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Brow Lift or Forehead Lift

As we age there is a gradual drooping of the eyebrows and wrinkling of the forehead. Such sagging eyebrows and forehead skin can ultimately cause contact between the hairs of the eyebrow and eyelash. People may comment that their eyes seem to be "shrinking" and that their make-up smears more easily on the upper eyelid easily.

This surplus of skin also gathers around the eyelid region, creating accordion-like wrinkles. Such wrinkles fail to disappear even when the eyebrows are at rest. The skin changes can create a visual image of exhaustion or anger in a person's face.

The brow lift procedure, which is also called the forehead lift, elevates the eyebrows and tightens the forehead skin. This gives the eyes a more refreshed and well-rested presentation. Wrinkles are reduced or eliminated by removing underlying muscles which cause them while excess skin is removed from the scalp above.

The brow lift procedure usually starts with an incision at or in the hairline, thus camouflaging of the incisions. In cases where the skin has good elastic properties, the forehead and eyebrows can be repositioned using minor incisions and a lighted rod called an endoscope. This minimizes scalp scars and reduces the backward movement of the hairline. Often several months of pre-treatment with skin renewal creams will improve skin elasticity, permitting the further minor procedure. Either technique creates some swelling and bruising for a few weeks.

While the brow lift will reduce wrinkling in the upper eyelid and "crow's feet" region, additional eyelid surgery or skin resurfacing techniques may be needed for the best results.  Puffiness around the eyes, particularly in fat deposits in the lower eyelid region, is also not helped by a brow lift but liposuction effectively removes the excess fat. The results last about 10 years.
 

Deposits of fat material can develop in the chin, cheeks and neck as a result of aging . This detracts from the facial profile. This can occur in younger faces, well before other signs of aging appear. This rounding of the profile causes a lack of definition along the jawline and neck.

Cheek fat pad (buccal fat pad) removal is the removal of the fat pads in the cheek. This reduces the chubby cheek look and give a better contour to the face.  The cheek fat is removed by incisions from within the mouth and leaves no visible scars. There will be swelling of the face for about a week. This procedure must be used cautiously since the buccal fat in your face is naturally reduced as you age and excessive cheek pad removal can produce a drawn and haggard appearance many years later.

To correct these changes, cosmetic surgeons remove the fat deposit by liposuction techniques (submental lipectomy) (See Chapter 7, Liposuction and Fat Transplantation), then the underlying neck muscles are tightened. If the skin is sufficiently resilient, it will then recoil and show a more toned appearance. In younger persons with good skin elasticity, this procedure alone improves overall facial beauty.

Temporary numbness or weakness in the chin and mouth requires two to three weeks to resolve, but permanent problems are rare. The results are generally permanent.

Eyelid Rejuvenation or Blepharoplasty

Eyelid reduction is a relatively simple cosmetic surgery that has shown enormous levels of patient satisfaction. It is popular with both men and women, especially with male executives who find themselves competing in a job market saturated with younger men. The surgery eliminates signs of stress around the eyes and most of the "bags" of fat that have accumulated with time underneath the eyes. The goal is a younger overall look, and patients are usually very satisfied.

Eyelid reduction once was a totally surgical procedure but increasingly laser resurfacing is used to tighten the eyelid tissue. By the mid 1990's laser technology became, in many cases, an easier alternative for treating eyelids.  A new technique treats lower eyelids with a laser incision inside where there will be no visible scar. The overall effect that is sought is eyes that have a more youthful and relaxed look.  Blepharoplasty also reduces eye fatigue for people who are tired but must stay alert such as when driving at night.

However, if eyelid tissue is excessive, surgery to reduce excess skin, bags, pouches and wrinkles around the eyes (blepharoplasty) may be conducted in conjunction with a face-lift, but more frequently it is a separate procedure. In most cases both lids are treated, but occasionally, only the upper or the lower eyelids are treated.

Blepharoplasty of the Lower Eyelids

Before surgery, you are given a mild sedative for relaxation then a stronger intravenous sedation. Special eye drops numb the eyelids, after which a local anesthetic, injected with tiny needle numbs the area around the eyes. During the procedure, you will hear the physician's voice, but without any pain or discomfort. If a laser is used, comfortable steel eye covers are used to protect your eyes. General anesthesia often is used if eyelid surgery is performed in conjunction with a face-lift.

An incision is made into the underside of the lower eyelid or "conjunctiva". After the incision is made, fat deposits, from inside the lid, are simply removed with a laser or surgically. Stitches are not necessary and healing is rapid. A nice complement to this procedure is a laser peel on the outer skin of the lower eyelids to improve external skin quality and tightness. The older technique of surgically entering from the front of the eyelid is rarely used today because internal eyelid incisions are safer and give better cosmetic results.

Blepharoplasty of the Upper Eyelids

Upper eyelids may accumulate so much excess fat and skin that the eyelid tends to drop into the vision field, blocking vision and causing fatigued eyes. For treatment, a small crescent of skin on the eyelid is removed plus a small amount of eyelid muscle and fat. Then the incision is closed with stitches. The procedure is performed surgically or with a laser. The results are improved when laser resurfacing is also performed on the outside of the upper lids to improve the skin texture.

Excess skin and other tissue is removed from the upper eyelids after lateral incisions are made in the eyelid fold. Fatty tissue from the lower eyelids is removed either through an incision in the skin (just below the eyelashes) or through an incision in the back surface of the eyelid (the transconjunctival approach).

Recovery after Eyelid Surgery

The procedure takes from one to two hours.  If your upper eyelids were treated, there will be seven to 15 tiny stitches in the eyelid crease which  are removed about seven days after surgery. The discoloration around the eyes resolves in three weeks, but swelling may persist for several weeks longer. Since your your eyelids are somewhat swollen and the skin is now stretched, there may be some difficulty closing your eyes for several days. Temporary visual blurring may occur after surgery because of tears, but this is typically short-lived. The skin incisions heal into inconspicuous thin lines within a few months.

Most persons find their eyes look and feel more rested and youthful after eyelid surgery. The results last about 10 years on upper lids and are permanent on lower lids.

Reducing Nasolabial Folds

Nasolabial folds are the lines that slant downwards from your nostrils to the outer corners of your lips. Such folds can occur in younger persons but do deepen with age. Deep plane face-lifts elevate facial muscles and fat, reducing the depth of the folds. This is usually accompanied by collagen implants to raise depressed skin areas.  

Breast Lift or Mastopexy

Breast sagging (ptosis) commonly occurs after pregnancy, nursing, weight loss, aging, or is simply the result of the pull of gravity. The breast skin stretches and sagging and dropping occurs. Also breast tissue can reduce with time and results in a less youthful appearance.

In persons with mild to moderate degrees of sagging, a minimally invasive endoscopic procedure often can be used. Tiny incisions hidden in the armpit permit insertion of internal support sutures to re-suspend the breast tissue. More extensive lifting can be obtained either by surgical removal of sagging skin or by the use of implants. A breast lift (mastopexy) surgery corrects the sagging by lifting the nipple up higher, removing excess skin and raising up the entire breast. If the breasts are small or sagging is minimal, augmentation with implants may correct the problems.

The breast lift is performed under either local anesthesia with intravenous sedation or general anesthesia and takes about two hours. Patients often return home the same day. During the breast lift, surgeons usually reposition the nipple and areola to a higher position and remove excess skin from beneath the breast. The traditional mastopexy incision is made in three steps: a circular incision around the areola, a second incision vertically from the areola to the fold underneath the breast, and a final incision across the fold. Excess skin is removed and the nipple is repositioned.

For some women, a "crescent mastopexy", in which the only necessary incision is the removal of a small crescent at the top of the areola, which is followed by attaching the areola to skin higher on the breast.

Another option, if appropriate for the particular breast, is a circular incision around the areola. The areola is separated from the skin, and the surgeon removes excess skin and tightens up the breast by suturing the skin together somewhat like a purse string. This lifts the breast up and moves the nipple and areola into a higher position.

Closing the incisions in skin lifts the breast mound to a higher position and recontours it to give a more projected and youthful appearance. Often, to achieve the desired effect, a saline-filled breast implant is placed beneath the breast at the same time to obtain the desired size, shape and breast projection. Patients normally start limited activities the day after surgery and by three to four weeks resume normal activities. Pain is controlled with oral pain medication and sutures are removed after one to two weeks.

Patients may experience a decrease of sensation in the nipple. On rare occasions, scars may become thick and reddish; however, lasers have proven very effective in eliminating this post-surgical redness and scarring. For scars that may remain, there is also a procedure known as "tattooing," where a color that matches your natural skin color is tattooed into the scar

Following a breast lift, patients are usually able to breast-feed because the nipple is not separated from the milk glands. The final result is breasts with a more attractive, more youthful appearance and are generally permanent.

Breast Enlargement or Augmentation Mammoplasty

Breast enhancement or augmentation is one of the most sought after cosmetic procedures. Enlargement today is a relatively safe procedure. Two circumstances usually create a desire for surgical breast enlargement. The first is congenital breast underdevelopment and the second situation is caused by a the loss of breast volume that follows the child-bearing years or a large weight loss.

Synthetic implants are used to increase the breast volume. Breasts may also be enlarged by fat transplantation (See Chapter 7, Liposuction and Fat Transplantation). Fat transplants work best for tight, relatively small breasts without little loose or sagging skin. For large sizes, saline implant are used.

The number of breast augmentation procedures performed annually in the United States is now sharply increasing, rising from 32,000 in 1992 to over 230,000 in 2001.

During the consultation for breast enlargement, the surgeon and patient use simulations to decide the amount of enlargement and breast shape desired. Implants should be complimentary and in proportion to your overall body. If the implant size is too large, the skin may stretch, becoming very thin, and not produce a healthy skin tone.

The esthetics of breast shape also must be considered. Modern implants come in round, contour and teardrop shapes. The round type is the most common shape which is a flat, circular shape.  The second common type is the "anatomical" shape somewhat like a tear drop with a more natural contour appearance. A 23-year-old woman might prefer a more rounded breast, close to to the shape of young breasts. In contrast, with a woman of 45, such roundness look somewhat too youthful, and she may prefer the contour shape, which produces a more mature-looking breast. In a case where breast sagging has occurred, a teardrop shape could produce a more natural figure.

The cost of a breast enlargement procedure is about $4,000 to $7,000.

To the left: X-Ray of breast implant. The implant is the rounded area in the center of the breast. Note the relatively high placement of the implant to produce breast uplift.
 

Types of Breast Implants

There are four common types of breast implants. These are (1) salt-water filled implants known as Saline Implants, (2)  Soya-oil filled implants (Trilucent), (3)  Hydrogel Implants (sugar, salt and water), and (4) Silicone Implants. The more advanced silicone implants are available in the United Kingdom (Britain) but not in the USA, see more on this below.

Soya-oil implants are filled with soya oil but have an outer shell of silicone resulting in a feel very similar to silicone implants. If soybean implants accidentally rupture, the soybean oil is absorbed by the body and has no toxic actions. Soybean oil implants are reported not to block the natural breast tissue on mammogram x-rays.

Hydrogel implants are filled with solidified sugar, salt and water and are a recent development. They are said to feel like natural breast tissue but cost about $400 to $1,500 more than the other types of implants.

Saline implants are considered very safe and are the least expensive, but women often complain of a visible "rippling" of the breast when a woman is bending over. They may also deflate slightly with time and occasionally completely deflate, which requires re-implantation.

Silicone implants are now supplied as a thicker gel form or "cohesive gel" that will not break down. The cohesive gel silicone is designed to stay in in the event of an implant rupture and not migrate to other areas of the body. These newer and safer, solid "cohesive gel" implants are available in the United Kingdom, but are not approved in the USA, France, or Australia. If you are planning implants, the British option should be seriously considered.

Safety of Breast Implants

The safety of liquid silicone implants is still unsettled in the legal community; however, most of the medical science community is of the opinion that implants are safe and cause no long term dangers. The silicone implant controversy has focused around the potential that leakage of liquid silicone may foster the development of collagen vascular diseases (rheumatoid diseases). Studies on the leakage from liquid silicone implants estimate 5% of implants leak over a 15 years.  A British Medical Journal article in February 1998, entitled "Do silicone breast implants cause connective tissue disease? There is still no clear evidence that they do." concluded that research findings from numerous studies find no link between breast implants and connective tissue disease. Most implants still use a solid "rubber-like" silicone for the implant's jacket. While some patients worry over health risks from implanted silicone, careful clinical studies at the Mayo Clinic and Harvard University have failed to link silicone implants with medical aftereffects. Indeed, surveys by Dow Corning of the over two million women who had breast enlargement, before class-action lawsuits were filed over alleged deleterious side-effects from silicone breast implants, found over 90% of women happy with their implants.

In June 1999, a study panel at the Institute of Medicine of the US National Academy of Sciences said that, while silicon implants can cause localized problems, there was no persuasive evidence that the implants caused serious ailments such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.

Many of the problems that have resulted from breast implants many have been due to their implantation by poorly trained surgeons and normal medical problems that arise with aging. No one is as healthy at 55 as they were at 45.

Size of Implants

The size of the implants is a personal choice. Implant sizes start around at 230 milliliters to up to 800 milliliters. Very large implants are custom manufactured. Cosmetic surgeons recommend determining  desired implant size by using plastic sandwich bags filled with water with one cup of water equaling a 250 milliliter implant. Place the sandwich bag into the bra cup and see how it looks and feels with a normal bra in its normal position. Two cups of water equal a 500 milliliter implant. Do not use a Push Up bra as it does not give you an accurate feel for the implant size.

The number-one complaint from women after implant surgery is that the implants were not large enough. Raising a "B" cup to a "D" cup requires an implant of 350 to 375 milliliters.

Incisions for Implants

A variety of incisions (about 1 inch long) can be used for implant insertion. Implant surgeons try to keep incisions as inconspicuous as possible in places such as around the nipple (areola), in the armpit, or in the crease under the breast where it meets the chest. Recent technological advances have produced significant surgical improvements in breast augmentation and other types of body sculpting surgery. The most important advancement is the application of video-endoscopic techniques. This allows surgical procedures to be performed fiber-optically with a very minimal incision and precision placement. These techniques give superior results with decreased bruising and swelling, less post-operative discomfort and a better preservation of sensitivity to touch in the breasts. The new Trilucent implants require a larger incision of 2-2 ½ inches.

Saline implants are usually inserted empty, like a deflated balloon, maneuvered into position, then carefully filled with saline.  A common type of incision is in the fold under the breast. Another incision route is in the area of the armpit. A third method is to enter along the top edge of the areola (the dark area around the nipple). Some surgeons insert breast implants through a tube inserted through the navel. The deflated implant is rolled up, then moved into position through a tube into the breast and filled with saline.

Incisions via the armpit and the areola can leave a visible scar that may show. The incision underneath the breast is usually better hidden. The navel incision usually produces no apparent scars. "Keloid" or thick scars, are a risk in persons with a history of keloids and should be discussed with your surgeon. Often keloid scars can be avoided by utilizing injections of cortisone or silicone patches.

Implants can be inserted behind the chest muscle or more toward the front, between the muscle and the breast tissue. Generally, surgeons prefer implantation toward the front which requires less  surgery and produces more cleavage and better projection. For persons with adequate breast tissue, this is the preferred placement. However, if the person has very little breast tissue, then the implant behind the muscle produces a better result but recovery is longer because the muscle layers have been cut and separated. This approach behind the muscle gives a "rippling" effect which makes the saline implants look more natural. Also, sometimes breast tissue can harden if scar tissue forms around the implant, but this happens less with implants behind the muscle.

Most breast surgery is performed under general anesthesia, but some surgeons are skilled in localized anesthesia techniques and prefer this approach. After the implants are filled, the incisions are stitched up, first with a layer of absorbable stitches in the breast tissue, then a second layer of absorbable stitches is placed in the deeper layer of skin, and a final layer of non-absorbable stitches closes the outer skin. The outer stitches are removed after about one week. Most implant procedures take about 90 minutes. Surveys indicate that around 95% of women are happy with their breast surgery results.

Some pain arises from the stretching of the breast tissues, but it usually resolves in a few days and is controlled with pain medications. Special bras are usually given to the woman after surgery to hold the skin and muscles in their intended places while healing. This bra should be worn for at least six to eight weeks. Patients generally can resume  work within a week, but should avoid heavy exertion over the following two months.

Nipple sensation can be increased or decreased following surgery. This happens because small nerves may be cut while making incisions and removing tissue. However, these nerves tend to heal over time, and sensation usually returns. Most patients are able to breast-feed following breast implants.

Hardening of implants is becoming less frequent. In the time of silicone implants, hardening occurred in about 15 percent of women. Estimates are that with the new saline implants and improved surgical techniques, hardening has dropped to the range of two to three percent. Breast implants do interfere somewhat with the ability of mammography to detect early breast cancers. All implanted persons need to inform their radiologists of their implants so the mammographic technique can compensate for the implant. The results are permanent.

After healing from the implants, a bra should still be worn for support to avoid stretching the breast's skin.
 

Women with large, heavy breasts may suffer from back pain, neck pain, grooves in the shoulders from bra straps, pain in the breasts, and rashes under the breasts. Some women are embarrassed by their large breasts and complain they are noticed more for their breasts than for their personality and intellectual attributes.

Breast reduction can minimize these problems. During the procedure, excess skin and breast tissue is removed. The breasts are reshaped to be smaller and more attractive. The surgery is normally performed at the hospital under general anesthesia.

The surgical incision options are similar to mastopexy, and reduction is accomplished by removing breast tissue and fat. Incisions are made around the areola, vertically below the areola, and in the crease beneath the breast. Scars are a drawback to the procedure, but may be reduced at a later date by a resurfacing laser. The nipple and areola are repositioned to a higher location on the breast and excess breast tissue and skin removed. The patient can leave the hospital a few days after surgery.  Sutures are removed two weeks afterward.

Because separating the nipple from the breast tissue during the surgery disturbs the superficial nerves of the nipple, there may be a decrease in sensation. The procedure may cause an inability to breast-feed.

In some women, it is possible to do a breast reduction using liposuction alone. This depends on several factors such as the elasticity of the skin and the size of the breast. But a full cup size reduction can often be achieved with liposuction. Always ask your physician about about liposuction as an option.
.
Following surgery, most women report that back and neck pains are reduced. The results are permanent.

Protect & Restore for Breasts, Nipples, & Decolletage^TM is designed to help increase your skin’s softness and smoothness, firmness and elasticity, and produce a clearer, more blemish-free skin. The creams was developed at the request of many of our customers who asked for a skin repair cream for this specific part of the body. Your skin in the upper chest area often suffers heavy sun damage but also is very delicate and sensitive. The breasts, especially in the regions of the nipple and areola, possess a rich supply of highly sensitive nerves which helps sexual responsiveness but also can increase the discomfort of skin irritations. In addition, glandular tissues of the breasts swell during a women’s menstrual cycle due to changes in estrogen, progesterone and prolactin and this can add to discomfort and increased tenderness. Because of these special sensitivities, this cream is thick, sensuous, and soothing but very easy to spread.

The creams are available in versions that contain various essential oils with pheromone-like actions for attraction and bonding. Human emotions and bonding are most strongly affected by scents and smells.

Stomach Reduction or Abdominoplasty

As a result of pregnancy or weight loss, men and women often develop excess abdominal skin, fat, and stretched abdominal muscles. Abdominoplasty corrects this by surgical removal of extra skin and excess fatty tissue. If excess fat in the abdomen is the only problem, liposuction alone may produce the desired results.

The surgical procedure is customarily performed under general anesthesia and over a time period of two to three hours, followed by one to three days of hospitalization. Following discharge, oral medications control the typically mild to moderate pain. An abdominal binder is worn to provide support while healing. Patients should restrict their activities for two to three weeks, and heavy exertional activities for a four weeks. Stitches are removed in one to two weeks following surgery.

The surgery starts with a transverse incision across the lower abdomen. The umbilicus (belly button) is left attached to the abdominal wall. Skin and fat are then raised from the abdominal wall and muscles to the level of the rib cage. Fat may be removed from the flanks with supplemental liposuction. The abdominal muscles are tightened by suturing them together in the midline and shortening them. Surgeons remove excess skin and fat from above the incision. The umbilicus (belly button) is brought through a small incision and sutured to the new skin in its normal position.

At times, drains are left in the skin for several days. There may be swelling and a collection of fluid after surgery that may be treated by needle drainage as an outpatient. Swelling and pain will subside over three to four months.

The scars around the belly button and lower abdomen gradually fade and become less visible. The final result is a more attractive figure and a firmer, flatter abdomen.

Skin Augmentation

Small depressions in the skin may be caused by scars from acne, surgery, wrinkles, and infections. Often, small depressions, not severe enough to require surgery, can be corrected by skin augmentation. In this procedure, materials are injected under the skin to raise the skin's surface and make it smoother.

Collagen Injections

There are two types of collagen available for injection. The first is prepared from bovine collagen such as the Zyderm® implant sold by Collagen Corporation and has been used for cosmetic procedures since the 1970's. The second and newer type of collagen, such as Autologen®  is prepared from the patient's own skin. The skin is obtained as part of a surgical procedure and sent to the Collagenesis Company which processes the material.

The two major advantages to the use of collagen are (1) it appears to be very safe; there have been only rare allergic reactions which are almost always detected by skin tests, and (2) collagen can be implanted by a physicians in their offices.

Collagen injections are used to fill skin defects. Collagen is a protein found in skin, bones and connective tissues. It stays in the facial skin between six and 12 months, after which, it sinks deeper into the skin and is removed by the body. Because of this removal, the benefit of injectable collagen is temporary and reinjections are needed on a regular basis. With bovine collagen, allergic sensitivity is assessed prior to injection and may, on rare occasions, produce swelling and redness.

Fat Transplantation

For fat transplantation, the person's own fat is injected under the skin to fill defects. Using liposuction techniques, fat is removed from a site of excess fat on the patient's body. The fat is then injected back into the skin at sites of surface depression. Allergic reactions do not happen because the fat comes from the patient's own body. However, a good fat transplantation requires two or three sessions of fat injections. (See Chapter 7, Liposuction and Fat Transplantation)

Retreatment may be needed in six months for wrinkles around the mouth or 12 to 18 months for acne scarring. Patients can be retreatment as often as they wish. There is no known limit to the amount of collagen or fat that can be injected.

Most patients treated with collagen or fat transplantation have periodic "touch up" injections after the initial treatment.

Botulism Toxin Wrinkle Treatment

Some types of dynamic wrinkles of facial expression are difficult to remove with laser treatment or other skin renewal methods.  In the brow, the contraction of small muscles may cause deep furrows or wrinkles that make a person look angry or worried.  Botulinum toxin type A blocks nerve impulses by binding to nerve endings and preventing the release of chemical transmitters that activate muscles. This stops the muscle contractions and spasms that produce the "worried" wrinkles. Injections of Botulism toxin are performed with a very small needle into the small muscles of the face which cause frown lines and eliminates these wrinkles for four to six months. The tiny muscles stop contracting and the wrinkles won't appear. Several repeated treatments may be necessary but the effects tend to become more permanent with time.

Lip Surgery

Lip Surgery uses fillers for plumping up lips. Lip augmentation utilizes injections of (1) collagen, (2) Gore-Tex, (3) Hyaluronic Acid, (4) Fat Injections, (5) Reprocessed Donor Skin, or by (6) turning the upper lip inside out to increase size.

Injections of collagen incur the small risk that putting collagen in your lips may damage the lip muscles. Collagen injections work well for a short time but unfortunately the collagen is absorbed by the body in six to eight weeks. Collagen costs about $500 per injection.

Hyaluronic Acid for lip augmentation is a stabilized, natural plant acid designed for lasting augmentation and said to be non-allergenic and last for about eight months.  It costs about $500 per injection.

Gore-Tex is a teflon-coated fabric that is cut into fine strips and inserted under the skin using a small tube that is inserted through small incisions into the lip. These incisions are then stitched up and finish as barely visible or invisible scars. Gore-Tex is a permanent implant but there have been cases of the body rejecting the implant. This rejection could produce permanent disfigurement. Gore-Tex injections cost between $1,500 and $3,000.

Fat Injections use fat withdrawn from your body which then is carefully re-injected into your lips. Since the fat is from your body, rejection is not a problem. However, some people say the look of fat injected lips is unnatural.

Reprocessed Donor Skin uses strips of skin placed under the lip by using tiny incisions in the places the lips are to be plumped up. Donor skin is obtained from human corpses. It is then chemically treated and sterilized. This procedure was originally developed for the treatment of burn victims. The cost of the procedure is $1,500 to $3,000

Turning the upper lip inside out is used to increase lip size. The procedure pulls the lip up and over, then stitching the lip into place. The effect is that part of the inside part of your lip becomes the outside of your lip.

Finding Dermatological Surgeons

The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) was formed in 1970 to promote excellence in dermatologic surgery and to foster high standards of patient care. To obtain a referral list of dermatological surgeons in your specific geographic areas, call the ASDS consumer hot line, (800) 441-2737, or visit its website at www.asds-net.org.

American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, 444 East Algonquin Road, Arlington Heights, Illinois 60005-4664, 847-228-9900 is another source of surgeons in your area.

Average Surgeon Fees for Cosmetic Procedures

Fees quoted for cosmetic surgery fees vary according to the country and within countries. Often fees do not cover hospital costs, if any, including: anesthesia, operating room facilities, recovery room, and prescriptions expenses. For the United States Surgeon fees are approximately:
 

Procedure	Average Cost
Breast augmentation	$3,000 - $3,500
Breast lift	$3,500
Breast reduction	$4,500 - $5,000
Buttock lift	$3,500
Cheek implants	$1,500 - $2,000
Facial chemical peel	$1,200 - $1,700
Dermabrasion	$1,400 - $1,600
Ear surgery	$2,500 - $3,000
Eyelid surgery (upper)                     (lower)	$1,500  $1,200
Facelift	$3,500 -$5,000
Laser skin resurfacing (Facial)	$2,700
Liposuction - one site	$1,500 - $2,000
Nose reshaping	$2,600 - $3,500
Tummy tuck	$4,000 - $4,500

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Aging Reversal Sciences, Reverse Skin Aging, Skin Biology, CP Serum, CP Night Eyes, CP Feet, CP Nails, BioHeal, Folligen, TriReduction, Calypso's Oil, Protect & Restore, Copper Beauty, and "Copper Peptides - Your Skin's 911 Call!", Copperceuticals, and "Loren Pickart Copperceuticals" are trademarks of Skin Biology, Inc. Copyright 1998-2008 by Dr. Loren Pickart

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