China’s Obsession

Some of you may have heard the tragic story about the death of aspiring Chinese pop singer, Wang Bei, during plastic surgery last month. It’s gotten a lot of nasty media attention for multiple reasons.

1. Why would this beautiful 24 year-old want to have a “facial bone-grinding surgery” because she was so naturally beautiful? Some wonder if this tragedy is casting a light on an “obsession with beauty that sees millions go under the knife in China each year.”

2. According to one article, her death has also “fueled concerns about the dangers of plastic surgery in a country where three million people have operations each year to improve their appearances, according to figures published by state media.”

I’m not over in China, but many articles I’ve read are claiming that China has become somewhat obsessed with plastic surgery, ranking the 3rd highest country in the world (not above the US that is). I just don’t know — it’s completely natural for people to want to look their best and feel their best, but I’m a firm believer of having a balance. I don’t think anyone can answer for why Bei felt she needed to change her facial structure. It’s not for anyone to judge.

I feel the biggest concern lies in the training of the surgeons who are doing these procedures: According to one article, “Surging demand for cosmetic surgery has led to untrained doctors carrying out operations, ‘which is risky and irresponsible’, said Zhang Huabin, a professor of plastic surgery at southern China’s Guangdong Medical College.”

This is just one more case in emphasizing the importance of knowing the background of your surgeon. People’s lives are at stake and it is irresponsible to perform surgeries if you’re not truly certified. It’s happened here too. If you want to know more about the differences between board-certified surgeons and all others, here’s an informative blog.

Also, if you’ve ever considering going out of the country for a more “affordable” surgery, I would look at this article. Above all, safety needs to come first.

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Maura Kelly under fire for “fat” people comments

On last Wednesday’s episode of The View, the women on the show brought up sex and relationship writer, Maura Kelly, of Marie Claire, and her view on obese people. Kelly said in a recent blog that she would be “grossed out” watching “two characters with rolls and rolls of fat kissing each other,” just the same as she would be if she saw a “very, very fat person simply walk across the room.”

This statement was referencing the new sitcom, Mike and Molly, a show about an obese couple who fall in love at an Overeaters Anonymous meeting on CBS.

In a piece on Opinionati.com as they covered this topic Thursday:

“No one who is as fat as Mike and Molly can be healthy,” Kelly writes in the post that, with over 1600 comments to date, has caused an internet fury…

….At the end of her post, Kelly asks readers, ”Do you think I’m being an insensitive jerk?” And the Internet responded with an equally resounding “yes.”

There are people out there that really don’t have to worry about being “fat” or “obese.” It’s just not in their genes. But for most of us, with the cheap, unhealthy food choices given on a daily basis, it’s something that has to be worked on. And even though there is tons of information out there on making healthier choices, it’s not always easy.

Most of the time, there are issues behind overeating. The stories I’ve heard from patients are heartbreaking at times…abuse, cheating, etc, and food was the easiest thing to turn to. Maura Kelly admitted she suffers from anorexia. People have different reasons for the actions they choose. Not everyone can just stop eating.

From a health standpoint, yes, being overweight and obese is not healthy. But it’s not something we can judge people on. You never know what is going on in their life. For people in the media such as Kelly, it’s especially important to have compassion on those that are different.

There are alternative ways to get inside and see where the problems come from. They’re used in my practice everyday. With the combination of things such as acupuncture, aromatherapy, energy-work, and education on exercise and nutrition…the Whole Being Plan, along with procedures such as Tickle Lipo, regular lipo, and the array of other procedures that can help get the body to a healthy place, positive changes can occur.

The most important thing in all of this would be to show compassion and help educate rather than judge. What are your thoughts?

To see the episode, click here. The commentary is about six minutes in if you would like to see it.

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Madonna’s Aging Hands

There’s been a lot of press going around about Madonna’s aging hands over the past few years. Blogs have been written, photos have been posted, and assumptions have been made. Some doctors have said her “vigorous exercise routine” is partially to blame, mainly because strenuous exercise does cause increased blood flow, which in turn, causes veins to appear more prominent. But hang aging is a natural thing. The question turns now to, ‘what can be done about it?’

Working out is essential to our overall health. I would never advise anyone to not work out because it could cause hand aging. Madonna has taken her fitness level to the extreme, and she’s always been on stage. There is pressure for entertainers to be fit.

Another thing to consider is that the skin on our hands is just as sensitive as the skin on our face. It’s very thin, and some of the first signs of sun damage can be seen in these areas. Sunscreen is just as important on your hands as it is on every other part of the body. Also, genes are genes, and can’t be changed – some people will be more prone to hand and neck aging than others. We all have to work with what we’ve got.

The good news is, if you’re self-conscious about the way your hands look, you can change that. We’ve been using fillers in to rejuvenate hands for years and have seen great results. My favorite hand filler is Artefill because it lasts longer than any of the other fillers, though it’s more of an investment up front. The patients who have had this procedure done have loved it. Radiesse is a great alternative, less expensive and less durable.

Hand rejuvenation is an in-office procedure that takes a short amount of time. A small wheal of numbing medicine is raised on the back of the hand with a little needle, and the filler is injected painlessly into the area. It is then massaged into position, and voila! Done in 5 minutes. You can drive off and go back to what you were doing before you came in. There is numbness on the back of the hands and sometimes the fingers for a few hours.

A great combination for those with sun damage is to get laser treatments for those brown spots and freckles. I have a combo package going with my laser expert, Marian Urban. If you have any questions about this, always feel free to call my office in Santa Fe, at 505-988-8886.

Questions?

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Are people judgmental when plastic surgery is involved?

I tweeted and posted on my Facebook page a video of our radio show, The Humanity Behind the Vanity. The subject matter was centered on Julia Roberts and her announcement to not have plastic surgery.  This was on The View last week.  She has decided, for lack of a better expression, to “grow old gracefully.”

Julia Roberts is naturally beautiful. She’s been in the spotlight for decades, which may have played a role in her taking such great care of herself . . . that, and her biology.  Very few people are like her.  We “normal” looking people struggle with so many things that others can never understand, and often people are so quick to jump to conclusions or judgments.

This is an important topic because when a celebrity makes a pronouncement about plastic surgery, the buzz that follows is really about how we judge other people.

What a person chooses to do or not do to their body is entirely up to them.  There is nothing more satisfying than to see my patients post-op, and see a light in their eyes that may not have been there before because of the changes I was able to assist with. It’s one of the reasons we have the Whole Being Plan. It’s not just about how the outside looks, sometimes those outside changes affect how they feel inside . . . and vice versa.

Have you experienced different attitudes as a result of any procedure you’ve had done? Was it positive or negative? How did you handle it?

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Is Heidi Montag really thinking about reversing?

The latest rumor is that Heidi Montag is considering reversing some of the plastic surgery procedures she recently had done. Of course some of the work can’t really be “undone.” My guess is she’ll be having a reduction of the size of her implants, but I really have no idea. Why am I talking about this?

She apparently did some of the procedures to please her husband, from whom she is recently separated. If he truly was the one who pushing for the surgeries, now that he’s somewhat out of the picture, she may have had some quiet time to think about things.

I want to talk about this for a minute. I want to talk about decisions we sometimes make in the hope to please someone else. We’ve all done it, men and women. I’m sure there are people all over the globe who have had plastic surgery to please a spouse or partner. If these people are 100 percent in themselves, and aware of what they are doing, and their motivations, than that’s great. However, if someone (perhaps even you) is “iffy” about something, then going into plastic surgery is not something I would recommend. It is your body. Your decision on what you’re going to do or not do with your body should be completely respected. I just think if you are going to have a plastic surgery procedure, it really does need to be about you.

Back to Montag, I’m sure she is going through a great deal with a new separation. It won’t be a big deal to reduce the size of her breasts. Women do it all the time. What’s important is that from here on out is that she’s doing it for herself.

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Former Fox News Anchor, E.D. Hill’s Prophylactic Double Mastectomy

Earlier this year, E.D. Hill went public about her plans to undergo a prophylactic double mastectomy with the intention of reducing her risks of breast cancer, which ran prominent in her family’s history. Her decision was not one that is made lightly. In an interview my wife had the chance to hear, she was typically having her breasts checked up to nine times a year. This anxiety played a huge factor in her decision.

In her appearance on The View, she says, “I decided to have a double mastectomy because I was tired of the uncertainty. I was tired of waiting for breast cancer to find me. I want to make the decisions on my terms. On my time.”



E.D. Hill’s sister has already undergone a prophylactic double mastectomy to prevent breast cancer. 
”It’s liberating,” Hill told The View co-hosts. “I’m not afraid. I’m not afraid anymore.”

Here is a bit about some of the pros and cons. (Note: In the first couple of minutes of the video, we talk about an event that has passed. The discussion on E.D. Hill is about 3.5 minutes in.)

Breast reconstructive surgery is getting better and better as we have technological advancements. Check out my previous post on the Keller Funnel™ and how it’s changing the scarring factor in silicone breast implants. If you or anyone you know have any questions, please let us know. If you have any thoughts, comments or experiences you’d like to share, the comments are open.

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Kendra Wilkinson – Post Baby

She was our favorite Girl Next Door, one of Hugh Hefner’s former girlfriends, Kendra Wilkinson. Most of you know that Kendra left the Playboy mansion and married Hank Baskett, wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles (and an ex-Lobo), last year. Despite the latest celebrity gossip with Wilkinson, we’re here to talk post-baby body. But just in case you were wondering, the latest news over the alleged split is not true. According to this interview and video, Baskett is standing beside his wife since the sex-tape controversy.

Anyway, Kendra has naturally had an amazing body. She’s pretty much known for it. But even women with the best of bodies’ pre-baby, can have that extra, post-belly “belly jelly” as my wife calls it, after child birth. Good diet and exercise is a given if you want to get rid of the extra baby weight, but that extra post-baby belly fat is a little tougher to get rid of. Most of this has to do with heredity, collagen and elasticity in the belly area.

In Wilkinson’s case and many cases where women have stretch marks, the best way to go about that ridding of them is with a skin excision, which is actually removing the skin and pulling the remaining skin down. For women who don’t have really noticeable stretch marks, liposuction can be very effective in shrinking down the post-baby belly. Check out this episode of the Humanity Behind the Vanity as we talk about these things in a bit more detail.

I recently wrote a post on the liposuction and the different methods of the procedure, so feel free to check it out if you want to know more. In the meantime, if you’re one of the millions of women that struggle with post-baby weight/belly, or are really unhappy with the way you look right now, give us a call. It’s worth a consultation. If we can help you get on the right track to reaching your goal and in turn, help you feel better about yourself everyday, I know we’ve done our job.

Have you experienced any post-baby weight issues? What are some the things that worked for you?

Also, if you’re in the area and want FREE tickets to the 107.5 Outlaw Country’s, Country Fest, swing by. We have them for you.

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Kate Hudson chooses natural

I’m sure that most of you have seen either on a magazine, online, or on a talk show that Kate Hudson went under the knife for a breast augmentation last month.  I’ve had both patients and listeners ask me about this and what my thoughts are on the subject.  Given that we’ve been talking about celebrities over the past few weeks, this seems like a good time.  It’s not just about Kate though. It’s about size. People question why she chose to go so small.  (My wife talks about her decision(s) in the video below, which comes from a woman’s perspective, but we’ll get to that.)

If you have seen any before and after photos of Kate, you can visibly see she was small. Her frame is also small, so she has always looked incredible regardless.  She has also been verbal in her comfort level in not having large breasts. There is nothing abnormal about women coming in to have a “natural” breast augmentation. She didn’t want to go over the top, which is highly commendable because there are many women in Hollywood that do. Personally, I feel Hudson chose wisely. Here is our discussion on the matter:

There are so many “standards” that women can choose from. These range from those who push the envelope like Pamela Anderson or Heidi Montag, all the way to women like Kate Hudson who just wanted a little bit more. Women who choose to stay in a range that their body can handle have much less risk for any type of complications. However if you’re comfortable with risks, then by all means, go with what makes you happy, and find a surgeon who can do it safely and help you make an informed decision.. What are your thoughts?

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Image from Gossip Check

Courtney Love is back…and she looks great

In the midst of us talking about celebrities and plastic surgery, here comes Courtney Love, back into the spotlight with the release of her new album as well as an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel. Love is named “one of the most controversial women in rock” by Rolling Stone magazine. Love is the lead singer and guitarist/lyricist for the band, Hole, was married to the late Kurt Cobain of Nirvana and was also nominated for a Golden Globe for her supporting role in the People vs. Larry Flynt. Her appearance on the show had some questioning exactly what plastic surgery procedures she had done, IF she had anything done at all. I’m not her surgeon so I can’t really tell you for certain.

Celebrities are under constant scrutiny for their appearance and if Love did have a facelift done, she looks great. Her face may have been a little swollen but there could have been a number of reasons for this. She may have had some filler or Botox, which we talk about in the segment of Humanity Behind the Vanity below. But before we go into that, let’s talk a little about facelifts.

Many patients want to know when the best time is to get something like this done. If Courtney Love had a facelift, she’s 46 years old; this would be a perfect time. She would definitely age better into her 60’s. For someone who is older, that’s a great time as well, however some preventative work that could have been done will not be the same. Here’s why:

Like I said in the video, what celebrities and non-celebrities alike choose to get done is all about them and how it makes them feel. It’s great that we’re able to talk about it more openly. It’s great that we’re seeing tremendous growth with technology and new procedures, and it’s definitely more affordable so you don’t have to be a big movie star, rock star, or television personality in order to have a procedure done.
If having a facelift performed or Botox to help stave off wrinkles makes you feel good inside and have a glow outside, it’s all worth it in the end.

What are your thoughts?

Also, don’t forget that TOMORROW is our big Vanity for Vision drive at B Beautiful Salon. At this event, the proceeds from Dr. Ronel’s BOTOX® Cosmetic treatments will go to enable much needed cataract surgery to be performed in Tanzania and Malawi.

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A Family Affair

With Mother’s Day just behind us, Msnbc just had an article about a mother-daughter duo going under the knife together. The topic has been became a conversational piece last month when Christie Brinkley and daughter Alexa Ray Joel had simultaneous procedures. As the article says, “It’s not uncommon at all.”

I’ve actually done quite a few myself.

Special occasions tend to bring mother-daughter pairs in together, especially for weddings or family reunions. The most common are non-surgical procedures such as fillers and Botox, however tummy tucks and breast augmentations have been catching up.

Although there’s never been any formal research conducted on why people have “family” plastic surgery, my patients have expressed different reasons. Sometimes when you do things in pairs, it makes the entire procedure less intimidating. Mothers and daughters go through the recovery period together and can talk about the feelings they have together. Another reason has been because one of them may have had something done, as in the Msnbc article, and it gives the other the motivation or courage to follow in their footsteps. Every now and then a mom will have an unnatural desire to look just like her daughter – although this has been covered negatively in the media, it is a rare occurrence. When this comes up I explain that the age difference makes it impossible.

Even the Housewives of Orange County had a mother-daughter plastic surgery moment.

This brings up a good point: contrary to public opinion, a common reason people choose to undergo plastic surgery is because they are already self-confident and they simply want to improve a part of themselves. I have really enjoyed seeing the mother/daughter patients encourage each other in this regard. We all have flaws on the outside, and may not have genes that give us the highest metabolism so that we are thin, or we may not have perfectly shaped legs. Loving ourselves and feeling good “on the inside” is just as important as looking good on the outside. Surgery combined with alternative practices can help address this on a realistic and deep level. I explain it here:

It’s great to see mother/daughter duos come in: the comradery, bonding, and healing together often takes the relationship to a deeper level.

Do any of you relate to this topic? Have you and a family member had simultaneous procedures done? If you have, would you have chosen differently after the fact?

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