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Beyond Beauty Blog: The Surgeon's Secrets

Celebrity News, Health and Wellness, Healthy Relationships, Lifestyle

Living an Illusion

Social media’s presence in our everyday lives has done nothing but grow. Whether one prefers Instagram, FaceBook, Twitter, blogs, or vlogs, it is almost guaranteed that each and every person who has access to a smartphone or computer checks in with their online “friends” dozens of times a day. At first thought it would seem that this is good for our mental health — we are more connected, right? — but in actuality it can be very detrimental.

Take Instagram model Essena O’Neill, for example. In a very public announcement, O’Neill left Instagram — abandoning her thousands of followers. Even though she was earning up to $1,400 per sponsored post, she said the money wasn’t worth the negative effects endured from a daily addiction to comparison. Seeing others’ “perfect lives” does cause one to compare and contrast our own struggles and realities, and it can be hard to remember that what we see is only what someone else WANTS us to see. The reality can be very, very different!

Self-worth should not be measured in “likes,” and our value as a person does not equal how “pretty” or “handsome” we are. O’Neill edited her photo captions to reflect the amount of time she spent on perfecting her appearance, and many people were very surprised that her “morning look” only came about after hours of preparation.

Keeping our online identity close to our true identity is of the utmost importance, researchers say. If we stray too far from our true selves, then there is a much higher risk of social anxiety. Staying in the present moment is necessary as well, and it definitely wouldn’t hurt to put a cap on the amount of times you click over to FaceBook and Instagram! Remember that a picture can be worth a thousand words, but those words were written by someone who wanted to write a very specific book — and you don’t get the whole tale from just a page (or, should we say a photo!).

Facial Plastic Surgery

We spent HOW much?!

The results are in: Americans spent a LOT on plastic surgery! It was predicted in 2013 that more and more Americans would continue to undergo cosmetic procedures, and that that they have! The American Society of Plastic Surgeons has released new data it compiled throughout 2014, and the findings are very comprehensive. Some are old and some are new… but all are interesting!

Approximately 16 MILLION cosmetic surgery procedures were performed in 2014. This number includes cosmetic surgery (1.7 million), minimally
invasive procedures (13.9 million), and reconstructive procedures (5.8 million). Overall, this was a 3% increase from 2013, as well as the largest number that has been recorded thus far. These 16 million procedures equated to $12.9 BILLION spent: Beauty doesn’t come cheap!
As can be expected, women were the vast majority of cosmetic procedure patients (92%). For the ninth year in a row, breast augmentation was the most requested procedure. Rhinoplasty, blepharoplasty, facelifts, and liposuction were the runner-ups in the popularity contest! In terms of minimally invasive procedures, Botox and injectables reigned supreme; both women AND men love their instant results!

Speaking of men, don’t think guys didn’t visit plastic surgeons! There was an increase in men requesting cosmetic procedures, too, and rhinoplasty was the most common. Interestingly, there was an increase in lip reductions and augmentations for both men and women, and sources say this likely attributes to celebrities (Kylie Jenner, for example) and social media. Although teens and young adults make up a large majority of these platforms’ audience, they were the smallest group in terms of percentage to undergo cosmetic surgery. Middle-aged women– between the ages of 40 and 54, specifically — were the majority.

There is a reason these numbers keep growing! Even though the Fountain of Youth hasn’t officially been found, plastic surgery technology is rapidly improving. Visit an experienced plastic surgeon to find out your anti-aging options — and soon enough you will be part of next year’s growing statistics!

Diet and Supplements, Health and Wellness

So… what IS good?

Everywhere you turn, you hear a new “truth.” Whether you are searching for answers about beauty, diet, or nutrition doesn’t matter — regardless, it is almost impossible to navigate the vast number of health “experts” and their personal opinions. Why is this? Perhaps it is because the definition of “truth” has morphed from that of hard, scientific fact to personal viewpoint: What was once only fact by science is now, in fact, truth by personal science.

However, this poses a problem in the world of supplements. Whereas many consumer products claim to work or have proven results, they do not have the scientific facts to back up these claims. Although personal truths are not necessarily bad, it really depends on what you are trying to achieve. If you are searching for hard, visible results, science and/or data-driven research is the only way to find what you need.

Dr. Yagoda’s patented and PROVEN nutritional beauty supplement, BeautyScoop, is one such product backed by scientific truth. Its results were not founded by scouring the shelves of other supplements to see what people wanted (or thought they needed) but are based on results provided by double-blind and placebo-controlled trials. This assures users that what they are taking does work — no matter which way you look at it.

When searching the shelves of supplements, skip over ones that have been molded to fit the current, socially-constructed truths that pass in and out of fashion. Long-term consumer results are born out of long-term testing and experimental results!

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Integrative Beauty

Going to the beach for Labor Day? Be camera ready!

Are you traveling to the beach this upcoming weekend for one summer last hurrah? If so, here are three things you can do to look like a camera-ready celebrity, straight from beauty expert  Dr. Michelle Yagoda:

1.  Hair:  Did you know that hand lotion is a great frizz tamer and curl setter? That’s right! Just put some in your hands, rub them together and apply it to your hair when you get out of the pool or shower. You’ll have cover-girl glamorous, beach tousled hair in an instant.

2. Nails:  While not necessarily safe for everyday use, there’s nothing quite like a gel manicure and/or gel pedicure to keep your nails in tiptop, shiny shape — even through sand and salt!

3. Eyes:  Here’s a secret tip recently learned by Dr. Yagoda from celebrity make up artist extraordinaire, Julie Morgan! Apply Chantecaille black eyeliner pen to line your upper lid (she said it was nearly indelible… and it is day five and counting!). Next, glue Ardell short flare lashes with duo lash glue in black to your upper eyelid (or, have a professional makeup artist do it for you!). Then, leave it there for up to two weeks! Voila! Who knew? You can wash your face each evening and even wash the eye shadow off of the upper eyelids. According to Julie, this will last for a full two weeks!

Facial Plastic Surgery, Facial Plastics

Dermatologist or Plastic Surgeon? Who exactly is to blame for the “overdone” look?

Dermatologist or Plastic Surgeon?

Why is it that almost everyone is okay with going to the dermatologist — there are even celebrity “derms” that people clamor for! — but many are self-conscious about seeing a plastic surgeon? Perhaps this is because the media portrays dermatologists as miracle workers who “fix” all sorts of skin and cosmetic issues! Magazine editors and celebrities note that it has become de rigeur to have a dermatologist on speed dial — especially once you’ve hit 30!  On the other hand, the media portrays plastic surgeons as the ones to avoid.  After all, it’s the plastic surgeons who provide unnatural and sometimes even downright scary results, right?

Well, let’s examine this media myth a bit more closely!  Wherein lies the truth?  Who is it that is making the majority of the overly-plumped cheeks, the bobble-head faces, and the frozen, over-Botox-ed foreheads?  Well, it stands to reason that if most people see dermatologists for fillers and injectables, these unnatural and overdone results are mainly coming from dermatologists, based purely on statistics!

If you are contemplating an anti-aging procedure, trust your face to a facial plastic surgeon who employs an integrative approach to providing natural results using a combination of non-surgical and surgical treatments.   Long gone are the over-pulled, windswept facelifts of yesteryear.  Dare to discover the subtle and meaningful results of a stepwise and combined approach!

Facial Plastic Surgery, Facial Plastics, Nose

Nose Job Without “the Knife!”

Non Surgical RhinoplastyNose job: When you think of plastic surgery, this is probably the first thing that pops into your head, right? If you answered yes, it is for good reason. Nose jobs, also known as rhinoplasties, remain the most popular facial plastic surgery procedure for both men and women.

The nose is the focal point of the face which, unfortunately, does not guarantee you will like it. If you are one of the thousands of people who would like to change the look of your nose — but don’t want to “undergo the knife” — there is another option. Dr. Michelle Yagoda, expert NYC celebrity facial plastic surgeon — offers non-surgical rhinoplasties for her patients.

Non-surgical rhinoplasty is done through fillers. It can change the shape of the nose in various ways, as well as correct prior rhinoplasty surgery that went awry or was not done perfectly (as it should be!). Nonsurgical rhinoplasty is likely the most immediate, precise, and economical way to get the results you want.

Instantaneous corrections include: lowering nostril rims; making nostrils more symmetric; slimming bumps on the bridge of the nose; and correcting a twisted nose. The best part is the cost: Instead of starting at $6,000 plus hospital costs, your new nose will likely be no more than $500 and will last around 10 months. Now you know why nonsurgical rhinoplasties are one of the MOST requested procedures of Dr. Yagoda!

Celebrity News, Facial Plastic Surgery

Kylie Jenner’s Lip Enhancement Inspired by Penile Enlargement Device?

Kylie Jenner reports that her lips were enhanced  “naturally”, but fans don’t believe her.  Those wanting to emulate her have began lip “cupping” and it has led to a social media frenzy.  Lip cupping may have originated in China or Egypt thousands of years ago, but versions of cupping have been present for decades (think late night cable TV ads for breast and penile enlargement suction devices!).

Lip cupping, a reemerging trend, uses suction to increase blood flow to the lips.  The suction causes temporary trauma, inflammation and enlargement that results in lip plumping that can last for approximately 5-20 minutes.

Sadly, results are not always predictable and side effects can be numerous.  Common ones include dark bruises and “blood blisters” that can take days to go away.  Dryness, cracking and lip lines can from from swelling and puckering.  Lip injuries can be profound and cause bleeding, scars and depressions.  In fact, lip cupping can result in migration of previously injected lip filler and this can cause bumps, lumps and valleys?

If you desire a change in the size  or shape of your lips, trust your face to the expert: facial plastic surgeon, Dr. Michelle Yagoda.

ENT, Professional Voice

Giving Voice to the Voiceless

Those who cannot speak are being given new hope. Six percent of the US population has a voice disorder that, unfortunately, often leads to the inability to speak. Usually arising from vocal cord damage, Harvard and MIT researchers have been tirelessly working on a solution to this vocal cord problem.

Thanks to modern gel technology, they might have found one! A new synthetic gel material can be injected into scarred or damaged vocal cords to help restore their function. By looking at the vocal cords from almost a mechanical standpoint, scientists developed a fix for the scar tissue — rather than a new way to remove it.

The flexible gel material can adapt to a wide range of human vocal cords and helps restore the cords’ ability to vibrate, thus loosening up the stiffened, scarred vocal cords enough to (hopefully) restore voice. Although, if approved, this material would need to be re-injected every six months or so – as it does break down over time – it is a very promising solution to a problem that has long been “silenced.”

Dr. Michelle Yagoda is not only an expert ENT and facial plastic surgeon, but she is a voice specialist as well. If you find you are having problems with your voice, make sure to see the proper doctor: Voice issues have many causes, and their treatments depend on the proper diagnoses.

Facial Plastic Surgery, Neck

Neck wrinkles: The latest thing your smartphone does!

Yes, unfortunately, it may be true. The term “tech neck” is evolving: No longer does it just mean having the danger of hunched-over shoulders and a sore back — now it has a cosmetic meaning, too.

Numerous beauty articles are citing early-onset neck wrinkles as an unsightly effect of our technology dependence. It is hard to argue against the fact that we look down a LOT more than we used to, and it is a medical fact that excessive bending/flexing of the thin neck muscles does contribute to wrinkling. Combine the two and, well, it might be time to start looking up rather than down!

However, a wrinkly neck cannot only be blamed on smartphones; the loss of collagen and elasticity as we age is normal, and it can snowball with outside factors (sun exposure, dry atmosphere, etc) to make necks look “looser” than they are. Making sure to wear adequate sunscreen on both the face AND neck will help, and, of course, try holding your phone at eye level. It just might make all the difference.

If you already have “tech neck,” don’t worry: Dr. Yagoda is a neck expert who will have you looking good as new in no time.

Facial Plastic Surgery, Hair

The new reason to travel to Turkey…. for Hair!

Traveling to Turkey for…. Hair?

Yes! Medical tourism, long associated with surgical procedures such as facelifts, injections, etc, is now expanding to the hairline. The newest trend experts are seeing is travel for hair: Tourists are visiting Turkey for not only hair transplants, but facial hair transplants, too!

Recent numbers show over 15,000 people went to Turkey for the sole purpose of hair. Interestingly enough, very few of these patients are from Western countries: Most were, by far, from the Middle East. Early traction was gained by referrals: People reported back from Turkey that they received not just low-cost procedures, but they said the medical care was superior than in their home countries.

The trend can be associated with the change in male model aesthetics; now less feminine, most models strive for lush facial hair and chiseled jawlines. Although you might think Turkey is an odd choice, it is akin to Canadians traveling to the US — proximity to Arab countries is the main factor.

Unfortunately, you still have the same risks as with other medical tourism: less-educated “professional” doctors, iffy surgical centers, and the chance of complications. Although hair transplants are relatively safe and simple, it is up to the consumer to do the proper research – and not just book a trip based on price. We highly recommend staying close to home when doing any surgery or medical procedure, unless you are very familiar with the doctor you are traveling to.