New research analyzing the health benefits of breastfeeding suggests that doing so may help reduce unhealthy abdominal fat and decrease your risk of heart disease.
The data, collected on 351 women by scholars from the University of Pittsburgh, revealed that those “who consistently breast-fed their children had waist circumferences that were an average of 2.6 inches smaller than women who had never breast-fed.” Physicians discussed these findings in the Bay Area last week during the American Heart Association conference on cardiovascular health.
Although breastfeeding appears to make a significant difference when it comes to unhealthy belly fat, as Dr. Nieca Goldberg suggests, these women may also be engaged in healthier lifestyles.
To temporarily reduce facial wrinkles, some people are placing their trust in acupuncture, the ancient Chinese therapy long believed to alleviate many physical ailments and emotional imbalances.
In this ABC News segment Dr. Bruce Genter, a Pennsylvania plastic surgeon, voices skepticism about the treatment, pointing to the lack of scientific evidence supporting acupuncture as a wrinkle treatment. Still, some people claim that it works; are they seeing real results or simply being optimistic?
Julia Engstrom, who says she has used Botox and laser treatments in the past, believes facial acupuncture has improved the texture of her skin and reduced the appearance of wrinkles. Nearing the end of 10 treatments, she says her improvements have come through improved sleep and relaxation. “I’ve noticed that my skin is a lot smoother, [there’s] a lot less red pigment in there and the wrinkling seems to be a lot less,” Engstrom said. “I [also] have a lot less darkening under my eyes and I’ve been getting a lot of compliments.”
Acupuncture, a process of strategic needle placement in the body, is said to bring improved health and well-being. In an article for Prevention magazine, licensed acupuncturist and Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner Phyllis Olson asserts that acupuncture can indeed lessen the appearance of wrinkles. She attributes this to a core premise of acupuncture – that health is reliant upon the healthy flow of chi (energy) in the body, which can be disrupted for a myriad of reasons. Acupuncture treatments are believed to break up energy blockages that prevent optimal blood flow to certain places in the body, improving circulation.
Beata Maslanka, Philadelphia acupuncturist and author of the “Art of Wellness” acknowledges that acupuncture doesn’t yield visible results that compare to Botox or other facial fillers, but claims that beauty actually comes from within; when internal imbalances are healed, people will look better overall.
Olson agrees, noting that the treatments foster relaxation of facial muscles, thereby reducing wrinkles. “Aside from the light, momentary stings, acupuncture is really quite relaxing,” she adds.
The results Engstrom points to are hard to discern from the video, but one can wonder about the salutary effects of relaxation and optimism, not to mention the natural human tendency to see (and believe) what we want to see.
If it does have a wrinkle-relaxing effect, how long could this last? NYC dermatologic surgeon Barney Kenet, MD tells Prevention: “If acupuncture relaxes the muscles, it might reduce wrinkling temporarily. As for the increased blood flow, at most it will probably give you a temporary rosy complexion–something you don’t want if you have an inflammatory condition such as acne or rosacea,” he warns. “Otherwise, cosmetic acupuncture is relatively harmless.”
Maybe so, but then you may want to consider the cost. The average price of an acupuncture treatment for facial wrinkling could be as much as $60 to $100 per session, with 10 sessions recommended by Olson, followed by monthly maintenance procedures. In contrast, the average Botox treatment in the U.S. costs $472 and a single treatment will last 3-6 months. This makes acupuncture wrinkle treatments both an unproven and costly proposition.
Dr. Genter, whose patients are proof that Botox and other facial fillers visibly reduce the effects of aging on the face, says: ”If it increases your well-being that’s great, I just don’t know that it can make your face look younger.”
The popular wrinkle treatment Botox Cosmetic could be prescribed as a headache treatment in the future. New research published in Archives of Dermatology shares information about the recent clinical studies of Botox as a headache treatment, finding that certain patients experienced less frequent migraine attacks: “Patients who responded to Botox reported their migraines were reduced to fewer than 1 day a month from almost 7,” said Bloomberg news.
Botox manufacturer Allergan Inc has applied for FDA clearance to market the drug as a headache treatment. However, researchers say they cannot fully explain how Botox works to relieve headaches. One co-author of the study, Rami Burstein says, “it may block the signals in sensory nerves located on the outside of the head.”
When plastic surgeons refer to a “mommy makeover,” they are generally referring to body and breast contouring with the tummy tuck, breast lift and breast augmentation.
These procedures are very effective in restoring the shape and volume of your breasts and restoring the contouring of your abdominal area. Dr. Basu performs 1-2 mommy makeover procedures each week.
Some moms even say that after surgery their body looks better than before they had kids. These patients love the transformation, so for a surgeon it’s a satisfying procedure to perform.
Don’t laugh. If you don’t look good in jeans because of your genes, getting that shapely figure may require cosmetic surgery.
There are several surgical options for buttock sculpting and butt augmentation.
One option is to sculpt the shape of the buttocks with targeted liposuction and to add volume to the desired areas with fat micrografting.
Other options include buttock lifts with tissue augmentation – a popular option for people who have lost volume in that area because of weight loss. Buttock implants are also an option.
Most plastic surgeons will recommend the first option – liposculpting and fat injections, a procedure often called the “Brazilian butt lift.”
With all the marketing out there for different liposuction platforms, it’s easy to get mixed up about the different techniques.
First, all liposuction techniques are surgical procedures. Therefore, for your safety, it is critical to check the credentials of your surgeon and their board certification status.
Now, the liposuction performed by most plastic surgeons involves the tumescent technique. This procedure infiltrates (filling) the areas to be treated with a solution that helps constrict blood vessels and makes the fat cells more “swollen.” Doing this minimizes blood loss and facilitates aspiration (sucking out) of the excess fat.
Obagi Medical Products (OMP) says it will vigorously defend a lawsuit filed by a competitor alleging that the company has engaged in anti-competitive practices and other wrongful conduct. Beverly Hills based ZO Skin Health, a company founded by Dr. Zein Obagi, filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court seeking an injunction and damages against Obagi Medical. Specifically, the suit alleges that Obagi Medical interfered with the distribution of a new line of anti-aging products developed by ZO.
According to reports, OMP (a company also founded by Dr. Obagi but later sold to outside investors), contacted a would-be e-commerce distributor that was ready to do business with ZO, alleging that it had a valid non-compete agreement with the former owner. The suit alleges that this action interfered with the distribution of the new product line. Regarding the non-compete, ZO maintains that, unlike OMP’s products which are physician prescribed, its new line of anti-aging products are marketed directly to the consumer, thereby avoiding the restrictions of the non-compete agreement. ZO also believes that the non-compete clause is void and unenforceable under California law.
Plastic surgeons will often use different terms for the same procedure, causing confusion for prospective patients.
We’ve seen terms such as body lift, lower body lift, belt lipectomy, and circumferential body lift interchangeably used. Usually, for my patients who have lost a significant amount of weight, the first choice is a circumferential body lift = belt lipectomy = lower body lift. This procedure is 3 procedures all in one:
A reader on RealSelf.com asks, “Will smoking as little as 2 or 3 cigarettes a day have an effect on my Tummy tuck?”
The answer is yes. Smoking greatly increases the risk of complications after your tummy tuck. Problems you definitely want to avoid can occur: poor healing, incisions opening up, skin necrosis, and more.
In fact, Dr. Basu will not perform a tummy tuck (an elective procedure) in an active smoker. He makes sure his patients have been tobacco free 4-6 weeks before surgery. We also perform a urine nicotine test to make sure the effects of the nicotine are gone.
It’s often hard to kick the habit, so we also recommend that a smoker see their primary care physician to get formal assistance with smoking cessation programs.
As you probably know, quitting is not only important for your tummy tuck, it’s good for you anyway. Smokers should consider cessation the first step towards a flatter tummy.
The latest plastic surgery news appears to be following a “do-it-on-a-budget” trend, which is understandable given the economic environment. However, safety should always be priority one – that’s the other 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. What are the most-cost-effective procedures right now?
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.
help reduce unhealthy abdominal fat and decrease your risk of heart disease.
treatment in the future. New research published in Archives of Dermatology shares information about the recent clinical studies of Botox as a headache treatment, finding that certain patients experienced less frequent migraine attacks: “Patients who responded to Botox reported their migraines were reduced to fewer than 1 day a month from almost 7,” said 
.
competitor alleging that the company has engaged in anti-competitive practices and other wrongful conduct. Beverly Hills based ZO Skin Health, a company founded by Dr. Zein Obagi, filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court seeking an injunction and damages against Obagi Medical. Specifically, the suit alleges that Obagi Medical interfered with the distribution of a new line of anti-aging products developed by ZO.
my Tummy tuck?”
which is understandable given the economic environment. However, safety should always be priority one – that’s the other lesson in the news that seems to repeat itself.
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