Hollywood Wants Real Faces

In a time when the media is openly discussing plastic surgery procedures and the fight to maintain a youthful appearance, many Hollywood casting directors are steering in the other direction. Mothers, fathers, and grandparents are no longer easily cast due to the various facial and body enhancements that the older generation is inevitably undergoing. It seems as though aging gracefully has been replaced with looking young no matter what the individual’s age may be. There are fewer and fewer “real” faces in Hollywood due to cosmetic plastic surgery and the pressure to compete with younger, incoming actors.

Although both men and women are guilty of undergoing surgical rejuvenation, there is a greater number of female patients who seek enhancement. The most commonly performed procedures include breast augmentation Botox ® injections. While some actresses have chosen to enlarge their breasts with breast implants proportionate to their body shape, others have gone larger and possibly put their chances for a role at risk. The advent of Hi Def TV and films has caused many actresses to succumb to the likes of facial injectables and laser resurfacing, which diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. As a result, casting directors are passing them over due to lack of “character” and uniqueness. Plastic surgery in moderation is often best when an actor would like to continue working in Hollywood.

Those who are interested in a natural-looking enhancement in the San Francisco area may wish to consult Dr. Kimberly Henry. Attracting patient from neighboring towns, including Greenbrae, Petaluma, and Davis, Dr. Henry has the experience and skills to perform breast augmentation and Botox injections. Further information is available on her website.

Top 10 Cosmetic Surgery Lawsuits

Taking Botox to court is something akin to suing Santa Claus. Almost everybody likes Botox as much as Santa, so how would you get a jury to vote against either one? Only time will tell….about Botox, that is.

Three months before Christmas, Santa is certainly on safe ground.

So nobody is suing Santa. Yet, anyhow. But in January, all bets are off!

Given the number of lawyers looking for something to do, the Momma-put-a-lump-of-coal-in-my-Xmas-stocking class action lawsuit is just around the corner.


(Pamela Moore photo)

Patrick Hudson, M.D., a plastic surgeon in New Mexico, located some insider statistics that show which plastic surgery procedures are most likely to lead to the court house.

Here are the top ten litigated procedures, along with the percentages of actions the procedure draws. More.

1. Nose surgery……………………..22 %
2. Breast reduction………………….17 %
3. Eyelid surgery……………………16%
4. Breast enlargement……………….13%
5. Face lift…………………………… 9%
6. Various………………………… 7%
7. Breast reconstruction…………..… 6%
8. Tummy tuck……………………… 5%
9. Liposuction……………………….. 3%
10. Facial resurfacing………………. …2%

Nose surgery heads the list because it’s the most difficult plastic surgery procedure to learn and perform. More.

Breast reduction involves removing a lot of tissue; however, eyelid surgery is a surprise because it is supposed to be one of the easier procedures to perform. Breast enlargement made its way onto the list because it’s very popular, with 329,000 patients undergoing the procedure in 2007, the most recent year for which statistics exist. A tummy tuck involves a long incision across the abdomen so insurance companies should be thankful the percentage is relatively low. Ditto breast reconstruction.

Hint: If, for some reason, you aren’t satisfied with the outcome of your plastic surgery, two eminent Beverly Hills cosmetic plastic surgeons, Drs. Robert Kotler and Stuart Linder, tell the top five constructive things to do if your procedure does not go well.

Read their blog, Top 5 Remedies for Unsatisfying Plastic Surgery.

Plastic Surgery for Pooches

Yearly, some appearance-challenged canine is named top dog in the World’s Ugliest Dog Contest at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, California. (Read more.)

Gus, a Chinese Crested, won for 2008 even though he has had a rough row to hoe in life. He has lost one leg to disease, one eye in a cat fight, a handful of teeth due to chewing on countless bones, and a furry coat due to heredity; after all, he is a hairless Chinese crested dog. Gus was simply born to be as ugly as a mud fence.

Nonetheless, his owners think Gus, pictured below, is precious.


Gus relaxing at home
(iStock photo)

2007’s winner was even more revolting. Also a Chinese Crested, Elwood, pictured below, won that year, perhaps because he is even more crested and has even less hair than Gus. You have to admit that when it comes to looks, Elwood is also just a real dog.


Elwood, 2007’s Top Ugly Dog
(Canada News Photo)

A Plastic Surgeon for Dogs

Anyhow, there’s somebody we would like Gus and Elwood to meet -- Brazilian doctor Vet Elgado Brito, a big proponent of pet plastic surgery.

To the Brazilian way of thinking, if you make people beautiful, hey, why not make their “animal companions” beautiful, too? Works for me! (As long as the creature is house broken; there’s no way that beauty alone makes up for, well, you’ve got the picture by now.)

Botox and Breast Augmentations

Dr. Brito has used Botox to straighten inverted doggy eyelashes so that Fido’s eyeball is not irritated. Among other cosmetic surgery, the South America doc has even performed canine breast augmentation by tightening mammillae of female dogs before beauty contests so that the dogs could take part in the type of contests in which good looks -- and not vile features -- are judged. (Read more about Dr. Brito.)


The owners of this Sharpei wanted Botox
to remove the dog’s wrinkles
but could not afford 1,500 vials of Botox.
(iStock.xchng photo)

But if you look closely enough, others are making unsightly animals more attractive, too.

Rhinoplasty and Eyelid lifts

The Animal Medical Center of Southern California requires a medical reason for cosmetic treatments on animals; nonetheless, the work often results in an eyelift, facelift, rhinoplasty or abdominoplasty, a procedure we Homo Sapiens fondly call a “tummy tuck.” However, liposuction is out, partly because dogs don’t mind being fat.

If your “animal companion” is a Pug, Bulldog or a Boston terrier, breeds in which breathing problems are common, the mutt may be eligible for rhinoplasty. Sharpeis and Chows often have a congenital defect that make their eyelids roll inwards, causing the eye winkers to rub the eye, perhaps resulting in scratches. The solution? A canine style eyelid lift.

Lip Augmentation

And there is the heart-warming case of Feznick, a 75-pound gray kangaroo who lives at a farm for Hollywood animal actors. Feznick was bitten on the face by his neighbor, a wolf and fellow actor when he, Feznick, poked his snout into the next cage. That left the ‘Roo with a snarling lip and totally unsuitable for his close-ups. So, back in 2006, a vet named Dr. Wolff (really!) repaired Feznick’s lip with a little cosmetic surgery described much like the human procedure, “except with a lot more hair.” (Read more.)


This Kangaroo isn’t Feznick (we could not afford
his picture!) but another Kangaroo who is available
for movies and commercials. (His day job is being an
attraction at a petting zoo.)

Top 10 Most Outrageous Uses for Botox

All the world loves Botox, the ubiquitous wrinkle remover. But like the discovery of electricity or the Internet, people keep finding unusual -- and sometimes, off-the-wall -- uses for it.

Here’s our take on the top 10:

1. Writer’s Cramp


(nazerth photo)

Given the Internet, I don’t know who uses a pen, pencil, or clay tablet and stylus. Anyhow, the researchers managed to find 40 people suffering writer’s cramp (or maybe holding their forks too tightly) and test Botox.

And, yes, Botox can relieve the painful muscle contractions of the fingers, hand, or arm brought on by arduously applied graphomotor representation. (That’s science-speak for handwriting.) Read more.

2. Bladder Control

No, it’s not about drinking all the coffee you want on a long road trip. Some people have injuries that make it hard to recognize a full bladder. Here’s why:

Damaged muscles can send signals to the bladder at the worst of times -- like when you’re in a job interview, giving your Nobel Prize acceptance speech, during a courtroom trial, or whatever. Those errant messages cause the muscles to squeeze without warning. And although you really don’t have to go, the next thing you know, you’ve already gone.

Solution: shots of Botox to the bladder. More. (I’ve got a question for the doctors already: How long is the needle that places the Botox into the bladder muscles? And how does it get there?)

3. Sweaty Armpits


(LilGoldWmn photo)

Now here’s a no-brainer: The surgical procedure to cure overly sweaty armpits -- or, axillary hyperhidrosis, as your doctor might call it -- is no fun. Basically, the doc liposuctions some, or all, of the underarm sweat glands.

Or, you can just opt for some Botox injections every few months to paralyze the same muscles. Although nobody will see you literally sweat, the normal fear factors remain active so your heart races, you’ll have butterflies in your stomach, your eyes dart around and your brain probably goes blank at exactly the wrong time, too. But at least you will not drip with perspiration. Read more about Botox in the armpits.

4. Sweaty Palms



What could be worse than shaking hands with somebody and sensing you are gripping a clammy, warm washcloth? While there are no surgical options for removing sweat glands in the palms, Botox again works nicely to dry things out here as well. (Remember, we make up nothing, here.) More.

5. Sagging Breasts

Being a connoisseur of all things plastic surgery, you have already read everything known to humankind about breast augmentation. But if you or your partner do not want any sharp instruments near milady’s bosom, haul out the Botox.

The technique may not be ready for prime time, but several doctors are offering breast enhancement via Botox. Unfortunately, it wears off after a couple of months, returning those, ah, augmented areas to their pre-Botox state. Read more.


6. Facial Scars


Six-year-old child with four-year-old
dog bite scar on right cheek after three
scar reduction procedures.
(Ben Lee, M.D., photo)

Been to war or in a lot of fist fights? Divorced, maybe? If so, you may be interested in knowing how Botox can lessen facial scars.

Researchers at the Mayo (no, it does not refer to mayonnaise!) Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, tested Botox on 31 patients with facial scars.

Half received the real deal while the other half received injections of salt water as a placebo. Plastic surgeons then rated the wounds’ appearance on a one to 10 scale, where a one would equal Frankenstein and Christian Bale would get a 10. Read more.

Results? The Botox group scored 8.9 compared to the saline group which only scored 7.1. I would personally go with salt water -- it’s almost as effective and a heck of a lot cheaper. But that’s just me.

The researchers actually want the more expensive brand, the Botox, applied to scars when they are first created. Now, that’s okay for surgery but if you go to war, get in fights or slug it out in divorce court, what are you supposed to do? Carry emergency vials of Botox?

7. Lifting Aging Eyebrows


(brbankston photo)

When eyebrows have been around awhile and start to droop, they can make their owner look older and angrier, although the person may be thinking the most gentle of thoughts. Normally, fallen eyebrows require the skills of a cosmetic surgery procedure to look vigorous again.

But Corey Maas, M.D., an associate professor and chief of the division of facial plastic surgery at the University of California, San Francisco, lead a study that revealed drooping eyebrows can be treated with Botox.

Of course, there’s never a free lunch.

“With surgery, eyebrows can be lifted for 10 to 20 years,” says Dr. Maas. “But Botox results in sagging eyebrows that can last three to six months.” Read more.

8. Voice Tremors

Imagine this: you are trying to explain to a judge why you sped through a stop sign. Or your boss wants to know why you took the day off because you thought Halloween was a holiday. Maybe your wife wants an explanation about how your secretary’s lipstick and perfume got on your white shirt.

In all those stressed situations, your voice tends to shake and quiver. And rightfully so! You’ve been busted! How do you talk your way clear of these messes? Well, it helps a lot if whatever you say is in a voice that is clear, steady and without shaking.

You better really need the help because it requires an injection of Botox into the vocal cords. Read more about the testing.

9. Rejuvenate Sagging Necks


Surgical correction of a sagging neck.
(Robert Kotler, M.D. photo)

Usually, a sagging neck needs surgical attention. (Read more about the surgical fix for necks.) But some surgeons are using Botox to reduce the lines, rings and turkey gobbler necks. Read more.


10. Removing Wrinkles from Shar-pei Dogs


A Shar-pei puppy. Massive wrinkles at only 8 weeks! Is life unfair or what?
(beverlytaz photo)


Of course, it’s only done in the most posh regions of the nation, like Beverly Hills, Manhattan, and Miami Beach.

But many owners of Chinese Shar-pei dogs, like the one shown above, take their purebred canines to special Botox canine clinics where the dogs receive sufficient amounts of the wrinkle removers to get a completely smooth, unfurrowed coat.

I mean, it makes sense! Why would a wealthy 70-year-old who looks 40 want a dog with massive wrinkles? And is it fair that a creature under one year of age should suffer severe wrinkling long before his or her time?

(Okay, you’re not buying this; well, we did wing that last one, but the other nine are 100 percent true. Honest!)

NEXT: Plastic Surgery Games You Can Play Online.

Botox Has a Competitor!

Pretty bold, considering there are about 4 million Botox injections given yearly! The stuff is used to treat everything from wrinkles to damp palms to writer’s cramp to urgent bladders. Read more about Botox.

Zap “The 11s”



The new kid on the block is not another drug, but a machine that zaps the nerve allowing you to scrunch up the area between your eyes. (Plastic surgeons call that area “The 11s” because it looks like, well, a big number 11 on your forehead.) The treatment is known as GFX, or glabellar furrow relaxation. Read more.

Approved by the FDA, here’s how GFX works: the doc asks you to frown real hard so he can locate your frown muscles. (I don’t know about you, but I automatically go into a massive frown at the mere mention of doctor bills!)

No More Frowning

Then, the doctor numbs up your forehead and uses a small needle to find the nerve that triggers a frown. Next, a little RF (radio frequency) energy is aimed at the nerve to zap its activity. Presto! No more frowning, even if you wanted to. Even over doctor bills! The nerve isn’t destroyed; it’s just in total shock for a while.


Showing “The 11s”.

The upside: while it requires Botox a couple of days to show results that only last for three to five months, GFX is said to last anywhere from eight to 18 months.

Downside: Botox costs anywhere from $250 to $450 per treatment depending on where you live. But because only two U.S. physicians are currently delivering GFX, a treatment is running anywhere from $1800 to $3000.

Read more about plastic surgery costs.

Top 10 Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Stories for 2007

1. Botox Injections at Home and Work
Beauty is now being delivered to your doorstep or office. Read more.

2. Birthmarks: Getting the Blemishes Removed
Millions of people are afflicted with marks they want removed. More.

3. NBC’s Biggest Loser
Losing 311 pounds is the way to grab this prize! More.

4. Plastic Surgeons Recall Volunteering on 9-11-2001
A 110-story building fell on one plastic surgeon volunteer . More.

5. Can Plastic Surgery Cure the Blues?
Everybody feels better when they look better. But some patients lose their depression after plastic surgery. More

6. Breast Enhancement -- via Fat Grafting
It’s big in Europe -- using your own fat to enhance breasts.
A New York City surgeon shows the way. More.

7. Eyelash Transplants
Skimpy eye winkers? Hate gloppy mascara?
Transplants might brighten your eyes. More

8. Botox & Restylane for 20-somethings
Cosmetic plastic surgery is no longer just for old-timers. More.

9. Repairing Tubular Breasts
Many small breasted women don’t know they have a deformity. For tubular breasts, the surgeon must do a breast enlargement, lift and reduction -- all at once. More.

10. SmartLipo
The new liposuction kid on the block melts fat with a needle-sized, laser-tipped wand. More.

Botox Injections -- Fast, Fast Relief!

Remedies Writer’s Cramp, Scars, Sweaty Palms and Bladder Woes.



Ironing out facial wrinkles with Botox is only one of its actual uses.

Medical researchers continue finding new uses for Botox -- which leads the pack of noninvasive procedures with 3.9 million uses in 2006. It’s now a good treatment for relieving writers’ cramp. According to the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, three to seven of every 100,000 people suffer from writer’s cramp. Read more. Besides the cramping, if your fingers and hands ever become wrinkled, you’ve got that covered, too!

Plastic Surgery Incisions

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic found that treating a facial wound --like a plastic surgery incision -- early in the healing phase with Botox improves the appearance of a scar later. More. Al Capone shoulda been alive for this, huh?

Salesmen and others are handicapped if they have sweaty palms. It’s bad enough listening to a sales pitch but who wants to shake hands with a glad handing sales person whose paw feels like a wet washcloth?



One woman sufferer had drops of perspiration dripping from one hand. She usually suffered five sweaty palm outbreaks a day, with each lasting about half an hour. Just try selling a Lexus or a beachfront condo with water pouring off your hands! Stress, exercise, coffee or alcohol brought on her damp palm attacks. Read more.

Botox Injections


Again, Botox rode to the rescue and stopped the wet palms.

Researchers at UT Southwestern University in Dallas wanted to treat overactive bladder victims to help them regain control. Some were spinal cord injury victims whose injured nerves sent the bladder the wrong message at the wrong time. Like in church, at weddings, giving a major speech, while asking for a raise and so on. Others were MS patients, spina bifida and interstitial cystitis sufferers who, well, hey, you’ve got the idea by now. An associate professor of urology uses Botox to stop the leaks and embarrassing incidents. More.