –this thick compound is made with (natural, biocompatible) calcium based microspheres in water based gel.
• Prevelle Silk – this hyaluronic acid gel filler is commonly used for lip augmentation treatments.
• Juvederm – Like Perlane, this popular filler is designed for treating deeper wrinkles and restoring volume to the face. Juvederm provides a smooth, natural look.
• Sculptra – a poly-L-lactic acid filler that was FDA approved to treat facial     lipoatrophy – the loss of facial tissue. Sculptra is often used to fill in hollowness in the cheeks and other imperfections like nasolabial folds.

If you’re considering treatment with any of these wrinkle fillers, consult with a qualified surgeon that you trust.  For help choosing the right product, or for more information on the risks and benefits, contact the Bellevue office of Dr. Michael Leff.

This month, we’ll be posting a series of videos from the the American Society for Aesthetic and Plastic surgery called “Real People. Real Surgery.” In this first segment, a woman recalls her reasons for choosing breast augmentation.

A crucial point she covers is about educating yourself on the procedure and the risks. “I had fears to begin with, but my fears lessened the more information that I gathered” she recalls. If you’re interested in breast implants, you would be wise to do some research; read the ASAPS literature, speak to a qualified surgeon, or see our breast augmentation page.

Since the FDA has approved silicone breast implants safe for use in the United States, many women have more options for breast augmentation than they did ever before. Saline implants have been widely used for many years now for basic breast augmentation – with good results, however, under certain circumstances some women were allowed to have silicone implants until their universal approval in November of 2007.

Silicone breast implants offer the benefit of feeling more natural, weighing less – which reduces the chance of ptosis – and do not ripple when bending over. This has been a major complaint of saline implants for some time. However, saline implants have the benefit of requiring a smaller incision and in some cases are able to be place through the belly button, reducing the chances of a visual scar.

Safety has often been a question of concern for women seeking breast augmentation with regards to their implant choices. Both Saline and Silicone have been extensively studied over the past decade for their rate of rupture, capsular contracture, studies on breast cancer, auto immune deficiency syndrome and overall affect on the human body. In fact, the silicone breast implant has been studied more and tested more than any FDA approved drug and medical device on the market today.

The two major manufactures of breast implants in the US are the Mentor Corporation and Allergan. Both companies provide a complete list of options in their breast implants choices – from high profile to low profile to smooth round to contoured textured. The options may seem confusing for women seeking breast augmentation, however, during the consultation visit most of these questions can be addressed with the surgeon.

The fact the there are a multitude of choices now for breast implants, women should take the time to research their options prior to scheduling their surgery. If you are wishing to know more about breast augmentation and your breast implant choices please contact Bellevue Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Michael Leff for your free consultation.