From Head to Toe

Trends in Cosmetic Procedures & Treatments
By Elizabeth Newman

With the recession taking its toll on the market place, the majority of the U.S. is still pinching pennies where they can. Yet, there is a silver lining – or, perhaps in this case, a hairline – that should not be ignored. Price tags for current cosmetic trends like mommy makeovers, liposuction, injectable facial fillers, vein zappers, and face-lifts are becoming more affordable – not to mention much simpler – than they were in the past. In fact, in 2008, on average
plastic and cosmetic surgeons each did 734 facial cosmetic surgical, cosmetic non-surgical, reconstructive and revisions procedures.

In other words, just because the Dow may be dropping, doesn’t mean your face has to. For those looking to peruse the newest ways to look younger, we have laid out all the details on the latest trends and treatments in cosmetic procedures from head to toe.

Full Body:
While there are a variety of popular areas to “touch up” in the world of cosmetic procedures, for those of us who live in this permanent-vacationspot, a bikini bod is often what’s most appealing. But getting it has previously meant several different surgeries to target the buttocks, tummy and thighs.

Now, there is a way to knock them all out with one slice. The lower body lift is essentially a one-stop shop for the typical female “problem areas.” Often referred to as the “face-lift” for the body, the powerful procedure is an extension of an abdominoplasty, which follows the bikini line around the entire body and involves lifting the buttocks, thighs and an abdominoplasty all done as one procedure.

With the incision completely concealed, the operation takes approximately six hours and typically has a threeweek recovery time. Also, this more multilayered approach, as opposed to the former niche procedures, tightens more than just the skin, it also reinforces the deeper soft tissue.

Dr. Bernard Shuster, a South Florida surgeon who specializes in full body contouring, says new advanced
techniques like the lower body lift have made patients lean towards knocking out everything at once.

“We do better surgery now than we ever have because we have a much more comprehensive approach to the body,” said Dr. Shuster. “The lower body lift targets several areas at once and yields tremendous results - the
procedure has really become popular.”

Dr. Bernard Shuster
Shuster Plastic Surgery
4001 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood
954.961.5500
drshuster.net

Skin:
Whenever you add more players to the game – i.e. newer products– the result is heavier competition,
which in this case has resulted in a decrease in price for several leading skin treatments, according
to dermatologist dr. stephen horwitz.

“Up until recently, the only muscle paralyzing agent on the market was Botox,” said Dr. Horwitz. “It really
had no competition – now with other players in the marketplace, there are greater cost savings, so that getting these procedures is going to improve for our patients.” Such newer products like Dysport – recently given the green light in the U.S. and has been proven to work within one to two days rather than three to five with Botox – and Sculptra have quickly become popular alternatives in the field.

Now, they are more affordable than ever before and have longer-lasting results. For instance, Dr. Horwitz
says the cost of Sculptra has gone down by almost 40% and that while it typically takes an average of three sessions to stimulate the new collagen formation, once you accomplish that, those benefits can remain for more than two years.

The only trade off, he admits, is patients have to wait to see the effect, rather than the immediate changes resulted from fillers. The difference being, that fillers are really injectable implants where patients generally see the results immediately.

And while in the past, fillers required more topical anesthesia to reduce the pain, newer fillers released by Restylane and Juvaderm have been licensed to incorporate a local anesthesia into the injection, making it much easer to perform the injections, as well as taking the majority of the discomfort away from patients.

Dr. Stephen Horwitz
Horwitz Dermatology
2999 NE 191st Street,
Penthouse one aventura
horwitzdermatology.com

Teeth:
In a world where everyone wants to get their whites whiter, it is no surprise that alternatives to professional teeth whitening, like Crest White Strips, have flooded the marketplace.

However, unlike the adhesive strips that more often that not have to constantly be touched up, professional teeth whitening yields much longer results. A treatment that has remained popular over the years does show a few

improvements with laser teeth whitening and in-office tray bleaching. South Florida Dentist dr. eli abbo sites take-home tooth whitening as one of the more popular methods. Typically, this type of tooth whitening usually requires two visits to take impressions of your teeth and to mold the customfit trays. Results are generally seen in about one to two weeks, and as opposed to in-office whitening, the cost of take-home whitening is considerably lower. And while the process itself is not permanent, touch ups are generally only needed every few years.

Dr. Eli Abbo
Dr. Abbo Advanced Dentistry
3031 NE 163rd Street
North Miami Beach
305.945.0909
drabbo.com

Breasts and Mommy Makeovers:

Despite the downward movement of the financial markets, people still are willing to dish out the cash to keep
their breasts pointing upward. In fact, according to dr. Baruch Jacobs from the Miami Beach Cosmetic and Plastic
Surgery Center more and more patients are moving from saline to silicon implants than ever before. Although
silicon implants are more expensive than saline, they provide a much more natural look and feel; because of the
advancements made in the silicon implants they are also much safer. Dr. Jacobs said that just a few years ago
more of his patients were receiving saline implants, but now almost 90 percent of the women in his practice
are going with silicon implants; primarily, because initial fears of the silicon implants leaking have now
subsided. Newer silicon implants have shown dramatic improvements and have less leakage or “silicon bleeding”
than before.

The future in breast augmentation will bring even more advances to the marketplace. Although still in the
experimental phase in the U.S., one such procedure is the “gummy bear implant,” expected by Dr. Jacobs to
become a major trend in implants. This revolutionary new implant has become popular in other countries,
will have the same natural look and take the same shape as silicon implants but will absolutely have no chance of
leakage due to the type of gel used in the implants. Studies have shown even if the gummy implant is cut in half, it will not leak.

Another future surgery for breasts will take a cue from the popular Brazilian Butt Lift, a procedure that literally
takes fat from your thighs and stomach and reinserts it into the buttocks. Doctors are testing the same process
for the breasts. They will remove excess fat from the body and insert it into the breasts as implants. The results will likely bring a more natural look. Finally, there is a procedure that continues to remain at the forefront,
particularly for mom’s looking to get their pre-pregnancy bodies back. It is known as the “Mommy Makeover.” This complex procedure typically entails a breast lift, breast augmentation as well as some sort of abdominal contouring or liposuction.

“Patients now are more cognitive of what we can do - we have safer techniques as far as anesthesia and we
are more aware of the complications, so we take the steps necessary to do more comprehensive surgeries,”
said Dr. Jacobs. “Because of these advancements, we can do more surgeries in the same sitting and do it
safely.”

Dr. Baruch Jacobs The Miami Beach Cosmetic and Plastic Surgery Center
400 arthur Godfrey road,
Suite 305, Miami Beach
305.674.8586
miamibeachplasticsurgery.com

Face:
What continues to remain one of the most popular cosmetic procedures are the quick fixes like fillers and
injectables. They are ideal for those apprehensive about going under the knife.

While Botox and Juvaderm are still the primary front-runners, newer products like Radiesse have made radical
changes in the market place – as well as the face. Radiesse wrinkle fillers, in turn, utilize the face’s own naturally
produced collagen to smooth out the signs of aging and increase volume and can last up to a year.

“In the last year especially, people are opting to wait for surgery,” said dr. Carlos Wolf, who specializes in
treatments from the neck up. “But a lot of people still want to increase the volume in their face, and injectables
are a very effective way to enhance the cheeks.

Dr. Carlos Wolf
Miami Plastic surgery
8940 N. Kendall drive,
Suite #903E, Miami
305.595.2969
miamiplasticsurgery.com

Legs & Feet:
A critical, and chronic problem that affects many women are unsightly spider veins that can be both a medical
and cosmetic nightmare.

Removing these unsightly veins has in the past been both a lengthy and painful procedure. However, over the
years, the process has evolved from lengthy hospital stays and recovery time to vein stripping, a quick removal
of the vein through the use of laser technology. One of the latest versions, the 1470 nm laser by Biolitec, has 40
times greater absorption than the older lasers and specifically targets collagen in the vein wall. As a result,
studies have proven that in comparison to other lasers, the 1470 nm causes less tissue damage and therefore
dramatically decreases the pain and downtime.

 

One of the few board certified doctors in treating veins, dr. susan Fox, director of the Vascular Laboratory and Director of the Vein Center at the Vein and Vascular Diagnostic and Treatment Center of Cardiovascular Consultants of South Florida has used the state-ofthe- art laser for the past year and has seen phenomenal results. “This laser has truly revolutionized the procedure,” said Dr. Fox. “Some patients even come in on their lunch break; it is about a 15 to 30 minute process, then they go back to work.”

Dr. Susan Fox
Vein and Vascular of South Florida Cardiovascular Consultants of South Florida
1150 N. 35th avenue, Suite 605
Hollywood
866.671.4282
nomoreuglylegs.com