Cosmetic Surgery Center, Dallas | Dr. Rai

Recent news reports are saying that the public is giving cosmetic surgery a green light these days. The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery (AACS) did a survey of people’s attitudes to it and released the results yesterday.

They found that 71 percent of survey participants think that society has become less judgmental about it than it was five years ago. Of those, 62 percent even said that they felt easier about having cosmetic surgery because of this change in social attitudes.

"This is a confirmation of what many of us have felt for a long time – that cosmetic surgery has become mainstream," stated Dr. Mark Berman, President-Elect of AACS. "A variety of factors have contributed to the normalization of our industry, but the bottom line is that people are not afraid to talk openly about cosmetic surgery anymore."

Not surprisingly, the survey found that breast augmentation is the most accepted procedure, with facelifts and tummy tucks next. As for non-invasive procedures, laser hair removal is the best-accepted procedure, with BOTOX® Cosmetic coming in second.

South Africa

In South Africa, the recession has affected many people, but healthcare financing companies are doing well. One company, First Health Finance, has received over 5,000 applications for cosmetic surgery during the past 18 months, and again, tummy tucks and facelifts are among them.

It is clear to the company personnel that some of those applications come from people who are in financial trouble, but they still want a loan for plastic surgery procedures. Most applicants are female, aged in their thirties, and white.

"Since the recession, there has been no downturn in patient numbers,” says one of South Africa’s prominent plastic surgeons, Dr. Saul Braun. “In fact, there has been steady growth since October 2008 -- the recession has had no influence whatsoever." Most of his patients are well-to-do and have not felt the recession’s bite. But he also noted a “remarkable growth in plastic surgery among the black middle class.”

In England

Actress Helen Mirren, aged 64, who played Her Majesty in the movie The Queen, gives cosmetic surgery her blessing. On a TV show this week, she said she does not plan to have any cosmetic procedures herself; but she says, “Go ahead ... if it makes you feel good."

In answer to the question of why women are going for cosmetic surgery in such a big way, she said:

• "I don't think there's outside pressure; I think it's the pressure you put on yourself when you look at yourself in the mirror in the morning. You go, 'I don't want to look at that face anymore,' and I understand that, absolutely. I think people should be allowed to do whatever they want to make themselves feel happy."

Have you have been wondering about cosmetic surgery for yourself? Perhaps you have read a few pages on this site or others and have questions. If you would like to meet Dr. Rai and learn more about how cosmetic surgery procedures could enhance your appearance, please contact our Dallas, Texas office today.

A company called Zeltiq™ Aesthetics was founded in 2005 to develop non-invasive ways of removing fat from the body. Zeltiq is based on California. They have patented a method called Cryolipolysis™ that uses controlled cooling to cause the death of targeted fat cells. They are marketing it as a non-invasive alternative to Liposuction, requiring no incisions, stitches, or anesthetic.

According to a news report from yesterday, Cryolipolysis was conceived when someone noticed that children who suck on popsicles a lot develop cheek dimples. It was thought that fatty tissue was lost from the cheeks because of the cold popsicles being in contact with the cheeks so much. Zeltiq’s own press release credits two Massachusetts dermatologists and a Harvard-based research team.

How Cryolipolysis Works

A suction cup is used to take hold of an area of fat. It somehow cools that area down enough to kill the fat cells but does not harm the skin cells because they are more capable of surviving cold temperatures than are fat cells.

The suction cup is left in place for an hour. During this time, you can read, watch a movie, use a computer, or probably sleep, as you choose. The results are not immediately visible but after about two months you can notice the slimmer contour. From one treatment session, about one centimeter’s thickness of fatty tissue can be eliminated.

Not Yet FDA-Approved

At this point, Cryolipolysis is FDA-approved for certain dermatological treatments that require skin cooling, but is not approved for lipolysis. A handful of plastic surgery practices are offering Cryolipolysis however, which suggests that the FDA may be starting to test it for possible approval.

Since the FDA testing phases can last for several years and cost a great deal to the manufacturer, it may be a while before cosmetic surgeons nationwide are offering this procedure.

However, as usually seems to be the case, European countries are already offering it. In September 2009, Zeltiq™ Aesthetics announced that it had received the European CE Mark approval for Cryolipolysis. It was first performed in Hong Kong, where many people go from the Chinese mainland for their cosmetic surgery procedures.

At the Cosmetic Surgical Center, we offer several forms of liposuction, including the minimally-invasive Ultrasonic Liposuction. It can be done on small areas such as the neck and you can see the results in our Before and After Gallery.

If you would like to know more about the ways liposuction can be done, and whether one of them would be best for you, please contact our plastic surgery office today. We serve the Dallas and Fort Worth areas in Texas and will be glad to schedule a free consultation for you with Dr. Rai.

Last Thursday, this space discussed the use of stem cells in tissue rebuilding, with a liposuction procedure to obtain your own stem cells. For about ten years now, plastic surgeons have been working on ways to extract and use a person’s adult stem cells -- both for repairing tissue after a disfiguring accident or a surgery like mastectomy, and for cosmetic body enhancement.

In Boca Raton yesterday, a breast enlargement was performed without using breast implants. Instead, fat was taken from the woman’s hips and thighs using tumescent liposuction and the adult stem cells were extracted from it. They were processed and used to create two grafts which were then inserted back into the breasts.

This enlarged the breasts by one cup size. The adult stem cells in the grafts will adapt to their new environment and create new breast cells. This will maintain the new breast size indefinitely. The body does not reject the grafts because it is the patient’s own tissue. Please see our previous blog for more information.

Superior Volume Retention

Physicians involved with this procedure estimate that with the stem cells being specially processed for a graft, the fat volume retention rate will be about 80 percent more than in standard fat grafting procedures currently being done. This would be a great benefit for both reconstruction and cosmetic enhancement of the body.

This breast augmentation was done by a member of a network of physicians who have been working on adult stem cell services. They offer genetic profiling, stem cell collection and processing, and cryogenic storage of your stem cells for future use.

This stem cell breast augmentation is not yet available to the public. It is not specifically FDA-approved because the FDA is only looking at stem cell use for disease treatments. However, it is legal in the U.S. and is being done in other countries.

If you would like to know more about breast enlargement and how it could best be done for you, please contact The Cosmetic Surgical Center today for a complimentary consultation with Dr. Rai.

Taiwan cosmetic surgeons have been doing very well through medical tourism in recent years. Their patients have been mostly hopping over the Taiwan Strait from mainland China. The secretary-general of the Kaohsiung Aesthetic Medical Tourism Promotion Association, one Chen Chun-ting, says.

• “The demand from China is much higher than what we'd expected, and the visitors just keep coming in. As China gets richer, more and more people are paying attention to their appearance and are willing to spend money in this area.”

Taiwan also has a President who is more friendly towards mainland China, President Ma Ying-jeou, who took office in 2008. During 2009, over 480,000 people came from the mainland to Taiwan for plastic surgery, which is nearly five times as many as came over during 2008.

Taiwan’s Competitive Edge

Taiwan competes for these cosmetic surgery patients with Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand, and those countries have been doing well with medical tourism also. However, since China and Taiwan share the same language and Taiwan is closer to the mainland, it has a competitive edge.

• “Our main target has been mainland Chinese since cross-Strait ties improved," said Shih Chung-liang, head of Taiwan’s Bureau of Medical Affairs, part of the Health Department. Shih is expecting Taiwan’s medical tourism market to grow annually by about 20 percent.

People come for routine medical checkups also, not always for cosmetic surgery. Taiwan evidently provides better medical care all round compared to the mainland. A recent cosmetic surgery patient in Taiwan, Li Jinxun, who runs a construction firm, says, “I think the doctors in Taiwan are more skillful, the clinic is comfortable and the service is more cordial".

Chinese Citizens Becoming More Prosperous

China has been becoming more capitalist and more prosperous. One group of 30 Taiwan hospitals is predicting that its mainland clientele will double this year. The chief executive officer of that group, Wu Ming-yen, stated to a reporter that China now has about 100 million citizens with spending power equal to the average consumer in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

• “China is picking up in surgical skills as its economy rises but it still trails behind Taiwan in services. Unlike China, most hospitals in Taiwan are private and very competitive," he said.

Dr. Rai has top-of-the-line surgical skills and offers a full array of cosmetic surgery procedures. If you would like to schedule a free consultation with him to discuss your best cosmetic surgery options, please contact our office today. We serve the Dallas and Fort Worth areas in Texas.

If you have liposuction and fat cells are removed from your body, those cells can be recycled. They can be grafted or injected to another part of the body where more fat is wanted or needed. When that is done using the correct techniques, the stem cells in the fatty tissue can provide improved healing after an injury or disfiguration. An example is breast reconstruction after a mastectomy.

What are Stem Cells?

There are two types of stem cells in mammals:

• Embryonic stem cells
• Adult stem cells

Use of embryonic stem cells is controversial, potentially illegal, and perhaps unnecessary in any case. All research on stem cells has so far used only adult stem cells. It has opened many doors in healing work and disease treatment.

Adult stem cells have the ability to change themselves into specific cell types for different body areas, such as muscle cells, bone cells, or heart cells – an ability called plasticity. They can do this for your entire lifetime. They can be obtained from bone marrow, blood, liver, skin, pancreas, eyes, tooth pulp and the digestive tract. Regardless of where stem cells are collected, they can transform themselves into different cell types.

You can obtain your own stem cells and store them in a stem cell bank in case you should need them for treating a future severe injury or disease. You can also collect your child’s stem cells when baby teeth fall out and there is a bank that will extract those stem cells and store them until your child might need them.

Using Your Own Stem Cells

The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has not yet approved the use of adult stem cells for any disease treatment, although it is done in other countries. However, you can use your own stem cells for cosmetic enhancement, as this is not within the FDA’s “drug therapy” classification.

Cosmetic surgeons have been experimenting with fat extraction and reinjection for about ten years. They have successfully rejuvenated the face, using fat with stem cells as more than a facial filler – the stem cells help to create new facial cells, including new blood vessels for increased blood supply. Breast enlargement can be done in a similar way. The hands can be revitalized and a Brazilian Butt Lift can help create an hourglass figure by using stem cell fat transfers.

Before the fat is re-used, the stem cells are separated out, processed to increase concentration, and reinserted into the fat. When they are your own fat cells, the body does not react against them and it is a safe procedure.

Experienced plastic surgeons like Dr. Rai use only the safest and most reliable techniques and procedures. If you would like to schedule a complimentary consultation with Dr. Rai, please contact our office today.

The Harley Medical Group is a chain of cosmetic surgery clinics in the U.K. Recently their London facilities have been reporting that more women have been asking for dermal filler treatments in their feet.

This Foot Filler procedure began in 2008 among women who came for BOTOX® Cosmetic treatments and also asked for something to make their feet more comfortable in high heels. When you wear high heels all day at work, your feet can become sore and tired, especially if your job requires much standing or walking. During 2009, many more women asked for filler injections in their feet rather than change the style of shoes they wore.

Using dermal fillers such as Restylane or Sculptra for the feet plumps up the soles and thus gives more protection to the foot bones. However, since the entire weight of the body is pressing down on that treated area, the effects do not last very long – three months at the most. When you wear high heels, the body weight is pressing down on an even smaller area, just the toe areas. Foot Filler procedures are costing £240, which is about $400.

One wonders if a Foot Filler procedure requires buying a different shoe size. If the feet are more bulky, one’s current shoes might feel too tight and in spending £240 to relieve one discomfort, you might create a new one. Not to mention the added expense of new shoes.

How Dermal Fillers Work

Each brand of filler works differently. Restylane®, Captique™, and Hylaform use hyaluronic acid, which attracts water. It holds water in the injected area, beneath the skin, which creates a plumpness for rejuvenating the face. For feet, the water adds more mass between the foot bones and the ground.

Sculptra® uses polylactic acid crystals. They are dissolved in the injected Sculptra but as the body absorbs the fluid, the crystals remain in the skin’s middle layer, the dermis. Their presence stimulates new skin cell production, thickening the dermis and plumping up the skin surface for a more youthful look.

Radiesse® uses calcium-based microspheres. They are injected in a water-based gel and as the body absorbs the water, the spheres remain in the dermis, stimulating collagen production. This gives support to the skin surface, smoothing out lines and wrinkles.

If you would like to know more about the various facial fillers available, and discuss with Dr. Rai which one would work best for you, please contact The Cosmetic Surgical Center today and we will schedule a free consultation for you.

A Chinese Shar Pei is a breed of dog with very wrinkled skin. Last week in Sydney, Australia, an abandoned Shar Pei named Roland was given a facelift and a double blepharoplasty to smooth out his facial wrinkles and help him to see better. He had heavy folds hanging over his eyes that were partially blocking his vision and causing his eyelashes to turn inward, rubbing against his eyes and causing chronic pain and tearing.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) was trying to find a home for him and having some trouble because of his vision problem and the cost of correcting it. Roland’s surgery took 90 minutes and cost A$897. Shar Pei dogs are large with a broad, flat head and a blue-black tongue. Roland has thick folds over his whole forehead and down the sides of his face. Now he has a smooth forehead and cheeks with a long, well-healed incision line from each jaw up over the forehead.

“[Wrinkles impairing eyesight] is not uncommon in this breed,” said the RSPCA’s chief vet, one Magdoline Awad. “It is a congenital problem. What we have done is made him adoptable.”

What is Blepharoplasty?

Dr. Rai offers blepharoplasty for both males and females. It is eyelid surgery and is the most popular male cosmetic surgery procedure. It removes excess skin and fat from the eyelids to create a more wide-awake, alert appearance. It thus corrects drooping eyelids and puffiness beneath the eyes, although it does not help with dark circles or bags under the eyes.

In some cases, blepharoplasty may be done as an alternative to a facelift, when it is the eyes that are contributing most to an aging look. Incisions are made in the eyelid creases so that the resulting thin scar is not visible when the eyes are open.

Dr. Rai also offers a procedure called Transconjunctival Blepharoplasty for people who have excess fatty tissue in the eyelids but not drooping skin. A very tiny opening is made in the inside surface of the eyelid through the conjunctiva, the eyelid lining. That means that no scar is visible, even when the eyes are closed. It is often suitable for young people.

If you would like to know more about eyelid surgery and facelifts, please contact The Cosmetic Surgical Center in Dallas today for a free consultation with Dr. Rai.

Age is catching up with the Chinese communist party leaders and it is reported that each year, over 500 of them are having cosmetic surgery. They are going to the Plastic Surgery Hospital at Beijing’s Union Medical College.

“The officials have to go on television much more than before,” said one of the senior surgeons at that facility. “[They] have to make many more appearances in public. They want to make sure they have the strong features that government officials are supposed to have.”

The surgeon, one Dr. Chen Huanran, says that more than 200 cosmetic operations are done on senior communist party officials every year. “'The number of operations on officials has risen quickly in recent years,' he said. 'Now at least 20 per cent of my patients are government officials.'

One can safely assume that BOTOX® Cosmetic would be at the top of this communist list, and probably facial fillers would be up there too. Perhaps some of them are having a full facelift or male blepharoplasty. Turkey necks can be improved with a facelift or done as a standalone procedure. If the cameras are showing the full figure, perhaps some of the spare tires are being reduced.

The question has already been raised as to how they are paying for their procedures, since cosmetic surgery in China is not cheap. Evidently their publicly declared salaries are too low for such expenses so it is thought that taxpayers may be footing these bills.

However, you do not need TV cameras and public appearances to enjoy rejuvenating your appearance. Dr. Rai offers a full array of plastic surgery procedures. If you would like to know more about any particular procedures, please contact our friendly Dallas office to schedule a free consultation with Dr. Rai.