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Monthly Archives: February 2012

Acne scar study with compensation!

February 24, 2012
Acne Treatment
3 Comments

I just found out about this study being conducted by nationally renowned facial plastic surgeon Dr. John Joseph here in Beverly Hills. If you have deep acne scars that you would like to get rid of, see below:

Has acne left scars on your cheeks? If you have moderate to severe acne scars on your cheeks, you may be eligible to take part in a voluntary research study lasting up to twenty months for the treatment of your acne scars with an FDA-approved dermal filler or placebo. Participants must be at least eighteen years of age, in good health, and have at least four individual scars on the cheeks.

Qualified participants may be compensated for time and travel.

For more information, please contact:

Irma Garcia

Dr. John H. Joseph, M.D.

9400 Brighton Way, Suite 403

Beverly Hills, CA 90210

(310)-859-7193

Have a great weekend!

XO

LQ

Guest Blog from Christine Nell, N.P. Of Ava MD: The Science of Fraxel and Pelleve

February 23, 2012
Skin Tightening
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You asked and we answered! See below:

The latest and greatest Fraxel machine is called the Fraxel Restore.  It is a fractionalized resurfacing laser that has two wavelengths (1550 nm and 1927 nm).  The 1550 penetrates deeper then the 1927, which means it is good for fine lines, wrinkles, acne and surgical scars.  The 1927 wavelength has more superficial penetration and is great for any hyperpigmentation spots (sun spots) as well as Actinic Keratoses (pre-cancerous lesions).  The laser puts microscopic pinpoint holes into the skin called microscopic treatment zones (MTZs), which in turn spares the surrounding area from injury compared to traditional CO2 laser resurfacing where the entire area is injured.  This also allows for less healing time and less risk than traditional CO2.  These small wounds trigger your body’s healing response system to produce collagen and elastin in the treated areas. There is about 5 days of redness and swelling after Fraxel before one starts to see the results. Even though results start to take effect within the first week, Read More

Can you always tell if someone’s breasts are fake?

February 22, 2012
Breast Augmentation
5 Comments

If we’re taking bets on a woman who is at least partially clothed, without X-ray vision even a plastic surgeon has to admit, “No.” But that doesn’t mean there’s not some help going on. There’s all kinds of smoke and mirrors out there. The bionic push-up bras aside, I’ve had patients go down two cup sizes in the exam room once they remove the Victoria’s Secret water bags. And even though they’re just meant to try on in the office, I swear that my supply of sample “try-on” breast implants has definitely dwindled down over the past few years.

Don’t even try to decipher the ones you see in magazines. Even the implants are photo-shopped, and if you go back a few posts there’s a lovely video about that.

Of course, there are the obvious ones, like the ninety-five pound woman sporting a DD cup, or the one who looks like she has melons pushing up to her chin.

But those are obvious to everyone. So maybe a better question to ask is:

“Why do some breast jobs look fake and others don’t?”

Read More

John Schneider…even hotter as an adult and somewhat related tips on Botox

February 20, 2012
Lipo Queen
1 Comment

Okay girls, here’s some eye candy for you. My friend John Schneider has allowed me to pimp him out to make a point. First of all, for the record–no, he’s not single. He’s just a great example of someone who has allowed himself to age and looks even better than he would have if he’d started having his face puffed, pulled and frozen to get rid of all the lines. The informal poll taken of everyone that came into my office this week has led to the general consensus that he looks even better now than he did during his “hunky” days on Dukes of Hazzard:

John Schneider then...

...and now!

Read More

Update on and Fraxel and Pelleve

February 17, 2012
Skin Tightening
3 Comments

Okay, this Fraxel® definitely worked. I noticed a difference as soon as the swelling went down when I caught a glimpse of myself in a three-way mirror. Three-way mirrors can be scary, but they keep you honest. My jawline looks smoother, and my skin texture feels better. I will say that it was swollen for two days, which was not a good look without the scarf. However, it wasn’t crazy–if you didn’t know me you would have just thought I had a fat neck. I’ve had those horizontal tree-trunk rings around my neck since I can remember so I always assumed they were genetic and never bothered to address them, but Christine says no, they probably just started at a young age on me because I sleep on my side. So that’s great.  But now I really think they’re less noticeable. My husband used to call me “ET neck,” and I haven’t heard it for days. I will need two more treatments, but I’m not afraid, because with an hour of numbing cream beforehand, it really didn’t hurt. And apparently Fraxel® is the way to go for the neck, even though you have to do it in a few treatments. My sources tell me that although the CO2 Laser is a one-shot deal, not only is there significant downtime (which isn’t practical for most of us) but there is significant risk of Read More

Update on Fraxel and Martinis!

February 13, 2012
Skin Tightening
2 Comments

So Christine and her equally awesome sister Karianne–who is a nurse at Ava MD—and I had a Fraxel® party on Friday. The Fraxel® laser does skin resurfacing for wrinkles, acne scars, sun spots, and surgical scars (and it’s less harsh than the time-honored C02 laser, that works but can leave you red for weeks.) Christine was completely honest with me about how it temporarily makes you scary swollen and has about five days of downtime on the face, so I chickened out and just did my neck because I had a meeting the next day. With numbing cream on an hour before it really didn’t hurt much at all, and it got red but not outrageous. The next day it was pretty swollen but now, forty-eight hours out, it just feels a little tight (which was the point, I guess, right?) and a little rough, but not too weird. My skin definitely looks more Read More

There are two types of people…

February 10, 2012
Lipo Queen
2 Comments

…those who are interested in plastic surgery, and those who are interested in plastic surgery and won’t admit it.

The first group find their way into someone’s office. The closeted group is secretly searching the internet about procedures, winding up on blogs like this one. Which is why it’s here. Not only is my goal to answer questions that people are afraid to ask, but to de-stigmatize the words, “plastic surgery.”

Not that there’s a stigma here in L.A., where it’s a badge of honor to walk around Whole Foods with a splint on your nose, and everyone calls their plastic surgeon by their first name. But I think the media—especially reality television and makeover shows (The Swan, anyone?)–scared the rest of the country away.

The Extreme Makeover show was just, well…too extreme. Not only did it make everyone involved–from the patient to the producer—seem beyond ridiculously superficial, but after being redone from head to toe, those patients were almost unrecognizable, which is what frightens most people about plastic surgery.  Nip/Tuck was a brilliant show. But even though the producers consulted with plastic surgeons (and I know because I was one of them) for medical information, the storylines were purposely taken to the extreme. The writers didn’t want to know about “routine” plastic surgery. And why would they? It’s safe and boring and doesn’t make for good TV.

It doesn’t help that in entertainment, plastic surgeons are almost always depicted as egocentric, mercenary fame-whores. How could you take a plastic surgeon seriously after watching Dr. 90210? Read More

How can I get a breast augmentation without implants? Or “When fat is your friend.”

February 6, 2012
Breast Augmentation
14 Comments

Fat Transfer from Butt to Breasts

I used to get asked this question all the time–meant as a joke. But the truth is, making your breasts bigger with your own fat can be a reality.

Fat injection is not a “new” procedure, and breast enlargement with autologous (your own, and no, you can’t use someone else’s) fat has been around for decades with good results, especially in Europe and Asia. I first heard about it a couple of years ago, at the Atlanta Breast Surgery Symposium. A plastic surgeon performed the procedure at a nearby hospital with satellite surveillance for the meeting attendees. It was the first time all day that I actually started paying close attention, as it was the first “new” thing in breast surgery that I’d heard anyone talk about yet. I was blown away—basically, the patient was getting the fat sucked out of her “problem areas” and injected back into her breasts! A dream come true!

The procedure just seemed like a natural addition to my liposuction practice. I researched it as much as possible—even spent two days in the operating room with Dr. Roger Khouri (one of the pioneers of the procedure in this country, as well as the creator of the BRAVA™ device) of Miami.

The first few I did on my friends, because what are friends for, right…? :)

Honestly, so far everyone has been thrilled. It’s truly an amazing procedure. I wish I could show before and after pics, but this is a G-rated blog.

So…What are the advantages over traditional breast implants?

Read More

Is it possible to have fuller lips without coming out looking like a duck?

February 2, 2012
Lip Injections
10 Comments

Absolutely. There is such a severe stigma attached to getting lip injections with fillers like Restylane® and Juvederm™, and it’s just because the only ones everyone knows about are the bad ones. I personally have never had a patient come in asking me to make her lips look fake. The words I hear over and over again are: “Just the littlest bit, really, I don’t want anyone to know.” The truth is, most plastic surgeons and dermatologists are quite skilled at lip injections (and you probably have friends who are well aware of this and are not owning up). So you should not deprive yourself of having better, fuller, more youthful lips. Just be aware of the basics of lip aesthetics, and make sure your doctor is on the same page:

1)      Youthful lips are full only centrally, not all over. Compare this newborn baby’s lips to the Housewife’s:

Read More

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