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Credit Crunch Affects Plastic Surgery

BellaSugarUK — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 03:00:00 -0700

As the credit crunch rages both sides of the Atlantic, it seems that plastic surgeons are no longer immune. Those purveyors of the New New Face are feeling the pinch as women start cutting back on their beauty spending. Just as we're trying to use products that have multiple benefits or are considerably cheaper, so those who splash out cosmetic procedures are having to rein in their treatments.

According to the New York Times, plastic surgeons have reported a significant drop in a range of cosmetic procedures over the last few months. Around 60 percent of plastic surgeons said they performed fewer cosmetic procedures in the first six months of this year compared with the same period last year. This was according to an e-mail survey conducted earlier this month by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

For how this trend looks to effect us, just

Plastic Surgeons on the Economy: "It's Not a Pretty Picture"

bellasugar — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 13:00:40 -0700

Thanks to a saggy economy, plastic surgeons are reporting more nips and tucks in their bottom line. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reports a drop in the number of cosmetic procedures in the first half of 2008 compared with the same time period in 2007. As the New York Times explains:

About 60 percent of the respondents said they had performed fewer breast-augmentation and liposuction procedures this year. Almost half the doctors reported a decrease in eyelid operations; 44 percent said they had performed fewer nose jobs.

A separate study shows that the number of Botox injections, too, have seen a double-digit drop compared to a year ago. While this news isn't wonderful for the surgeons, I can't help but wonder if their dark cloud has a silver lining. If cosmetic surgery becomes less popular, might that lead people to accept and enjoy themselves as they are?

Source

Maybe Baby: The New New Face Part 2

BellaSugarUK — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 02:00:00 -0700

Celebrity skin doctor, Dr Brandt has been credited with kick-starting the latest trend in facial cosmetic surgery. Created through a series of skin-plumping fillers, injectables and botox, as oppose to the traditional, skin-tightening face lift, it's been dubbed The New New Face.

The Observer Woman suggests that all the teenage celebrities that are suddenly red carpet material, may go someway to explain this new aesthetic. Certainly if you think of Peaches Geldof, Miley Cyrus, Alexa Chung and even model Lily Cole, it's true that while they may have super-slender, size 8 figures; their faces do still have that rosy, plumped-up look that suggests a hint of teenage baby fat.

For why this look is now being craved by women in their forties and fifties, simple

Maybe Baby: The New New Face

BellaSugarUK — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 01:00:00 -0700

While I think it's important to keep an open mind about cosmetic surgery – as far as I'm concerned it's a personal decision that everyone has to make for themselves – I was however, both intrigued and somewhat concerned to hear about the latest trend in facial surgery. Apparently women don't want that taunt, stretched-out, shrink-wrapped look that was so in vogue ten years ago (think how Cher's face looks; super-tight skin, plumped lips and a skinny nose). Instead they want what surgeon Dr. Frederic Brandt has become the purveyor of: Welcome to The New New Face.

According to the Observer Woman magazine Dr. Brandt, who has a number of well-known celebrity clients, specialises in what's known as the Y lift where filler is injected into the area just below the cheekbones. Instead of creating that old-fashioned, vacuum-packed look, this encourages a plumped-up youthful effect. Now it's all about having a face as round and chubby as a baby's with apple-shaped cheeks and plump, dewy skin.

Celebrities like Madonna and Demi Moore (no accusations of surgery, of course) epitomise the New New Face. Note the wide, smooth forehead plus big, wide eyes with no lines, a straight (not upturned) nose and full, slightly turned up lips (instead of a puffy trout pout); as well as unbelievably dewy, plumped-up cheeks. Fillers and injectables, which can help create that plumped-up look, are on the increase according to reports. In the US alone there has been a 754 percent increase in the number of non-surgical procedures done since 1997 compared to a 114 per cent increase in surgery.

BigPicturesPhoto.com

Beauty Glossary: Trout Pout

BellaSugarUK — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 23:00:00 -0700

With the recent news that Keira Knightley has been voted 'best pout' in a poll, beating Kylie Minogue and Victoria Beckham to the top spot, I've been thinking about the downside to plumped-up lips; cruelly dubbed the 'trout pout'.

The term was first used in reference to '90's TV actress Leslie Ash who had collagen lip implants in 2003. The procedure went horribly wrong, giving her an unmistakably swollen and misshapen mouth. The British tabloids termed it a 'trout pout' and the phrase caught on, especially as at this time Lesley was on the box regularly, starring in a series of adverts for Homebase with ex-Men Behaving Badly co-star Neil Morrissey.

Leslie told the BBC at the time that she opted to have the lip implants because she wanted "to maintain a certain image...I know I never really needed it doing in other people's eyes, and that's a great compliment." The actress has since undergone corrective surgery, but to little avail.

While collagen implants have certainly come a long way in the last five years, the risk of 'trout pout' or of any aspects of the procedure going wrong, such as having an unexpected allergic reaction, like Leslie did, are still off putting in many people's minds.

The term is now widely used by the media to refer to any star who has had noticeable implants to increase their pout, particularly when the upper lip is boosted out of proportion to the lower lip. Brittany Murphy and Saffron Burrows have both been accused of having trout pouts, while last month French actress Emmanuelle Beart appeared to have gone over the top in having her lips augmented.

Bauer Griffin/BigPicturesPhoto.com

Botox Tragedy! The Daily Show Explores the "Good Life Crisis"

bellasugar — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 08:00:53 -0700

Need another sign of the wilting economy? While employers try to pack two jobs into one employee, things are getting rough in even the poshest places. As those intrepid reporters at The Daily Show prove, the near-recession is putting a wrinkle into the plans of the trout-lipped and smooth-skinned. Literally. Check it out:

All About the New New Face

bellasugar — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 13:00:55 -0700

Set aside a little time to check out this New York magazine story about the changing face of, well, faces. The writer, Jonathan Van Meter, points out something I've been noticing, too: Our culture is so obsessed with youth that looking good is becoming synonymous with looking like a teenager. He writes:

In the last 10 years, perhaps with the coming of Britney Spears, the age of the ideal has dropped precipitously. Now both fashion and celebrity magazines are filled with images of teenagers — whether they’re Eastern European models or tanned California reality stars. Their faces are plump and dewy and flushed with youth. As thin as their bodies are, they still haven’t entirely shed the baby fat in their faces. This, it seems, is what women in their forties and fifties are now after: baby fat.

It’s impossible to pinpoint exactly when or how a new aesthetic is born, but it seems clear that once we became obsessed with the baby face of the teenage girl, the world of dermatology came up with more and better ways for us to achieve the plumpness of youth.

The story goes on to discuss the "New New Face," the idealized look that famous people ask their dermatologists and surgeons for. It features full lips, large eyes, a small chin, high cheekbones, a petite nose, and a wide smile — pretty much what all babies are born with, and what some women are now paying tens of thousands of dollars to re-create. Except it never really does look convincingly natural, Van Meter says; a 50-year-old will never look just as she did at age 30.

Faces aren't like hair color or hemlines — in one season, passé the next — and yet with fillers and Botox, it's possible to have a dramatically different visage. But are people fighting a battle that nobody can win?

If You Were Asked to Get a Cosmetic Treatment For a Wedding, Would You Do It?

bellasugar — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:00:55 -0700

Just when you think Bridezillas couldn't get any scarier, the New York Times reports on a gauche new wedding trend: The bridal cosmetic surgery party! Yep, now in addition to spending $300 on a ruffled puce dress, bridesmaids are being asked to have a little Botox, Restylane, and even boob jobs before the big day — and it's not even their big day. “If I were 25 or 26 and getting married, a bracelet, necklace, or matching earrings would be fine,” says a bride-to-be who took her bridesmaids to a medspa. But at the ancient age of 35, it's no good: "As you get older, everyone is more conscientious about their skin and appearance. Giving them something for themselves — as opposed to something that they’ll never wear again — is more meaningful.” The day my friend asks me to slice open my chest or get botulinum toxin jabbed into my forehead is the day I say, "Sorry, toots, but I can't be in your wedding." Do you feel the same way, or is this justifiable? Source

If You Were Asked to Get a Cosmetic Treatment For a Wedding, Would You Do It?

Sure, why not? It's not that much different than getting manicures together.

Are you kidding me? This is lunacy.

Other — I'll tell you in a comment.

What the $@#%! Is Wrong With This Lady?

bellasugar — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:00:06 -0700

Remember the model whose daughter wants a boob job? She's got company. The Daily Mail reports on Ashley Hughes, a pushy stage mom who's spent $30,000 on salon treatments and pole-dancing lessons for her 15-year-old daughter, Emma — and of course there's a boob job in the works. (Emma's already a 34F.)

The goal is for Emma to look like glamour model Jordan. "Now I hold down as many jobs as I can to ensure she'll have all the beauty treatments, tanning sessions, and cosmetic surgery she needs to achieve her dream," Ashley says.

This seems like a sensationalized publicity stunt, but even if that's the case, it's hardly ace parenting. So, I ask you: Why do you think these mothers are encouraging their daughters to focus so much on their looks? Is it just about appearance, or is there a bigger cultural force that drives this behavior? And why do you think some teenage girls' aspirations focus on plastic surgery?
Source

With Plastic Surgery, What's Best For Teens?

bellasugar — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 06:00:32 -0700

Most teenagers find something that they don't like about their appearance. Later, some of us grow to live with these quirks — check out these "flaws" that are actually gorgeous — and many grow to love their crooked noses or big ears. These days, though, they don't have to: More teenagers are turning to plastic surgery to fit in. Last year, approximately 87,600 plastic surgery operations were performed on teenagers unhappy with an aspect of their appearance. "Sometimes, one hour for an operation and a few days to recover are better than a lifetime of psychoanalysis," said Dr. Frederick Lukash, a New York plastic surgeon who has specialized in adolescents and has performed breast lifts on girls as young as 14. Plastic surgery is a personal choice, one that I think most adults can consider for themselves. But I'm not sure I would have learned how to be confident with myself if I hadn't pushed past some of the teasing I got as an adolescent — and I certainly know that at 15, I wasn't ready to pick out a car, much less a new face. So what do you think? Is it healthier for teens to endure the teasing from an awkward appearance, or to avoid the emotional pain by going under the knife?Source

With Plastic Surgery, What's Best For Teens?

The doctor is right. It's better to have surgery than to develop serious self-esteem issues.

Surgery might fix the "problem," but it won't help teenagers develop coping skills.

Other — I'll tell you in a comment.