Dr. Rhys Branman's Cosmetic Surgery Blog

Did The Little Mermaid Need Cosmetic Surgery?

September 14, 2012 - Rhys Branman, MD

Recently a Venezuelan clinic has advertised cosmetic surgery using the Little Mermaid, Princess Ariel, as the featured spokes-person, or spokes-mermaid? She swims to the office and has her fins surgically changed to legs, breast augmentation, and facial surgery! This ad has created controversy worldwide in newspapers and blogs. Objections range from statements about sending the wrong message to little girls to comments about copyright infringement, and the trend of cartoon characters becoming more and more sexualized. So I decided to do a little research on the fairytale. In the story, the Princess Ariel opts to become human, giving up her...

Choose Carefully

September 12, 2012 - Rhys Branman, MD

Recent news articles have saddened and angered me. As a doctor, I am appalled that individuals who have no medical credentials are performing "back alley" procedures. These dangerous and illegal surgeries and injections are a sure fire way to infection, disfigurement or worse. I am specifically referring to this year's exposure of a woman in the Bronx performing so called "butt lifts" in her apartment. I find the fact that Whalesca Castillo's victims felt it necessary to go to such extremes to save money disturbing. In other cases, where people were practicing medicine without a license, there have been deaths...

Facial Surgery for Teens?

September 5, 2012 - Rhys Branman, MD

As I looked around the Internet last night, I found a blog about facial surgery given to a teenage girl because she was being bullied. Apparently the other kids in her peer group thought her ears were too big. Bullying has become a huge problem in our culture, not only in schools, but at the workplace as well. As it turns out, the doctor who performed the surgery also pointed out that this victim of bullying needed a rhinoplasty (nose reshaping, in this case a reduction) and a mentoplasty (reshaping of the chin to make it more or less prominent)...

So What is a Mommy Makeover?

August 27, 2012 - Rhys Branman, MD

The term "mommy makeover" has been coined to describe a combination of cosmetic surgical procedures consisting mainly of tummy tuck, breast augmentation, breast lift and liposuction. The mommy makeover is meant to restore your pre-pregnancy body. Everyone knows that having a baby can result in weight gain, excess tummy skin, reduced breast size or sagging breasts due to breast involution. Of course this may not occur in certain athletes, but how many us had the figure we want to begin with? Weight gain during pregnancy is inevitable, and this may ultimately result in the need for a mommy makeover. The...

Juvederm in Conjunction with a Facelift

August 22, 2012 - Rhys Branman, MD

Many patients ask why they would want a facelift when injectable fillers can do the same thing? Actually, fillers are quite versatile and can truly help revitalize your face, but they cannot do everything. At the Little Rock Cosmetic Surgery Center, I have found that injectable fillers, such as Juvéderm®, enhance the lower and mid face rhytidectomy (the technical term for a facelift) by helping to maintain that youthful volume. Hyaluronic acids like Juvéderm® add volume and plump the skin. Neuromodulators such as BOTOX® prevents fine lines by relaxing contracted facial muscles. When these two products are added together they...

Shopping for a Bra After Having Breast Implants

August 17, 2012 - Rhys Branman, MD

Women who have visited Dr. Branman for breast implants often question what bra they should buy after their procedure. Their larger breasts require a new bra, and a good fit is vital to provide the support and comfort necessary after breast augmentation. When you visit Dr. Branman to plan your surgery, you will discuss your size goals. This can give you a good starting point for shopping for a bra. However, he recommends that you do not buy many bras until after your procedure. You may need to adjust slightly after you see how the implants settle. You will experience...

Exercise and Cosmetic Surgery

August 13, 2012 - Rhys Branman, MD

When it comes to recovery times, all patients that have recently undergone elective cosmetic procedures would agree that shorter is better. According to Dr. Branman, a cosmetic surgeon in Little Rock, there are a number of things you can do to prepare for your recovery period and help shorten the time it takes you to get back on your feet, back in the office, or back in the gym. Many people focus on the postoperative period and do not realize that the things they do before surgery can dramatically boost their body’s ability to bounce back and recover. By being...

Juvederm Special at Cosmetic Surgery Center

August 10, 2012 - Rhys Branman, MD

Many patients wonder what are all these fillers cosmetic surgeons use to fill wrinkles and why would one be better than the other? Why choose a particular filler? Why would one choose Juvéderm®? Juvéderm® is made from a hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance in the body. It is found in the epithelial tissue, which is the top layer of your skin. Over the years, we lose hyaluronic acid beneath our skin. This is a natural part of the aging process. The way hyaluronic acid fillers work is to attract water to the area injected to plump...

General or Local Anesthesia?

July 6, 2012 - Rhys Branman, MD

When it comes to a wide variety of elective cosmetic procedures, Arkansas cosmetic surgeons have two main options for anesthesia. General anesthesia involves putting the patient to sleep and performing the entire procedure while they are unconscious. In contrast, local anesthesia involves numbing of a localized area of the body to eliminate sensation and pain and to encourage the patient to remain relaxed throughout the procedure. Anesthesia is a safe and routine way to reduce or to eliminate pain during operations and other types of medical procedures. The type of anesthesia that your cosmetic surgeon chooses will be based on the...

What To Do If Your Implant Ruptures

June 29, 2012 - Rhys Branman, MD

The fear of implant rupture is most often perpetuated by the few cases that make dramatic news stories, but the reality is that for the majority of women who get breast implants, Little Rock, AR cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Branman asserts that there are few serious side effects or complications. Still, implant rupture is a serious situation and should be prepared for in the rare event that it occurs to you or a loved one. Depending on what type of breast implants you have, saline and silicone react very differently when they rupture. Saline leaks quickly into the body cavity and...

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