The History of Dermal Fillers
May 10, 2013 - Rhys Branman, MD
In case you're wondering about how dermal fillers, such as Juvéderm® and Restylane®, came into existence, here is a brief history of the use and advancement of dermal fillers. It all started with fat transplants! And yes, we still do this today. Back in 1893 a Dr. Neuber was the very first doctor to attempt transplanting fat in order to fill out facial defects. Neuber would take fat from the arms to use. However, by the mid 20th century, yep you guessed it, silicone started to be investigated. Silicone was used from the 40s through the 50s, but patients would... 
Kate Gosselin. Do you know who she is? I didn't, but apparently she is getting a lot of criticism for having "too much" cosmetic surgery. Fox News included her in the list of celebrities who have had unneeded cosmetic surgery. I actually think she looks fine. Certainly other celebrities have had too much cosmetic surgery. So how do you make that distinction? What is too much cosmetic surgery? Determining this varies with each patient. The first consideration is safety. Is this person a candidate for the procedure, is it needed, feasible, and is the person in good health? Feasible refers... 
Spring is here! We look forward to longer, sunnier days. But your skin might not! Sun damaged skin is one of the most obvious signs of aging. Before the sun comes back to full force this year, you might consider correcting some of that sun damage and then commit to using sunscreen every day. But what are the signs of sun damage, and what can be done? The signs of sun damaged skin are flakey skin, dry skin, brown spots (sometimes called 'liver spots'), premature wrinkles, and breakdown of the underlying collagen that supports the skin. Sun damaged skin often... 
"I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free." Michelangelo "Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it." Michelangelo These are two famous quotes by the artist Michelangelo. His approach to sculpture was to bring the beauty that was already in the stone out, to reveal it. This is how cosmetic surgery should be approached as well. Each face is unique, a miracle of genetics. And each body had its own specific logic, a one of a kind masterpiece. It is true that... 
Recently, Nightline reported on a 37-year-old Triana Lavey, an American television producer, who had undergone a Facebook Facelift last year. But primping for the social media scene is not limited to the United States. In India, Nikita Sharma, 21, opted for rhinoplasty to improve her online image and stated the surgery had created more job opportunities and marriage proposals! However, one wonders just how many marriage proposals a gal needs. Grazia Magazine, a fashion magazine from Great Britain, has dubbed this trend 'virtual vanity.' It's true, social media is global. Many people are even meeting for the first time online... 
This is an update on the PIP breast implant tragedy. However, I would like to remind you that the French made PIP implants have never been used in the United States. At Little Rock Cosmetic Surgery we use American made Mentor breast implants or Allergen implants, which are both completely safe, FDA approved, and of course made of medical grade silicone. You might remember the PIP breast implant scandal in Europe that came to light last year. It came to light that the Poly Implant Prosthese (PIP) silicone gel implants had been filled with industrial grade silicone, usually used in manufacturing... 
A few years back, you may have heard that 50 is the new 30. Remember that? And it seems with cosmetic surgery this may be true. As many people perceive turning 60 as the beginning of midlife, they find themselves not looking how they feel. As it turns out, this is the biggest reason older women have cosmetic surgery. That makes sense, if you have not corrected a flaw, say a bump on your nose with rhinoplasty, by the time your 50, it probably did not really bother you that much. But is the true goal of cosmetic surgery to... 
In the past year there has been a plethora of articles about BOTOX® and depression. Apparently depressed people who have had BOTOX® injections for cosmetic reasons, often become less depressed. You may think this is simply because these patients feel better about how they look. But it turns out there is more to it than that. It was Darwin back in 1872, who originally suggested that emotion that is freely expressed will be intensified, and emotion that is repressed or held in, will be "softened," or lessened. Science has come a long way since 1872, but this statement of Darwin's... 
It has come to my attention that many prospective patients might assume that breast reduction and breast augmentation are comparable procedures, possibly even that breast reduction might be simpler. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Breast reduction surgery is actually quite complex. With breast augmentation, the addition of an implant does not interfere with the deep structures of the breast tissue; the implant merely pushes them aside until the skin stretches to accommodate the addition. Even placing an implant beneath the pectoral muscle leaves the breast tissue intact, although an extended recovery period may be necessary as the muscle... 