Posts Tagged ‘aesthetic treatment’

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‘Botox Bandit’ Arrested for “Stealing” Aesthetic Services in Florida

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

Police in Miami Beach recently nabbed Maria Elizabeth Chrysson, also known locally as the “Botox Bandit,” for not paying for over $4000 worth of liposuction treatments at a south Florida plastic surgery center.

According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Chrysson was writing bad checks to cover for the treatments and even walking out of the office without paying on a couple of occasions. She was arrested at a Latin café in Miami Beach…complaining about a “bad hair day,” Chrysson was especially worried about how her mug shot would appear.

Chrysson’s lawyer, Daniel Lurvey, says “We were in the process of making restitution when the arrest occurred. We will continue to attempt to resolve the matter of the alleged victim.”

The infamous “Botox Bandit” has been charged three counts of grand theft and one count of scheming to defraud.

In addition to the arrest, Chrysson is also being investigated for a similar situation at a plastic surgery center in Ft. Lauderdale where it’s alleged she walked out and neglected to pay a $3300 bill for 50 Botox injections.

A Miami-Dade judge has ordered Chrysson to remain under house arrest and wear and ankle monitor until her trial.

The “Botox Bandit” was notoriously more concerned with appearances than with the seriousness of the charges according to officers. She inquired several times about logging into her Facebook page to see if anyone knew she had been arrested.

Of course, we do like to help women like Chrysson look and feel their best but please, we do prefer customers who pay their bill and are upfront with us. We hope Ms. Chrysson can seek help for her troubles and the legal system is able to obtain compensation for our colleagues’ services.

Interested in learning more about the various aesthetic services we offer at our Florida clinic? Contact Florida aesthetic and plastic surgeons at Accent Plastic Surgery & Aesthetics today.

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Dermal Fillers Useful in Rejuvenating the Eye Region

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010

Many cosmetic surgeons around the U.S. are now using dermal fillers known as Hyaluronic Acid to revitalize eyes without resorting to a more surgically intensive eye lift procedure. Through research and clinical trials, plastic surgeons believe HA fillers are a suitable alternative for improving the eye that’s long lasting.

HA fillers, similar to fat injections, are inserted in both the upper and lower eye region. Doing so adds volume and minimizes the appearance of tired, sunken eyes.

Surgeons use a local anesthetic for this procedure and it takes about an hour to complete.

Research has also showed HA fillers can last around 2 years and are completely reversible…they also only cause mild side effects such as light swelling or bruising.

Commenting on HA fillers helping patients rejuvenate their eyes, Dr. Val Lambros explains “The addition of volume may provide a better-looking result than traditional surgical procedures, and in some cases, filling in the brow expands the lid skin sufficiently to smooth wrinkles.”

Check out the video below for further explanation of this exciting procedure and how it can potentially help plastic surgery patients improve their eyes without undergoing an invasive surgical procedure.

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ASPS and other Medical Organizations Offer 8 Lawnmower Safety Tips

Thursday, July 8th, 2010

Now that summer is in full swing, we’re all watching our lawns blossom and keeping a regular schedule for trimming them. Since kids are out of school, it’s a natural chore for them to keep them busy.

In 2009, approximately 247,000 people were treated for lawnmower accidents…18,000 of these incidents involved children under the age of 19 according the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Since 2008, lawnmower related injuries have increased by 7%.

Since the summer mowing season is upon us, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery, American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons, American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons are teaming together to educate homeowners, especially those with kids, the importance of lawnmower safety.

Many lawnmower injuries require specialists from several areas including plastic surgery, microsurgery, pediatrics and orthopaedics to name a few.

“Lawn mower injuries often include deep cuts, loss of fingers and toes, limb amputations, broken and dislocated bones, burns, and eye injuries,” said ASPS President Michael McGuire, MD. “Most are caused by careless use and can be prevented by following a few simple safety tips.”

Continue reading for 8 tips on preventing lawnmower injuries at your home this summer.

  1. Only let kids 12 and older operate a push mower – 16 and up for a riding mower
  2. Never have children ride as passengers on a riding mower
  3. Wear sturdy shoes when mowing, not sandals
  4. Keep young children away from the area you’re mowing
  5. To prevent injuries from flying objects, pick up stones, toys and any other debris before mowing
  6. Wear eye and hearing protection when mowing
  7. Only use a mower that has a control that stops it from moving forward if the handle is released
  8. Only pull backward or mow in reverse if it’s absolutely necessary and make sure no one is behind you if you must do it

Following these tips when mowing your lawn will ensure your summer will be safe, happy and healthy. While helping accident victims regain their natural looks after an accident is very rewarding work in one respect, we’d rather not have to do it in the first place, saving people from the trauma and hassle of undergoing several surgeries.

If you’re looking for reconstructive surgery to help restore your pre-accident condition, consider contacting Florida reconstructive surgeons at Accent Plastic Surgery & Aesthetics today for a free evaluation.

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Make Yourself Look Years Younger with a Brow Lift

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

Are you bothered by expression lines and other signs of aging in the brow region?

Florida brow lift surgeons at Accent Plastic Surgery & Aesthetics have a minimally invasive procedure that can help you look years younger and regain your confidence. An endoscopic brow lift helps you accomplish your goals of a younger looking appearance by minimizing these creases and repositioning a low, sagging brow.

To put it another way, an endoscopic brow lift at our Florida plastic surgery center helps remove excess skin in the brow region and smoothes the remaining skin in that area to give you a refreshed, more youthful look.

If you desire a younger look and are in good health, you are a good candidate for brow lift surgery. But do it because you want it, not to satisfy someone else’s desires.

If you decide a brow lift is what you need to accomplish your goals, surgeons will sit down with you and fully discuss the brow lift procedure and any risks associated with it. They will also ask you to sign a consent form attesting that you fully understand the procedure and any risks.

Since a brow lift is an outpatient procedure, we recommend someone be available to drive you home and spend the night to help monitor your recovery.

Brow lift surgery generally takes about a week to recover from but you should refrain from strenuous activity in the direct sun for about 4 weeks following the procedure.

Learn more about brow lift surgery or contact Florida brow lift surgeons at Accent Plastic Surgery & Aesthetics today to schedule a free consultation.

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Get a Thigh Lift for a Better Proportioned Thigh and Lower Body

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

Plastic surgeons and Gainesville’s Accent Plastic Surgery & Aesthetics understand all too well the challenges many women face in trying to address excess skin and fat in the thigh and buttocks region…these areas are perhaps the most difficult to control through good dieting and exercise.

A thigh lift, a procedure we offer here at our Gainesville plastic surgery center, provides help for those where good dieting and exercise aren’t quite getting the job done.

Read on to learn more about how a thigh lift can help give you the look you’ve worked so hard to accomplish.

First you have to decide if a thigh lift is right for you…basically, if you’re in good health, have realistic expectations and do not smoke, you can safely get a thigh lift. But if excess fat is your only problem, a liposuction procedure maybe all you need.

If you decide thigh lift surgery is what you need to accomplish your goals, there are some preparations you will need to make. After consulting with Florida plastic surgeons at Accent, you may need to start, stop or adjust any medications you’re on. You will need to be sure someone can drive you home after your procedure as well.

Once the procedure is complete, you will have some recovery time after a thigh lift. Surgeons will place bandages and maybe even a compression garment to help the incisions heal…they may even place a small tube to drain excess fluids and blood. But in about 1-2 weeks, you should be back to 100% and love your new look.

The important rule to remember with any plastic surgery procedure – do it because you want to, not to satisfy someone else’s wishes.

Check out our new knowledge center article on thigh lift surgery to see if it’s a viable option to help achieve your goals. And if you want to learn more, contact Gainesville thigh lift surgeons at Accent Plastics today.

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Jerusalem University Manufactures Collagen from Genetically Modified Tobacco Plants

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel have successfully produced a replica of human collagen from genetically modified tobacco plants, potentially having tremendous commercial implications for use in various medical procedures.

Collagen is the most prevalent protein in the human body and provides texture, resiliency and shape in human’s skin. It is found throughout the body in skin, muscle, tendons and bones. Collagen fibers weave together like threads in fabrics to form a framework where new cells can grow.

Today, collagen is commercially produced from cows, pigs and even human cadavers (but poses different health and ethical issues). It is used in a variety of surgical implants and wound healing devices. The commercial collagen market in the U.S. currently exceeds $30 billion annually.

Creating human recombinant type I pro-collagen requires the coordinated expression of five different genes. Dr. Oded Shoseyov of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has the only laboratory in the world that has been successful at this co-expression. His findings have been patented and the scientific findings behind it were recently published in the Biomacromolecules journal.

The new collagen has also seen a lot interest among investors and commercial producers – already raising $15 million to bring it to market.

This discovery could potentially revolutionize various aesthetic treatments we offer at our Gainesville plastic surgery clinic. Dermal fillers like these are a great way to smooth out wrinkles and lines on your face that appear over time. Weather, time, gravity and other factors cause your face to lose its fullness as you age.

Synthetic collagens like Cosmoplast, Cosmoderm, Artefil and this newest discovery help restore your youthful look with minimal invasiveness.

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Posted in Cosmetic Treatment, Human Interest, Skin Care | 1 Comment »

“Real Housewives” Reality Show Knows What Questions to Ask when Looking for a Plastic Surgeon

Wednesday, June 9th, 2010

When it comes to choosing a qualified plastic surgeon, Bravo’s hit TV series “Real Housewives of New York City” knows the proper questions a prospective patient should ask…we applaud one of the housewives, Ramona Singer, for emphasizing in a recent episode the importance of choosing a board certified plastic surgeon that has appropriate hospital privileges.

In the episode entitled “Stay on Message,” one of the housewives (Sonja Morgan) takes her friend (Ramona Singer) to her plastic surgery consultation to help her ask the right questions to the surgeon about her liposuction procedure.

During the consultation, Ramona asks the surgeon if he had operating privileges at a hospital, what year was he board certified and was he a member of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS).

In a press release, the ASAPS applauds these questions featured in the show and urge anyone interested in plastic surgery to ask these questions when they meet with a prospective surgeon.

Here are just a few of the items ASAPS suggest you ask a prospective plastic surgeon about. Doing so will ensure you are working with an experienced surgeon who will be able to complete your procedure safely.

Check Board-Certification

Independently verify whether the surgeon is certified with the American Board of Plastic Surgery. This will provide a good indication of his or her training in a particular medical or surgical specialty.

Check ASAPS Membership

Being a member of the ASAPS indicates the surgeon is well qualified and has significant experience in the fields of plastic and cosmetic surgery…ASAPS membership is by invitation only.

Check Facility Accreditation

Cosmetic surgery procedures can be safely performed in a hospital, surgicenter or an office-based surgical facility. Most office based facilities are not accredited but do have safety records comparable to a hospital. Another advantage of ASAPS members…they only perform procedures in an accredited hospital, state licensed or Medicare certified facility.

Check Reliable Sources

When investigating a surgeon, ask around your community. Your primary care doctor is a good place to start…so is family and friends who may know someone who has dealt with that surgeon. Verify their board certification on your own and research procedures before going in for a consultation.

Verifying this information is critical to ensuring you are not caught using a surgeon that’s not qualified in plastic surgery and/or has substandard facilities. Plastic surgeries gone wrong can be both financially and mentally devastating.

Like Ramona, protect yourself and/or a loved one when looking for plastic surgery services.

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Peruvian Woman Bed Bound Because of Massive Breasts

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

Just when you thought you’ve heard it all, down comes another story that’s beyond belief…a 29-year old mother of three in Peru was bed ridden for over 6 months because her breasts had grown so large she would literally faint because of the massive stress of carrying N-cup breasts.

After giving birth to her third child, the small framed woman began experiencing massive breast growth. “It was awful. If I tried to get up I would faint because my breasts were so heavy. My breasts became so huge my skin had sores and I had trouble breathing.”

The woman was finally able to receive help when local media paid for her to take a three-day trip to the nearest town for medical help. Once there, doctors diagnosed her with an extreme form of Bilateral Gynecomastia – or a condition where the mammary gland continues to grow. They were also concerned about the impact of this weight on her lungs.

Doctors performed a 6-hour breast reduction operation where they removed 35 pounds of flesh from her chest – resulting in a 34B cup size for the beleaguered mother of three.

“Before the operation I couldn’t do anything, I just had to live with it, it got so bad that my breast were touching my legs” says the woman.

While this is a very extreme case, oversize breasts can present problems for many women. Breast reduction surgery at our Florida plastic surgery clinic can help address this problem, giving women a new sense of confidence and relief from carrying around such a heavy load on their chests.

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Beware of Cheap Facelifts (and other plastic surgery procedures)

Thursday, May 20th, 2010

We’ve all heard the old saying “you get what you pay for.” Nowhere is this sage advice more applicable than plastic surgery, especially facelifts.

One type of cheap facelift procedure called a thread-lift has been singled out as being especially wasteful and risky. The procedure makes use of implanted metal barbed threads. While it is cheaper than a standard facelift, it does not work well at all and is discouraged by surgeons at our Florida plastic surgery clinic.

A recent study by state researchers and independent assessors in New York surveyed 33 patients and compared the results for three different procedures: thread-lifts alone, non-surgical facelift procedures, including fat injections and chemical peels and a combination of the first two.

Patients showed noticeable improvement one month into the survey but when researchers came back 12 to 31 months later, only patients who underwent the non-surgical procedures noticed a lasting improvement with their appearance.

Those who underwent the thread-lift operation showed no lasting improvement at all. In fact, improvement in skin tightness in the beginning came from facial swelling and not the barbs themselves. As the swelling decreased, so did the tightness, leaving the patient with a face full of “fish hooks.”

Researchers concluded with these findings, along with the risk of adverse affects and patient discomfort, that this cheap facial rejuvenation procedure could not be justified.

The lesson here – don’t focus on cost alone. It’s better to spend a little more and get something right the first time rather than think you’re saving a few bucks just to find out you will have to go back for more work, costing you more money.

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Chemotherapy Drug Fluorouracil may Improve Aging Skin’s Appearance

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

Associate professor of dermatology at the University of Michigan Dr. Dana L. Sachs, M.D. released a study that shows the chemotherapy drug fluorouracil may help reduce precancerous skin patches and improve the appearance of sun-damaged skin.

Fluorouracil is a drug used to treat cancers of the colon, head and neck, pancreas and other organs which stops the body from synthesizing thymine, a building block of DNA.

Clinicians began noticing a change in skin appearance for cancer patients who were using the drug in an unrelated study.  This led these them to develop a topical therapy to treat skin lesions that may develop into skin cancer.

Dr. Sachs and his colleagues evaluated molecular and clinical changes in the skin of 21 healthy volunteers who had skin lesions and sun-damaged skin. They applied a 5 percent fluorouracil cream to their face twice a day for two weeks. Evaluations were done at the beginning of the study and photographs were taken as it progressed. Patients were also evaluated at the end by three dermatologists not involved with the study.

The number of lesions was reduced significantly from an average of 11.6 to 1.5. Clinical evaluations found other improvements to age-related skin issues, including decreases in wrinkling, dark skin spots, hyperpigmentation (skin getting darker) and sallowness (yellow skin tone).

Skin biopsies taken soon after patients discontinued applying the topical skin cream showed increases in levels of compounds related to skin injury, inflammation and degradation of the extracellular matrix. The study’s authors also write that topical fluorouracil causes epidermal injury which improves appearance by stimulating wound healing and dermal remodeling.

Treatment was generally well tolerated with 95% of patients seeing an improvement in their while 89% said they would do it again. Patients who use this topical ointment for skin lesions will also likely see restorative effects from sun damage, providing further motivation to undergo the rigorous treatment.

However, there are some who may find this treatment cosmetically unacceptable since the standard course of therapy may last two to three weeks and the ensuing reaction may last for several more.  But there will undoubtedly be others who will choose to undergo this cosmetic treatment due to its lower cost.

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