The American Society of Plastic Surgeons has reported that chin implant surgery has increased more than breast augmentation, botox and liposuction combined in the last year, with both men and women having this procedure in almost equal numbers.

I have certainly seen a rise in the requests for chin augmentation for patients of all ages. The chin and jaw area can show aging, and chin augmentation can help to restore a youthful appearance. In addition, a strong chin is often associated with leadership, confidence and honesty and in a world where we are constantly exposed to media images and social media, people are increasingly aware of the impact of their appearance.

As well as surgical chin augmentation, we can also reshape and contour the chin using non-surgical methods with dermal fillers. It is a quick out-patient procedure, without the downtime associated with surgical procedures.

You can find out more about Chin Augmentation here.

To book a consultation for chin augmentation, please call 0207 4870 900 or email us on info@lbps.co.uk

After an exciting time spent in Brazil, Paris and Frankfurt for a variety of Plastic Surgery conferences, I returned to London at the weekend to participate in the Cosmetic News Expo 2012. In association with SkinCeuticals, I presented on the importance of anti-oxidant use in the combat of free radicals that trigger part of the aging process resulting in damage to the skin.

Free radicals are the end point of a number of different pathways triggered by a variety of factors – UV rays, smoking, poor diet, pollution and chemicals, among others. Infrared light has been shown to generate free radicals and are therefore an important cause of skin damage, aging and skin cancers. Until recently the focus has been on protecting against UVA and UVB damage, but Infrared light has been omitted. However, research now shows that anti-oxidants such as Vitamin C and Vitamin E can help combat the effects of these free radicals generated by Infrared and UVA and UVB.

Phloretin is another powerful anti-oxidant – it is found in apple skins and is exactly why apples don’t go brown until they are peeled. SkinCeuticals combine Phloretin, Vitamin C and ferulic acid to give an optimum anti-oxidant protection for the skin.

Use of anti-oxidants is very important to help protect the skin and allow it to regenerate. It is also highly important to protect the skin using a high factor sun screen, such as SkinCeuticals Sheer Mineral UV Defense.

LBPS confirms that it will stop using Macrolane for breast augmentation until further notice.

I was present at the European Expert Radiology Meeting in Paris where the decision was made by Q Med, the company supplying Macrolane, to stop using it for breast enlargement. The decision came about because although there are NO SAFETY CONCERNS related to Macrolane, there is a discussion amongst radiologists that it could interfere with a mammogram reading, potentially making diagnosis more difficult.

Q-Med therefore made the decision to withdraw Macrolane for breast augmentation purposes to allow them time for further evaluation – a Q-Med spokesman said: “All breast augmentation procedures, including those involving Macrolane, can interfere with the reading of mammograms. At present, there is a lack of consensus amongst radiologists regarding radiology examination of breasts treated with Macrolane.” They have wisely decided to evaluate thousands of mammograms to be able to demonstrate that Macrolane does not put women at risk of missing a cancer in the breast.

We always put patient safety and well-being at the forefront of any treatment that we carry out, and for this reason want to reassure our patients that they need take no action if they have had Macrolane, other than to attend their follow up appointments and to always inform the person carrying out a mammogram that they have had this procedure.

We will keep you posted on the further research that Q-Med are carrying out.

One of the most important reasons that people choose to have cosmetic surgery is that they feel uncomfortable about a certain aspect or aspects of their body and wish to change something about themselves.

A study by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) has shown that patients undergoing liposuction and / or abdominoplasty show significant improvements in their quality of life and self-esteem post procedure.

ASPS Member Surgeon Dr. Eric Swanson, MD, a plastic surgeon formally evaluated quality of life and other outcomes in 360 patients undergoing liposuction and / or abdominoplasty to remove excess abdominal fat. About 60 % of patients underwent only liposuction, while 35 % underwent a combination of liposuction and abdominoplasty. The rest underwent only abdominoplasty. In total, 86 % of patients reported an improved sense of self-esteem after surgery. About 70 % reported improved quality of life, more commonly after liposuction combined with abdominoplasty.

Quality of life is a really important measure of effectiveness for all types of medical and surgical treatments and is an important indication of what patients can expect to feel and achieve after surgery.

I feel that it is very important that every person who walks through the door at London Bridge Plastic Surgery is treated as an individual, with their needs and expectations carefully managed, and this is exactly what we aim to do for every patient so that their quality of life and self-esteem is boosted.

I often get asked by patients who are thinking of having breast augmentation if they should have the procedure before having children or if it is better to wait until after and if pregnancy would have an impact on the implants.

Every person is different but your breasts will definitely change during and after pregnancy.

Having breast implants can affect the changes in several ways:

1. Breast Tissue Will Act Normally. Breast implants are placed behind the breast tissue, so the breast tissue will still act normally when you have your baby. Breast tissue itself usually increases in volume as you start to produce milk after you have a baby. Some people’s breasts get very large during pregnancy and breastfeeding, others less so. How your breasts ‘behave’ after childbirth often runs in families (believe it or not!) so you may be able to get an idea by talking to your own Mum, sisters or aunties to see how their breast tissue reacted following pregnancy.

2. Your breasts are going to get bigger. If you breast feed for a significant period of time, they will stay larger during that time. If you choose not to breastfeed, your breasts will usually get smaller quite quickly within a couple of weeks. But the essential thing is that the breasts will have got bigger and then shrunk again, causing inevitable stretching and shrinking of the skin.

3. You Are More Likely to Experience Drooping. Although breastfeeding doesn’t disturb the breast implant, you are more likely to get droopy after having children if you have a breast implant. So if you hadn’t had the breast implant, you’d have still got bigger and then got smaller again but without the implant they would have been smaller. Less gravity = less droop! This is, however, very individual and all women react uniquely so it is hard to predict your exact outcome.

A lot of Aurora Clinics patients who have breast implants and then subsequently go on to have children don’t seem to have any problems. But it is important to be fully aware that if you’ve got breast implants and you have children, you are taking a greater risk of developing slightly more droop in the long term than if you didn’t have implants.

RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT BREAST IMPLANTS AND PREGNANCY

For this reason, we do generally recommend waiting until after you have finished your family (if at all possible!) to have your breast enlargement surgery. This should ensure the best, most long-lasting results possible.

We ame across this interesting blog post  recently from The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, concerning age limits for cosmetic surgery.

The blog  discusses the merits of going under the knife – and of having non-invasive cosmetic surgery procedures - as a part of improving body image in later life.

In many Western populations, people are living longer – a simple fact, but one which also means that with a higher quality of life, some people also consider cosmetic surgery later in life, too.

Older people also have more disposable income and many opt to enjoy their retirement years in a number of ways they might not have considered with children at home and busy careers to consider. (more…)

At LBPS we are used to making the news – as well as our popular Press Days at our central London clinic, we’ve also been enjoying some fantastic newspaper and magazine coverage in recent months.

Our lead surgeon Christopher Inglefield  has been asked on numerous occasions to comment on the rise and rise of celebrity plastic surgery, and the implications of this on the general public in their decisions on how, when and what types of cosmetic surgery to consider.

We all know that celebrities love plastic surgery – it’s an intrinsic part of the culture in Hollywood, but Tinseltown is not life for the majority of us.

At LBPS, we advise patients to consider cosmetic surgery when younger to ensure it is not a result of Peer pressure.

Undergoing cosmetic surgery should be a highly personal decision, made on the basis of a very real need for physical and emotional change.

Many of our clients undergo plastic surgery for a sense of the wellbeing it gives them, some come to us because they simply want to change and improve their body image, whilst others come to us for purely medical and health-related reasons, where plastic surgery can assist them.

The bombardment by the media of images of perfect movie stars only adds pressure to have plastic surgery.

One of the most important pieces of advice we give prospective clients is to ensure that they visit a reputable surgeon – one who discusses the best options for each individual, rather than attempting to replicate a celebrity look.

If you have any questions about plastic surgery in London, please feel free to get in touch with us at our clinic direct on 0207 487 0900 – or, alternatively, book a consultation with us here.

Our lead plastic surgeon Christopher Inglefield recently had the pleasure and privilege to present on non-invasive fat reduction at the 4th International Interventional Cosmetics Meeting, held at the Royal Society of Medicine in London.

Fat reduction is the second most popular cosmetic surgery treatment in the USA, and given the current ongoing rising trend towards non-invasive procedures in plastic surgery, the presentation was well received.

Globally, it’s been projected that non-invasive treatments will increase by a staggering 69% from 2010 to 2015, clearly highlighting the huge potential in this area.

LBPS are at the forefront of this growth potential, and have long advised patients to consider the benefits of non-invasive cosmetic surgery wherever possible – including minimal and in many cases zero downtime, faster healing times, less discomfort, safe and highly effective procedures, as well as long-lasting results for positive, life-changing body shaping surgery.

Given that many patients would rather not have invasive surgery where possible, cosmetic surgery procedures such as non-invasive fat reduction are set to trend and grow in popularity across Europe and the UK, too.

If you have any questions about non-invasive fat reduction treatment, please feel free to get in touch with us at our clinic direct on 0207 487 0900 – or, alternatively, book a consultation with us here.

Often seen as a problem that only affects teenagers, adult acne can be an extremely embarrassing and demoralising affliction.
Adult acne actually affects around 25% of adult men and up to 50% of adult women at some time during their adult lives. A third of those affected with acne on the face also have it on their body. Possible causes of acne can be hormones, stress and cosmetics among many others.

In our clinic at London Bridge Plastic Surgery, we treat acne in a variety of ways. Among these is Isolaz – treatment of acne both for face and body. Isolaz is the first technology for aesthetics in the world that combines a vacuum action with a broadband light which delivers effective acne treatment. The vacuum effect allows dirt, blackheads and excess oil to be extracted from deep in the pores, while the broadband light helps to destroy the acne causing bacteria as well as decrease facial redness.

It is a painless way to treat the acne and is also quick and easy allowing people to return to daily activities immediately. Our expert skincare specialist, Cheryl Marshall Williams can also advise on a tailor made treatment course of peels and light therapy treatments to reduce the acne whilst rejuvenating the skin and minimising any scarring. If scarring has previously occurred, we can also use various skincare techniques such as Dermarollers to reduce the scarring and even out the complexion. For home care we would recommend the OXY Clearlight – a blue light technology device to target spots and acne and reduce redness.

If you would like to learn more about the LBPS acne treatments, please call us on 0207 4870 900

According to statistics released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), the plastic surgery industry is continuing to show significant growth, with 13.8 million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures (both surgical and minimally invasive) being performed in the US in 2011, which is an increase of 5% since 2010. The top five surgical procedures were breast augmentation, nose reshaping, liposuction, eyelid surgery and facelifts. Interestingly, chin augmentation, which is a procedure popular with men, saw a rise of nearly 71%. Here at London Bridge Plastic Surgery we have also noticed a rise not only in the number of procedures, but also that men are becoming an increasing percentage of our patient base, demonstrating an increased awareness and acceptability for men to undergo procedures.

We have also noticed a boom in non-surgical procedures, with skin treatments, fillers, peels and Botox injections topping the list. This is in agreement with the findings of the ASPS which show that the overall growth in cosmetic procedures is mainly being driven by a rise in minimally invasive procedures. At London Bridge Plastic Surgery we can boast the very best and latest in technology for minimally invasive skin and body techniques and treatments, reflecting the growing demand for treatments with no downtime but excellent and visible results.

For more information on non-surgical procedures please have a look at http://lbps.co.uk/non-surgical-treatments/ or contact us on 0207 487 0900