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Did you ever notice the girls seem to be getting all of the wrinkle reducing advice?  Is it just me or do you think it’s unfair that the ‘fine line’ reducing ads are focused on only the ladies?  Hey, the men want to look younger and more refreshed, too!  Those days of the weathered, rugged, hunk are over – 2012 is the year of the smooth, polished male.  And you know what is helping men bring out the best in their skin?  Bro-tox. “Botox Cosmetic for men”

Yes, I did say Bro-tox.  Botox Cosmetic for the boys.  The Botox Cosmetic injections work the same as it does for the ladies, temporarily blocking nerve impulses to targeted muscles between the eyes and on the forehead.  The procedure takes only a few minutes in our cosmetic surgeon’s office and has virtually no downtime.  You can be back to work that afternoon.  The results begin to show in about 5-10 days, but it takes about two weeks for the full effects to be delivered. 

You have spent the last year deciding on the perfect procedure to help you look your absolute best.  Now that it is time to schedule your appointment – it is very important to do extensive research on your potential cosmetic surgeon. Why would you simply go to the first cosmetic surgeon that you find in the phone book?  You will have to live with the results for years to come, so picking your cosmetic surgeon should be more than just an afterthought. 

So how DO you pick the best cosmetic surgeon?  Here are some quick and easy tips:

Make sure your physician is board certified in plastic surgery, not something else. 

• You do not want a board certified psychiatrist or a board certified dermatologist performing your liposuction.  
• Sites such as: The American Board of Medical Specialties, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, and The State of Texas Medical Board can tell you if your doctor is board certified in plastic surgery and other valuable information.

Obagi Medical has long been known for its deep penetrating Obagi Blue Peel that is used to reduce dark brown spots, acne, scarring and deep lines.  Although the peel gives great results in just one treatment, it is also known for its long social downtime due to the blue tint it leaves on the skin for a couple of days, followed by 10 days of peeling.  The Obagi Blue Peel provides amazing results with brighter, more healthy skin however many patients are unable to accommodate the downtime.

That is why it’s so exciting to announce that Obagi Medical has recently introduced their newest peel, Blue Radiance, offering a much lighter peel to patients that want great skin but are willing to take it slow.  Obagi Blue Radiance uses a blend of salicylic, lactic and glycolic acids, as well as other ingredients to gently exfoliate the uppermost damaged layers of skin.  The Blue Radiance offers really nice results with little to no flaking and 92% of patients reported tighter, smoother, and brighter skin after just one treatment!

Since this treatment is more superficial, it takes more treatments to get the desired results.  Typically a series of 6 treatments is recommended and are performed every 3-4 weeks depending on the patients’ needs and skin tone.  Bottom line – if you are a patient who has acne, dark spots, fine lines, uneven texture and/or large pores, and you can’t take off from work or your busy social life, Blue Radiance may be a great choice for you.  Ask your aesthetician today and see how Blue Radiance can get you excited about your skin again!

You might think that the majority of cosmetic surgery procedures are done on the Baby Boomers, those aged 51-64.  While that aging post-World War II generation accounts for about 28%, almost 43% of the patients are actually part of Generation X.  According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, this group of 31 to 45 year olds, spent over $10.1 billion in 2010, on a variety of surgical and non-invasive cosmetic procedures.

Generation X’ers seem to have a more prominent desire to look better, both for personal and professional reasons.  They have been raised with an open mind for self-improvement, and as they begin to show their age, many in Generation X are finding cosmetic surgery quite beneficial.  Today’s job market and the down economy have also left Generation X looking for something that will make them more competitive in the workplace.  While reduced frown lines or a thinner stomach won’t win you a promotion, looking healthier and more refreshed will set you apart from other candidates. 

Young or old, no one likes unsightly acne scars. Now there is a way to treat these scars effectively and safely with the use of clinical treatments.

From the age of about 20, our collagen production slows down (about 1% per year), which leaves our skin loose, sagging, and showing enlarged pores and fine lines and wrinkles. This is even worse for patients that have had acne and are left with scars. Typically the scarring is caused by picking, over exposure to sun, and steroid injections, however some skin tends to scar regardless.

Laser Genesis is a skin rejuvenation laser treatment that targets the deeper layer of the skin called the dermis, where collagen is produced. Laser Genesis evens out acne scarring and is particularly effective in combination with other treatments such as chemical peels, microdermabrasion and epidermal leveling. Great success has come in doing a series of medical microdermabrasion to remove layers of damaged skin prior to Laser Genesis. Typically this treatment is done a week to two weeks prior to Laser Genesis. It is not at all like the "salon around the corner" microdermabrasion. Grit coarseness and higher pressures are used to effectively resurface the skin. The skin is left pink for the day and it may peel in a few days. Two weeks later Laser Genesis is done to stimulate new collagen. Peels may also be used to stimulate further, especially for "ice pick" scars. These are enlarged pores and tend to run deep in the skin.

Will cosmetic surgery advance your career? Could an aesthetic overhaul give you a professional overhaul as well? The answer might very well surprise you.

In an anonymous interview with O Magazine, a 55 year old office employee turned CEO talks about her physical transformation and the impact it had on her professional life. Her long-term career had gone stagnant, her marriage had just ended, and her self-esteem was a wreck. Anonymous decided it was time for a personal make-over and scheduled an appointment with her cosmetic surgeon. She started her journey with liposuction on her thighs, followed by breast implants, and then a tummy tuck. She was so pleased with her new slim, feminine body that she decided to move on to her face with a nose job, eye lift, forehead lift, lip filler, then a full face lift.

Anonymous knows this might seem like an obscene amount of work. She says the self-esteem and personal satisfaction made it all worth the time and expense, though. A new look, and a subsequent new attitude at work, gave her one additional change in her life that she had not planned for. She started receiving promotions at work. First came one, then another, and now Anonymous is the CEO of her company! She credits the cosmetic surgery for not only making people take notice of her, but for providing her with new poise and self-assurance. As Anonymous says, "I'm the same person I was before the surgeries but with my new confidence, new opportunities have flooded my life."

Skin is our largest organ and operates as a barrier that provides physical resistance to outward stress of the elements like UV radiation, pollution, and trauma. Everyday we constantly abuse our skin, most of the time unintentionally and unknowingly.

Most of us fail to realize that constant unprotected exposure to the sun, alcohol, smoking, lack of sleep, stress and even prescription drugs run our skin through a wringer, causing cell damage, which in turn causes brown spots, fine lines, acne, and large pores to appear as well as thinning of the skin. When Retin A became known about 20 years ago, it was a remarkable find that helped with all these issues by creating new epidermal growth factors (EGF). However, the side effect that was not so appealing to most patients was that it temporarily caused mild peeling, redness, and sensitivity. Many patients were not willing or able to look like they had a peel and gave up.

As we age, there is a natural loss of facial volume.  The thinning dermal layer can make the areas under the eyes appear hallow, cheeks become sunken, and the contours of the face become shallow.  The results are a haggard look that makes us seem years older than we really are.

Vitenas Cosmetic Surgery has a variety of amazing, non-surgical facial fillers that should become every woman’s best friend.  Injectable gel fillers such as Restylane, Juvederm Injectable Gel, and Radiesse can add volume to the cheeks, improve deep folds between the corner of the nose and mouth, and add volume to your lips.  These are relatively painless, take only minutes in the exam room, and can last from six to ten months.  This type of facial filler provides some of the most affordable improvements for the thinning face.

When we're young we never worry about protecting our glowing, clear, firm skin. We think that we will never grow old and aging just won't happen to us. Well, unfortunately that's just not true.

I am turning 35 next year and I am starting to see brown spots, enlarged pores, loss of elasticity, and telangectasias (small broken capillaries). I didn't start taking care of my skin until I was about 26 years old. I never wore sunblock, washed my face with soap, and used body lotion on my face when I felt dry. Yes, I was your typical American girl, not taking care of my skin…but thinking I was.

Now that the damage is coming to the surface, I want to share with you ways that you can prevent and repair the awful sun damage that you have done or may do to your skin.

Celebrity bodies are undeniably hot. Whether it's a combination of hard work, a great cosmetic surgeon, or maybe a deal with the devil – they find a way to look breathtakingly gorgeous. So what celebrity body parts were most requested in the cosmetic surgeon's office over 2011?

Lips – You guessed it, Angelina Jolie's perfect pucker is the most sought after celebrity smile, year after year. Luscious, full lips are so sexy.

Nose – Emma Stone and Nicole Kidman hold the honor of the nicest nose – at least the most requested by women in 2011. Cute as a button, Emma and Nicole's stunning sniffer match their facial features perfectly.

Eyes – From an eyelift to Latisse for the lashes – women will do anything for beautiful, younger looking eyes. Jennifer Aniston and Keira Knightly have the most wished for peepers; they are bright, yet smoldering and seductive.

Abs – Fergie and Cameron Diaz had the most sensational six-packs of the season. Many a Tummy Tuck or Mommy Makeovers this year had these two celebrity's abs in mind.

Booty – The Butt-Lift is becoming one of the hottest cosmetic surgery procedures, in-part to the dazzling derrières of Jennifer Lopez and Beyoncé. These bountiful bottoms were the main inspiration for 2011's many buttock implants.

Breasts – Scarlet Johansen, Katy Perry, and Jessica Simpson have two things in common, spectacular breasts. Voluptuous and perky, these were the ta-ta's that motivated multitudes of women to come in for a breast augmentation this past year.

Men – Hey the men request things, too! Mark Wahlberg and Channing Tatum have the most wanted abs and Ryan Gosling has the most requested eyes. Move over ladies, time to share a seat at the cosmetic surgeon's office with the boys.