Giving Thanks

We'll take a break from the usual celebrity plastic surgery to focus on more important things in life. Here is what I am thankful for:
1. Family and Friends
2. Theodore(see photo), the most adorable furry creature on four legs
3. A successful career and practice
4. Employees and OR staff who make working each day a pleasure
5. Patients who put their trust in me and pay their hard-earned money to give me the lifestyle I have
6. The servicemen and servicewomen who put their lives on the line for our country's safety and freedom (including my friend Bob Solomon serving in the Middle East)

Finally, I would like to thank the readers of this blog. I started this less than a year ago as something to do after my son went to bed each night. The readership continues to grow and grow. As far as I can tell, this is now the most read blog by a plastic surgeon in the United States. Thank you for making it worthwhile!

Happy Thanksgiving! May God bless you and yours.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Diane Lane

Starpulse is reporting that "Diane Lane is Terrified of Plastic Surgery." According to their article:

Diane Lane is adamant she will grow old without the aid of cosmetic surgery because she is terrified of going under the knife. The star, who is married to Josh Brolin, is fearful of Hollywood's obsession with surgical enhancement and is not planning on having any work done in the near future.

The 41-year-old says, "It scares the s**t out of me. And I don't relish the thought of people staring at me, trying to figure out what I've had done."

But Lane has not ruled out plastic surgery completely. She adds, "I reserve the right to change my mind. Absolutely. I'm a female, that comes first."

During my time in Beverly Hills I used to live down the street from Diane Lane and would often go jogging past her house. Alas, I never got to see the star of "Unfaithful." I hear that she spends most of her time at Josh Brolin's house in another state.
Overall she looks to be aging very gracefully to me.

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

Pam Anderson

Has Pam Anderson had a lot of plastic surgery on her face? I'm not seeing as much as some might expect. Pam should be measured on a scale different from most everyone else. Her over-the-top persona as an unattainable sexpot matches her appearance, hence the full lips, large breasts, and long blonde hair. Aside from the obvious lip enhancement, skin care (including lasers and chemical peels), and possible Botox and Restylane injections (which half of Hollywood has anyways), Pam doesn't show any obvious facial plastic surgery. She may have had some fat grafting to enhance the fullness of her cheeks, or this could be due to regular Restylane injections.
I don't have a lot of "before" photos to analyze except the one above, however. If anyone has other ideas, I'd be interested to hear them.

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

Gel Implants Are Back

The FDA has just lifted the 14 year ban on silicone gel breast implants. The moratorium was placed on these implants after numerous women came forward with what were believed to be arthritis and other diseases from gel implants. Subsequent large scale studies have not proven any connection between silicone gel implants and these "connective tissue diseases."
What's the difference between gel implants and saline implants? A lot. Prior to today, the U.S. was the only major industrialized country to ban the use of these implants. Gel implants feel and look much more realistic than saline implants. There is no comparison between the two cosmetically.

MEDIA: If you would like to speak with me about the subject of silicone gel breast implants, feel free to email me at miplasticsurgeon@yahoo.com or call my office at 248-650-1900 and have me paged if it is after hours.

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

Nicole Richie

Nicole Richie has posted a denial of the recent rumor that she's had a reversal of a reported gastric bypass surgery. According to her MySpace account:

So i gain a little bit of weight, and im acussed of having a gastric bypass surgery reversed? Its pathetic of Page Six to insinuate i have done this. Anyone that knows anything about this surgery would know that legally, you must be AT LEAST 100 pounds overweight to even have the surgery done, and is a serious, life changing procedure; not one to throw around as a joke or a rumor. Ive statement I am in the process of putting on weight, and that should be enough. Its a shame to hear that instead of hearing supportive words, someone needs to spin it into some negative, absurd way.

To my knowledge, gastric bypass surgery is not performed on anyone who isn't morbidly obese. Therefore, this rumor about her supposed gastric bypass is probably as true as the rumor of Britney Spears' post-C-Section tummy tuck.

Extreme Makeover: Hello...and Goodbye!

The ABC television show "Extreme Makeover" has returned to national TV...only to be yanked off the air after one episode. It had one low-rated airing this past Friday night, and has since been cancelled. How could this be?
Plastic surgery has now evolved from the at-times-hideous display of completely changing how someone looks. Good plastic surgery now involves more natural results, hidden scars, and above all, retaining the essence of who a person is. Most patients don't want to look like someone else. They want to look like a better version of themselves. That's what the top plastic surgeons now strive to do, not create a Barbie Doll carbon copy of the same "The Swan" contestant with over-arched eyebrows, DD breasts, plumped up lips, and long, flowing hair.
If I had a patient who looked in the mirror after surgery, put their hands to the side of their face like Macaulay Culkin in "Home Alone" and started screaming at the top of their lungs, I would be a tad bit concerned.
There still remains at least one major plastic surgery reality show on the air. "Extreme Makeover" is no "Dr. 90210."

Celebrities Looking Better with Age?

Some celebrities seem to look better with age. Is it from better hair? Losing the baby fat? More shaped brows? Or possibly plastic surgery? There is a website which looks at this, focusing on a number of famous stars. Sharon Osbourne is one of them. She has admitted to quite a few plastic surgeries to look better (including a gastric band to lose weight). Otherwise, Nicole Kidman appears to have a classic Botox brow and Celine Dion may have fixed her gummy smile. They all look better!

Story credit: cosmetic makeovers

Cameron Diaz

Cameron Diaz has recently admitted to W magazine that she wants to get her nose fixed, but not for cosmetic reasons:
“I’m getting it fixed. I can’t take it. I cannot breathe at all,” says Diaz, who broke her nose for the fourth time while surfing a few years ago. “One side of my nose is totally shattered – my septum is basically like a train derailed.”

In the above photo you can see that her nose is crooked to the right. It is often caused by trauma to the septum, which is the cartilage and bone that separates the two nasal airways. I bet that if you plugged her left nostril with your finger she wouldn't be able to breathe through the right nostril. It is often fixed by removing the cartilage that is deviated and breaking the bone back over. Insurances often pay for it if it is bad enough.

The actress – who costars with Jude Law in the upcoming romantic comedy The Holiday – also admits that getting older has had one major drawback: She can no longer scarf down junk food with wild abandon.

“I used to be able to eat anything I wanted and then go right to bed. Fried chicken, onion rings, half a bottle of wine,” she says. “As you get older, your insides rebel. You’ve asked so much of them for so many years, and then they just go, ‘Uh-uh, bi-atch! Gonna eat cheese fries? See how you sleep!’ And you’re tossing and turning all night.”

I'm in my mid-30's and would echo that sentiment exactly. I can no longer drink more than a glass of wine without feeling the ill effects throughout next day. I guess it's the curse of getting older...

Source: icydk.com

Celeb Boobalution

There is a new site called Celeb Boobalution which displays the breasts of various Hollywood women (clothed and unclothed) and allows the reader a chance to guess whom they belong to. Check it out to test your knowledge of celebrity figures. They plan to add male chests in the future as well...

Story credit: plasticized.com

Lindsay Lohan - breast implants?

In a recent post, I quote Lindsay Lohan as saying "I like my breasts the way they are. I read that I had breast implants and that I'd had my lips done too, which is such b*****t."
Here are some before and after photos. It looks like some plastic surgery to me. You make your own judgement.

Photo source: In Touch (breast photos), Life and Style (lips)

To view a video of a breast augmentation I performed for Fox News, click here.

Kate Beckinsale

Good Plastic Surgery.com (The sister site to Awful Plastic Surgery) is reporting that Kate Beckinsale may have had her breast implants revised. There are numerous photos on the internet which show what appear to be capsular contractures of her previous breast implants. This is what happens when the body creates excessive scar tissue around breast implants, causing them to look round and hard. It happens to a small percentage of women, although in the past upwards of 80% of women with first generation silicone gel implants developed this dreaded complication. The 'after' photos show a considerably smaller bust.
Breast implants or not, she is a classic Hollywood beauty. I especially liked her in "Serendipity" with John Cusack.

Liposuction on a 12 Year Old

There is a story out of Texas about a 12 year old girl who is reportedly the youngest person ever to get liposuction. It was performed for weight loss purposes, since she was morbidly obese and was not able to lose weight with more traditional methods like diet and exercise. Her surgeon, Dr. Robert Ersek, who calls himself "the biggest fat sucker in Texas," lived up to his moniker when he liposuctioned 35 pounds of fat from Brooke's arms, back and upper midsection in March and removed another 10 pounds — most of it skin — in May by doing a tummy tuck.
Ersek acknowledged it was "a mega amount" of fat and "off the scale," but he is not alone in doing large-volume liposuction or in doing the procedure for weight loss. He cites other plastic surgeons who agree with him in a 2004 book he co-authored, "Mega Lipo."

I have two main problems with this.
First, liposuction or tummy tucks on a pre-teen are just plain wrong. Children who are 12 years old do not have the mental maturity to be able to make the decision to have elective plastic surgery performed on them. This is a decision that she will have to live with for the rest of her life. Also, if I were to perform cosmetic plastic surgery on a child my wife (a pediatrician) would kill me.
Second, liposuction is not a procedure for weight loss. It is a procedure that is best used for body contouring in order to get rid of areas of fat which are not amenable to diet and exercise. 35 pounds of fat is roughly 15 liters. Any surgeon knows that removal of 15 liters from a person's body will create massive fluid and electrolyte shifts which could make a person very sick. I stop my liposuction amount at approximately 5 liters (or 10 lbs), which is, I believe, the recommendation from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

I once had an Asian mom call me up to inquire about cosmetic blepharoplasty on her son. I asked her how old he was. She told me he was 7. Yes, SEVEN! I asked her, "Do you think he has the maturity to make a decision to have plastic surgery?"
She answered, "He tells me he wants the surgery all the time."
I couldn't believe that this mom would even consider plastic surgery for her child. He was not deformed, either, but wanted a "double fold" to look more caucasian. I didn't know who to feel more sorry for: the kid who at age 7 had self-image problems, or his mom who must go through life as a complete tool.

Story credit: statesman.com

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Avril Lavigne

Has Avril Lavigne had a rhinoplasty? Life and Style Weekly has recently reported that she may have had her nose reshaped. This could have been part of the makeover she's undergone after signing a contract with Ford Modeling.

Story credit: Cosmetic Makeovers

Would you like to be on TV?

If any of my readers has an interesting plastic surgery story they think would make for good television, email me at miplasticsurgeon@yahoo.com. You must be willing to appear on live television to tell your story to a national audience. Some examples include: plastic surgery addiction, body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), or even feel-good stories about how plastic surgery has changed your life. I often get inquiries from national media looking for people who'd be interested in sharing their stories.

Plastic surgery to look bad?

A woman in China recently attempted to get plastic surgery to look worse, in order to woo back her boyfriend who thought she looked so pretty that he would eventually lose her. Here's the story from chinadaily.com:

Woman forsakes her beautiful face

A young woman from Chongqing sought plastic surgery to make her face less attractive recently, after being crossed in love.

The 23-year-old woman's sweetheart left her weeks ago to stay with another woman. Although the two had been in love for six years, her ex-boyfriend feared that her too-beautiful face might lure many other men and thus he didn't feel safe staying with her.

She came to hate all men after being courted by many others, prompting her desire for the surgery. But the doctors refused to co-operate, saying she had a mental disorder and needed to seek help from psychotherapists.

Good thing that her surgeons refused to operate on her. I have seen some pretty crazy things in this field, but plastic surgery for the sole purpose to make someone look unattractive may take the cake. I acknowledge that some people do look worse after bad plastic surgery, but I doubt that that was the purpose (except in the case of Michael Jackson and BDD patients).

Barbra Streisand

Barbra Streisand is looking a bit droopy lately. It's nothing a breast lift (mastopexy) couldn't help. Unfortunately, breast lifts are not perfect surgeries since they create significant scars on the breast. The scars usually go around the areola, vertically down to the under-breast crease, and sometimes under the breast as well. The scars usually fade with time, but it can take 1-2 years.
Some patients get breast lifts with implants (augmentation mastopexy), but the implants are only necessary if the patient wants her breast to be larger.
I do believe that Star Jones and Carnie Wilson both had breast lifts with implants. I wouldn't recommend implants for Barbra. Her breasts are big enough!

Photo credit: kurlander.blogspot.com

Tara Reid on Awful Plastic Surgery

Tara Reid was on the Today show today talking about her plastic surgery experience. It's a nice interview. She is really doing the public a service to let them know that there are people out there doing plastic surgery who are not real plastic surgeons. Even in my geographic vicinity, there is a plethora of doctors who perform plastic surgery who have no formal plastic surgery training at all. It's extremely frustrating to see so many of their complications. Most of them could have been prevented had the surgery been performed by a competent plastic surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. There's a reason I don't perform tonsillectomies, treat diabetes, or remove cataracts. I don't perform surgeries I haven't been properly trained to do. I wish other doctors in town would do the same.

Here is a link to the Today show site. Scroll down to find the link to the video of the interview.

Demi Moore

Demi Moore has reportedly had her knees done. According to the Daily Mail, the star has reportedly been unhappy with how her knees looked and recently had them surgically altered. Here is their story (abridged):

Despite her enviable figure, Demi Moore, 43, always had one or two things she wanted to hide away - her knees.

After her flaw was pointed out to her, the mother of three - who is very conscious that actor husband Ashton Kutcher is 15 years younger than her - asked her plastic surgeon to see what he can do.

"Demi went to Brian Novack, who has already done work on her," a source close to the actress said. "He is a fantastic surgeon and his clients don't look like they've had surgery. Demi couldn't stand it that there was any part of her that is not perfect.

"She is also sensitive about her age, although Ashton has told her a million times he doesn't care about what she looks like because he loves her.

"A lot of her friends were trying to talk her out of having more surgery. Worrying about her knees, of all things, is just silly. She's lucky that's the only part of her left to sag!"

Knees are one of the hardest areas of the body to have done because there is nowhere to conceal the scarring.

"If you cut away skin there is going to be scarring," said plastic surgeon Alex Karidis of the Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth in North London. "If you have a neck lift you can hide the scarring behind the ear, but the knees are one of the most exposed areas of the body.

"I would always advise my clients against having knee surgery because it is impossible to hide. And even though the scarring might not be as bad as the sagging, it will be a telltale sign that you have had surgery."

The surgery added another £5,000 to the £220,000 tally of improving her body. Among the work she has allegedly had is liposuction to her hips, thighs and stomach, estimated to have cost £16,000, a £9,500 breast implant operation and £20,000 of work on her face.

After a string of film flops in the late Nineties and a difficult break up with her husband of 11 years, Bruce Willis, Miss Moore has enjoyed a comeback since having the main work done nearly four years ago.

What cosmetic surgeons believe Demi has had done:

• Liposuction to her hips, inner and outer thighs and stomach - £16,000
• Beast implants for 1996 film Striptease - £11,000
• Subsequent operation to reduce her breast implants and have a breast lift - £9,500
• Brow lift - £3,600
• Chemical facial skin peel - £10,000
• Collagen injections (per course) - £200
• Teeth veneered and laser whitening - £6,200
• A long-term diet and fitness routine, including nutritionist, personal trainer, yoga instructor and kick-boxing champion - £165,000
• Knees surgery - £5,000


Total: £226,500

I haven't checked the exchange rates in years, but last time I was in the UK, a U.S. dollar was worth about half a British pound. That puts the total amount she's estimated to have spent around $400,000! I would doubt some of the amount above, as a chemical peel should not cost 10,000 pounds and liposuction 16,000 pounds. If that was the case, I would retire at age 40!

Lindsay Lohan

Lindsay Lohan has expressly denied having a breast augmentation. According to Showbiz News:

The 'Georgia Rule' actress - was reported to have had her breasts surgically enhanced after recently being photographed with a fuller cleavage - is fed up with the constant speculation about whether she has gone under the knife to boost her bust.

She is quoted as saying: "I like my breasts the way they are. I read that I had breast implants and that I'd had my lips done too, which is such b*****t."

The 'Mean Girls' star - who has previously been dogged by anorexia rumours - insists she has never been happier with her body.
She said: "I feel great. I like having a shape."

I'm likely one of the plastic surgeons she has read about. The photos I've examined from national magazines are pretty convincing, especially in regards to the lips. Breast augmentation, however, can be difficult to determine due to all the nice push-up bras nowadays.
It's like that 90's song by C&C Music Factory: Things That Make You Go Hmm....

Sharon Osbourne

Sharon Osbourne is planning to have her gastric band removed. A gastric band is a band placed around the stomach to make it smaller. This causes the person to feel full quicker, and therefore eat less.

According to the Associated Press:
Osbourne, who has written a memoir, "Sharon Osbourne Extreme," had surgery in 1999 to have the gastric band put inside her, but intends to shed it in December (when she returns to the U.S. from Britain). Though the band is designed to limit food intake by squeezing down the stomach's capacity, she packed on 15 pounds this year, she says, "from overeating."

"I keep trying to eat more and more ... I'm a pig," says Osbourne, who has indulged in "chocolate, French fries and junk food" instead of sticking to the nutritious diet required of gastric-band patients.

What happens when she eats too much? "You throw up...then you eat more," she says.
Hopefully she can keep her appetite in check after the band is removed. The gastric band is a nice alternative to gastric bypass surgery. The recovery isn't as difficult, the surgery is reversible (as far as I know), and it doesn't seem as risky as gastric bypass. Weight loss doesn't seem to occur quite as fast as with gastric bypass as well, which may actually be a good thing.
I have operated on several people who have had gastric banding, lost a lot of weight (80-120 lbs), and then needed a tummy tuck to remove excess skin. There are some plastic surgeons who focus solely on treating people with massive weight loss.

Story and photo credit: www.washingtonpost.com

Eva Longoria

From chinadaily.com:
Eva Longoria has said she would never have plastic surgery - because she has a phobia of needles.

The Desperate Housewives star does not have a moral issue with cosmetic alterations, however, and does not necessarily look down on those who choose to do it.

"It's not that I'm against people who do it, but I'm terrified of needles," she told Maxim. "I've seen those shows with the operations. The sound of the chisel! Aaah! I almost passed out. No thank you. Egg white omlettes, some exercise and some eye cream is fine for now."

She looks great and shouldn't have any plastic surgery done anyways. When women who look like her come to my office I tell them to take care of their skin (Obagi products are amazing) and consider non-invasive treatments like lunchtime lasers, or maybe some Botox.

Dave Navarro

Dave Navarro...hasn't had any plastic surgery that I can tell. I have a lot of respect for Mr. Navarro and call myself a fan. He's a guitar legend and one of the key members of Jane's Addiction. He also has a pretty rad (80's term) goatee. One thing I have learned as a plastic surgeon is that men often wear goatees to cover up a small chin or a double chin. In the same way, women often wear bangs to cover up wrinkles of the forehead. I believe that Dave Navarro is no different. He does appear to have a smallish chin, termed microgenia, which is hidden by his goatee. A chin augmentation would be great for him, as it would give him a much stronger jawline. I would place a large size solid silicone implant through the inside of the mouth. This creates no visible scars, and heals very quickly. Then he could shave off the flavor-saver and get on with rocking out with his new band, Panic Channel.

Dr. Youn on Ashlee Simpson in In Touch Weekly

Has Ashlee Simpson had more plastic surgery? The latest issue of In Touch Weekly focuses on this, and presents some of my comments on her possible latest work. We all know she had a rhinoplasty, which is confirmed by her surgeon, Dr. Raj Kanodia. He, like me, is an alumnus of the Dr. 90210 TV show. For the record, there is a distinct possibility she has had a chin reduction procedure (called a genioplasty) and an endoscopic browlift.
A genioplasty is a fairly invasive, painful surgery which I do not perform regularly. It basically entails breaking the chin and setting the bone back to make it look smaller.
An endoscopic browlift is a procedure I perform quite often. It is a minimally invasive surgery in which the surgeon makes small incisions in the scalp and uses fiberoptic cameras to release the forehead and pull it upward. It is contrasted with the sometimes ghastly old-fashioned forehead lift, where an incision is made across the scalp, from ear to ear. It can be very visible in some people, especially if they go bald.

Tara Reid's Surgeon - Dr. Steve Svehlak

Tara Reid and her plastic surgery "nightmare" is the cover story of the latest US magazine. She goes in detail about the various problems with her first plastic surgery, with the following quotes from USmagazine.com:

On why she had plastic surgery in the first place:
“I got my breasts done for the first time because my breasts were uneven. I was a 34-B, but the right one was always bigger than the left. I weigh 110 pounds now, but I always used to fluctuate by 10 pounds, so my skin was kind of saggy. I figured, I’m in Hollywood, I’m getting older, I’m going to fix them.”

On what went wrong:
“First of all, I asked for big Bs, and he did not give me big Bs. He gave me Cs, and I didn’t want them. At all. Right after the surgery, I had some bumps along the edges of my nipples, but the doctor said, ‘Don’t worry, it’s going to be better.’ But after six months of ‘it’s going to get better,’ it started to get worse and worse.”

On being intimate:
"Guys I was dating would be like, ‘What’s wrong with them? They look really bad. You know, you should really get them fixed.’ So embarrassing. I mean, you definitely need to turn off the lights, that’s for sure.”

On getting lipo:
"I got lipo because even though I was skinny, I wanted – I’m not going to lie – a six-pack. I had body contouring, but it all went wrong. My stomach became the most ripply, bulgy thing.”



A very good friend of mine (and former associate during my time in Beverly Hills), Dr. Steve Svehlak was identified as the surgeon who fixed her previous unsatisfactory work. She states that he helped "get her confidence back."
Liposuction which is performed overly aggressively or in the wrong tissue plane can create unsightly bulges and depressions. It is most often seen in the tummy and outer thigh areas. I have corrected many of these myself, usually coming from local cosmetic surgeons who are not board-certified plastic surgeons. I believe that the attempt to create a "six pack" using liposuction (called "etching" makes no sense at all. Some surgeons will try this to make the fat look like muscle. Unfortunately, fat is not muscle and will sag with time. No one wants to have a saggy, fat-filled six pack. Eventually that six pack of Heineken bottles will turn into a six pack of Milwaukee's Best in a can. It is bound for ultimate failure.
Anyone on the West Coast who is interested in a world-class plastic surgeon, visit Dr. Svehlak's website at sunsetcosmeticsurgery.com. He's a great guy and outstanding surgeon. Let him know I sent you. OK...enough of the plug.

Lil Kim...Big Mess

What the heck is going on with Lil Kim's face? It seems that the recently parolled rapper has lost more than a few months of her life while spending time in prison for perjury. She appears to have also lost her mind. Her face looks distinctly like Priscilla Presley's now, except even worse. Her brow is overly elevated (the result of a possible endoscopic browlift), her nose has been whittled down to become Jackson-esque, and her cheeks resemble that of a blowfish. She appears to have had either excessive fat grafting or massive cheek implants, placed by a cosmetic surgeon who either didn't know what he or she was doing, or unfortunately didn't care. She used to be such a pretty woman too. She appears to me to be a classic case of Body Dysmorphic Disorder combined with a plastic surgery addiction. Somebody needs to stop her before she is mistaken for an alien.

Photo credit: dlisted.com

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Dr. 90210

The new season of the E! Dr. 90210 television show began this week...and I have no part in it! While they were only in my old L.A. office for the first season, they have returned to my former office this season to focus on two young guys who took my place: Dr. Gary Motykie and Dr. John Diaz. Dr. Motykie is the one who actually filled my spot when I decided to leave L.A. to return to my home state of Michigan two years ago. Both are good guys who have a great mentor in Dr. Richard Ellenbogen, one of the top Beverly Hills plastic surgeons over the last twenty-five years. I have a feeling that Dr. Diaz and Dr. Motykie's single, footloose-and-fancy-free lifestyles will showcase better than my current married with a small child lifestyle. Ah.. life goes on...

To view a clip from my appearance on the first season of Dr. 90210, click here.

Kimberly Stewart

In Touch Magazine is reporting that Kimberly Stewart appears to have had her breast implants removed. I seem to remember her having them removed some time before??

Pamela Anderson

Click for photo link

What is going on with Pamela Anderson's nipples? I believe it is a result of scar tissue from peri-areolar (scar around the areola) breast augmentation surgery. With the alleged numerous breast implant surgeries she has had, it makes sense that she may have developed some scar tissue around her areolas and nipples. This can cause the nipple to project downward or look a bit odd. Peri-areolar breast augmentation is not my favorite way to perform the surgery (although I do it that way in patients who desire it), but it is a very popular technique on the West Coast.

Photo credit: celebritysmack.blogspot.com

Victoria Beckham

Victoria Beckham (a.k.a. Posh Spice) has been blog fodder for months, mainly focusing on her oh-so-obvious breast implants. The excessive roundness that she displays is very consistent with breast implants which are high profile (rounder than traditional discus-shaped implants), overfilled, and likely on top of the muscle. When the native breast tissue disappears due to a low body fat percentage, there is nothing covering the implants but skin. This causes the shape of the implants (round) to be very apparent. In addition, some women who start out with no breast tissue at all (AA cup) have their implants literally make up their entire breast. This also predisposes to a less natural result. Of note, because she is British, there is a distinct chance she has the silicone gel implants which are not allowed to be placed in this country outside of government studies. No matter, she was always my favorite Spice Girl.

Photo credit: hollywoodtuna.com

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Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones in 25 years

Worth1000.com recently posted this photo which depicts an artist's rendition of Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones in 25 years. While she has aged well, he, unfortunately, has some facial gauntness issues. Nothing a little facial fat grafting wouldn't fix!
On a side note, from what I've seen, it appears to me that he's had at least two facelifts in the past...

Photo credit: plasticized.com

World's first penis transplant

The world's first penis transplant was performed in China recently. Unfortunately, it was removed after just two weeks because he and his wife had difficulty accepting it. Reports say that it remained too swollen, although there were no signs of organ rejection.
Those crazy Chinese!
Story link: news.yahoo.com

Dr. Youn Interview on Marketing Shift.com

I was recently interviewed by Jason Dowdell of MarketingShift.com regarding this very blog. Here is a link to the interview. For those of you who are interested in my thoughts about this blog and my all-too-brief appearance on the television show "Dr. 90210," feel free to check it out. Thank you to Jason and MarketingShift.com for acknowledging us!

Britney Spears

Has Britney Spears had a tummy tuck? NW Magazine is reporting that she had a tummy tuck after the birth of her second child, who was born on September 12th. Could this be true?
I sincerely doubt it. As anyone who's had a baby knows, it takes several months for the uterus (and tummy) to shrink back to normal size. No plastic surgeon in their right mind would perform a tummy tuck on a woman so soon after giving birth. It just would not make sense. Her optimal result would happen after the uterus and abdomen get closer to normal size, when it would become more apparent how loose her skin and underlying muscle will be.
Abdominoplasties are not short-cuts to decreasing the size of the tummy after giving birth. Her tummy would be much too swollen for the surgery to be performed so soon after spitting out the spawn of K-Fed. Unless she found some disreputable, know-nothing surgeon to perform this procedure on her, this rumor has "false" written all over it.

Photo and story credit: thebosh.com

David Hasselhoff

David Hasselhoff has admitted to using Botox. According to a post in HollyScoop.com, he said, "I have had Botox, everyone has. It's a shot. It takes out the frown. I haven't had that in a year. I take pride in that. I look great. I am going to keep this natural until I have to. I like Clint Eastwood, he waited until he was 75. He looks damn good."
More and more men are admitting to Botox, such as the Hoff and Patrick Dempsey. I even perform it regularly on my father-in-law. Somehow, however, I doubt that Clint Eastwood is getting Botox. I haven't taken a good look at him, but I don't see him doing it. The Hoff doesn't surprise me though. I wonder what Kitt would think?

Beyonce Knowles

Has Beyonce had a breast augmentation? This photo shows what might be evidence of a breast augmentation through the armpit. Breast implants can be placed most commonly through the armpit, underneath the breast, and around the areola. The implants are often placed through the armpit in people with darker skin, as this area is known to be resistant to keloid formation. Unfortunately, some people can develop a band of scar tissue which extends between the armpit scar and the breast implant pocket. It can even create a pulling sensation, and resemble a band such as may be seen here.

Photo credit: perezhilton.com

To view a video of a breast augmentation I performed for Fox News, click here.

Courtney Cox

With all the talk about Jessica Simpson admitting to having Restylane injections (and not liking them), check out the latest post on Good Plastic Surgery.com. They have photos of Courtney Cox with a set of plumped up lips which look pretty good.
The key to a set of nicely-augmented lips is maintaining the natural lip proportions. In most people, the lower lip is 1.5 times the size of the upper lip. Many surgeons tend to overaugment the upper lip, creating an unnatural appearance which can be spotted by virtually anybody. This can be seen in people like Meg Ryan, Lisa Rinna, Melanie Griffith, and Mick Jagger (ha!).

Brooke Shields

Brooke Shields has recently commented that she would not have plastic surgery due to her "claustrophobia." She stated, "I tried, like, Botox in my forehead... I got so claustrophobic. I would get claustrophobia if I had breast implants. I'd be like, 'Get them out, get them out.' My husband's very upset about that though. "It's a very foreign, man-made object in your body... I'm also attached to my face. It's been around in the public eye for so long."
Now, I get claustrophobic myself when lying in the bottom bunk of a bunkbed or trying to sleep in "couchettes" when riding the trains in Europe, but I've never had a patient complain about claustrophobia with plastic surgery.

Story and photo credit: contactmusic.com

Jessica Simpson

Jessica Simpson admits to having lip injections. In a recent interview with Glamour magazine, Jessica stated:
“I had that Restylane stuff... It looked fake to me. I didn’t like that. But…it went away in, like, four months. My lips are back to what they were. Thank God!”
Shocking. Check out my previous post in February 2nd to see what I thought of it then. I actually do know what I'm writing about! Most of the time...

Steffi Graf

Has Steffi Graf had a rhinoplasty? I've been watching her husband, Andre Agassi, and his last run at a major title this past week. It was sad to see him retire, as he was the last of his era of great American tennis players (with Pete Sampras, Jim Courier, Michael Chang, Brad Gilbert, and even Todd Martin). Andre has always been my tennis role model, from his days as the long-haired, acid-washed jean short wearing young punk to his latter years as an elder statesman of the game. He brought more color to the game of tennis than just about anyone else before or after him (including Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe).
That brings us to Steffi. She looks fantastic. Has she had her nose done? I do believe so. Her nose does not appear as prominent as it used to be, and no longer seems to overtake the other, more attractive features of her face. It appears to be thinned out a bit and possibly shorter as well. A good rhinoplasty takes the emphasis of the nose away from the face, allowing other features to stand out. I wish them both the best in retirement. I hope that Andre's back gets better and he joins the "older guys" circuit someday as I'd like to see him play again.

Bad Plastic Surgery in Mexico

There is a fascinating slideshow on MSNBC detailing one woman's experience having plastic surgery at a clinic in Mexico. It's a bit graphic, so be prepared. Unfortunately, more and more people are going to other countries to have work done, since it is often cheaper to do it outside the U.S.
One of the plastic surgeons I used to work with was once doing a rhinoplasty on a patient who had had it done previously in the Phillipines. He ended up pulling a plastic toothbrush handle out of her nose, which the Fillipino plastic surgeon apparently put in.
It's worth it to pay a bit more for safety. Always find a Board-certified Plastic Surgeon who works only out of respected hospitals or accredited surgery facilities.

Story credit: cosmeticsurgerytruth.blogspot.com

Celebrity breast surgery

Dr. Rob Oliver has a nice post on celebrity breast surgery in his blog Plastic Surgery 101. He comments on the different ways to fix problems with poorly done cosmetic breast surgery. I do agree with just about everything that he writes, although I am still unsure about the "Pinwheel" thing.

Charlie's Angels at the Emmys

I got a chance to watch the Emmy Awards last night. I don't watch a lot of TV, but am hooked on a few reality shows, in addition to Scrubs and Lost. Therefore, I wasn't much into the awards last night. What did catch my attention, however, was the reunion of Charlie's Angels. Wow. Back in the day, I thought Farrah was gorgeous. Now, the three of them appear to be examples of both good and bad plastic surgery.
I think that Jaclyn Smith (60 years old) looks fantastic. She looks like an older Katherine McPhee. Although I haven't seen her (or a photo of her) in a few years, it appears that she's had a facelift with fat grafting (my specialty - the Volumetric Facelift). That's why I think her face looks the "softest" of the three. Her skin is tight, but not too tight (see Kate Jackson) and she doesn't have the gauntness of Farrah.
I've always said that good plastic surgery is so good that you can't tell it's been done. She doesn't have any of the telltale signs of plastic surgery that I could see last night, except that her age gives her away. In my opinion, that's good work.

Photo and story credit: perezhilton.com

Cindy Crawford

Cindy Crawford has recently admitted to using plastic surgery to help her maintain her beautiful looks. She told Gala magazine that, "I'm not going to lie to myself: past a certain age, creams work on the texture of your skin but, in order to restore elasticity, all I can really count on is vitamin injections, Botox and collagen."
She also admits, "I have a very simple, healthy life, which works miracles. I drink a lot of water, watch what I eat and exercise. 'But I owe the quality of my skin to my cosmetic surgeon."
It's refreshing to hear such a prominent supermodel admit to needing help to look the way she does. It is too bad that more celebrities don't come out and admit the work they've had done, as I do believe that plastic surgery is more common than most people think. Although it is not for everyone, it doesn't have the stigma today that it had 20 years ago. This is most obvious on the coasts and in larger, more "hip" cities such as Miami and Las Vegas, not to mention my hometown of Greenville, Michigan...

Story credit: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=402085&in_page_id=1773

Jack Russell from Great White

It's been a quiet weekend for celebrity plastic surgery, so I thought I'd slip in a recent story which I haven't yet. Jack Russell, the lead singer of the 80's hair band Great White has admitted to having a facelift to the TV show Extra. He wanted to get rid of the "turkey neck" and stated: "Most of my friends go ;Have you lost weight?' `Yeah, about 10 pounds in the face.'"
If I were him, I'd focus on two other things too. First would be doing everything I could to continue to support the families of the nearly 100 people who died in the tragic nightclub fire of 2003. Second would be changing my name to something a little less canine-sounding. Maybe Doc Sund?
In all seriousness, some people think that facelifts tighten the skin of the entire face. Actually, traditional facelifts only tighten up the lower face and the neckline. They do nothing to the forehead, and usually only a minimal amount to the cheeks. I call these traditional muscle-tightening facelifts "lower facelifts" to differentiate them from the Volumetric Facelift, which also treats the cheeks and under the eyes.

Photo credit: vh1.com
Story credit: http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/great%20white%20star%20has%20a%20facelift_25_05_2006

Breast implant saves a life

This has nothing to do with celebrities, but I thought it was a great story to tell. A 24 year old Isreali woman was recently struck with shrapnel during the Hizbullah/Israeli conflict. Pieces of the shrapnel were found imbedded in her silicone breast implants, just inches from her heart. A hospital spokesman announced that the implants "saved" her "from death."
Who says plastic surgery can't save a life?

Story credit: plasticsurgery101.blogspot.com

David Copperfield

According to Newsmax.com, David Copperfield alleges that he's found the fountain of youth. He bought a cluster of small islands in the Bahamas for $50 million, and states that things which are nearly dead come into contact with the water and are restored back to life. They appear to bestow perpetual youth. He's inviting biologists to study it, but has not invited visitors to drink from or swim in it. I wonder if it was Dick Clark who sold it to him prior to his stroke last year? Maybe this solves the dilemma of how Keith Richards can still be alive and playing guitar...

Story credit: http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2006/8/15/200630.shtml by way of plasmetic.com

Prince Harry

It looks like Prince Harry has found out what a breast implant feels like. The former Swastika-wearing prince was photographed at a London nightclub trying to get to second base. What a tool.

Story credit: celebritysmack.com

Nicole Richie

Photo removed at general request by x17online.com

Nicole Richie needs to eat some more food. I am all for being in shape, but she is WAY too skinny. There are some people who naturally have such a revved up metabolism that they are really thin like this. Nicole, however, has been heavier and I am afraid she is anorexic, eating only roots and shrubs. Somebody should help her! HELLO? Lionel?

Story and photo credit: celebrity smack blog and x17online.com

Liposuction at Home = Death

Liposuction at home = Death. A report out of Boston reveals that a Brazilian man and his wife were caught performing liposuction in the basement of a condominium after one of their patients died. Apparently, these two wackos were convincing people in the community to have liposuction by them, claiming that he was a plastic surgeon.
It is an utter shame that there are people in the community who mascarade as plastic surgeons and take advantage of naive patients in order to make money. While this story is shocking, unfortunately there are physicians in most large metropolitan areas who mascarade as Board-Certified Plastic Surgeons in order to convince them to pay for plastic surgery in their offices. Here, in the metro Detroit area, there is a worrisome trend toward businesspeople starting up cosmetic surgery practices where they hire doctors to perform surgeries on people at severely reduced prices. Unfortunately, these doctors are usually not real plastic surgeons, and often perform "hack jobs" on unsuspecting patients. They often call themselves "Cosmetic Surgeons," which is a generic term for anyone who performs cosmetic surgery. The "cosmetic surgeon" could be a dermatologist, OB-Gyn, or even an ER doc. "Cosmetic surgeons" are not the same as "Plastic Surgeons." If you have interest in this topic, check out Dr. Rob Oliver's post on Plastic Surgery 101.

Extreme Makeover and the Swan

I was excited to see the first episode of the new Extreme Makeover this past Thursday night on ABC. Unfortunately, ABC cancelled it at the last minute and instead broadcast reruns of Gray's Anatomy. Bummer. Although I am partial to E!'s Dr. 90210, I do hope ABC finds a spot on their schedule for this show. I am not as fond of the Swan, which I thought was more of a freakshow. This was filmed during the time I was practicing in Beverly Hills. At the time I heard rumors of major complications in some of the Swan's contestants, who had apparently been overoperated on. This information never made it to the show's broadcast. Although I haven't heard official word about this, I do believe that the Swan's propensity to make everyone look the same (Overarched eyebrows, long curly hair, big lips, large chest, and tiny waist) was a bit disturbing. It is important to retain some of the characteristics that make each of us unique, otherwise everyone will end up looking like Brad Pitt and Pamela Anderson (or Burt Reynolds and Joan Rivers).

Gwyneth Paltrow

Gwyneth Paltrow has commented that she's considering plastic surgery due to the damage her two childbirths have caused. The Sun claims Paltrow has told pals, "My stomach is rippling, my breast don't feel good. I've been trying to work it out. I want to do something about it....It is such a lot of hard work. And I've been breastfeeding, which has been causing me so much problems. My breasts feel so sore."

A large percentage of the women who have plastic surgery have it done to correct changes caused by having children. Pregnancy itself can result in loose skin and muscle of the tummy, which can be corrected by a tummy tuck. Breast feeding can cause the breasts to decrease in size and sag. This can be corrected by a breast lift, with or without implants. Unfortunately, none of these surgeries is scarless, although if done properly the scars can be well-hidden.

Celebrities, even the most glamorous of them, are normal people just like everyone else. I recommend my patients to wait at least 6 months after breastfeeding to have breast surgery, and 6 months after childbirth for a tummy tuck.

Story and photo credit: uk.news.yahoo.com