A must see video guide for "Lost" fans

I was talking to someone the other day who had just discovered ABC's TV series "Lost". The storyline and mythology of that great show is formidable and can be overwhelming to most casual fans as it is extremely self referential to earlier episodes and full of allegory and oblique symbols. There is NO way for most people to decipher this show and catch all that the creators are "burying" on screen.

To the rescue come's "Seanie B" on Youtube. This guy takes each episode and breaks them down in detail, pointing out things you'd never have picked up. It really takes watching the show to a new level. Sean's "channel" on Youtube can be found here.

Below is a clip from Season 1


Rob

Patrick Swayze

Several websites are reporting that actor Patrick Swayze's battle with pancreatic cancer is worsening.

Patrick recently got word that the cancer had spread to his liver and that is what his doctors said would begin the countdown to the end," a source told National Enquirer magazine.

If true, this is terrible news. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive and difficult-to-treat of all cancers. Long-term survivability is uncommon. I wish him and his family the best through this horrible time.

I thought Patrick Swayze was fantastic in Ghost and Dirty Dancing, although his most entertaining shoot ever may have been with Chris Farley on the Chippendales SNL segment...

Photo credit: prphotos.com

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Patrick Swayze

Several websites are reporting that actor Patrick Swayze's battle with pancreatic cancer is worsening.

Patrick recently got word that the cancer had spread to his liver and that is what his doctors said would begin the countdown to the end," a source told National Enquirer magazine.

If true, this is terrible news. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive and difficult-to-treat of all cancers. Long-term survivability is uncommon. I wish him and his family the best through this horrible time.

I thought Patrick Swayze was fantastic in Ghost and Dirty Dancing, although his most entertaining shoot ever may have been with Chris Farley on the Chippendales SNL segment...

Photo credit: prphotos.com

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Quick thought for the day! Maybe we've already reached bottom on the stock market.

I just noticed, but last week was the best week in 34 years for the S&P US stock index, up 19%!

I've written before how much of a believe I am in all things Bogle (see last July's "Bogleheads of the World Unite!" (John Bogle being the father of passive index investing). Bogle's advice on staying the course and relying on age appropriate asset allocation offer some comfort at times like these.

In the words of investment guru Larry Swedroe "while it is almost 100% certain that the economic news will get worse (with unemployment certainly headed much higher) stock markets are FORWARD looking, leading indicators, something most investors either don't know or forget.". While we're still in choppy waters and lower earnings in early 2009 can erase this progress, history suggests we may be nearing the bottom of a 40% decline in the market's value.

If you don't stay invested and contribute during this period, you're going to miss out on historically low equity prices. When you look at a decade or more's worth of behavior of the market, there are only a few trading days where the growth of the market index value for an entire bull market is largely established. Last week was likely a clump of these days. Stay the course!

Rob

Nicole Kidman or Wax Figure?

Is this a photo of Nicole Kidman or a wax figure of Nicole? It seems as though she has resumed her Botox injections, in addition to lip enhancement with a filler such as Restylane. I bet she's had some chemical peels too, judging by the smoothness of her skin.

To check out my last post on Nicole Kidman, titled "Nicole Kidman : Botox Free?" click here.

Photo credit: prphotos.com

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Nicole Kidman or Wax Figure?

Is this a photo of Nicole Kidman or a wax figure of Nicole? It seems as though she has resumed her Botox injections, in addition to lip enhancement with a filler such as Restylane. I bet she's had some chemical peels too, judging by the smoothness of her skin.

To check out my last post on Nicole Kidman, titled "Nicole Kidman : Botox Free?" click here.

Photo credit: prphotos.com

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Happy Turkey Day 2008

Happy Thanksgiving from Plastic Surgery 101!

I've got lots of posts kind of half-finished so expect fairly regular output here in the next few weeks.

Rob

Quick links

Here are some quick links to take up time while you are relaxing at home...

1. If you are on Facebook, take the True Age Test. They ask you 20 questions about yourself and determine the true age of your body from the results. According to this test I am 17 years old! Then why do I feel 50 today? (Must be the five days of surgery in the last seven days...)

2. Click here to view a television segment on the Beverly Hills radiologist who fashioned himself a liposuction guru. There is a warrant out for his arrest, and now he is somewhere in South America. After you go to the CBS site, type in "Raid" and/or "Bittner" to view the segments on Dr. Alan Bittner.

3. Are Guns N' Roses Bringing Back Plastic Surgery? Check out MakeMeHeal.com for their post on the Gunners (I've asked for Chinese Democracy for Christmas).

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Quick links

Here are some quick links to take up time while you are relaxing at home...

1. If you are on Facebook, take the True Age Test. They ask you 20 questions about yourself and determine the true age of your body from the results. According to this test I am 17 years old! Then why do I feel 50 today? (Must be the five days of surgery in the last seven days...)

2. Click here to view a television segment on the Beverly Hills radiologist who fashioned himself a liposuction guru. There is a warrant out for his arrest, and now he is somewhere in South America. After you go to the CBS site, type in "Raid" and/or "Bittner" to view the segments on Dr. Alan Bittner.

3. Are Guns N' Roses Bringing Back Plastic Surgery? Check out MakeMeHeal.com for their post on the Gunners (I've asked for Chinese Democracy for Christmas).

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Plastic Surgery 101's winter music recs - Samples, Samples Everywhere!

Someone wrote me the other day asking if I'd do another post on music after stumbling across my last group of recs in May (see here). I've gotten interested in how some artists are incorporating sampled guitar/rhythm loops into their acts, especially in live performances, so I think I'll point to some of my favorites!

Master of the sampled loop, Imogene Heap in "Just for Now". How the heck she can keep track of all these samples during this performance I have no idea. Absolutely jaw dropping! I also suggest the beautiful "Hide and Seek" which is introduced by NBC's "Scrubs" star, actor Zach Braff BTW.


KT Tunstall's "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" live on the Today Show in 2006. This performance single handedly launched her career in the United States.


Yoav's creepy acoustic "Club Thing". His song "Beautiful Lie" is also really neat with the samples


The Kills industrial-tinged "Getting Down". There's a great feature on them on the Sundance channels' Live from Abbey Road series. Must see TV!


The Yeah Yeah Yeah's "Maps". This is an a great acoustic version. For the an extreme electrified live version go here


Please feel free to leave any suggestions in the comments for interesting music! I'm always looking for new stuff.

Rob

Can some breast cancers just "go away"? Data mining says maybe, but it's complicated.

There's a paper this week in the Archives of Internal Medicine discussing the phenomena of some breast cancers possibly going away without treatment. As I do a lot of breast cancer related surgery, I know I'm going to get asked about this by a patient one of these days.

The paper is titled "The Natural History of Invasive Breast Cancers Detected by Screening Mammography" and can be read online here.

It opens with the observation that

...screening mammography has been associated with increased breast cancer incidence among women of screening age. If all of these newly detected cancers were destined to progress and become clinically evident as women age, a fall in incidence among older women should soon follow. The fact that this decrease is not evident raises the question: What is the natural history of these additional screen-detected cancers?

From autopsy studies of the elderly, we know we find many breast and prostate tumors which are clinically silent and that the patients died with rather then from. In an idealized world we could understand tumor biology enough that we could safely say some breast cancers could be watched, just as we already do with some prostate cancer.

This idea of "benign neglect" (no pun intended) for malignancies in regards to current standard treatments of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation could potentially spare people significant morbidity and save the health system a great deal of money. One example of this would be the emerging idea that the drugs that block estrogen hormone metabolism (Arimidex) or estrogen receptors (Tamoxifen) may be just as effective as chemotherapy in post-menopausal women with estrogen receptor positive (ER+) tumors.

Now the study in question is taking some BIG leaps in logic making their conclusion. Much like financial analysts use "back casting" to test stock/bond buying strategies in the rear view mirror, these type of retrospective ideas can suffer from the fallacy of taking a result and looking back to make the data fit. This idea of watching these tumors would need to be done prospectively with very close followup. It would never be possible to do this trial in the United States due to internal review boards (IRB) and medical malpractice issues, but such an experiment might be possible in other countries (In the New York Times write up, Mexico is suggested for instance as a candidate. Gracias muchacho!)

Something to think about!

Rob

How Do You Screen For Breast Cancer If You Have Implants?

Here is a segment I did with ABC Channel 7 here in Metro Detroit. If you have breast implants, take a look to learn about how to screen for breast cancer.

How Do You Screen For Breast Cancer If You Have Implants?

Here is a segment I did with ABC Channel 7 here in Metro Detroit. If you have breast implants, take a look to learn about how to screen for breast cancer.

The FDA's got dermal fillers "under their skin"

This past week the FDA had some hearings to discuss the issues of dermal fillers (like the popular Juvederm, Restylane, Sculptura, & Radiess) and BOTOX. The use of such products has exploded in recent years and we've seen some real complications reported. The majority of such problems are usually minor and transient as most of these products degrade or wear off. However, there are some products whose effects are permanent (like some of the micro-silicone injectables which aren't used in the US) or last up to several years (like Radiess or Sculptura).

The FDA presented data on over 800 patients who suffered reactions after injection with dermal fillers between 2003-2008. There have been no deaths reported to the FDA, but almost 80% of the patients required follow-up treatment of some sort. Most of these were minor swelling and redness (which isn't really a complication, but expected IMO). However, the FDA also received reports of "serious and unexpected" problems, including facial, lip and eye paralysis, disfigurement, vision complications and some severe allergic reactions.

Most troublesome complications of these fillers are those injected around the eye to fill the hollow "tear trough" that develops under the lower lid with aging. Injections in that area offer a solution that cannot be reliably fixed surgically as the changes are produced from a combination of atrophy of the cheek bone (malar complex), deflation of the fatty tissue of the orbit/cheek, and thinning of the skin rather then something descending and producing loose skin. The thin skin of the lower lid is unforgiving for imprecise injection of dermal fillers as it shows each and every irregularity. In addition, inadvertent injection into a blood vessel in this area has been associated with embolic phenomena to the eye which can produce blindness. Natasha Singer, the NY Times go to girl for cosmetic surgery articles wrote a nice summary up last week (see here).

Not directly addressed at this hearing was the hornet's nest of exactly who is actually doing these procedures, particularly those indications that are still "off label" for the injectable. (Natasha, if you're reading this BTW that subject is screaming for an feature by you....Rob) To this point, states have been reluctant to engage the issues about qualifications and credentialing for doctors performing aesthetic medicine or surgeries. It strains common sense to allow people who are un or undertrained to perform these types of procedures. IMO, if you're not trained in lower eyelid surgery (a la an opthomologist, plastic surgeon, or ENT surgeon) you don't have much business pushing injectables or fat grafting that area - it's that finicky! In many other states, physicians are not even required to do these procedures themselves but are free to delegate them to low level providers or nurses.

Rob

Stars Admitting to Botox

A recent article in People Magazine has compiled a number of celebrities who have gone on record to having Botox injections. Most of them like what the treatments do, and there is an estimate that 75% of stars over the age of 35 receive Botox injections! Here is a list of the stars who get or have gotten Botox:
Brooke Shields
Vanessa Williams
Lisa Rinna
Lori Loughlin
Daisy Fuentes
Jenny McCarthy (yes to Botox, but no to vaccines?)
Jennie Garth
David Hasselhoff (ha!)
Simon Cowell
Linda Evangelista
Janice Dickinson (no surprise there)
Courteney Cox
Teri Hatcher

If the star's name is highlighted, you can click on it to visit one of my previous blog entries on their Botox.

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Stars Admitting to Botox

A recent article in People Magazine has compiled a number of celebrities who have gone on record to having Botox injections. Most of them like what the treatments do, and there is an estimate that 75% of stars over the age of 35 receive Botox injections! Here is a list of the stars who get or have gotten Botox:
Brooke Shields
Vanessa Williams
Lisa Rinna
Lori Loughlin
Daisy Fuentes
Jenny McCarthy (yes to Botox, but no to vaccines?)
Jennie Garth
David Hasselhoff (ha!)
Simon Cowell
Linda Evangelista
Janice Dickinson (no surprise there)
Courteney Cox
Teri Hatcher

If the star's name is highlighted, you can click on it to visit one of my previous blog entries on their Botox.

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Hollywood Breast A Listers.. and a Couple B's

COEDmagazine.com has a photo display of Hollywood stars who do not appear to have had a breast augmentation. They are all A's and B's. Check it out here.

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Hollywood Breast A Listers.. and a Couple B's

COEDmagazine.com has a photo display of Hollywood stars who do not appear to have had a breast augmentation. They are all A's and B's. Check it out here.

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Rhytec (Portrait) Goes Out of Business?

I've heard through the grapevine that Rhytec, the company that makes the Portrait skin rejuvenation machine, has closed its doors. This leaves the hundreds of physicians who own this machine in a bind. If another company does not produce the nozzles that are necessary for their plasma treatments, then these doctors will be left with a very expensive (approximately $60,000 from what I've heard) piece of useless machinery.

So now we see the credit crunch affecting the cosmetic and plastic surgery industry. Some good friends of mine, well-respected plastic surgeons Dr. Steve Svehlak and Dr. Dan Yamini have been using Portrait with very nice results. Hopefully the procedure can continue on with a new manufacturer.

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Rhytec (Portrait) Goes Out of Business?

I've heard through the grapevine that Rhytec, the company that makes the Portrait skin rejuvenation machine, has closed its doors. This leaves the hundreds of physicians who own this machine in a bind. If another company does not produce the nozzles that are necessary for their plasma treatments, then these doctors will be left with a very expensive (approximately $60,000 from what I've heard) piece of useless machinery.

So now we see the credit crunch affecting the cosmetic and plastic surgery industry. Some good friends of mine, well-respected plastic surgeons Dr. Steve Svehlak and Dr. Dan Yamini have been using Portrait with very nice results. Hopefully the procedure can continue on with a new manufacturer.

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Has Brad Pitt Had Chemical Peels and Filler Injections?

Star Magazine has recently run a spread on Brad Pitt's "Plastic Surgery Secret." A very well-respected New York-based plastic surgeon believes he may have had a chemical peel to smooth the skin and filler injections such as Restylane or Juvederm to fill his wrinkles. Source.

He does look quite a bit better. The two photos are hard to compare, however, due to the different expressions in each one. The photo from Sept 6 has him looking surprised, with an open mouth, whereas the Nov 6 photo shows him smiling. It is a very common practice among plastic and cosmetic surgeons to use before and after photos which do not show the same pose. Because most everyone looks younger when they smile (since their cheeks look fuller and help cover up bags under the eyes) these photos are commonly used as 'after' pictures. The most famous Lunchtime Facelift (you know who they are!) before and after photos are a prime example of what I consider deceptive advertising. It's almost as if they ask the patient to look as old and grumpy as possible in the before, and then in the after they crane their neck up and smile. It's too bad that most people can't spot this!

Thanks for reading.

Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Has Brad Pitt Had Chemical Peels and Filler Injections?

Star Magazine has recently run a spread on Brad Pitt's "Plastic Surgery Secret." A very well-respected New York-based plastic surgeon believes he may have had a chemical peel to smooth the skin and filler injections such as Restylane or Juvederm to fill his wrinkles. Source.

He does look quite a bit better. The two photos are hard to compare, however, due to the different expressions in each one. The photo from Sept 6 has him looking surprised, with an open mouth, whereas the Nov 6 photo shows him smiling. It is a very common practice among plastic and cosmetic surgeons to use before and after photos which do not show the same pose. Because most everyone looks younger when they smile (since their cheeks look fuller and help cover up bags under the eyes) these photos are commonly used as 'after' pictures. The most famous Lunchtime Facelift (you know who they are!) before and after photos are a prime example of what I consider deceptive advertising. It's almost as if they ask the patient to look as old and grumpy as possible in the before, and then in the after they crane their neck up and smile. It's too bad that most people can't spot this!

Thanks for reading.

Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Radiologist Liposuction Doctor Drives to Work in a Car Fueled by His Patients' Liposuction Fat

Crazy story I found on Dr. Disaia's blog. Apparently there is a radiologist who practices liposuction surgery in Beverly Hills. He has committed himself to going green, and even utilizes the liposuction fat of his patients to fuel his SUV as he drives to and from work! I wonder what the exhaust smells like? Ick.

According to Dr. Disaia's blog his office was recently raided by the Medical Board of California. Maybe if he threw out his patients' liposuction fat like everybody else and drove an electric car to work he would still be in business!

To view his website, click here.

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Radiologist Liposuction Doctor Drives to Work in a Car Fueled by His Patients' Liposuction Fat

Crazy story I found on Dr. Disaia's blog. Apparently there is a radiologist who practices liposuction surgery in Beverly Hills. He has committed himself to going green, and even utilizes the liposuction fat of his patients to fuel his SUV as he drives to and from work! I wonder what the exhaust smells like? Ick.

According to Dr. Disaia's blog his office was recently raided by the Medical Board of California. Maybe if he threw out his patients' liposuction fat like everybody else and drove an electric car to work he would still be in business!

To view his website, click here.

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

The death of the bull market in cosmetic medicine (?)

Sorry for the extended break!

Lots going on with the practice and the increasingly complex undertaking of building out a new office and surgery center while the country is treading water with the financial markets. There's lots of anxiety in Plastic Surgery these days as people's disposable income is drying up for cosmetic surgery, injectables (like BOTOX & Juvederm), and noninvasive laser treatments (IPL, hair removal etc..).

A number of medispa outfits have gone bankrupt, stock prices for major players in cosmetic medicine like Allergan & Mentor have fallen faster then other stocks of similar market cap size, and practices across the country are reporting flat or negative growth for 2008. Just today I heard that Rhytec, maker of the innovative Portrait Plasma laser resurfacing system is shutting down, potentially leaving owners SOL for replacing the disposable treatment tips on their expensive laser machines.

I've been obsessed reading a number of books about financial history, market theory, and asset allocation. I can't recommend enough the classic book by Dr. William Bernstein (who is a practicing Neurologist of all things BTW), "The Four Pillars of Investing" which lays out a very compelling lens thru which to view the ebb & flow of investment going back hundreds of years. Everything we're enduring now has happened in some form or another somewhere in history, and about once a generation we should expect the world markets to go crazy. It's ironic that if you're early in your adult life, the current events may make the best time to invest heavily in equities that you will ever see during your lifetime (in the "buy low, sell high" sense).

I'm thinking of this as I'm reading an article by Michael Lewis in today's Portfolio magazine "The End of Wall Street's Boom". Lewis is the author of the classic baseball book "Moneyball" and the 1980's wall street classic expose "Liar's Poker". This article revists the same territory of "Liar's Poker" and is a fascinating look at the insanity/stupidity of the Wall Street culture in priming the pump for our current problems. It really dovetails nicely with Bernstein's book at exposing what fools we mortals be!

Rob

Cosmetic Surgery Addict Injects Cooking Oil Into Her Face

In a bizarre story, a woman addicted to plastic surgery has admitted to injecting cooking oil into her face in an attempt to plump it up. According to the Telegraph:

Amazingly, she found a doctor who was willing to give her silicone injects and, what's more, he then gave her a syringe and silicone of her own so she could self-inject. When her supply of silicone ran out Hang resorted to injecting cooking oil into her face.
As Hang's notoriety spread she was featured on Korean TV. Viewers seeing the report took mercy on her and sent in enough donations to enable her to have surgery to reduce the size of her face. During the first procedure surgeons removed 60g of foreign substance from Hang's face and 200g from her neck.
After several other sessions her face was left greatly reduced but still scarred and disfigured.
And it would seem that even Hang can now see the damage she has done; she now says that she would simply like her original face back.

This woman obviously has a major case of BDD. The problem with this psychiatric condition is that most people who have it don't think they do. In medical terms, we call it "lacking insight" into their condition. This causes them to be resistant to undergoing psychiatric treatment for it. When I've tried to encourage patients like this to stop undergoing plastic surgery and maybe get counseling instead, they usually don't listen to me and go to the next plastic or cosmetic surgeon down the street. Often that surgeon is willing to operate on them, and the unfortunate cycle continues.

Oh well. I try.

Click here to view a segment on BDD that I did on the Montel Williams show.

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Cosmetic Surgery Addict Injects Cooking Oil Into Her Face

In a bizarre story, a woman addicted to plastic surgery has admitted to injecting cooking oil into her face in an attempt to plump it up. According to the Telegraph:

Amazingly, she found a doctor who was willing to give her silicone injects and, what's more, he then gave her a syringe and silicone of her own so she could self-inject. When her supply of silicone ran out Hang resorted to injecting cooking oil into her face.
As Hang's notoriety spread she was featured on Korean TV. Viewers seeing the report took mercy on her and sent in enough donations to enable her to have surgery to reduce the size of her face. During the first procedure surgeons removed 60g of foreign substance from Hang's face and 200g from her neck.
After several other sessions her face was left greatly reduced but still scarred and disfigured.
And it would seem that even Hang can now see the damage she has done; she now says that she would simply like her original face back.

This woman obviously has a major case of BDD. The problem with this psychiatric condition is that most people who have it don't think they do. In medical terms, we call it "lacking insight" into their condition. This causes them to be resistant to undergoing psychiatric treatment for it. When I've tried to encourage patients like this to stop undergoing plastic surgery and maybe get counseling instead, they usually don't listen to me and go to the next plastic or cosmetic surgeon down the street. Often that surgeon is willing to operate on them, and the unfortunate cycle continues.

Oh well. I try.

Click here to view a segment on BDD that I did on the Montel Williams show.

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Julianne Moore : Plastic Surgery = Chinese Foot Binding?

According to actress Julianne Moore, she likens plastic surgery to Chinese Foot Binding. According to People.com she states:

"The analogy I use is ancient Chinese feet-binding," Moore reveals in the December issue of the U.K.'s Tatler. "At what point did they decide that small feet were more beautiful? People started making them smaller and smaller until they were stumps and not beautiful at all."

So will the 47-year-old actress refuse to go under the knife – ever? She may be idealistic, but Moore won't go that far. She admits, "Never say never."

I think the Chinese foot binding analogy goes a bit far. Much of plastic surgery is meant to restore the body to a previous state or remove excess skin that can become both a cosmetic and functional problem, such as tummy tucks and thigh lifts. The aim of good plastic surgery is a natural rejuvenation, not abnormal deformation like in Chinese foot binding. Maybe Julianne should stop being a moral compass and get back to acting...

Photo credit: pictzz.blogspot.com

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Julianne Moore : Plastic Surgery = Chinese Foot Binding?

According to actress Julianne Moore, she likens plastic surgery to Chinese Foot Binding. According to People.com she states:

"The analogy I use is ancient Chinese feet-binding," Moore reveals in the December issue of the U.K.'s Tatler. "At what point did they decide that small feet were more beautiful? People started making them smaller and smaller until they were stumps and not beautiful at all."

So will the 47-year-old actress refuse to go under the knife – ever? She may be idealistic, but Moore won't go that far. She admits, "Never say never."

I think the Chinese foot binding analogy goes a bit far. Much of plastic surgery is meant to restore the body to a previous state or remove excess skin that can become both a cosmetic and functional problem, such as tummy tucks and thigh lifts. The aim of good plastic surgery is a natural rejuvenation, not abnormal deformation like in Chinese foot binding. Maybe Julianne should stop being a moral compass and get back to acting...

Photo credit: pictzz.blogspot.com

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Lisa Rinna Admits to Having "Too Much Filler"

Soap star and former Dancing with the Stars contestant Lisa Rinna has gone on record admitting to having had Botox and injectable fillers. According to an interview with In Touch Weekly:

The 45 year-old Rinna says, "We all know everyone does it! We go on Jenny Craig and do all these things to change ourselves, so why can't we get a little filler?...
At my age, you have to look good if you want to continue working. Sometimes we do things to help, and I did. I had tried Botox, and then fillers came into the plastic surgery world, and you think, "That's not a bad idea..."
I thought I looked great. It was a little bit more than normal, but you think it'll go down, so I wasn't scared. But two days ago, I saw a photo of myself at a party and went, "Oh, jeez. I have too much filler..."
I see that it's too much, so I'm going to lay off. I don't want to look weird! It'll go down in three months. And of course I'll stick with my doctor here in LA. I've seen him for years and he knows me best."

I've written about her lips many times in the past. Click here for previous posts. Take out the excessively plumped up lips and she looks fantastic for a 45 year old woman. It's nice to hear a Hollywood celebrity being up front about her plastic surgery. It's too bad not all celebs are so honest (Nicole Kidman?).

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Lisa Rinna Admits to Having "Too Much Filler"

Soap star and former Dancing with the Stars contestant Lisa Rinna has gone on record admitting to having had Botox and injectable fillers. According to an interview with In Touch Weekly:

The 45 year-old Rinna says, "We all know everyone does it! We go on Jenny Craig and do all these things to change ourselves, so why can't we get a little filler?...
At my age, you have to look good if you want to continue working. Sometimes we do things to help, and I did. I had tried Botox, and then fillers came into the plastic surgery world, and you think, "That's not a bad idea..."
I thought I looked great. It was a little bit more than normal, but you think it'll go down, so I wasn't scared. But two days ago, I saw a photo of myself at a party and went, "Oh, jeez. I have too much filler..."
I see that it's too much, so I'm going to lay off. I don't want to look weird! It'll go down in three months. And of course I'll stick with my doctor here in LA. I've seen him for years and he knows me best."

I've written about her lips many times in the past. Click here for previous posts. Take out the excessively plumped up lips and she looks fantastic for a 45 year old woman. It's nice to hear a Hollywood celebrity being up front about her plastic surgery. It's too bad not all celebs are so honest (Nicole Kidman?).

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

I Saved Barack Obama's Presidential Candidacy

Now that the election is over, I think it is important to reveal that I singlehandedly saved the new President-elect Barack Obama's candidacy. Click the photo of the article from the National Enquirer to see how I did this. Before you dismiss this as fluff, remember that the National Enquirer is the magazine that exposed John Edwards' affair, devastating his political career.

Had I not revealed the Obama Sex Tape as a hoax, using my extensive knowledge of human facial anatomy, we might have a President-elect McCain today. A type of scandal like the one I averted for him would likely have been more devastating than Watergate and Monicagate combined!

So for all you Obama supporters out there, you're welcome.

;)

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

I Saved Barack Obama's Presidential Candidacy

Now that the election is over, I think it is important to reveal that I singlehandedly saved the new President-elect Barack Obama's candidacy. Click the photo of the article from the National Enquirer to see how I did this. Before you dismiss this as fluff, remember that the National Enquirer is the magazine that exposed John Edwards' affair, devastating his political career.

Had I not revealed the Obama Sex Tape as a hoax, using my extensive knowledge of human facial anatomy, we might have a President-elect McCain today. A type of scandal like the one I averted for him would likely have been more devastating than Watergate and Monicagate combined!

So for all you Obama supporters out there, you're welcome.

;)

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Beauty Blog by My Former Aesthetician

My former aesthetician, Brooke Moinet, has a nice little blog focusing on all things cosmetic, including makeup, hair, and plastic surgery. Take a peek at her site here.

Here are her thoughts on the current state of eyebrow shaping:

Brows: Natural, full brows that are groomed and have shape are in-style, and most flattering. So, if you’re still sporting the two rows of hair above your eyes, you need to cancel your next brow appointment and make it for about six months to a year. Unless you’re a drag queen, you need to start growing those babies out.

Best wishes on your move to Miami, Brooke!

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Beauty Blog by My Former Aesthetician

My former aesthetician, Brooke Moinet, has a nice little blog focusing on all things cosmetic, including makeup, hair, and plastic surgery. Take a peek at her site here.

Here are her thoughts on the current state of eyebrow shaping:

Brows: Natural, full brows that are groomed and have shape are in-style, and most flattering. So, if you’re still sporting the two rows of hair above your eyes, you need to cancel your next brow appointment and make it for about six months to a year. Unless you’re a drag queen, you need to start growing those babies out.

Best wishes on your move to Miami, Brooke!

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

The Daily Mail's "keyhole" breast cancer surgery technique not so new (or useful?)

Ok, I bit on the headline of some new "revolutionary" (their words) breast cancer technique written up on the UK's Daily Mail..... the "keyhole technique"

The article describes an endoscopic (lighted camera) assisted mastectomy done to preserve the nipple during surgery in breast cancer cases. As nipple sparing mastectomies have been done by plastic surgeons (and more recently breast oncologists) for about 50 years, officially color me skeptical that this technique adds anything other then complexity and or time.

For instance, in the last 2 weeks I did 2 nipple sparing mastectomies thru 3 cm incisions (one for male breast enlargement - gynecomastia, and one prophylactic for a woman with a history of breast cancer) sans endoscope in well under 45 minutes

Rob

Top 10 Celebrities Who Don't Need a Mask This Halloween

Celebrity Smack has a post on the Top 10 Celebrities Who Don't Need a Mask This Halloween. Every single one appears to have had bad plastic surgery of some kind. I didn't see any kids wearing costumes of these celebs last night. I did see a pretty good Iron Man though...

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Top 10 Celebrities Who Don't Need a Mask This Halloween

Celebrity Smack has a post on the Top 10 Celebrities Who Don't Need a Mask This Halloween. Every single one appears to have had bad plastic surgery of some kind. I didn't see any kids wearing costumes of these celebs last night. I did see a pretty good Iron Man though...

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.: