Cindy Margolis - Plastic Surgery?

The former "Most Downloaded Woman in the World" Cindy Margolis is making news lately with her July 2008 pictorial in Playboy magazine. The divorced mother of three is now 42 years old and looks fabulous. I do believe she's had a bit of help, though.

When looking at this photo, she appears to be making a rather stern look. Her brow doesn't furrow, however, and this lack of wrinkles is a likely sign of a good Botox job. Her lips may also be modestly enhanced with a filler, like Restylane. I also think she may have had some enhancement of her cheeks, possibly with Sculptra or fat grafting injections. Her skin is flawless, and has been probably helped out by chemical peels and medical strength skin care products. Finally, she appears to have had a breast augmentation. Overall, I think her work is well-done. She does resemble Shannon Tweed a little bit, so I wonder if they share the same plastic surgeon...

I've not seen her Playboy spread since I do not read the magazine. If I did, however, I'd read it for the articles.

Photo credit: prphotos.com

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Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Lift Magic

Ever wonder what you may look like with a browlift, or a cheek lift, or a lip augmentation? A new website called Lift Magic allows you to upload your photo and then see what simulated facial plastic surgery would cause you to look like. I have a similar morphing program that I use for my patients, and the results can be pretty realistic is done correctly. It can also be a nice party game...



For Lift Magic, click here.

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Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Cynthia Nixon Denies Plastic Surgery Rumors

Cynthia Nixon has denied recent reports that she's had a breast augmentation. According to The Post Chronicle:

U.S. actress and breast cancer survivor Cynthia Nixon is denying a published report that she recently underwent breast augmentation surgery.
Although the New York Post reported that the Sex and the City star had cosmetic surgery at a Manhattan hospital on the quietest day of the week, Nixon told the New York Daily News the story is totally false and she simply went to the hospital for a three-monthly checkup.

If her denial is indeed true, how can someone mistake a monthly checkup with having a breast augmentation???

Photo credit: prphotos.com

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Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Dr. A List Will See You Now

There is a great article written by Natasha Singer in the New York Times on the state of plastic surgery in the current economy. The article focuses on how plastic surgery big ticket items, such as facelifts and tummy tucks, have been affected by the recent downturn in the economy. While the demand for less invasive (and less expensive) treatments like Botox and Restylane grows, the amount of actual surgery performed has increased at a snail's pace according to statistics by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Part of this may be due to people having less disposable income. This has resulted in declines in the waiting lists for even the most prominent plastic surgeons. Two plastic surgeons featured on TV, Dr. Anthony Griffin and Dr. Linda Li, have undergone decreases in their wait times for consultations to 3 months and 1 month respectively.

I think part of the downturn in business for plastic surgeons is also due to the emergence of non-plastic surgeons performing plastic surgery, often at bargain-basement prices. I do find, however, that some of these fake plastic surgeons funnel patients my way, as their victims often need to find a reputable surgeon to fix their botched surgery...

Click here for the New York Times article.
Click here for my recent post on the Plastic Surgery Recession

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Leg Lengthening Surgery : Urban Legend? Not Really...

There's a fascinating article on Men.Style.Com (Details Magazine) focusing on Leg Lengthening surgery. This is a surgery where the bones of the legs are sawed in half and then gradually allowed to spread apart as new bone grows between the two broken halves. It's called the Ilizarov technique, and has been used for healing fractures for years. It's only recently making news as a technique for making a person taller. The article describes the experiences of several men who have undergone the procedure, some with good, yet others with disastrous results. It's usually performed in other countries such as China and Germany and costs anywhere between $10,000 (cut your legs in half and then chain you to a bed) to $200,000 (they do the same but give you a sandwich too).

Obviously I do not advocate this procedure. Although bone lengthening surgeries are done quite commonly in plastic surgery to treat facial deformities, these are strictly in reconstructive terms. In one syndrome, called hemifacial microsomia, the affected person has one half of their jaw which is underdeveloped. Lengthening can be done of the bone to improve the appearance and function of their jaw. Unfortunately, bone lengthening is a tedious process which can result in a major complication like osteomyelitis (infection of the bone).

In addition, I caution all my patients to be very wary of having a medical procedure performed in another country, since their training and certification processes are different that in the States, and if you were to develop a complication you might be in a big heap of a mess (both medically and financially). If you really want to be taller, learn from Tom Cruise and wear some platform shoes...at least when you're out with your much taller wife.

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Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon - Plastic Surgery??

Much is often made about the alleged plastic surgery procedures of Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall. But who would have thought that both Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis may have had plastic surgery? According to PageSix:

Apparently, soon after the movie's release, they both paid a visit to Roosevelt Hospital on 10th Avenue for minor surgeries. "Cynthia had a breast augmentation and soon after, Kristin had the varicose veins on her legs removed," said an insider. "They both made sure they did it on the quietest day of the week."

I don't consider having varicose veins removed as a plastic surgery, but it can be construed as cosmetic by some. I haven't had a chance to see the SATC movie, but I think my wife is jonesing to add it to my Netflix queue as soon as it is released.

Photo credit: prphotos.com

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Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

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Noninvasive Liposuction in the U.S.???? Not yet...

In plastic surgery news, Medicis, the company which produces Restylane and Perlane, has just announced that it is acquiring Liposonix, a Seattle-based company which specializes in nonsurgical fat removal. Liposonix is a pioneer in focused ultrasound technology as a noninvasive way to reduce fat. It's being used in Europe, but is not available in the U.S. They are hoping that their machine will achieve FDA approval by 2011, if not sooner.

What's the big deal? Well, we are always looking for ways to reduce fat without surgery(or exercise!). External ultrasound has been used in the past, but to my knowledge has never been proven to actually permanently reduce fat. It was a hot topic at one time, but has cooled over the past several years. With technology improving, however, it is possible that the Liposonix machine may produce results superior to the disappointing results of the past. In my office we utilize external ultrasound for cellulite reduction via the Dermosonic technique, but it is not proven to permanently remove fat cells. Yesterday our local Fox affiliate aired a segment on cellulite reduction where I described the cause of cellulite and how cellulite reduction works. Click here for streaming video of it.

Liposonix is a far cry from mesotherapy or Lipodissolve, however, which is by no means non-invasive. I saw a patient recently who had several treatments of Lipodissolve to the fat and loose skin of her tummy. To be honest, the fat did appear to have been significantly reduced. However, she was left with a bunch of leftover loose, hanging skin. She emphasized to me that the treatments were excruciatingly painful and cost several thousand dollars.

I am very interested in the possibilities of fat reduction with Liposonix. No matter what people may falsely advertise however, I know of no proven way to permanently remove fat here in the U.S. except via liposuction.... so far.

For the Medicis press release, click here.

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.

Celebrity Nose Jobs - Are We Seeing the Same Nose Over and Over Again?

A post from the popular Cityrag blog mentions that celebrities' noses are all looking the same. Not surprising, given that it is rumored that the same Beverly Hills rhinoplasty surgeon has worked on Cameron Diaz, Ashlee Simpson, and Jennifer Aniston. Many plastic surgeons who specialize in rhinoplasty have their own signature "look". This signature look comes from a combination of performing the surgery the same way every time with certain personal aesthetic preferences. For example, some surgeons believe a more pinched nasal tip looks good. Therefore, they will be more likely to place stitches into the cartilage to create this look and not finish the surgery until the pinched look is created.

That's not my style, as I tend to believe the "less surgery is often more" rule for rhinoplasty. I wouldn't want anyone to say, "Look! It's a Dr. Youn nose!"

By the way, I think that the surgeon who has performed the work of the celebrities above has done a nice job.

Photo credit: prphotos.com

Thanks for reading.

Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

TV Made Me Do It - Have Plastic Surgery

TV Made Me Do It is a national cable series on the Canadian TVTropolis channel. It explores how television influences people to do certain things, like propose marraige, come out of the closet, and yes, have plastic surgery. Their most recent episode, entitled Beautiful, followed a patient of mine as she underwent a tummy tuck. The video clip above is a small snippet from this episode. TV Made Me Do It can be seen every Wednesday at 7:30am and 7 pm.

Thank you to the fine folks at Proper Television for inviting me to participate on the show!

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Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Who Doesn't Like Fake Breasts??? George Clooney?

According to the Celebrity Smack blog, George Clooney may have dumped his ex-girlfriend because of her fake breasts. According to the report:

George really didn’t want her to get the boob job. She asked George if she could do her recovery at his house and he agreed,” a source told In Touch Weekly.
As for the breakup, Larsen never saw it coming.
“They had a huge fight and he left the house. Sarah read in the media that they’d broken up and freaked out because George hadn’t told her anything. He had to explain himself because she’d found out with the rest of the world.”

Is George really picky when it comes to breast implants? I guess when you're him you're allowed to be picky! Most of us normal joes are usually happy with real OR fake.

Photo credit: prphotos.com

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Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Jimmy Buffett - Plastic Surgeon in Margaritaville

Sorry for the lack of updates recently. Normally I try to get a post up at least every other day, but after operating for eight hours yesterday, I rushed home, fed my kids dinner, and zipped off to the local Jimmy Buffett concert with my wife and in-laws. The show, as usual, was a blast.

I'm a big Jimmy Buffett fan, have all his albums, been to probably a dozen of his shows, and know most of his songs by heart. According to his autobiography, A Pirate Looks at Fifty, one of his best friends is actually a plastic surgeon in Boston (not me, unfortunately).

Anyways, has Jimmy had any work done?? I doubt it. As you can see by the photos above he's lost quite a bit of hair over the years and has gained quite a few wrinkles. At least he shaved off that God-awful 70's porn-stache. That's better than any plastic surgery I could give him!

Thanks for a great show, Jimmy!

Photo credit: prphotos.com


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Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Botox for Breast Augmentation?

Will its applications never end? Some doctors have found a new use for Botox: Breast Augmentation. According to nbc10.com, some plastic surgeons are injecting Botox into the muscles of the chest in an attempt to straighten a woman's posture and thereby enhance her bust line. Click here for the article.

I've never performed this procedure before, but I bet that the before-and-after photos are not very impressive. I would think that the doctor would need to use huge amounts of Botox to weaken the muscles of the chest, which are quite large. Time will tell on this one...

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Dr. Youn to be a guest on WDVD "It's Your Community"

I've been asked to be a guest on Metro Detroit's 96.3 WDVD for It's Your Community with Vanessa Denha. We'll be talking about the latest controversial trends in plastic surgery, including lunchtime facelifts, mesotherapy, and even buttock implants. It airs tomorrow (Sunday) at 6 am-6:30 am. If you don't live in the area or are still asleep at 6 am, then check out their website for a streaming version of MP3 of the broadcast.

Link: It's Your Community

Thanks to Vanessa Denha for having me on the show.

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Brigitte Nielsen to Have Plastic Surgery on TV?

MakeMeHeal.com is reporting that Sylvester Stallone and Flavor Flav ex Brigitte Nielsen is planning to have plastic surgery and have it filmed for German television.

According to Brigitte, she will receive “a complete renewal: facelift, eyelift, fat injections in my face, liposuction, a breast lift and I need new teeth... I know I am the first female celebrity in the world who has allowed herself to be filmed like that in an operating theater. I know I will be breaking a taboo. But I’m sure that it will provoke a new discussion. It’s time things change. I feel 30 and want to look that way again. The secrecy in Hollywood is annoying. You can see that the stars do not age naturally. It’s not right that the fans, the normal women, are lied to.”

Although I found her annoying in The Surreal Life, it's refreshing to hear her talk this way. Hopefully everything goes well with her plastic surgery. By the way, the posted photo is a great example of someone with breast implants that are probably above-the-muscle.

Photo credit: prphotos.com

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Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

No Plastic Surgery for Selma Blair

I like Selma Blair. She grew up in the Metro Detroit area (which I now call home) and went to Kalamazoo College for a short time while I was there. She was nice to me, and had a very dry sense of humor. Here is what she told In Style magazine (from In Your Face Blog):

“I wanted to get Botox once to make me feel younger. But I don’t really have [enough wrinkles] to justify it yet. As for going under the knife, I can’t say I wouldn’t, but I haven’t thought too much about it,” she said.
Blair said she isn’t interested in breast implants. “I wore huge prosthetic boobs for a John Waters movie. They were glued on every day by a really handsome guy, but ripping them off every night was definitely outside my realm of comfort. After those bosoms, I didn’t mind being flat-chested anymore!” she said.

Hmm, she must have left out the part explaining how she went to college with a good-looking, cool, future big-time doctor!

Or how she also went to college with me.

Photo credit: prphotos.com

Thanks for reading.

Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Sarah Jessica Parker - Rhinoplasty?

Has Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker had a rhinoplasty? This one is not obvious. When comparing these photos, it does appear that the tip of her nose is a bit thinner, which could be the result of a subtle rhinoplasty.

If she did have a rhinoplasty, then her surgeon was very conservative, so as to not change her look too much. The worst thing that could happen to her would be what happened to Jennifer Grey, where the nose was altered so much that she was not recognizable as her old self. This has obviously not happened to Sarah Jessica Parker. I do think she is aging very gracefully, and actually looks better now than she did 15 or 20 years ago. Being married to Ferris Bueller may have its benefits!

In Style.com has a photo progression of SJP from 1984 (photo above) to the present. I don't see a huge difference in the photos with regards to the schnozz, but maybe a more subtle one from 2006-2007? Click here for link.

Photo credit: instyle.com, prphotos.com

Thanks for reading,

Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

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