A 19-year-old woman in Toronto Canada was recently accused of performing plastic surgery in her basement – despite not having a medical license. She was found out when one of her “patients” developed serious complications that required the services of a board-certified plastic surgeon to correct.

It’s unfortunate, but there are thousands of non-medical, unlicensed spas and clinics that offer such procedures as Botox, fillers, and various skin/facial treatments. The problem with these operations is that they are not done under the trained supervision of a bonified plastic surgeon.

Plastic surgeon vs. weekend course

Plastic surgeons spend upwards of 7-10 years studying human anatomy and perfecting their craft. Your average “Botox Groupon Special” spa gets a weekend course on injections. There is no comparison between the two – and things can go horribly wrong if the injectables are not administered properly.

The human face is made up of thousands of nerves, muscles, and tissues. It is where your eyes, ears, nose, and mouth are located. Allowing someone who literally went to a weekend course on how to inject Botox to stick needles in your face is not a good idea. If Botox and other injectables are not administered properly, things can (and sometimes do) go horribly wrong.

Over the past few years, there have been a plethora of spas and “clinics” that have sprung up around the country. They offer cut-rate beauty procedures – often advertising in such sites as Groupon or other discount websites.

When plastic surgeons administer injectables to their patients, they follow strict sanitary and medical procedures. Everything from sterilization of the needles, to properly injecting someone’s facial area is done with the utmost care and precision. The spas and clinics sometimes don’t follow those same stringent safety guidelines and can seriously jeopardize the health of those who visit them.

Safely Administering Botox/Injectables

There are several things that you should look for when evaluating if someone is qualified enough to administer Botox or injectables:

Medical degree – Without a doubt, this is the most important qualification to look for. A doctor (M.D.) is trained in human anatomy and knows exactly how to avoid complications. A physician’s assistant (P.A.) or registered nurse (R.N.) can and do sometimes administer Botox or injectables. They have undergone strict training from the doctor and he/she is usually present when the procedure is being administered.

Botox from Allergan – How do you know for sure that the spa you’re visiting is using actual Botox instead of a knock-off product from China? The FDA put out a bulletin regarding “fraudulent versions of Botox” that are being found in unlicensed clinics and spas. Someone is actually creating fake Botox and then importing it into America. Needless to say, this can cause sickness and severe injury if injected into your face.

Doctors use real Botox because they’re not trying to cut corners and make more money. Their medical licenses and reputations are on the line. Spas and clinics on the other hand don’t have medical licenses or reputations to worry about. They’re only in it for the money.

Sanitization

Make sure that the person who is administering your Botox/injectables is using proper sanitation procedures. Washing their hands, using fresh needles, cleaning your skin with alcohol (before the injections), and wearing gloves are all part of the basic safety protocols. Many fly-by-night clinics will skip over the medical safety procedures because they’re trying to get you in and out of the office as fast as possible.

Also make sure that each Botox vial is brand new and not being re-used. Some unscrupulous clinics and spas will save the “leftovers” for the next patient in order to save money. This is a huge health risk and can cause serious medical complications.

Cost

The cost of your Botox/injectables procedure (or lack thereof) should be the biggest indicator that the place you’re visiting is not safe. Botox costs money. The company that develops it has spent hundreds of millions of dollars in research, development, clinical trials, and marketing.

The doctor who administers the Botox has spent good time/money on his/her medical degree. They are going to charge a fair rate to administer Botox.

The spas and beauty clinics don’t offer the same safety and quality that plastic surgeons do. As such they value their work a lot less. If you find a Botox/injectable “deal” that’s too good to be true, there’s a good chance that it is.

Non-surgical facial rejuvenation in Dallas

If you’re looking to learn more about facial rejuvenation procedures such as Botox, injectables, Cool Sculpting, or other treatment, give the offices of Dr. Adams a call at 214-965-9885. He is a licensed doctor and board certified plastic surgeon by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. This is the gold standard for plastic surgeons and how you can tell you’re working with the best of the best.

Facelifts have been the go-to plastic surgery procedure for people who feel that they look older than they should. More recently, a procedure called a “mini facelift” has become very popular amongst those looking to lessen the signs of aging on their faces.

A mini facelift is just as it sounds: less work is done to your face than is required by a full facelift. The plastic surgeon will sit down with the patient in a consultation and listen to what they’re looking to do. Based upon the wishes and desires of the patient, and coupled with the amount of work that needs to be done, the surgeon will recommend either a full or mini facelift.

We’re going to look at a full and mini facelift and compare and contrast the two. You’ll walk away with a better idea of what each one is about. You will still need to sit down with your plastic surgeon for a consultation to hear their thoughts and recommendations.

Facelift

A facelift is performed to correct (or minimize) wrinkles and jowls around the jaw line. Aging signs on a person’s face can be caused by stress, unhealthy lifestyle (smoking/etc.), genetics, exposure to the sun, and even gravity itself.

There are a few things that facelifts cannot correct. For example, the crow’s feet in the corners of the eyes cannot be remedied by a facelift. Thin vertical wrinkles around the lips and other wrinkles around the eyes also cannot be fixed. An injectable filler might help out in this case.

Facelifts are meant to help correct sagging skin, jowls, and wrinkles in and around the middle and lower face. If a facelift is done correctly, it can shave years off of your face and make you look noticeably younger than you really are.

Results

The amount of results that you will see are entirely dependent upon how much wrinkling and aging you have on your face. If you have minimal signs of aging, then the improvement from a full facelift will most likely be subtle. If, however you have significant wrinkling and sagging then the results will be more noticeable.

Realistic Expectations

While facelifts are meant to rejuvenate your look, if you’re 60 years old, a facelift is not going to make you look like you’re in your early 20’s, but that is not what most patients desire anyway. Before undergoing the procedure, you will sit down with your doctor and they will give you a realistic idea of what you can expect. If you’re 60, then a facelift could potentially shave 10-15 years off your face. You should realistically expect an improvement in the way you look, not complete perfection. You can also combine facelifts with other procedures such as a neck lift, or facial skin resurfacing, or dermabrasion.

The Procedure

A full facelift can take anywhere from 3 to 6 hours, depending upon how much work the surgeon is required to perform. Prior to the surgery, the surgeon will use a felt tip pen to mark your face where he will make the incisions. An IV will be started and you will be hooked up to a machine to monitor your vital signs.

The vast majority of face lifts are performed under local anesthesia and a sedative. You might feel relaxed and drowsy and shouldn’t feel any pain. As the surgery proceeds, the doctor will remove excess skin or fat as agreed upon.

Incisions will be made around the lower half of the face. The skin of the lower and middle face is loosened, and excess skin will be removed. The surgeon will attempt to correct wrinkles, jowls and loose skin from the middle, and sides of the face.

Mini Facelift

A mini facelift is performed when someone needs a little bit of facial enhancement here and there. Less surgery is required and as such the entire procedure costs a little bit less than a full facelift. With a mini facelift, the incisions will be smaller as well.

Generally speaking, people who are younger tend to be best suited for mini facelifts. They may have a few wrinkles or a jowl that needs to be corrected. Everyone is different and we all age at a different rate. You can have two people who are 30 years old – and one of them looks like they’re barely out of their teenage years and the other one looks like they’re fast approaching “40”. Mini facelifts are intended for those people who tend to look like they physically age faster than others.

Results/Expectations

The results of a mini facelift can be less dramatic than a full one. They can remove wrinkles and that may dramatic in and of itself, but when you compare it to a person who is 50 and undergoes a full facelift, the results are much more dramatic with the 50-year-old patient.

The mini is intended to address sagging skin and wrinkles on the lower third portion of the face. Definition can be restored to the chin area by the removal of excess tissue and tightening of the remaining tissue. You can expect a refreshed, and more youthful appearance with a mini.

Mini facelifts also come with additional benefits. There is minimal scarring (as compared to a full) and the incisions are concealed within the natural facial contours and hairline. You’ll also experience less side effects such as bruising, swelling and tenderness in the facial area.

The Procedure

The prep for a mini facelift is much the same as a full. You will be undergoing surgery and all precautions/preparations must be taken. The only difference is the amount of incisions that the surgeon will make. The overall time will be cut roughly in half. Mini facelifts can be performed using local anesthesia, meaning the patient can be awake and conscious through the procedure (without feeling any pain). The will further reduce the cost (due to not having to hire an anesthesiologist to put you to sleep) of the procedure.

Pros and Cons of Mini vs. Full

There are two distinct advantages mini facelifts have over full ones. They cost less, and the overall recovery time is much shorter. Some surgeons have coined the term “weekend facelifts” because they allow the patient to return back to their normal lifestyle much quicker than had they gotten a full face lift.

There is a downside to the mini facelift: The effects of the mini will not last as long as the full. This is due to nature, gravity, your genetics, and such things as stress. A full face lift might last 10-15 years while a mini will last around 5 years. There are some people who opt for a full facelift, then in 10 years go back for a mini as a touch-up procedure.

One other key is to make sure surgeons who advertise the “mini-facelift” are true experts, and are actually trained surgeons! There are many doctors who go to weekend courses and learn how to market cosmetic procedures such as “The Mini-facelift” or ” Lunchtime Facelift” or “Weekend Facelift.” The problem is many of these physicians have not undergone formal surgical training nor do they actually understand how to assess a patient properly. The key for regular facelifts vs. mini-facelifts s is to know who will do best with a specific technique. This only comes with years of formal surgical training. Make sure your surgeons has under gone formal surgical training (minimum 5-6 years), and he/she has hospital privileges to do facelifts. Just ask the office where the doctor has hospital privileges for facelifts, and confirm with the hospital staff office.

Mini Facelift in Dallas, Texas

If you’re curious about getting some work done to your face, or looking to shave a few years off, give the offices of Dr. Adams a call at 214-965-9885 or schedule a consultation. Our offices are conveniently located in the heart of Dallas and are a few minutes ride from the airport.

Dr. Adams is a board-certified plastic surgeon who has the experience and know-how to make you look your very best. Give us a call to to learn how Dr. Adams can make you look younger and more beautiful!

Beauty pageants have been around for a long time. They take place in anywhere from small midwestern towns to major metropolitan cities. Their purpose is to find, and crown, the most beautiful girl in the competition. Women of all ages participate in these events which judge them on beauty, talent, and sometimes intelligence.

The girls and women in these pageants are dressed up in fake hair, fake nails, and even fake breasts. They’re told to perform on stage like a trained seal so that they can be judged on their superficial talents.

The problem is that only one girl can be crowned “most beautiful”. The rest of the girls go home with second prize – potential psychological issues such as depression and eating disorders.

Psychological issues

A study performed in 2005 found a high rate of eating and mental disorders in adults who participated in beauty pageants as a child. Many psychological experts have found that beauty pageants can lead to a whole host of mental issues amongst participants. When children are asked to focus on their looks, they can develop eating disorders and self-esteem issues that carryon through adult hood.

As beautiful as these girls are, whenever they lose a pageant, their self-esteem shoots to an all-time low. The support of friends and family mean nothing to them because these girls have been taught that the only opinion that matters is the opinion of a random judge.

The “Ideal” Pageant

If beauty pageants were all “doom and gloom” and set in a gladiatorial type setting, they would have been banned long ago by society. Advocates of beauty pageants state that they are an excellent way for young women to build self-esteem and confidence. They say it teaches girls how to be graceful losers and that the winners of these contents can have a stunning career in the public eye.

“And there she is, walking on air, she is. Fairest of the fair, she is. There she is, Miss America.”

The beauty pageant that most girls aspire to be in is the Miss America contest. It has become tradition for little girls to crowd around the t.v. set and watch the next Miss America being crowed – dreaming that one day they would be wearing the tiara on that stage.

In order to be a Miss America contestant, a girl first needs to be crowned a local beauty queen in the community she lives in. Proponents of beauty pageants state that more good than harm is done, as the local beauty queen helps bring together people in her community and move forward for the greater good.

While this type of rational is very admirable, the fact of the matter is that most beauty queens have to spend a good portion of their time keeping beautiful. From eating foods that won’t make her gain weight, to spending hours in the gym, it’s kind of hard to help the homeless when she’s concentrating on trying to fit into a size 2 swimsuit.

Brains vs. Beauty

Most pageants tend to focus on beauty, but there has been an increasing trend on attempting to judge women participants on talent and even intelligence. The problem is that “talent” is subjective (and limited to actions that can be performed on stage in front of an audience) and unless they’re given an IQ examination by a qualified psychologist, it’s hard to determine a woman’s intelligence by asking her to name the state capitol of Wisconsin.

Over the years, the standard of beauty for women has gotten more and more unreasonable. Advertisers and the media have played a large part in telling people what is and what isn’t beautiful. The models they feature in their magazines and advertisements are wafer-thin and have bodies that only .5% of women can even dream of getting.

By setting the standards for beauty so high, these advertisers create unrealistic goals that girls will never achieve. But that won’t stop them from trying – and buying the various beauty products that are advertised as something that will help bring out their beauty.

Moving forward

Plastic surgeons regularly see women with body issues who are looking to change their looks. Nowadays women think that the standard of beauty is to have a big butt, because Kim Kardashian has one and the media labels her as “beautiful”. These women often undergo painful and sometimes dangerous surgeries in an attempt to try and look like their reality show role models.

While the goals and intentions of pageants are very admirable, the negative aspects of the culture that has developed around it tend to far outweigh the benefits. If beauty queens were crowned on the basis of how much good they did, then Sister Theresa would have won the Miss Universe 20 years in a row.

Standard of Beauty

There are many valid reasons for women to be concerned about their looks. This is why plastic surgeons are so popular. But when women start obsessing over their looks, and engaging in unhealthy activities in order to obtain those looks, it’s something that needs to be addressed.

Women should feel confident with their bodies, no matter how they look. It’s not healthy for them to put their definition of “beauty” in the hands of another human being (eg: beauty pageant judges). The fact of the matter is that if they’re good looking enough to enter into a beauty contest, they probably better looking than 95% of the women out there.