Cosmetic Surgery Center, Dallas | Dr. Rai

There is a new procedure for skin rejuvenation that uses a handheld device called a Genuine Dermaroller™. When it is rolled over the skin, it makes thousands of microscopic punctures.

The skin responds as if it were injured and produces more collagen and new tighter skin cells. This is the same reaction as happens after a laser skin resurfacing or a chemical peel – in a sense, the skin is, in fact, slightly injured by these procedures, and with its self-healing response, it creates younger-looking skin.

The roller is about the size of a reel of packaging tape and is on a stylish-looking handle. Special training is required for a cosmetic practitioner or doctor to perform this therapy.

The Genuine Dermaroller™ Procedure

A topical anesthetic is first given to numb the skin being treated and after it has taken hold, the procedure lasts 20 to 30 minutes. The tiny punctures, called needle-columns, are about 0.1 mm wide and extend into the skin’s middle layer, the dermis. Usually, four treatments are given with six-week healing periods in between.

At first, the skin is red as extra blood flow suffuses the treated area. For the next six weeks, you can see the improvement as your skin works on regenerating itself.

Genuine Dermaroller™ Results

This treatment helps reduce scars caused by chickenpox or acne, improves sun damage, smoothes out wrinkles and stretch marks and reduces the size of any blemishes. It improves the texture and quality of your skin and improvement continues throughout the six-week period after each treatment. It can be used on the delicate skin around the eyes.

One of its advantages is that it does not cause any increased photosensitivity in the skin. This makes it an easy summertime treatment, unlike peels and laser treatments, which require protection from the sun.

Another advantage is that the tiny skin punctures allow better absorption of skin nutrients and moisturizers.

Dermaroller™ in the U.S.

Dermaroller™ treatments are available in the U.K. and China and the device comes in several home use versions that you can use on yourself under the supervision of a trained practitioner. The U.S. FDA has not approved any type of Dermaroller™ at this point. Some are being sold online as having FDA approval but as best this writer can determine, they are simply registered with the FDA, not approved by it. Registering a product with the FDA is an administrative process and involves no testing or analysis.

At The Cosmetic Surgical Center, Dr. Rai offers a variety of skin rejuvenation procedures that are definitely FDA-approved. If you would like to know more about them, please contact our office in Dallas, Texas for a free consultation with Dr. Rai.

India is one of the countries to recently jump on the cosmetic surgery train, according to recent news reports. Cosmetic surgeons in Delhi have reported receiving hundreds of inquiries about many procedures, and this has been especially true since May of this year.

The new school year starts in July. Many of the people interested in improving their appearance are freshman university students – “freshers”. One young woman, who had a dimple created on her right cheek by a plastic surgeon, is quoted as saying:

• I'm not nervous about starting college. I'm going with a new look and a new confidence. Personality is important but when you first meet someone it is how you look and how you present yourself that counts. So obviously everyone wants to look beautiful."

Most of the new patients are female and their focus is on facial enhancement. Popular procedures so far are rhinoplasty, lip enlargement, and neck liposuction to correct a double chin.

There are some male patients too, most of whom are interested in male breast reduction (gynecomastia treatment).

Driven by Competition

One B Narayanaswamy, a director of market researching company called Ipsos, sees this rush for plastic surgery as being motivated by two factors:

1. Role models in the entertainment industries, many of whom readily acknowledge that they have had plastic surgery; and
2. The fierce competition in India for the limited number of attractive jobs.

"You get any possible advantage you can,” he says. “So much depends on networks, not merit, that you need to make the right friends, go to the right parties and get the opportunities you might otherwise not get. If you have the money to pay for getting that advantage then you do."

Indian cosmetic surgeons are also attracting people from other countries. One Dr Amit Gupta, of Cocoona International Centre, in Delhi, says:

• "I get dozens of telephone calls and end up doing eight or nine operations a month. Multiplied across all the clinics in the city you are looking at a pretty major amount."

Meanwhile, Dr. Rai in Dallas, Texas, offers a full array of cosmetic surgery, including many non-invasive procedures. If you would like to know more about a particular procedure that interests you, please contact our office today for a free consultation with Dr. Rai.

In Europe and Canada, there is a device to reduce fatty tissue by freezing fat cells. In the U.S., this device is currently FDA-approved only for skin cooling, but a company called Zeltiq™ is working to get approval for fat removal. Zeltiq is based in Pleasanton, CA and operates worldwide.

How Cryolipolysis Works

Body cells respond to heat and cold at varying temperatures, depending on what type of cells they are. Fat cells have their own range where they become damaged by cold and die. Cryolipolysis, also called CoolSculpting, uses a cup-like device against the treatment area, attaching it with mild suction. The cold sides of this cup lower the temperature of fat cells while leaving other cell types unaffected.

There is some mild discomfort because of the cold but apparently after about ten minutes, it fades, probably because the area is numb with cold by then. A few days after the procedure, the treated fat cells begin to shrink in a process called apoptosis, and then are absorbed by the body and excreted by the liver. You now have an improved body contour.

Side effects are minor and related to the cold temperature of your treatment. The skin may be red for a few hours; there may be some bruising and tenderness; you may feel some tingling or reduced sensation. These are all short-term conditions.

Who is a Good Candidate for CoolSculpting?

Like liposuction, this procedure is not a way to lose weight. The best candidates are people with just small areas of unwanted fat. It has been effective for love handles and “man-boobs”, and would probably be good for the upper arms or beneath the chin. You would want to be in good general health.

Currently, the CoolSculpting device is in clinical trials with the goal of producing enough quantifiable data to succeed in a commercial launch in the U.S.

At The Cosmetic Surgical Center, we offer Ultrasonic Liposuction as well as traditional tumescent liposuction, both of which can recontour the body with dramatic and pleasing results.

If you would like to schedule a free consultation with Dr. Rai, please contact our Dallas, Texas office today.

Plastic surgery has become very popular in China and this week 50 Chinese surgeons went to South Korea to learn how they could improve their services. This group was from a plastic surgery hospital in Chengdu (Sichuan province) and they were part of an economic delegation. Other delegation members were business leaders, especially from electronics and logistics, wanting to create exchanges with Korean industries.

The goal of the surgeon group was to get ideas about technology for a huge international medical complex being built in Chengdu. Its mission will be to attract high income earners in China and medical tourists from other countries. The Chengdu surgeon who heads up this burgeoning complex told a reporter:

• “Korea’s cosmetic surgery technology is famous worldwide and cosmetic surgery technology in and of itself has become a (Korean) brand. Through this visit, we want to open cooperation with Korea’s leading medical facilities in cosmetic surgery and talented doctors.”

Lee Yeong-jun, chief of the Korea Investment-Trade Promotion Agency (KOTRA) Business Center in Chengdu, said,

• “Many Chinese are interested in Korean cosmetic surgery technology due to the influence of Korean dramas. For this reason, many Chinese cosmetic clinics hang signboards reading ‘joint venture with Korea’ and ‘Korean medical doctors in residence.’”

Chinese Cosmetic Surgery Growing

According to news reports, China’s cosmetic surgery industry is expanding at the rate of 20 percent each year and in 2010 four million people are estimated to have some type of cosmetic surgery procedure done.

In search of ideas, the Chinese surgeons visiting Korea had their camcorders and digital cameras with them and snapped pictures of medical equipment and the interior design of Seoul hospitals. The Koreans are also promoting their own cosmetic surgery offerings and the Korean KOTRA executive general manager stated:

• “Many ordinary Chinese are still unaware of the excellent level of Korea’s cosmetic surgery technology. We will step up our promotional campaigns not only in major cities but also in inland regions of China.”

In the U.S., despite the struggling economy and continuing layoffs, there is still a healthy demand for non-invasive cosmetic surgery procedures such as the ever-popular BOTOX® Cosmetic and facial fillers. Dr. Rai offers both of these as well as chemical peels to rejuvenate the facial skin.

If you would like to know more about cosmetic surgery and which procedure would meet your personal improvement goals most effectively, please contact our Dallas, Texas office today for a free consultation with Dr. Rai.