Non-surgical Device Corrects Newborns’ Ears
January 29, 2011 - Rhys Branman, MD
Stanford University’s Children’s Hospital reports that its surgeons are having great success with a new infant ear correction system that reshapes a newborn's ears without surgery. Approved by the FDA in 2010, EarWell is a custom-fit plastic molding device that if worn for six to eight weeks early in life can reshape a baby’s ears and permanently correct their shape. The system is effective because the circulating estrogen left over from pregnancy gives infants’ cartilage high flexibility. “We see an immediate result, even within the first two weeks,” said plastic surgeon Rohit Khosla, MD. “It’s very remarkable. “This is a... 
Wrinkles and sagging that result from changes to our skin age our face, but a new study says there are more contributing factors. Published in the January 2011 Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery journal, the study says that this aging results not just from skin changes, but from age-related changes in our facial bones too. Dr. Robert Shaw, Jr., at the University of Rochester Medical Center, and his colleagues reviewed computed tomographic scans, performed for medical reasons, of the facial bones for three age groups: young (age 20 to 40); middle-aged (41 to 64); and older (65 and up). Twenty women... 
Despite all the cosmetic procedures you may undergo to help keep your face looking young — from face lifts to BOTOX® — an aging neck can quickly detract from a youthful face. While a neck lift remains the best bet for a lasting fix, according to a recent article in the New York Times, these days less-invasive options do exist to improve the appearance of the neck area. If the neck has too much fat, for instance, neck liposuction may be an option, especially if the person has elastic skin that can bounce back afterwards. For those with neck “bands”,... 
A statistically significant positive correlation of BMI and implant volume for breast augmentation patients in two U.S. cities was found in a study that examined physical characteristics and implant details of breast augmentation patients in three cities. In other words, it found that the higher the patient’s BMI, the larger the implant volume the patient received. A third city that took part in the study, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, also had this trend, but it was not statistically significant. “Implications from this correlation found in our study include possibly improving implant volume predictions preoperatively, leading to improved efficiency, outcomes and... 
As the forehead naturally descends with aging, its position can lead to some undesired effects to the face, such as frown lines, creases across the forehead, and a low or sagging brow. Brow lift surgery can help minimize these characteristics and give you a more youthful appearance. Two common techniques surgeons use to perform brow lifts are the open brow lift and the endoscopic brow lift. The open brow lift has one continuous incision from ear to ear, going up around your hairline, like headphones. The incision lines are made behind the hairline so that they won’t be visible. For... 
If you're considering non-invasive procedures to combat superficial skin problems like fine lines and age spots, one option is Intense Pulsed Light (IPL), also known as photorejuvenation or photofacial. IPL is a treatment that applies gentle broad spectrum light to the skin in order to correct problems such as: Port wine stains Broken capillaries Rosacea Fine wrinkles Age spots Uneven pigmentation A recent study published in Dermatology Surgery journal compared IPL treatments to non-ablative Q-switched laser treatments for skin rejuvenation in Asian patients and found that the IPL treatment was as effective as the non-ablative laser for improving several skin... 
A new article in the New York Times documents the expanding work hours of dermatologists, cosmetic surgeons and other professionals who offer aesthetic treatments. Their columnist writes, “In most major cities, if you want pad Thai or a sweater dry-cleaned when most people are sleeping, there’s someone who will take care of it (for a price). These days, the same is true of beauty treatments.” Many physicians, as the article explains, are offering expanded hours on certain days to accommodate working patients. Dr. Neil Sadick, a popular New York dermatologist, says his busy patients have been requesting early morning and... 
Could a non-surgical breast augmentation procedure be a future possibility? A recent article published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery journal examines a hyaluronic acid-based gel called Macrolane as a potential option by assessing the safety and efficacy of the procedure and the gel for breast enhancement. Macrolane — by Q-Med, the makers of Restylane® — is a gel that adds volume to tissues and can be used for restoring and enhancing body contours or for filling concave deformities and scars. It provides results without open surgery and the scarring at the injection site is minor and is likely to become... 