Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Blog in New York, NY | George Lefkovits M.D.

This month, Italy joins the US in banning breast augmentation for women under age 18. It may seem straightforward to people in the United States that a certain level of maturity is needed before a person can decide on life-changing cosmetic surgery, but in many countries there is no restriction on teens receiving breast augmentation or other forms of cosmetic surgery.

The reform comes after a growing number of cases of botched surgeries in the country and is part of a larger program. The government is also seeking to draw up an official registry of patients qualified to perform plastic surgery, similar to the board certification that plastic surgeons undergo in the United States. An official in the government described the current situation as "a Wild West, cowboy style system of plastic surgery for women," and a representative of the Italian Society of Plastic Surgeons said, "too many people carry out these operations without the proper qualifications."

Plastic surgery is a worldwide practice, but in many countries there is difficulty regulating the practice. In Britain, for example, there is no law against breast augmentation for teens, and the growth of plastic surgery procedures has led to some practices engaging in "irresponsible" sales techniques, according to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS).

In the United States, patients who do their research can be assured of the quality of training received by a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). If you are of age and interested in plastic surgery from a board-certified plastic surgeon, please schedule a consultation with Dr. George Lefkovits in New York.

During the final days of debate, the Senate decided to remove a proposed cosmetic surgery tax, sometimes known as the BOTAX from their version of the healthcare reform bill. The 5% tax on cosmetic surgery procedures, defined as plastic surgery and similar procedures not recognized as medically necessary, was intended to help defray the cost of health care legislation, currently estimated at $871 billion. The tax may have generated as much as $5.8 billion over the 10-year life of the bill.

The bill was opposed by several interest groups, including Allergan, the maker of BOTOX® Cosmetic, who spent more than $1 million lobbying lawmakers during the first three quarters of this year, before the tax issue moved to the forefront. Allergan also launched a Facebook page to stop the tax. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons had previously released survey results showing that the majority of Americans opposed the tax.

In place of the BOTAX, the Senate introduced a 10% tax on tanning bed procedures.

If you are considering plastic surgery, you no longer have to worry that you will face additional taxes. To learn more about procedures that might be right for you, please schedule a consultation with New York plastic surgeon Dr. George Lefkovits.

The size of a woman's breasts affects not just how attractive she feels, but also how feminine. A woman may be very attractive, feel attractive, but may not be happy with her appearance because she doesn't feel feminine. Consider the case of Nicole Kidman, who has long been considered one of Hollywood's most attractive women, but who has long had one particular issue with her own appearance, the size of her breasts. During an interview after her recent pregnancy, she talked about how she felt when her breasts enlarged during pregnancy: "They're not very big, my boobs, so they just became normal size. I loved it. I felt very Woman. When you've had a slightly androgynous body your whole life, having breasts is a nice feeling."

If you have always had a somewhat androgynous body, breast enlargement can help you achieve a more feminine shape, and help you feel more feminine as well. Whether you feel attractive or not, feeling feminine can be an important part of feeling good about yourself. Breast procedures like breast enlargement have been shown to help women's self-image. In a recent survey of patients, about nine in ten felt that their breast procedure helped their self-image.

If you would like to learn more about breast enlargement with New York plastic surgeon Dr. George Lefkovits, please contact us today.

There are many reasons why about 90% of plastic surgery patients are women. Women are under more pressure to look younger and more beautiful for the majority of their lives. Age is not considered attractive in a woman the way it might be in a man. But women's faces also tend to wrinkle more around the mouth than men's, and Dutch researchers believe they have discovered why.

The researchers did a detailed analysis of the flesh and skin around the mouth in 25 male and 25 female cadavers, aged 75 to 93, and found a significant anatomical difference between men and women. The researchers compared skin thickness, wrinkles, muscle attachments, and other characteristics of the soft tissue around the mouths and found that women have:

• Fewer sweat and sebaceous glands
• Fewer blood vessels
• Muscle fibers attached closer to the skin

The results suggest that women's skin around the mouth gets less lubrication and nutrients, which can make it less resistant to the effects of aging, and, with closer muscle attachments their skin is subjected Earlier theories suggested that men had thicker facial skin to support a beard, but this was not upheld by detailed analysis.

The results suggest that women who want to reduce wrinkles around their mouths should make sure they use an appropriate amount of moisturizers around the mouth area. It also supports the use of BOTOX® Cosmetic for "smoker's lines" or "lipstick lines" around the mouth.

If you would like to learn more about anti-aging treatments to help you look younger longer, please schedule a consultation with board-certified New York plastic surgeon Dr. George Lefkovits today.

Ever wonder how vampires like Twilight's Edward Cullen keep their youthful appearance despite being a hundred years old or more? Perhaps it's the blood. Some London doctors are experimenting with what they call the S3 treatment for facial rejuvenation in which serum from your blood is injected into your face to stimulate it regain its taut, youthful appearance.

S3 therapy is not a facial filler and is distinct from treatments like BOTOX® Cosmetic injections. Instead, S3, or Stimulated Self Serum, therapy involves the use of serum extracted from your blood to encourage your skin to regenerate itself. After your blood is drawn, it is separated into its three components: the red blood cells, the platelets, and the clear fluid serum. The serum is then combined with vitamins and amino acids before being injected in numerous micro-injections into the skin of the face.

The theory for S3 comes from the dental treatment in which serum is injected into receding gums to stimulate their regrowth. In addition, some studies have shown that injections of plasma (serum plus platelets) into sports injuries can encourage healing.

At this point, there are no controlled studies to show that this particular rejuvenation procedure really works, but it does represent an intriguing, if strange, treatment possibility.

If you would like to learn about proven facial rejuvenation techniques, please call or email New York plastic surgeon Dr. George Lefkovits today.

One of the consequences of drug abuse can be a disastrous impact on your body. Many young men and women who abuse drugs find themselves and their bodies marked, wasted, or scarred as a result. These scars can be an unfortunate reminder that follows people for the rest of their lives and can prevent them from feeling fully recovered from their habits and abuse. But plastic surgery, by helping to restore the body, can help erase the physical scars and help emotional healing become complete.

An example of this is burlesque star Dita Von Teese, who says her drug habit in the 1990s took a toll on her figure. She credits seeing her gaunt form with inspiring her to change her ways. Her weight had dropped to about 90 pounds and she had a wasted appearance. She decided to give up drugs as a result, but while she was able to regain weight, her breasts never recovered, so as when she was 21 she decided to have breast implants. With an eye to a natural appearance, her breast augmentation has helped her gain a position as a world-recognized model and performer.

Weight loss during drug abuse is common, but not the only effect. Major nutritional deficits and dehydration can have a negative impact on the health of your skin, leading to a prematurely aged appearance. Facial rejuvenation procedures can help restore a youthful appearance.

If drug abuse has caused major damage to your body that has not healed even though you have been clean, New York plastic surgeon Dr. George Lefkovits can help. Please schedule a consultation today to learn more.

Like most prejudices, age-prejudice has a strong visual component. When people look at you, they immediately form judgments about who they believe you are. They look at your clothes, your hair, and your face, and they decide what kind of person you are. Often these judgments are made without the judge even knowing that is what he or she is doing. One of the most common prejudices in our society is age prejudice.

When someone looks at you and decides that you are "old," they are likely to make several summary judgments about you. They may think you lack energy. They may think you are out of touch. They may think you are boring. They may think you are a has-been or a never-was. And, unfortunately, how old we look often bears little relation to our chronological age, let alone how old we feel. People making snap judgments about you will never get to know the real you, and age prejudice can unfortunately seriously hurt you in your personal and professional life.

For people who find that they are encountering age prejudice on a daily basis, plastic surgery and non-invasive cosmetic procedures, can go a long way to improving how people receive you. If you are beginning to encounter the effects of aging, a combination of injectable fillers and BOTOX® Cosmetic injections can turn back the clock a little bit. If your drooping eyelids make it look as though you are tired and have lost your edge, eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) can restore a fresh, youthful appearance. And if furrowed or sunken brows make friends, family, and coworkers think you are perpetually angry, brow lift surgery can help you look younger and more relaxed.

If people around you are judging you on the basis of your appearance, New York plastic surgeon Dr. George Lefkovits can help. Please call or email him to learn more.

Dr. Lefkovits has been interviewed and featured in the Life & Style and the Globe magazines as well as numerous other publications.
Click here for more.