Botox and Pregnant Women

There's a lot of controversy surrounding the administration of Botox to pregnant women.

This all stems from the research that has been performed on the subject, which has been deemed inconclusive. Botox may or may not harm the baby of pregnant women.

However, if you're pregnant, it is advised that you should not receive Botox treatments because of the possible risk that it can harm the health of your baby. Possible risks include abnormalities of the fetus and miscarriage. There is a possibility that Botox can be passed onto the baby, whether while in the womb or through breast milk. Yes, studies remain inconclusive, but many women have chosen to not take the risk when it comes to their baby.

The FDA recommends pregnant women not receive Botox treatments.

Awful Plastic Surgery vs. Good Plastic Surgery

Not all celebrities are created equal. Especially when the one doing the creating are plastic surgeons. A celebrity can have all the money in the world, but that doesn’t guarantee they wouldn’t look like any of these plastic surgery addicts once a cosmetic surgeon’s done with them. Some, however, are lucky enough to end up with hot boob jobs, good rhinoplasty, or whatever cosmetic surgery procedure was invented 15 minutes ago. And they probably didn’t even have to spend a fortune for it.

Here are some examples of both awful and good celebrity plastic surgery.
http://www.listaholic.com/awful-plastic-surgery-vs-good-plastic-surgery.html

S. Korea Sees Boom in Male Plastic Surgery

It started with doctors sculpting his nose, then an operation to cut his eyelids to create folds and make his eyes appear bigger. Next came Botox injections in his forehead, followed by the fat being sucked out of his abdomen.

Before he was done, Park Hyo-jung had 24 procedures on his body in a little more than three years to improve his appearance. He had repeat surgeries after injury, added dimples to his cheeks, removed blemishes and chest hair, transformed a droopy face into a studly visage.

"Before I didn't have a girlfriend. I didn't want to even try because I didn't have confidence," said the 24-year-old, a technician at a medical supply company and part-time student.
Plastic surgery was once mainly a female domain, but men have increasingly been going under the knife around the world to improve appearances as a way to boost self-esteem and compete for jobs. South Korean men have begun to join in, so much so that local media write of men being gripped in a "plastic surgery craze."

In other hip cities, the stylish "metrosexual" look is being overtaken by the "ubersexual," a more macho breed whose straight sexual orientation is unambiguous. But in Seoul, the trend veers the other way, toward the "cross-sexual" — an androgynous form of beauty.

That type of pretty boy allure has gained renewed attention from the hit movie "King and the Clown," which became South Korea's all-time top-grossing movie in March with its story of an effeminate male jester at the center of a gay love triangle during Korea's Chosun empire.

While cases like Park are an extreme example, the trend of men seeking a nip and tuck reaches all the way to the president's office: Roh Moo-hyun had his eyelids done last year. The official reason his office gave was to correct a condition that could affect his sight.

With the president having the procedure done — even though it was for medical reasons — the already-fading taboo on even older men having plastic surgery was thrown out the window.

"They don't hesitate anymore since President Roh got plastic surgery," said Dr. Lee Sang-eun, director of the Real Clinic Group.

Lee's company in November opened a male-only clinic, Real for Men, which it says is the first in the country to capitalize on the newfound willingness of male South Koreans to seek beauty in the operating room.

Statistics on the trend are hard to come by due to the sheer number of clinics performing cosmetic procedures. It seems nearly every building in Seoul's trendy Apgujeong and Kangnam districts has a "beauty" or "aesthetic" clinic, often located together with hair stylists or dentists for one-stop total makeover shopping.

Dr. Wee Sung-yun, who performed the last six surgeries on Park, said he saw almost only female patients until several years ago, but now about a third of his patients are men.
Men usually seek eye or nose alterations, saying they hope to do better at job interviews, Wee said.

Kim Jun-hyun, editor in chief of the recently launched South Korean version of the U.S.-based Men's Health magazine, said the market for men's grooming, cosmetics and athletic equipment has risen 20 percent to 40 percent in the last five years.

According to a survey by AGB Nielsen Media Research and Men's Health, 86 percent of South Korean men between age 25 and 37 believe their competitiveness for jobs would be increased by having a good appearance and healthy body. More than 56 percent said they weren't satisfied with their appearance. The survey of 500 men had a margin of error above 4 percentage points.

Park, who had the 24 procedures at a cost of $8,150, said he won't have any more surgery for now, under doctor's advice. His story has gained national attention and earned him 10 appearances on TV talk shows — and even an offer to be in an adult film. He turned it down.
Friends who were earlier critical are now pondering their own surgery after seeing the positive changes in Park's appearance and self-confidence.

And there's been another benefit, too: Park has a girlfriend.

Put On A Lucky Face

Plastic surgery does not only make you feel more confident and beautiful - it is also believed to bring luck and prosperity.

(referr by: Pichet Rodchareon)

The Chinese believe in face reading, and their ancient face reading art has been around since the time of Confucius as it supposedly affords them to understand a person's personality and health, the technique of which has been developed over thousands of years of careful observation and practice. Face reading first became known in China during the 6th century BC and it was established by 220 BC.

According to the ancient Chinese practice of face reading, which is much like feng shui, facial features and markings correspond to a person's mental, emotional and physical condition. The practice based on the Five Element theory - Water, Wood, Fire, Earth and Metal. Each element is correlated to seasons, colors, shapes, sounds as well as facial features, body types, the body's major organs and behavioral tendencies.

Your nose, mouth, eyes, ears, eyelids and brow, but also the nostrils, eyebrows, hairline, wrinkles, scars, moles, complexion and color differences have all significance in their own way. In face reading, every feature on the face has meaning as it relates to one's personality and behavior.

Each feature on the face is an accurate reflection of our personality, our strengths, weaknesses, thoughts, behaviors, stress level, health issues and more.

For example, the mouth not only represents how we communicate with others, it also reflects our degree of sensuality and our sexual desires. The lips are the part of the mouth that is most enlightening if you want to know the intimacy requirements of the person you meet. The upper lip represents a man's "feminine side" whereas the lower lip is his "masculine" side.

The noses, on the other hand, reflect our attitudes towards work and money, our generosity levels, energy and ego. If you have a desire to be less combative, you can choose to have the arch removed from just below the bridge of the nose. In extreme cases, a person can actually cut off their nose to spite their face.

In cases of severe rhinoplasty, where the feature is altered beyond recognition, this person may have a feeling of unworthiness. They demonstrate this by cutting off their "profit center" which is their nose. They take for granted the income will always be there or they do not care. Either way, the fact that the nose is small and slender has now changed the way they behave towards money and work. This means they have to work twice as hard to barely make what they did in the past.

Strong jaw means that you are not easily convinced of other opinions. For instance, in the practice of face reading, a strong chin or rounded high forehead are considered outward expressions of the Water element. Prominent cheekbones, an aquiline nose and porcelain skin belong to people with a strong Metal element.

A symmetric face is also a sign of beauty and suggests healthy genes. If your one eye is larger than the other, you can consider having them corrected. The eyes are the window to the soul and in Chinese face reading, the shape and form of the eyes may indicate your fortune and can predict your relationship with your children in the future.

It is believed that if one changes the feature to something much less than what they started off with, their abilities in their work life and their efforts to make money will be significantly sabotaged. Changing the appearance in the slightest way can have a profound affect on our personality, and it will change the course of our life. However, the face reading theory is what it is - just a theory. Undergoing a plastic surgery takes more than just following the theory and ideally you should consider how comfortable you are with the way you look and speak to your surgeon to see how the results will turn out.

Cosmetic surgery

Cosmetic surgery is a very popular form of plastic surgery. In 2006, nearly 11 million cosmetic plastic surgeries were performed in the United States alone.
Within the U.S,. it is legal for any doctor, regardless of speciality, to perform cosmetic surgery. It is thus important to distinguish the terms "plastic surgery" and "cosmetic surgery": Plastic Surgery is recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties as the subspecialty dedicated to the surgical repair of defects of form or function -- this includes cosmetic (or aesthetic) surgery, as well as reconstructive surgery. The term "cosmetic surgery" however, refers to surgery that is designed to improve cosmetics, or appearance. In several countries including Australia, many doctors who are not qualified as surgeons also perform cosmetic procedures.
The most prevalent aesthetic/cosmetic procedures are listed below. Most of these types of surgery are more commonly known by their "common names." These are also listed when pertinent.
Abdominoplasty (or "tummy tuck"): reshaping and firming of the abdomen
Blepharoplasty (or "eyelid surgery"): Reshaping of the eyelids or the application of permanent eyeliner, including Asian blepharoplasty
Mammoplasty
Breast augmentation (or "breast enlargement" or "boob job"): Augmentation of the breasts. This can involve either saline or silicone gel prosthetics.
Breast reduction: Removal of skin and glandular tissue. Indicated to reduce back and shoulder pain or for psychological benefit in women with macromastia.
Buttock Augmentation (or "butt augmentation" or "butt implants"): Enhancement of the buttocks. This procedure can be performed by using silicone implants or fat grafting and transfer from other areas of the body.
Chemical peel: Minimizing the appearance of acne, pock, and other scars as well as wrinkles (depending on concentration and type of agent used, except for deep furrows), solar lentigines (age spots, freckles), and photodamage in general. Chemical peels commonly involve carbolic acid (Phenol), trichloroacetic acid (TCA), glycolic acid (AHA), or salicylic acid (BHA) as the active agent.
Mastopexy (or "breast lift"): Raising or reshaping of breasts. Involves removal of breast skin as opposed to glandular tissue.
Labiaplasty: Surgical reduction and reshaping of the labia
Rhinoplasty (or "nose job"): Reshaping of the nose
Otoplasty (or ear surgery): Reshaping of the ear
Rhytidectomy (or "face lift"): Removal of wrinkles and signs of aging from the face
Suction-Assisted Lipectomy (or liposuction): Removal of fat from the body
Chin augmentation: Augmentation of the chin with an implant (e.g. silicone) or by sliding genioplasty of the jawbone.
Cheek augmentation
Collagen, fat, and other tissue filler injections (eg hyaluronic acid)
Laser skin resurfacing
Injection of dermal fillers (collagen, hyaluronic acid, fat, and others)

In recent years, a growing number of patients seeking cosmetic surgery have visited other countries to find doctors with lower costs. These medical tourists get their procedures done for up 50 percent or more cost savings in countries including Cuba, Thailand, Argentina, India, and some areas of eastern Europe. The risk of complications and the lack of after surgery support are often overlooked by those simply looking for the cheapest option

Plastic surgery

Plastic surgery is a medical specialty that uses a number of surgical and nonsurgical techniques to change the appearance and function of a person's body. Plastic surgery procedures include both cosmetic enhancements as well as functionally reconstructive operations. In the former case, where aesthetics are considered more important than functionality, plastic surgery is also referred to as cosmetic surgery. Most procedures involve both aesthetic and functional elements.

Common techniques used in plastic surgery are:
- incision
- excision
- microsurgery
- chemosurgery
- electrosurgery
- laser surgery
- dermabrasion
- liposuction

In plastic surgery the transfer of skin tissue (skin grafting) is one of the most common procedures. (In traditional surgery a “graft” is a piece of living tissue, organ, etc., that is transplanted.
- Autografts: Skin grafts taken from the recipient. If absent or deficient of natural tissue, - alternatives can be: Cultured Sheets of epithelial cells in vitro or
Synthetic compounds (e.g., Integra--a 2 layered dermal substitute consisting superficially of silicone and deeply of bovine tendon collagen with glycosaminoglycans).
- Allografts: Skin grafts taken from a donor of the same species.
- Xenografts: Skin grafts taken from a donor of a different species.

Usually, good results are expected from plastic surgery that emphasizes:
- Careful planning of incisions so that they fall in the line of natural skin folds or lines.
- Appropriate choice of wound closure.
- Use of best available suture materials.
- Early removal of exposed sutures so that the wound is held closed by buried sutures.