Body Language - Denver Cosmetic Surgery Blog

Last year, Americans spent $13.2 billion on cosmetic surgery nationwide. That amount was the cost paid for 11.7 million surgical cosmetic procedures. Non-surgical treatments like BOTOX injections counted for another 2.8 million procedures done in 2007, according to a survey by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery that included responses from 12,000 surgeons, dermatologists and otolaryngologists.

Dr. Ben Lee saw a rise in numbers of his patients interested in pursuing breast enhancement surgery due to FDA approval of silicone implants. Until the FDA gave the go-ahead for silicone, a number of patients were “on the fence” about enhancement surgery, says Dr. Lee. These patients were not willing to proceed with the surgery when only saline implants were approved because of the advantages of silicone over saline.

Silicone implants require less recovery time as the implant is placed over the muscle tissue, unlike saline implants that are inserted under the muscle which results in a longer recovery period.

“Time is precious to people,” says Dr. Lee. “Patients are increasingly desirous of keeping their youthful looks and even improving their natural looks, but they have to fit that into their active lifestyles, careers and obligations when scheduling their elective surgery.”

The top five cosmetic surgeries performed in 2007 were:

• Liposuction
• Breast augmentation
• Eyelid surgery
• Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck)
• Breast reduction

Cosmetic surgery has gained speed since the 1990s. Since 1997, surgical procedures have increased by 114 percent while noninvasive cosmetic treatments have risen 754 percent.

Besides breast enhancement (augmentation and reduction), Dr. Lee performs liposuction, the most popular cosmetic treatment of all in the 2007 report. Half a million liposuction surgeries were performed by doctors nationwide in 2007. The types of liposuction he performs are Lipoplasty, traditional liposuction and tumescent liposuction, depending on the area treated and the patient’s unique needs.

Dr. Lee also performs eyelid surgery and tummy tucks, procedures he says patients seek to look more youthful, giving them back the eyelids they had as a young person that don’t droop over the eyes and eliminating the bags under the eyes. The same goes for tummy tucks, he says. Patients are opting for tummy tucks to restore a sleek abdominal area, often after childbirth.

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Q: I’ve heard about a process called permanent makeup. Is this just like getting a tattoo?

A: No it’s not the same. The difference is best described as tattoos are unnatural and meant to make a “statement” of sorts. Permanent makeup, on the other hand, is a procedure that highlights your best natural features and restores the youthful color and definition to your features in a wholly natural way.

Q. Does it work on every skin type?

A: Skin types differ in their response to pigment, so it’s important that the makeup artist you seek out for treatment is one who is trained in the variables of pigment and their application.

Q: I’ve heard of people’s lips turning black when they’ve gotten permanent makeup. Is that a rumor?

A: Early techniques and poor quality pigments caused rare individual’s lips to darken. If you seek permanent makeup on your lips today, the advances in pigment and selecting a makeup artist who uses the highest quality pigments is important.

Q: I have thinning brows, actually, nearly no eyebrows left and it looks like I’ve been treated with radiation. What can I do?

A: Permanent makeup can restore the look of eyebrows using a number of different techniques, including brow strokes that resemble the brow hairs that have been lost with time.

Q: I’ve seen brows done that look like Ronald McDonald brows “arches”. How do I avoid that?

A: Permanent makeup can be used to design a brow that actually “lifts” the face, by positioning the permanent makeup in an arch that is at once natural and higher than the drooping brow that so many of us get in a lifetime.

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