Cosmetic Surgery Center, Dallas | Dr. Rai

With the Sex and the City movie entering wide release today, it calls attention to some of the run-ins the various actresses have had with the question of cosmetic surgery. Playing the four lead characters of the series, these women are among the most commonly-cited celebrity role models for upper-middle-class white women in their 30s and above, also among the largest group of people considering cosmetic surgery.

Sarah Jessica Parker, who plays Carrie Bradshaw, has had some very harsh words for people who undergo plastic surgery, contrasting herself against women who in her words "Have big fake boobs, Botox and big lips," with obvious contempt. Some rumors say that she has had rhinoplasty to improve the shape of her nose, but she has denied it.

Kim Cattrall, who plays Samantha, has admitted to using Botox, and is thankful for such aids in combating the signs of aging, but believes that going farther than that is frightening, because it means putting her body under someone else's control. And she also points out that at over 50 years of age she doesn't want to try to look 20 or even 30, but is content to looking 40-something and aging gracefully.

Kristen Davis, the small brunette actress who plays Charlotte, has said that plastic surgery scares her because she is afraid she will not look like herself. She has also sworn off dieting and trying to look super-skinny.

Cynthia Nixon, who plays Miranda has been silent on the subject of cosmetic surgery, partly because she is less commonly seen as a sex symbol and probably receives questions on the subject less often. However, she may also be silent on the subject as a result of her recent battle with breast cancer, in which she faced the very real possibility that she may lose her breasts and be forced to make a decision on breast reconstruction.

What these women say about plastic surgery is definitely important, because of their influence. They point out a number of significant concerns that every woman should consider before having surgery. If you are going to have plastic surgery, you find a cosmetic surgeon you can trust not only to keep you safe, but also to maintain your personal appearance so that you don't look artificial. From breast augmentation to a facelift, any cosmetic surgery procedure can either look natural, or it can look fake, and you have to make a decision about what you want and find a surgeon who can give you that.

Some have pointed out that the criticism these and other naturally-beautiful women level at cosmetic surgery cannot help but seem a little hypocritical to women who are unhappy with their bodies. Ultimately the decision to have cosmetic surgery should be your own, and just as you should not get it to look like a celebrity or to please someone else, so you also should not avoid it just because someone else says it is not for them.

If you would like to learn more about plastic surgery and discuss any concerns you may have, contact the Cosmetic Surgical Center in Dallas, Texas today to set up a consultation.

According to a study published in the June issue of Plastic and Reconstructive surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), a recently discovered "deep fat compartment" may be a key to more efficient and effective facial rejuvenation treatments.

As we discussed when talking about facial cosmetic surgery by design, the hollowing of the cheeks is one of the key signs of aging in the face, as are nasolabial folds--also known as parentheses around the nose and mouth or laugh lines--and what is known either a v deformity under the eyes or a tear trough deformity. The recent study concluded that all of these deformities are at least somewhat related to the loss of fat from the newly-discovered deep fat compartment, and they can all be treated with a single filler treatment in the deep fat compartment rather than being treated as separate problems.

The discovery of the deep fat compartment was made as a result of a study of cadavers injected with dye to identify the compartment below the subcutaneous layer of fat. Then the compartment was injected with latex to enable researchers to determine its extent. Once the extent of the compartment was determined, researchers experimented with filler injections and implants to find that augmenting this compartment did in fact restore volume to the cheeks with a smaller implant or volume of filler than injections into the subcutaneous fat layer.

Although this particular treatment avenue is a long way from proving itself as a viable option for combating aging, it does provide hope that a single treatment might someday do the work that is currently performed by a combination of injectable fillers, facial implants, and lower-lid blepharoplasty.

To learn more about state-of-the-art treatments that can correct the effects of aging on your face, please contact Dr. Vasdev Rai at the Cosmetic Surgical Center in Dallas, Texas for a consultation.

When former American Idol also-ran Kellie Pickler underwent cosmetic breast surgery, the aspiring country music star became the center of speculation and rumor. She denied the speculation for many months, saying things like, "I like to be the center of attention, and right now me and the girls, we are pretty much getting a lot of attention. I like to keep it a mystery." However, after about six months of speculation, she finally came out and discussed her breast augmentation surgery.

This past weekend, when she performed at the American Country Music Awards, she received a lot of attention from photographers, partly due to her breast implants, and there were some very crude comments made, including one by the executive producer of the show that launched her career, who said the attention was because "She's acquired two accoutrements that (naturally) photographers and men love," then added, "I'm not sure what it cost her, but obviously it was well worth it." Of course we might expect a peddler of low-brow, bottom-feeder television to take a meretricious perspective, but the truth is that Pickler has a much healthier perspective on her surgery and its results.

Even early on, she didn't deny having the surgery, and talked about what might have inspired her to have it, "You're the one that has to look at yourself every day and it's important that you're happy with what you see." She has also said, "I don't take any of that personal when people criticize me about the way I look. . . . As long as I'm happy with Kellie then that's most important." She talked about the breast surgery as part of her character transformation, "I still have my sassy and girly side, but I've been growing a lot--in many more ways than one. Let's just say I feel much more mature now." Breast surgery is an opportunity for more than just a physical makeover. It can be part of a personal transformation.

And she put her breast enhancement in context of other things that stars do to look good, "My job is to sing and I have a total glam squad that does the rest; I use so much hairspray and so much makeup. At night it's like a mask that I take off--you really wouldn't know who I am." If people are not ashamed of their makeup mask, why should they be ashamed of their breast surgery?

If you are considering breast augmentation, it is important to make sure that you are doing it for the right reasons, and you have considered what it means in terms of your self-image. If you would like to discuss breast augmentation in detail, please contact Dr. Rai for a consultation at the Cosmetic Surgical Center today.

When size 10 contestant Whitney Thompson won America's Next Top Model, it was both a surprise to many and the starting-point of a heated controversy about dieting, modeling, and its influence on the body image of young men and women.

The majority of model competitors are size 2 or less, which is the dominant trend in the fashion industry, and has been cited as some as being a major factor in the low self-image experienced by young women especially, and many people praised her victory as a step forward in helping people establish a healthy body image.

However, experts on health and dieting have said that this victory sends the wrong message to children whose obesity rates continue to grow. They say that Thompson's victory sends the message that "it's okay to be fat."

In response, Thompson points out that she is not at all fat. In fact, she points out, her body mass index is right where it should be. She is a healthy, active woman who maintains her body weight, but she is, in her words, not going to starve herself, and says anyone who "[encourages] people to starve themselves or throw up after every meal [. . .] should be shot." She points out that being underweight is just as unhealthy as being overweight. She says, some "models are literally starving to death."

I would add that for years we have had super-skinny models, and during all this time the obesity rate has continued to climb. Paradoxically, the promotion of ultra-skinny models leads to bad body image, which may inspire dieting and exercise in the short term, but then people find that their diet is either not working or causes them to lose their curves. Their inability to reach the model ideal drives people to despair of ever looking good, which leads to obesity through complete neglect of their bodies and "comfort eating."

Perhaps the promotion of a distribution of healthy body types will help people to understand that, even though many of us cannot achieve the ideal favored by the modeling industry, it does not mean we can't look good. Even cosmetic surgery procedures like liposuction cannot make us look like the skinny models, but through body contouring and a proper use of proportion, you can look good, and, many would say, better than models, who, to use Thompson's phrase, "look like a hanger," and are only good for hanging clothes on.

So, before you start shopping around for "bikini boot camps," please contact Dr. Vasdev Rai at the Cosmetic Surgical Center in Dallas, Texas, today to learn how you can look good at any size.

Angelina Jolie, promoting the premiere of the animated Kung Fu Panda, in which she voices Master Tigress, was the fan favorite at the Cannes Film Festival for two days running. Just days after revealing she is pregnant with twin girls, she made appearances in white and in green. Although very pregnant, she looks great, and will probably continue to do so after giving birth.

We had been over the celebrity baby boom for a while, but the question is whether this will incite another. And, with few women able to maintain their appearance the way Jolie does, will we see another wave of Mommy Makeovers?

It is hard to know, but she has already promised that there are many babies to come, and possibly then, many waves of Mommy Makeovers.

If you feel that having a child has made you feel less attractive, you do not have to simply tolerate it. You can find relief for some of the most common effects of childbirth such as sagging breasts and stretch marks with a Mommy Makeover. Contact the Cosmetic Surgical Center today for a consultation to find out how.

Thousands of Americans every year travel overseas for surgery, from 5000 to 500,000 annually, depending on which procedures you consider and which estimates you believe. However, traveling overseas for cosmetic surgery has some major risks.

First, it can be very difficult to verify the credentials and surgical history of doctors in foreign countries. Although the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery does have a resource for finding surgeons in other countries who meet US standards for training and equipment. However, many of the surgeons who are associated with cosmetic tourism companies do not meet these standards.

Second, you should always have the doctor who performed the surgery monitor your recovery, which is impossible if you have had your surgery performed overseas.

Finally, if any do complications arise as a result of your operation, you may be unable to find a doctor who is willing to treat your complications. This is partly for legal reasons, since they do not want to be held liable for anything that goes wrong during the revision surgery. And once you find a doctor to help you, your revision surgery is likely to cost far more than the original surgery would have.

In addition, cosmetic surgery vacations are not as good as advertized. Savings on cosmetic tourism vacations have gone down as a result of the weak dollar. And don't forget that you will be undergoing surgery. You are unlikely to enjoy the vacation as much as you think, since you will be prohibited from engaging in many activities both prior to and following your surgery.

The only good reason for cosmetic surgery "tourism," is to travel to get the best possible treatment from a leading surgeon.

To talk to a skilled cosmetic surgeon, contact the Cosmetic Surgical Center today to set up a consultation.

At a scholarly conference last week, cosmetic surgeons discussed the possibility of using transplanted fat as the raw material of breast augmentation. The procedure, which is still being evaluated in clinical trials, has received much praise from some doctors. According to fat grafting pioneers, breast shaping with autologous fat transplantation "allows for dramatic or subtle shaping of the breast in a manner previously not attainable," and added that the "telltale signs of implants and surgery are absent--the resultant breast is completely fluid and natural appearing."

Recent studies of breast reconstruction have shown that reconstruction with body tissue has a far lower rate of infection and other complications than breast reconstruction with implants, so it is possible that augmentation with transplanted fat might reduce complications associated with the procedure.

However, there are a number of long-term questions about the safety and efficacy of the procedure. The main concern is that transplanted fat cells have a low survival rate, which can be accounted for in doing micro-transplantation such as is used when utilizing transplanted fat as a facial filler, but may lead to malformation if used in large quantities such as would be necessary for breast augmentation. In addition, the procedure may lead to calcification, the development of cysts, and scarring. And some have expressed concerns that the transplanted fat can lead to an increased incidence of cancer.

As a result of these concerns, it is likely that breast implants will continue to be used for breast augmentation for the foreseeable future. However, it is possible that some day in the not-too-distant future, a woman really will be able to take the fat from stomach and move it to her breasts.

If you are interested in breast augmentation, please contact the Cosmetic Surgical Center today to set up a consultation with Dr. Rai.

You are all probably aware that the housewife seeking further enlargement for her already FFF breasts is from our own great state of Texas. Fortunately, the laws of the state of Texas prohibit her from receiving more silicone in her breasts. Although we as cosmetic surgeons help people achieve their personal ideals, but there is a point at which all ideals have to be balanced with reality, and the reality is that too many cosmetic surgeries can be damaging to a person's mind and body.

We had spoken several weeks ago on this blog about body dismorphic disorder (BDD), in which a person's view of his or her own body is so far out of line with reality that it is impossible for him or her to ever achieve an appearance that will be compatible with good self esteem. However, it does not seem that this woman has that problem. It is not that she believes she looks bad in her current appearance, but, according to her statement, "I want to look better each day, every day. Everybody's got a dream inside, you know? And it's good when you can make your dream come true."

If we look at her statement, it seems more likely that she is suffering what might be termed a true "addiction" to cosmetic surgery. While some people have repeated surgeries to correct one or another flaw, others may have repeated surgeries to experience the neurochemical rewards associated with the outcome of her surgery. It's not that she's dissatisfied with her past surgeries. On the contrary, she has been so satisfied with the results that she wants to repeat the experience of getting those good results again and again.

The two reasons for getting cosmetic surgery might become clearer if we compare them to people with gambling problems. The BDD-afflicted person is like a gambler who plays because he or she believes that gambling can provide a solution to debts, and, for example, buys hundreds of dollars in lottery tickets instead of paying down credit card bills. This housewife is more like the gambler who is addicted to the feeling of winning, and continues to gamble to regain that feeling of coming out on top. Both types of gamblers create financial problems where none had existed before, and, as a result of their addiction end up worse off than ever.

At the Cosmetic Surgical Center, in Dallas, Texas, we believe that cosmetic surgery should contribute to a person's overall well-being, and we will not practice surgery that we believe to be harmful. However, we also believe that there are legitimate issues of mental and physical well-being that can be addressed through cosmetic surgery. If you want to learn more about how cosmetic surgery can be a positive influence in your life, please contact Dr. Rai today for a consultation.

The first time I heard it, it surprised me. A young woman complained that her butt was too small. Her boyfriend was always looking at stars like Beyonce, whose large buttocks have taken over from Jennifer Lopez' as the derriere du jour. She also complained that if she put on weight it went exactly where she didn't want it, her abs and thighs, leaving her rear abysmally flat. Since then, it has become a more common complaint among women, that they wish they could make their buttocks bigger.

Fortunately, they can. With buttock augmentation, they can put junk in their trunk without adding load elsewhere. To learn more about how you can get that ba-donka-donk you've always wanted, contact the Cosmetic Surgerical Center in Dallas, Texas today for a consultation.

In considering breast augmentation surgery, many women are concerned about a scar that can tell the tale of the surgery. Although Dr. Rai uses the best techniques during surgery and recommends a good regimen of post-surgical care to minimize the scarring, some scarring is inevitable following all surgery.

Most of the time, scars are made more subtle by making incisions around the nipple (periareolar incision) or under the breast (inframammary incision), but for some women these scars may be a concern. If you are worried about scars on the breast following augmentation surgery, you should consider endoscopic breast augmentation.

In endoscopic breast augmentation, a tiny incision is made either in the underarm area (transaxillary incision) or in the navel (transumbilical incision). A tiny tool known as an endoscope is used to clear a track to the breast, then put the breast implant, which is deflated and rolled, in place. Once in place, the breast implant is inflated. This procedure cannot be performed with silicone breast implants, which come pre-filled from the manufacturer.

Endoscopic breast augmentation also has the advantage of minimizing the risk of loss in breast sensation that sometimes occurs following augmentation surgery. It also has a shorter healing time than more traditional breast augmentation surgery.

If you would like to learn more about endoscopic breast augmentation surgery, contact Dr. Rai at the Cosmetic Surgical Center in Dallas, Texas, today.