Category Archives: Facial Plastics

From “Selfie” to Surgery?

“Selfie:” A word that is very common with smartphone users! Ellen Degeneres’ Oscar selfie is not only the most tweeted picture of all time, it is an example of the increased interest in these types of photos. According to the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, one in three plastic surgeons say more people are asking for cosmetic procedures directly because of their increased self-awareness through social media. Survey participants say they want to “look better online.” Between 2012 and 2013, there was a 10 percent rise in rhinoplasty, 7 percent rise in hair transplants, and 6 percent rise in eyelid surgeries.

According to the president of AAFPRS, apps like Instagram and Snapchat “force patients to hold a microscope up to their own image … and look at it with a more self-critical eye.” These images are often the first impressions that friends, families, and even prospective employers see! As can be expected, the rise in numbers is mostly attributed to people under 30, since they are the users who have been impacted the most by social media.

Although women are still much more likely to visit a plastic surgeon – asking mostly for face lifts, eye lifts, and Botox injections – men are seeing growing numbers, too. Both sexes are interested in eliminating wrinkles!

People have always become more self-critical when the camera is turned on them, but this is different: We are turning the cameras on ourselves!

To Trust or Not to Trust. That is the (Gut-Wrenching) Question.

Is the doctor really always right?  Is it okay to question the expert?  If you have worried that something was wrong even though the doc reassured you that it wasn’t, you are not alone.  Dr. Michelle Yagoda, expert facial plastic surgeon, and voice care specialist, has had thousands of different patients come through her doors over the last twenty years. With these patients come stories! A recurring story line is one that has a very important lesson in it: Trust your gut.

Each of us is a patient, and most of us have learned to trust our doctors because of their expertise and knowledge of medicine. However, this does not mean that your opinion as a patient doesn’t matter.  Here’s an example of when you should trust your intuition:  As a person with sensitive skin, a young man worried that the recurring scabbing on his skin might be cancer. The doctor told him it was “nothing”, but he wasn’t comfortable and chose to get a second opinion. The second doctor prescribed a topical exfoliant.  He used it despite his concerns, but the abrasion did not go away. It was only with the patient’s insistence that it was biopsied, but he never received follow-up results. Rather than believing his friends and family’s suggestion that “no news is good news,” he eventually gave in to the nagging feeling plaguing him and called the doctor’s office. The answer? Skin cancer. Luckily, it was caught early and was successfully removed.

Dr. Yagoda believes that one can never be too cautions. You know your body and skin, and your opinion counts. Skincare and sun protection are of the utmost importance. Check your skin often.  If you believe something is wrong, see a specialist who has the level of knowledge you’d expect, and never underestimate the power of reviews.  Don’t be afraid to get a second opinion! And, as Dr. Yagoda is frequently heard saying,  “No news is no news.  That’s it.  Plain and simple.”  If you don’t get a call about the results of a test or biopsy, call the office to follow-up.  And, most importantly, trust your gut. No one knows you better than you!

Face the Facts: Gifts of Cosmetic Surgery Increase 25-30%

With the holiday season coming to a close, gift trend reports are coming in. What was one of the biggest gift-giving growth margins of 2013? Plastic surgery! According to major news channels, the gifting of cosmetic surgery increased 25-30%. This included both cosmetic surgeries/treatments and gift cards to be used in plastic surgeons’ offices. The number of procedures done without being given as gifts rose in December, too – which is good, since taking a little time to care for ourselves has been shown to be essential for our happiness. We deserve it!

Dr. Michelle Yagoda, expert celebrity facial plastic surgeon, offers the following quick, popular procedures in her office:

1.  Botox/Dysport/Xeomin: Excellent for crows feet wrinkles, forehead furrows, and neck lines, these injectables offer quick and completely natural looking results. Although the three are similar, they all have different qualities: Dr. Yagoda will be sure to help you select the one that’s best for you!

2.  Fillers (Perlane/Restylane/Juvederm/Radiesse/Sculptura/Belotero, etc): Fillers “fill” out wrinkles, and they also do more! They are very good at smoothing skin and adding volume to lips,eyes, cheeks and jowls.  They can be used in non-surgical rhinoplasty and chin augmentation and can eliminate the tired look associated with lower eyelid bags.  Dr. Yagoda even offers a non-surgical facelift using fillers that has instant results without the downtime of traditional surgery!

3.   Intense Pulsed Laser Therapy (IPL): Great for both permanent hair reduction and skin rejuvenation, IPL therapy helps improve or eliminate problems including broken capillaries, rosacea, sun spots and damage, and more. A totally non-invasive treatment done in less than an hour, IPL’s many uses make it a very popular cosmetic choice.

Although the largest gift spike is in December, Valentine’s Day isn’t too far behind! Give a loved one (and yourself) the gift of beauty. You’ll both love your results!

Put Dimples Where They Belong!

When you think of the word “dimple,” hopefully you picture cute dimples on the face and not the other (and much less pleasant!) “body dimples” known by another name: cellulite. While no one wants to see dimples on her legs or derriere, many women (and men) think dimples on the face are cute.  Dr. Michelle Yagoda can help you reduce body dimples and add the face dimples you have always wanted using the simple math principles of addition and subtraction — and a few of her own special formulas, of course!

To combat cellulite dimples on buttocks and thighs, Dr. Yagoda prescribes the following formula for dimple subtraction: 1) living an active lifestyle that emphasizes exercise (blood flow increases stimulation of fat tissues); 2) eating well (versus consistent dieting); 3) scheduling regular massages with deep lymphatic drainage; and 4) using topical skin care products with active ingredients like those in resolutionMD’s cellulite kit. However, everyone knows that, while living a health-conscious lifestyle is essential to fighting aging and its associated skin changes, it isn’t a cure-all for cellulite. Ultimately, the genes you inherit predict your dimples — both those on your bottom and your face!

If you want to add dimples to your face, then see Dr. Yagoda!  As an expert facial plastic surgeon, she offers dimple creation, a popular and relatively simple surgical procedure that can be done in her office under local anesthesia in less than an hour.

Subtract some, add others….hmmm.  Sounds like the law of conservation for dimples!  Maybe we’re on to something….?

It’s That Time of Year!

When you hear that phrase you probably think of the holidays, right? Well, accompanying the happy holiday season is winter and, unfortunately, dry skin! Not only does the cold cause skin lines and wrinkles to become more pronounced, but the “winter itch” plagues many. Fortunately, Dr. Yagoda is a skincare expert and facial plastic surgeon who has twenty years experience treating various skin ailments, and she has some tips to help combat cracked and dry skin.

Cold temperatures, low humidity, and the use of drying central heat all compound to pull moisture from skin. Since the skin is the body’s biggest organ, it is very important to keep it healthy! Dr. Yagoda believes skin health and overall well-being are linked; what you put in your body influences how you look on the outside. Eating a diet rich in protein and biologically important oils — as well as consuming plenty of liquids — will help hydrate the skin and keep it glowing. Additionally, supplements (like BeautyScoop) that contain peptides, lipids, collagen, hyaluronic acid, and anti-oxidant vitamins are an excellent addition to your daily topical skincare routine.

Topical skin care products can moisturize the outer layers of the skin and seal the skin’s natural protective barrier.  In addition, they can help speed up healthy cell turnover leaving you looking and feeling refreshed. Of course, sun protection is important all year round!  Although the sun might not seem as bright in winter as it is in summer, damaging UV  rays continue to penetrate your skin even when you are indoors. Wearing sun protection daily will help prevent wrinkles and the “leathery” texture that becomes more pronounced in the dry air of winter. If you would like to remove damage sustained by the sun, peels and IPL treatments help restore skin’s softer texture.

Those with eczema and other genetic skin conditions often suffer the most from the “winter itch.” Although no one can change genetics, Dr. Yagoda can help you choose hydrating and nourishing products and help you avoid those with ingredients that might dry the skin (i.e., many acne creams reduce the moisture in skin). By eating well, staying hydrated, using skin moisturizers and sun protection — as well as indulging yourself in a few skin optimizing treatments like fillers and Botox — you will have beautiful, youthful, glowing skin even in winter!

Celebrity Update: Amanda Bynes’ Nose Job: BD or BDD?

Amanda Bynes has been tweeting about her nose job, stating that she had it to correct a “birth defect.”  As a facial plastic surgeon, Dr. Yagoda is an expert on cosmetic nasal surgery.  She can perform a cosmetic rhinoplasty (nose job) to straighten a crooked nose, remove a bump, raise or lower the bridge, narrow the nostrils, refine the nasal tip, lift a droop, fix a cleft, and create symmetry.  While rhinoplasty can provide many changes, it does not do what Amanda suggested — remove webbing from the eyes!As an otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat expert), Dr. Yagoda can also make functional corrections to the nose.  She can straighten a deviated septum and reduce turbinates to improve airflow, correct sinus disease and relieve sleep apnea to enhance restful sleep. Even a combined functional and cosmetic nasal surgery would not affect your eyes. You would need eye surgery for that.

So, is Amanda Bynes’ rhinoplasty (that really doesn’t correct webbing) for a birth defect or “BD”?  Or, is it likely because of “BDD” body dysmorphic disorder? Given her reckless behavior, we think that body dysmorphic disorder is a real possibility.  BDD is a form of mental illness, when someone obsesses about perceived flaws in appearance that are either non-existent or too small for other people to notice.  BD or BDD?  What do you think?

Photo credit: LostStars.co

Girl Power!

In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re celebrating the accomplishments of these 50 inspirational women who helped shape the health care industry. These female doctors and researchers have had the greatest impact in medicine and health research and deserve to be recognized for their contributions to society. Natural birth, radiation therapy, and lifesaving blood transfusions are health innovations that would not be possible without these brilliant women in medicine. Now that’s girl power!

Who on this list inspires you? Let us know; we’d love to hear from you!

Really? A 3-D Printer Can Make an Ear?

Bioengineers and physicians at New York Presbyterian, formerly Cornell University Medical Center, have successfully used a 3-D printer with injectable gels made of living cells to create an artificial ear that looks like a human ear. Now that’s a win-win for medicine and science!

For people who were born without an ear (atresia), people born with a partial ear (microtia) and people who lost part or all of an ear from trauma or cancer, surgeons have long been using implants and grafts to reconstruct the ear. This 3-D artificial ear, made from living cells, is a major advance in that the reconstruction is likely to be more symmetric, more realistic and less likely to be rejected. Doctors and researchers predict that the first human implant of an artificial ear created by a 3-D printer may occur in as little as 3 years!

Photo credit: i.ytimg.com

Common Beauty Myths: Separating Fact from Fiction

Where do you get your beauty tips?  From your mother?  Your sister?  Your friends?  How do you decipher fact from fiction?  Even if you resort to beauty magazines and blogs, it can be difficult to separate science from superstition!  Short of asking your doctor (which can be embarrassing!), how do you know if applying mayonnaise to your hair will make it glossier? Or, if rubbing your eyes will really create wrinkles? Read this article to learn about 18 commonly held beauty beliefs and discover which tips are bona fide when it comes to looking beautiful.

Dr. Yagoda practices an integrative approach to beauty because she knows that external beauty is a reflection of health and wellness.  Find out how to incorporate mind and body healing to supplement traditional aesthetic techniques to allow your inner beauty to shine through.

The Latest Trend in Plastic Surgery: Kate Middleton’s Nose

As you can see on countless magazine covers, Kate Middleton is a well-known trendsetter in the fashion and beauty world. Everything she wears seems to sell out immediately-a phenomenon called the “Kate Effect.” But to what extent will people go to emulate the Duchess of Cambridge? According to data from one of England’s top cosmetic surgery centers, an increasing number of women are getting surgery to replicate Kate’s nose, becoming the most popular celebrity look-alike feature. Requests for her nose have tripled in the past two years. One can only guess what trend she will inspire next!

Is there a celebrity’s nose you’ve always admired? If you’re thinking rhinoplasty might be right for you, call our office to schedule your comprehensive consultation with Dr. Yagoda in her New York City office.

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