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Archive for June, 2010

An Easy Way to Fight Aging Every Day

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010 by editor2

Woman smilingDon’t forget about everyday ways to fight aging between cosmetic procedures. Flossing daily may help fight the effects of aging over the long-term. Dr. Eugene Antenucci, a spokesperson for the Academy of General Dentistry told MSNBC that you leave 40 percent of your teeth dirty with bacteria if you’re not flossing, which causes staining and yellowing between and around teeth.

Too much plaque can lead to gingivitis, which is the first stage of gum disease. Symptoms of gum disease include swollen or bleeding gums, receding gums, and the formation of deep pockets between teeth and gums, according to WebMD. It can end with tooth loss due to destruction of the tissue that surrounds your teeth, if left untreated.

“You register an older look because you see more spaces, less and uneven gum tissue,” according to Antenucci.

Eventually gum disease can cause the bones underneath to dissolve away, says Dr. Donald Clem, a dentist in Fullerton, Calif. “In later stages of periodontal disease we would see disfigurement in terms of caving in of the lips and cheek and wrinkles around the lips and cheeks.”

Researchers looked at issues related to how specific bony aspects of the face change with age and what implications these structural changes may have on the techniques used in facial cosmetic surgery, according to the abstract of a study published recently in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery journal.

So don’t forget that good hygiene, such as flossing daily, can help your anti-aging efforts, in addition to cosmetic procedures such as eyelid surgery, a facelift, or wrinkle fillers.

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Advances in Injectables Mean Less Pain for Patients

Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010 by editor2

Lidocaine-containing versions of popular hyaluronic acid fillers are now available in the United States, reports Cosmetic Surgery Times in its July 2010 issue. Lidocaine, a local anesthetic that is injected directly into the body, decreases pain by temporarily numbing the injected area, according to WebMD.

Juvederm XC, Restylane-L, and Perlane-L are three injectables that won FDA approval in February 2010 for lidocaine versions in the U.S.

Dr. Michael H. Gold, a clinical assistant professor of dermatology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and School of Nursing, says the products performed similarly to their lidocaine-free predecessors in terms of safety  and efficacy.

Furthermore, in the clinical trials, he says, “The incorporation of lidocaine has surely provided a higher comfort level for patients.”

In the 72-patient trial of Juvederm XC, patients were blindfolded and their nasolabial folds were treated with either Juvéderm or Juvederm XC. Patients assessed pain levels during treatment and then 30 minutes and 24 hours post-treatment. In the study, 93 percent reported less pain when treated with the lidocaine formulation versus the non-lidocaine formulation of Juvederm.

Dr. Gold says that, based on his clinical experience, when a patient receives an injection that includes even a small percentage of lidocaine, “Most patients say they barely feel the second stick. To me that is the home run of lidocaine in these fillers.”

The FDA also cleared a method for physicians mixing lidocaine with Radiesse last year. “Originally, I was against doctors mixing a lot of fillers because I was afraid of potential changes in the products themselves,” says Dr. Gold. But once the FDA clears these products, especially those premixed by manufacturers, “I’m pretty comfortable with it.”

Juvederm, Restylane, and Radiesse are performed at Dr. Frenzel’s Arlington, Texas office.

The full story, “Fillers with lidocaine among latest injectable advancements,” is available online at Modern Medicine.

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Botox: A Pain Fighter?

Tuesday, June 15th, 2010 by editor2

Famous for its ability to smooth deep facial wrinkles, Botox is also showing promise at relieving pain according to researchers at Johns Hopkins.

A study found that patients with thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS)—a debilitating and painful nerve compression disorder—who received a single, low-dose injection of Botox in a neck muscle reported a significant reduction in short-term pain.

This suggests, the researchers say, that Botox could be an alternative to the invasive rib-removal surgery that is used to treat the syndrome as a last resort.

“There haven’t been many alternatives to the use of surgery to treat this syndrome,” says the study’s lead author Paul J. Christo, M.D., M.B.A., an assistant professor of anesthesiology and critical care medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “Botox seems to be an effective treatment that avoids surgery’s obvious drawbacks, such as its invasive nature and long recovery time.”

As with treating wrinkles, the effect from Botox on TOS patients lasts only a few months, so repeated injections would be necessary to maintain the results. Dr. Christo says some patients could develop antibodies to the compound with excessive use, which would mean the toxin would no longer block pain.

Botox’s use as a cosmetic procedure shows no signs of slowing. In the latest statistics from the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery it was the number one less-invasive cosmetic procedure performed in the United States in 2009. Dr. Frenzel performs Botox in his Arlington, Texas office.

For the full release on how Botox eases nerve pain in TOS patients, visit the Johns Hopkins Medicine website.

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Waist-Hip Ratio and Buttock Enhancement: A Psychological Study

Monday, June 7th, 2010 by newseditor

The Waist-Hip ratio (WHR) is an objective measurement of fat distribution in the iStock_000011445587XSmalllower body.  In past studies of WHR, doctors examined its correlations with reproductive age, fertility, health, and perceptions of female attractiveness.

A study from 2009 (recently published online) examines this latter category by analyzing pre and post-operative photographs from patients who underwent liposuction and fat transplantation into the buttocks – a procedure known as the Brazilian Butt Lift.

To analyze perceptions of female attractiveness, male and female subjects from four different geographical areas (or societies) were asked to complete a questionnaire referencing 20 before and after photos of patients who had undergone enhancement with the Brazilian Butt Lift.  In all post-operative photographs, patients showed a reduced Waist-to-Hip ratio without a significant change in body mass index.

“All four populations tested judged postoperative photographs to be significantly more attractive,” wrote authors of the study.

What’s interesting about these results is not simply that post-operative photographs were judged as more attractive; it’s the cross-cultural element, which lends objectiveness to the entire process.  A similar preference for low Waist-Hip ratio was demonstrated, regardless of the ethnic and socioeconomic differences present in the study participants.

You can read this study, “Cross-cultural consensus for waist-hip ratio and women’s attractiveness” through sciencedirect.com

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