Cosmetic Surgery Center, Dallas | Dr. Rai

On Monday, police arrested two sisters, Alejandra and Guadalupe Viveros, and charged them with practicing medicine without a license. They were running a business out of their home in Los Angeles. Guadalupe Viveros states that she is a Mexican doctor but she has no license to practice in the U.S.

Police received several complaints about these two women and are conducting further investigations which may lead to more charges. The sisters were giving people facial fillers of some kind, but the substance they were using has not yet been identified. There are many brands of facial filler and all are designed to plump up wrinkled areas to give them a smoother and more youthful appearance.

Some of the people who went to the women’s home for cosmetic surgery treatments later complained that they had become infected. Others complained that the gel-like substance injected into them hardened into a plastic lump beneath the skin. Police do not yet know if these patients knew what was being injected into them or if they were told that it was something like collagen.

Collagen injections have mostly been discontinued by legitimate cosmetic surgeons. Instead, more effective fillers are used such as Radiesse and Restylane. Dr. Rai offers both of these fillers, as well as Sculptra and several others.

The moral of this news story is that you should always check a cosmetic surgeon’s credentials before accepting any treatment. The overwhelming majority of cosmetic surgeons are legitimate – fully trained, board-certified, and members of professional organizations. You can read about Dr. Rai on the Training and Credentials page.

But occasionally somebody tries to present themselves as being more qualified than they are and if you trust them with your body and your physical appearance, you could regret it later.

If you would like to meet Dr. Rai and learn more about facial fillers or any other cosmetic procedures we offer, please contact us today. We serve the Dallas, Texas area and hope to be working with you shortly.

Joan Collins is a British television actress who has won various awards and had a long career. She started at the age of 18 and became famous when she starred in the soap opera Dynasty during the 1980s. She is now 77.

Collins is in the news today for making an unbelievable claim. She says she has not had any cosmetic surgery. Photos of her show hardly any wrinkles or sagging – no under-eye bags, no turkey neck, no wrinkled eyelids or forehead lines, no nasolabial folds or smoker’s lines. She claims her good looks are the result of her lifestyle and genes:

• “I spend a lot of time keeping my face out of the sun and taking care of my skin and wearing make-up. The secret is discipline, certainly, and portion control, though I do have indulgences. I was also given a very good set of genes, so I decided I was going to do the best I could to make the best of them for as long as I could.”

It is certainly wise to protect your skin from sun damage and to avoid over-eating. And yes, skillfully-applied makeup can help you look younger. A skillful photographer will also use artful lighting to hide wrinkles.

Good genes do help, and it is true that some skin types develop fine lines at a younger age than others. Also, the amount and distribution of fat in the cheeks can lead to more sagging, or earlier sagging, and prominent cheekbones can help preserve a youthful look.

But these things alone do not prevent the signs of aging. Collins wears her (youthfully shiny and brown) hair forward over her forehead and in front of her ears, which suggests an attempt to hide facelift scars.

• A facelift rejuvenates the lower two-thirds of the face by lifting it and anchoring it in a tighter position. Incisions are made in the hairline on each side of the face, running down in front of the ears and curving back up behind them. Natural creases and the hair camouflage the resulting scars. A facelift smoothes out the throat, the nasolabial folds (laugh lines), and general cheek sagging.

Eye makeup and false eyelashes can help keep the eyes looking young, but they do nothing for eyelid sagging. Blepharoplasty is a cosmetic surgery procedure that removes excess fat and skin from the eyelids and gives the eyes a more alert and youthful look. Scars are very thin and they are well-hidden in the eyes’ natural creases or inside the lower eyelid.

BOTOX® Cosmetic smoothes out forehead lines and crow’s feet. Collins claims she has had no BOTOX® Cosmetic treatments, as the idea frightens her. She dislikes needles and thinks that BOTOX® is a “poison”. The proteins that BOTOX® is derived from do come from a bacteria that can cause botulism if they are ingested in large amounts. But nobody eats BOTOX® -- it is injected in a tiny amount to a specific muscle and never enters the digestive system.

Although Collins denies having any cosmetic surgery, there is no reason these days to hide it. It is widely accepted as a good way to preserve your best youthful features, and in this slumping economy, many are using it to look better in job interviews.

If you would like to know more about any of the plastic surgery procedures we offer, please contact us for a free consultation. Dr. Rai is always happy to answer questions and suggest which procedures might be best for you.

You have probably heard about “lunchtime procedures”. They are short, non-invasive procedures that could be done on your lunch hour and you could return to work afterwards. In this stumbling economy, this type of procedure is reported to have increased in popularity. Since many people have been laid off, competition for the fewer available jobs is more fierce and some have been turning to lunchtime procedures to improve their appearance for job interviews.

What divides surgeries from lunchtime procedures is use of the surgical knife. When the skin is incised, as it must be for major surgeries such as a tummy tuck, facelift, or breast augmentation, there is a longer recovery period while the skin repairs itself, bruising and swelling subside, and internal tissues re-assemble themselves.

When the skin is not incised, as when a laser is used, or an injection, there is no need for any such recovery period.

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the most popular five non-invasive procedures are, in this order:

1. BOTOX® Cosmetic injections
2. Laser hair removal
3. Microdermabrasion
4. Chemical peels
5. Laser skin resurfacing

At The Cosmetic Surgical Center, we offer BOTOX® Cosmetic and do indeed have many people coming for that easy and quick procedure. In about ten minutes, you can have your frown lines smoothed out, or forehead lines or crow’s feet, and return to work looking years younger.

We also offer chemical peels and you can choose how strong a peel you want. A stronger one penetrates the skin more deeply and requires more self-care afterwards, but you could easily go back to work after a mild or moderate peel. This is an effective way to rejuvenate the facial skin.

Please contact us in our Dallas, Texas office if you would like to schedule a free consultation with Dr. Rai. You can ask all your questions and have them clearly answered.

When you have a plastic surgery done, or any surgery, there are always some side effects. They are not the same thing as complications, although the two terms are often confused and used synonymously.

What Are Side Effects?

Side effects are part of the body’s recovery process and are temporary. They are things like:

• Bruising
• Swelling
• Mild to moderate pain, easily controlled by an over-the-counter or prescription painkiller
• Seeping of blood or fluid from an incision
• Limited movement, depending on what surgery you had

Side effects are expected to happen and Dr. Rai will give you advance information about them and how to minimize them for better recovery.

Side effects vary somewhat according to what procedure you had. For example, if you had a rhinoplasty, you would probably have one or more splints in the nose with a dressing over them while the bone heals in its new position. This would give you some facial discomfort and would be visible to anyone who looked at you. That means you might stay home from work for longer than if you had liposuction on the upper arms where sleeves would hide any bruising.

If you had a tummy tuck, you would wear a compression garment around the abdomen to help reduce swelling, whereas if you had eyelid surgery, there would be some bruising around the eyes but your abdomen would be untouched and you could move around sooner and more comfortably.

What Are Complications?

Complications are more serious problems that are known to be possible, but are not expected as a matter of course like side effects. They are things like:

• Sudden excessive bleeding
• An incision coming open
• Infection
• A blood clot in the legs
• A fatty clot in the lungs (pulmonary embolism)

Complications can be life-threatening or harmful to your surgical results and your physical appearance. They can often be treated or mitigated by a follow-up procedure, such as re-suturing an opened incision, or by prescribing a new medication such as a second antibiotic to treat an infection.

Learning about side effects and complications is part of patient education and the more you know and understand about your procedure and its possible dangers, the better you can be at coping with something unexpected.

Dr. Rai and his qualified team always have time to answer questions and we hope you will always ask about anything that isn’t clear to you.

If you would like to schedule a free consultation with Dr. Rai, please contact us today. We serve the residents of Dallas, Texas, and we look forward to meeting with you.

Are you tired of carrying a heavy weight around on your chest? Do your bra straps bite into your shoulders and do you tend to get back aches? Our culture is obsessed by big breasts but there is a limit to how big “big” should be.

Beyond back pain, large breasts can cause neck pain and shoulder pain. It can also be hard to find clothing that fits, since a dress that fits your bust size may be loose and baggy for your lower body and one that fits your lower body may be far too tight over the bust.

Extra-large breasts also interfere with physical activity, making it uncomfortable to run or jump and therefore hard to participate in sports.

If you naturally have very large breasts and would like them to be a bit smaller and lighter, breast reduction is the procedure to have. You can see the results some of our patients achieved by looking at our Breast Reduction Before and After Gallery.

How is Breast Reduction Done?

The procedure takes three to four hours. An incision is made around the nipple and downwards to the chest wall (a “keyhole” incision”). Unwanted fatty tissue and breast tissue are removed and the nipples may be relocated higher on the breasts. This removes that downward angle that heavy breasts so often have and creates a more youthful, “perky” look.

Dr. Rai may insert a drainage tube on each side before he sutures the incisions and applies bandages.

For recovery, you will need at least a week off from your job or normal activities. Two weeks could be better. Dr. Rai will give you printed instructions for how to care for yourself during recovery and you will have a series of follow-up visits so he can monitor your progress.

At first you will feel tired and will want to rest or sleep. You will have a pain medication to minimize discomfort and an antibiotic ointment to prevent infection. Swelling and bruising will fade in a few weeks. There will be scars where the incisions were, as this is unavoidable and one important thing to avoid is heavy lifting. It can increase your scarring.

If you would like to learn more about breast reduction and whether you are a good candidate for it, please call or email us today for a free consultation. We serve Dallas and Fort Worth in Texas and hope to work with you soon.

When you have a chemical peel done, the chemical gives you the equivalent of a sunburn. The top layer of skin gets red and then peels off. The skin grows new cells that are tighter and give you a younger look. You can choose a mild chemical peel, or a moderate or deep peel. The chemical solution is set to one of those strengths and will penetrate to a certain depth accordingly. Laser skin resurfacing works in a similar way.

The skin has three main layers:

1. The top layer called the epidermis;
2. The middle layer called the dermis; and
3. The lowest layer called the subcutaneous layer. It is a fatty layer that insulates the body and is not always classified as a third skin layer.

The epidermis has five sub-layers and new skin cells are produced in the lowest of them. They work their way upwards until they reach the visible skin surface, by which time they are dead. The skin sloughs them off and more new cells rise to take their place. It takes two to four weeks for new cells to make that trip upwards

The dermis is several times thicker than the epidermis and is 60 percent water. It is made of fibrous connective tissue densely packed, mainly collagen and elastin fibers. They support the skin surface and give the skin its elasticity. As we age, we produce less collagen and elastin, which is a contributing cause to wrinkles.

When you Have a Laser Resurfacing Treatment

The laser heat penetrates to the lowest epidermis layer and stimulates production of more new cells. At the same time, it creates a mild burn on the skin surface, like a sunburn, that leads to the skin peeling off. The laser has a shrinking or tightening effect that leads to the new cells being tighter. When they rise and replace the peeled-off cells, they give you a smoother and more youthful appearance.

Laser resurfacing and chemical peels are two ways to rejuvenate the skin. Another way is use of a facial filler. These give temporary results lasting anywhere from four to twelve months, depending on which filler you choose. Repeat treatments are necessary for long-term results. Results of a laser resurfacing can last longer, perhaps two years. But a series of treatments gives better results than just one treatment.

If you would like to know more about the ways you could improve your facial skin, please contact our Dallas, Texas office today for a free consultation.

Now that calm and peace are spreading in Iraq, Iraqis are turning more to personal improvements including cosmetic surgery. The election results have been confirmed by a manual count with no fraud discovered, and a coalition government is in the making. The U.S. is hoping to start withdrawing troops in August.

The years of conflict and violence have yielded what seems to be a blessing in disguise – Iraqi surgeons have gained a great amount of experience in plastic surgery, having worked on so many people injured by bullets and explosions.

In a Baghdad Clinic

A news report on one Dr. Abbas al-Sihn in a well-to-do part of Baghdad called Mansour, describes his clinic as “besieged by scores of patients eagerly waiting their turn to apply for elective aesthetic procedures which they hope will improve their looks and perhaps their lives”.

Dr. Sihn estimates that the demand for plastic surgery has risen about 50 percent. He says:

• "I'm currently doing about 50 operations a week, but that number will go up sharply in the summer, when students are on holiday."

His patients are not just women – they are both genders and all ages, even children, although children are there for reconstructive surgery to repair either an injury or a congenital deformity. The adults are mostly there for cosmetic improvement. He does the surgeries in a nearby hospital and does less invasive treatments in his clinic.

The most popular cosmetic procedure is rhinoplasty. Dr. Sihn says:

• "The majority of girls think when they are getting surgery for the nose, for the face or for the eyes, that they will become more attractive and get married earlier."

Many of them also want to look like “magazine girls” and movie stars. Dr. Sihn attributes the increased interest in cosmetic surgery to the improved security situation in Iraq. “"When there's peace, there's life – because of peace, they want to live more," he says.

One of the benefits of rhinoplasty is that the same procedure can correct for defects or injuries at the same time as it reshapes the nose for better facial symmetry or balance.

If you would like to know more about facial cosmetic improvements, such as facelifts, eyelid surgery and cheek implants, please contact our office today for a free consultation with Dr. Rai. We serve the areas of Dallas and Fort Worth in Texas and we hope to meet with you soon.

In July this year, the sixth Annual Facial Cosmetic Surgery International Multi-Specialty Symposium will be held. According to news reports, there will be a presentation of a new type of facelift called the Simoni Lift™.

This is a mini-facelift that requires only local anesthetic and takes about an hour. It is offered by one Payman Simoni, M.D., who practices in Beverly Hills, California. It is reputed to improve turkey neck and laxity in the jowls, cheeks and facial skin and is said to have a short recovery time. It is the type of procedure often referred to as a “weekend facelift”.

Dr. Simoni wanted this procedure to avoid use of general anesthesia for increased safety and so that you could go home right after it was finished. People do not generally have allergic reactions to local anesthetic, but it can happen with general anesthesia.

How is a Simoni Lift ™ Done?

First, your skin quality is evaluated, and the amount of fat and excess skin in the neck area. You will have better results if your skin still has some elasticity.

The anesthetic is mixed with epinephrine, which shrinks blood vessels to reduce bleeding. There are two incisions, much as in a traditional facelift, which run from within the hairline, in front of each ear, and back up behind each ear. Excess fat and skin are removed, muscles are tightened, the skin is redraped, and the incisions sutured.

Simoni Lift™ Recovery Period and Results

Swelling and bruising are reduced because only local anesthetic was used. With a bit of makeup, you can get around within a few days, although you should stay fairly quiet. After four to seven days, you can return to work.

Any discomfort can be well-controlled with pain medication and if you experience any strong pain, you should call your cosmetic surgeon. For perhaps a month, you may have decreased feeling in your face but it should return to normal.

As with all cosmetic surgery procedures, the Simoni Lift™ does not halt aging; it merely puts the clock back. We all age differently, depending on genetics and lifestyle, but it is estimated that you would not need any further facial rejuvenation for ten to fifteen years.

Meanwhile, at The Cosmetic Surgery Center, Dr. Rai offers endoscopic facelifts which are very effective in giving you a more youthful and relaxed appearance. There are also cosmetic surgeries to improve areas of the face, such as blepharoplasty to rejuvenate the eyes and cheek implants to create a firmer facial outline.

Dr. Rai is always happy to answer questions and explain how a procedure works. If you would like to schedule a free consultation, please call or email our Dallas, Texas office today.