Dr. Youn on the Fox News Channel Wed Aug 1st

I've been asked to be on the Fox News Channel tomorrow morning at 9:30am EDT tomorrow on the show America's Newsroom. If you get a chance to catch it, I'll be discussing the influence of plastic surgery television shows on patients and surgery. Thanks to the Fox News Channel for the invitation.

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

Star Jones Admits to Gastric Bypass Surgery

Star Jones has recently admitted to Glamour magazine that she underwent gastric bypass surgery back in August 2003, resulting in a weight loss of 160 pounds over 3 years. According to Canoe.ca, the former View cohost stated:

"Everything about me was already so public (mostly my own doing - talk about dumb!), so of course everyone wanted to know what I had done," she writes. "I was also terrified someone would have a tragic result after emulating me without making an informed decision with her doctor."
"But the complete truth is, I was scared of what people might think of me," she continues. "I was afraid to be vulnerable, and ashamed at not being able to get myself under control without this procedure."

I find this woman as annoying as a mosquito stuck in my ear canal. I do respect her courage with admitting her surgery, however. I just hope that she hasn't lost too much weight and has become unhealthy. It is important for patients who've had gastric bypass to make sure they are getting proper nutrition, and I fear she may not be.

photo credit: prphotos.com

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

Courtney Love Wants to Get Her Lips Fixed

Courtney Love has recently commented on MySpace that she would like to get a corrective procedure done to her lips. According to the Associated Press:

In a message on her MySpace site, she said she regrets having had cosmetic surgery on her mouth back in the day, which she refers to as "my dark years." She said her mouth "was perfectly cute." She has since had corrective procedures but says her "mouth still looks wonky. I have to restore myself to not looking ridiculous."

I like to enhance lips with long-lasting, but temporary injectable fillers like Juvederm or Restylane. Fat grafting (which is permanent) is another good technique, but only a small portion of the fat usually stays for good and the lips can look swollen for weeks. I'm not a fan of permanent or 'semi-permanent' lip fillers, since they often look fake (Gortex) or can have bad reactions (silicone), sometimes years after they are placed. What type of surgery could Courtney Love have had? Maybe a lip advancement or placement of an implant like Gortex, both of which are not surgeries I recommend due to the high rate of unnatural results. I hope she is eventually comfortable in her celebrity skin...

story credit: todaysthv.com
photo credit: photorazzi.com

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

John Cusack - Necklift?

The Bosh.com is reporting that John Cusack may have had a necklift recently. According to their article:

“John’s never been a vain person, but when he watched his latest film, he was shocked to see how awful the sagging skin under his chin looked,” an insider told The ENQUIRER.
“At first John, who’s very squeamish, tried to avoid surgery and went the ‘anti-aging’ route with a specialist.”
But the “Say Anything” star was unhappy with the results, revealed the insider. So the big chicken took a cold turkey approach to facing his fears- and made the decision to have a neck-lift.
“The last thing in the world John wanted was a plastic surgery,” said the insider. “He admits he’s a coward when it comes to medical procedures. But the results were fantastic.” John’s procedure took place in early July.

Most 41 year olds don't typically have a lot of sagging skin under the neckline. This is more common after someone turns 50. It's also unfortunately common for a person to visit an "anti-aging specialist" and have a bogus procedure performed which doesn't work. I tell all my patients: "If it doesn't make sense to you, it likely won't work." This includes lifting sagging skin with injections, threads, and fancy-marketed 'intelligent' liposuction. If you decide to go this route, try to get a money-back guarantee in writing first!

Photo credit: photorazzi.com (from 2004)

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

How Do Plastic Surgery Reality Television Shows Influence Patients?

A recent study published in the leading plastic surgery journal has examined how reality plastic surgery television shows like Dr. 90210 can affect the decision making of prospective patients. Some highlights of the study:

a. Researchers studied the behavior of 42 cosmetic plastic surgery patients.
b. Out of these patients, 57% were high-intensity viewers of plastic surgery shows.
c. These patients were greatly influenced by television and the media to opt for cosmetic plastic surgery.
d. They felt they knew more about general plastic surgery.
e. They also believed that the reality shows on plastic surgery reflected real life situations.
f. Four out of five participants said that the reality shows influenced their decision to go in for plastic surgery.
g. One-third said that they were "very much" or "moderately" influenced.

Is this a good or bad thing? I must admit that I am a bit biased, since my appearances on Dr. 90210 a few years ago helped get my practice going. For the most part, I have great respect for many of the plastic surgeons on the various reality shows, and believe they present the specialty well. I would count these "television" surgeons as my friends or acquaintances (among others): Dr. Richard Ellenbogen, Dr. Gary Motykie, Dr. Steve Svehlak, Dr. Dan Yamini, Dr. John Diaz, Dr. Robert Rey, and Dr. Gary Alter.
Nothing, however, takes the place of a patient undergoing a real face-to-face consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon. This is where the truth should be separated from some of the exaggerations which are seen on television.

p.s. Don't forget to catch the season premiere of Dr. 90210 on E! July 30th.

story credit: plasmetic.com

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

Kim Kardashian - Buttock implants?

A reader sent me this photo and inquired whether Kim Kardashian may have had work done to her buttocks. Tough call. While her bottom does appear to jut out unnaturally, this may, in fact, be hereditary. I have seen some patients with similar figures who have not had any work done.

Buttocks are usually augmented using either solid silicone implants or via fat grafting (the Brazilian Butt Lift). I have never performed a buttock augmentation using implants, but have made the bottom bigger with fat grafting. This seems to work pretty well. My favorite way to enhance the buttocks, however, is to liposuction the hips and thighs around it. This essentially makes everything around it smaller, and can indirectly make the bottom look bigger and rounder compared to the rest of the body. It doesn't take as much time, has few complications, and allows the patient to sit down immediately. After surgery there is no need to say, "Bottoms up..."

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

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Victoria Beckham - Photoshopped legs?

There are photos all over the internet showing what appears to be aged legs on Victoria Beckham. A post from hollywoodrag.com shows what the photo apparently was, before somebody may have photoshopped it. Yes, her legs do look good. Her reality show, on the other hand...

Photo credit: dailymail.uk and hollywoodrag.com

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

Simpsonized Me?

There's a fun little program where you can turn a photo of yourself into a Simpson's character. It's called Simpsonize Me. Unfortunately they don't have an Asian character (except the Quickie Mart owner) so this was as close as I could come. I think I look much better as a Simpson character than in real life!

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

Quick Hits

Here are some quick links for (celebrity) plastic surgery related items:

Plastic Surgery for Half-Price? It's done by residents but at least they're honest about it. Much better than many of those 'bargain basement cosmetic surgery centers.' Link

Jessica Simpson talks about plastic surgery. Yawn. Link.

Plastic Surgery of the Desperate Housewives, Tony Parker, and...Sheryl Crow? Strange bedfellows in this article from Make Me Heal.com. Link.

photo credit: photorazzi.com

Thanks for reading.

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

Queen Latifah to Open Fat Burger...My Favorite!

Queen Latifah is planning on opening up a Fatburger restaurant in Miami in the near future. I had my first Fatburger in Las Vegas, and subsequently had quite a few during my time in Los Angeles. While most Californians rave about In 'N Out, I'll take Fatburger any day. Their steak fries leave In 'N Out's soggy spuds in the dust.

On another note, does anyone know what plastic surgery Queen Latifah is on record for having had? I mentioned it on the E! show "Celebrity Plastic Surgery."

photo credit: TMZ.com

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

Liposuction Deaths in Arizona

A massage therapist performed a liposuction procedure in which a woman died.
A homeopathic physician who was denied a medical doctor's license by the state board did another procedure in which a patient died.
Others who performed cosmetic surgery did not have formal medical training, including a bookkeeper and a former restaurant owner.
(from the Arizona Republic)

These incidents occurred in the office of an Arizona-based internist/emergency physician who fancied himself a cosmetic surgeon . In this tragic piece of news, three people have died from complications of liposuction surgery at his clinic since December.

This sad case is an important reminder to everyone interested in plastic surgery to realize two facts:

1. Plastic surgery is serious. Make sure your plastic surgeon takes his or her job as seriously as it should be taken. While I make this blog for mainly entertainment purposes, I do take my job and caring for my patients very seriously. If your surgeon doesn't appear to have safety in mind, run away.
2. There are unfortunately a number of people masquerading as reputable plastic surgeons when in fact they are not plastic surgeons at all. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons has very stringent guidelines to which its members are held, so as to maintain a 'culture of safety.' This includes performing surgeries in an accredited setting.

For news articles on the Arizona liposuction deaths, click here and here and here
To visit the internist/ER doc/cosmetic surgeon's website, click here. (looks pretty legit, right?)
To visit the American Society of Plastic Surgeon's page on safety for outpatient surgery, click here.

As always, do your homework and research your surgeon. For any procedure, "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."

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

Brooke Hogan - Breast Implants?

Photos of Hulk Hogan's daughter Brooke Hogan have appeared on the internet lately. It appears she may have had a recent breast augmentation. The photo with her in the God-awful chaps does appear to show a nicely healing armpit scar. The bikini shot shows breasts that are full in the upper portion of the breasts, a common occurrence in people who have new implants placed under the muscle.
I quite often perform Transaxillary Breast Augmentation (through the armpit). While it is a very nice way to have the surgery performed, and typically results in a very nice scar, I've found that the swelling can last a bit longer than when the implants are placed through a scar under or on the breast. With time it settles out, however, and I bet she'll be looking better and better (and a bit smaller) as time passes..."brother!" (obscure Hulk Hogan reference)

Photo credit: hollywoodtuna.com

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

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

Michelle Pfeiffer on Skinny Women and Plastic Surgery

Michelle Pfeiffer has recently commented on the "Size Zero" debate and plastic surgery. According to Starpulse.com,

Hollywood beauty Michelle Pfeiffer has defended men over the size zero debate, insisting it's women "who have created the myth that skinny is attractive". The Batman Returns star has blasted women who put pressure on each other to be thin - branding them "crazy".
She says, "Men don't want undernourished and bony women. And they don't find grotesque plastic surgery attractive either. So it can only be women who put the pressure on themselves. Why are we doing this to each other? It's crazy."

I guess I would disagree with her. I think the Hollywood trend towards too much weight loss is the fault of both genders. Either way, I really like Michelle Pfeiffer. She has aged very well, and is a classic beauty. I've unfortunately never seen her up close and personal, but a good friend of mine used to see her in a local LA park quite often when he walked his dog. He said she was very attractive, but looked like a 'regular' person. She looks like no regular person I know!

For my last post on Michelle Pfeiffer, click here.

photo credit: photorazzi.com

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

Will Ferrell - The Landlord

Some of you may have seen the video "The Landlord" starring Will Ferrell. If you haven't, it's hilarious. Here is a link:

Funny or Die.com the Landlord

It has nothing to do with plastic surgery, but is a good 2 minute diversion.

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

Facial Flex Video on QVC

This is hilarious. Facial aging is caused by laxity of the facial muscles and skin, in addition to loss of volume. That being said, the muscles that this appears to 'work out' are not necessarily the muscles which get looser with age. Besides, it looks like my old retainer and chin cup combination from elementary school. If anyone has used this device, please leave a comment and let us know how it went!
Thanks to Ageless in Los Angeles blog for the link.

Donatella Versace - Plastic Surgery Evolution

Celebrity Smack blog has an interesting photo 'evolution' of the changes which have occurred in Donatella Versace's appearance. All I can say is, "Whoa." I do like their clothing though...

Photo credit: getty images, photorazzi.com

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

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Cate Blanchett on Plastic Surgery

Cate Blanchett has recently commented on her views regarding plastic surgery on teens:

She said, "It's a big difference women in their 60s or 70s finally deciding to get their eyes done. Who knows what you're going to think? But when you've got an 18-year-old daughter who says 'Mummy can I get a boob job?' and you go 'Sure honey'.
"I mean their bodies haven't even finished evolving. The fact that you've got a magazine, you know all these magazines for teenage girls about consuming and they're so fragile. I've got sons. I don't know what I'd do if I had a daughter."

Breast augmentation in girls under 18 is a very controversial matter. I do not perform it in anyone under 18 unless they have a developmental deformity (severe asymmetry, genetic disorder, etc.). The FDA has approved saline-filled breast implants in women aged 18 and older, and gel implants in women aged 22 and older. Still, according to statistics by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, in 2005 over 3500 women aged 18 and younger had breast augmentation performed. I don't think this is a good thing.

Story credit: starpulse.com
Photo credit: photorazzi.com

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

Celebrity Plastic Surgery Slideshow

Credit for finding this slideshow goes to Cosmetic-makeovers.com and Socialitelife.com. It's a bit shallow but the ending and song are funny. Enjoy.