Stem Cells - The Future of Breast Augmentation?

Stem cells are now being used for Breast Augmentation overseas. Specifically, the procedure is gaining in popularity in Japan and is being introduced in Great Britain. The procedure involves removing fat from the abdomen (fat is rich in stem cells) and using a machine to concentrate the stem cells prior to injecting it into the breasts. It's estimated that women can achieve a cup size or greater enhancement to their breast size.

What are my thoughts on stem cell breast augmentation?

First of all, it's going to be a long time before the FDA approves any devices designed to concentrate stem cells for cosmetic breast augmentation. With 1 in 9 women developing breast cancer in their lifetime, it is extremely important for physicians to be sure that stem cell breast augmentation does not increase the risk of breast cancer, delay or interfere with the diagnosis of breast cancer, or worsen the prognosis of breast cancer if it is diagnosed.

Second, many physicians are performing fat grafting to the breast, which is the closest thing we currently have to stem cell breast enhancement. The big difference between the two is that generic fat grafting to the breast doesn't have as high a concentration of stem cells, but the stem cells are still present. One of the controversies surrounding fat grafting to the breast revolves around possible mammographic changes that can occur with the surgery. For this reason, I perform fat grafting to the breasts very sparingly, and only when breast implants are not possible. I have been happy with the results in the rare patients whom I perform this on, however.

For now, stem cell breast augmentation is only available for women who are willing to travel overseas. For the rest of Americans, it's Breast Implants or Bust! ;)

Story source: timesonline.uk
Photo credit: prphotos.com
For the ASPS cautionary statement regarding fat grafting to the breast, click here.

Thanks for reading,
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

A Bra That Prevents Breast Cancer?? No...

There's an interesting segment from Good Morning America which analyzes the Brassage. This is a bra manufactured by Intimate Health which claims (according to the program) to massage away toxins from the breast, thereby preventing and possibly treating disease and infection, and maybe even cancer.

Before you run out and buy this bra, I would caution that there is no science that supports that a bra prevents or treats any illnesses. "Removing toxins" is a pretty popular term nowadays as a catch-all for any whacky or off-the-wall treatment that claims to improve a person's health. Technically, I remove toxins every hour or two when I use the bathroom.

While the GMA broadcast completely discredits the Brassage, I wouldn't be so quick in dismissing it. In fact, I would put it on a pedestal with two other well-known and revolutionary bras: The Bro and The Manzier.

For the GMA broadcast, click here.

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Brooke Shields, Latisse, and Make a Wish

Brooke Shields, famed eyebrow specialist Anastasia Soare, and Allergan (makers of eyelash enhancer Latisse) have teamed up to help the Make a Wish Foundation. The Latisse Wishes campaign was begun to help raise money for the Make a Wish Foundation, on the idea that people make a wish when they blow on an eyelash. The company has donated an initial amount of $500,000 to Make a Wish, and plan to donate another $5 for each person who signs up on www.Latisse.com up to a total of $1 million.

So far we are seeing very good results from Latisse. I am currently in the middle of filming a local TV segment where we follow a woman who's using it. So far, five weeks into her treatment, she's noticing a nice enhancement of her eyelashes.

I've never been one to make a wish on an eyelash that falls out. I just hate it when one falls out and sticks to my cheek for several hours.

photo credit: prphotos.com

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Plastic Surgery, the Recession, and 2008 Statistics

The statistics for plastic surgery in 2008 are finally in. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, just over 12 million plastic surgery procedures were performed last year, up 3% from 2007. While nonsurgical procedures like Botox (up 8%) and injectable fillers (up 6%) increased to 10.4 million (up 5% overall versus 2007), surgical procedures like breast augmentation (down 12%) and liposuction (down 19%) decreased to 1.7 million (down 9% overall versus 2007). There were over 4.9 million reconstructive procedures performed in 2008, up 3% versus 2007.

We are definitely seeing a trend toward people having less invasive, less expensive procedures performed over the past year, likely as a result of the recession. As plastic surgeons' surgery numbers decline, much of their time is now being spent with a needle, not a knife, and performing more reconstructive procedures. Some surgeons are even trying to resurrect their reconstructive referrals as a way to bring in patients. Here in my state of Michigan, this trend has, unfortunately, been going on for several years.

For the 2008 ASPS statistics, click here.

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

How Fast Are You Aging?

There is an interesting quiz on Parade.com that you may enjoy. It asks you 21 questions to determine how fast you are aging. The questions range from the obvious (do you smoke?) to the not-so-obvious (did you grow up with a dog?). I scored a 74, which means that I am aging like a Giant Tortoise. Check it out here if you have a few minutes to spare.

Thanks to Cosmetic Makeovers for the link.

Thanks for reading.

Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Harry Connick, Jr.

Cityrag.com has some photos of Harry Connick, Jr. on a beach. He's exhibiting typical male pattern fat distribution. Many men (and some women) deposit fat intrabdominally when they gain weight. Instead of putting it on the love handles, butt, or thighs these people deposit it inside their abdomen, around their intestines and other organs. Other terms for this are visceral fat or omental fat. It causes men to have potbellies and women to look pregnant when they are not. The only remedy for intra-abdominal fat is diet and exercise. Liposuction and tummy tucks do not remove this fat, unfortunately. It's also known as the fat that puts a person at higher health risk.

I'm a big fan of Harry Connick, Jr. I've been to three of his concerts, have a dozen of his CD's, and have been listening to him since he came out with the When Harry Met Sally CD. He's truly a class act, as evidenced by his actions after Hurricane Katrina, and seems like a genuinely nice guy.

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

The Doctors Show

Have any of you seen The Doctors? It's a daily syndicated show from the producers of Dr. Phil that covers a wide spectrum of medical issues. One of the four main physicians on the program is Dr. Drew Ordon, a plastic surgeon who seems like a good guy. They cover a number of plastic surgery topics, including many which I've covered on this blog. If you are interested in plastic surgery or medicine in general, check out the show. I TiVo it every day.

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Taking Care of "Batwings"

I haven't heard of this term until recently, and I do think the name is pretty stupid, but with the exposure of Michelle Obama's finely toned arms, more and more people are talking about the "Batwing" procedure. "Batwing" is slang for the loose skin of the upper arm that many people get with aging and weight loss. We have two surgeries to treat it: liposuction and brachioplasty. I'm not a big fan of either procedure, since liposuction doesn't tighten up the arm skin and a brachioplasty results in a long scar. Nevertheless, I will often liposuction the upper arms of people who complain about excessive fat there. It can be effective.

Maybe we can come up with a better slang term someday.

To read an interview I did for Truth in Aging.com on treating "batwings," click here.

Photo credit: TruthinAging.com

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Rihanna

Rihanna has obviously been in the news a lot lately, regarding her assault and relationship issues. I've been asked by numerous media outlets to comment on her injuries, but there really isn't that much to say. I'm not surprised she looks as good as she does, just weeks after her injuries.

I've seen quite a few people in the Emergency Room over the years who have been assaulted, and quite often their initial appearance is dramatic. During the first few days after major facial injuries the victim can look extremely swollen, bruised, and even unrecognizable. Within 1-2 weeks, however, the majority of the swelling and bruising usually subsides and the person begins to look like their regular self again. Virtually all the bruising and swelling is gone within 3-4 weeks, unless the person suffered actual broken bones, which can necessitate plastic surgery to correct. I bet the next time you see Rihanna without sunglasses she's going to look just like she did before. Hopefully this won't happen to her again.

Photo credit: dlisted.com

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

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Celebrity Plastic Surgery Article on GetBack.com

There is an article on Celebrity Plastic Surgery on GetBack.com with an accompanying slideshow of stars who have admitted to having plastic surgery. Check it out here.

Thanks for reading,
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Miley Cyrus - Breast Implants?? No...

MakeMeHeal.com has an article addressing whether Miley Cyrus may have undergone a breast augmentation in the recent past. I doubt it.

Although the FDA does not recommend breast implants for anyone under the age of 18, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, nearly 4000 girls under the age of 18 underwent breast augmentation in 2004. While this is a tiny number compared to the nearly 350,000 women who had breast augmentation in 2007, it is still concerning that plastic surgeons are performing these procedures on minors. I do not perform this procedure on anyone under 18 unless they have some type of developmental deformity, and am cautious on performing the procedure on anyone under the age of 22 who does not have parental support... but that's just my opinion.

photo credit: prphotos.com

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

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Check out the Rachael Ray Show Tuesday

If you get a chance, check out the Rachael Ray Show Tuesday. They are covering the latest in plastic surgery rumors. You may even see someone you recognize ;)

Here is a link to their website:
http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/?day=2009-03-10

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Tummy Tuck and Boob Job Cream?

One of the hottest products today, a skin care company called Rodial is selling Tummy Tuck cream.
Their website makes the following claims:

A REVOLUTIONARY stomach flattening formula with stomach flattening micro fibers helps slim and visibly tighten the abdominal area
- clinically proven to reduce the abdominal area by up to TWO centimetres in 8 weeks
- fig extract and neuropeptides break down fatty cells and boost cell metabolism
- use daily for two months

They also have a Boob Job cream which they claim does the following:

Boob job works with your natural fat cells. As the fat cells move around the body after eating, boob job “blocks” the fat into the area where the product has been applied, so the bust and décolleté areas. You will see a gradual increase in cup size within 56 days as well as gaining an instant lifting and firming effect. Increase in cup size by 8.4%.

The company is based in the U.K. I know of no scientific studies which support their claims, which are pretty extraordinary. If anybody in the audience has used these products, I'd be interested to see what it did (or more likely didn't do) for you. I'm skeptical...to say the least.

To check out their products, click here.
For In Your Face blog's post on it, click here.

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

David Arquette Has Damage to His Facial Nerve

There are reports that actor David Arquette has undergone removal of a benign bone tumor from his face, resulting in damage to a branch of his facial nerve. Apparently the actor cannot move his eyebrow yet, although it is getting better.

Most nerve injuries like this resolve over several weeks to months. It's unlikely that the nerve injury is permanent. I can't imagine how bad I'd feel if I operated on a famous actor and he ended up with a major motor nerve injury. Talk about stress! At least he's not a major beauty like his wife!

Photo credit: prphotos.com
story credit: http://www.postchronicle.com/news/entertainment/tittletattle/article_212211911.shtml

Thanks for reading
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Do You Look Younger If You Gain Weight?

A fascinating study has recently been released that compares the aging characteristics between 186 pairs of identical twins. The study from Case Western Reserve University looks at how various environmental factors can affect how old we look, when genetics is completely taken out of the picture (hence the use of identical twins). Here are some of their findings:

-For those aged 40 and younger, the less the twin weighed, the younger they looked.
-For those aged over 40, the more the twin weighed, the younger they looked.
-The twins who smoked and didn't wear sunscreen looked older than the twins that didn't smoke and did wear sunscreen.
-Those twins that got divorced looked older (by 1.7 years) than those who did not (the divorced twins also looked older than those who stayed single).
-Those who had taken antidepressants looked older than those who did not.

According to an article about this study in Time magazine,
The bottom line is that if you care mostly about a young-looking face, don't smoke, don't spend time in the sun without protection, and try not to get into a bad relationship that will make you depressed. Instead, this summer at the beach, stay inside and have an ice cream. Make it a double scoop.

The fact that the twins (over 40) who weighed more looked younger strengthens the belief that facial volume loss can contribute to aging. The best treatment for this is facial fat grafting.

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.: