In addition to facial rejuvenation, buttock and breast augmentation, stem cell marketing has reached such peaks that one may posit that they harbor the solution for global warming.
Postulated uses of stem cells
A recent study came out in our esteemed, peer-reviewed journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery addressing stem cell enriched fat transfer versus “regular” fat transfer (PRS Journal: stem cell rich fat transfer). In essence, this study showed there was no difference in the effects of a fat transfer whether it was enriched with stem cells or not. This was essentially the same conclusion of a blog post I wrote a few years back. However, what makes this news different is that it comes from a well-designed, randomized prospective study.
You may then ask yourself why are there so many doctors promoting stem cell facelifts and fat transfers as being the chalice of youth or life’s elixir to immortality and aging. The simple answer is finance and marketing. By promoting your fat transfer as being different, labeling it with the trendy buzz prefix of “stem cell”, prospective patients will naturally think they are getting something better, longer-lasting and more natural.
You may then ask yourself why their before-and-after photos are impressive. The simple answer is that for every before-and-after photo of a stem cell-enriched fat transfer there are 10 equally-as-impressive before-and-after results from regular fat transfers. The bottom line is that one can achieve equivalent results from a regular, well-performed fat transfer-specifically, one in which the fat is appropriately harvested, cleaned and transferred by the physician with precision and artistry. Fat is basically serving as a filler, but one that is extraordinary. Extraordinary because it is not only permanent but is actually living as well-consequently it can grow or shrink depending if the patient gains or loses weight, respectively.
Stem cell science is in its infancy and we have much to learn. Indeed, many stem cell scientists now believe that the byproducts of stem cells (cytokines, etc) play a far more important role in healing than the actual stem cells themselves.Fat is a rich source of stem cells but to assume that the stem cells, when transplanted into the face, can miraculously know how to uniquely reverse aging is pipe-dreaming at best.
In light of recent photos of Renee Zellweger, a conversation has begun about plastic surgery. (Zellweger responded to the uproar, telling People magazine, “I’m glad folks think I look different! I’m living a different, happy, more fulfilling life, and I’m thrilled that perhaps it shows.”) But whether or not Zellweger had plastic surgery is irrelevant, and the reality — and potential repercussions — of going under the knife is worth exploring in further discussion. We spoke to “The Swan” contestant Lorrie Arias about her experience to get a better handle on the reality of undergoing such extreme physical change. This is her story.
Ten years ago, at age 34, Lorrie Arias underwent approximately $300,000 worth of plastic surgery. In 1995, she lost 150 pounds; in 2002, her husband died; and, in 2004, she became a contestant on “The Swan.”
The program, which Jennifer L. Pozner called “the most sadistic reality show of the decade“ in “Reality Bites Back,” took its title and premise from a literary fairy tale, “The Ugly Ducking.” Two women deemed to be “ugly” underwent a total transformation at the hands of a panel of specialists, including a plastic surgeon. At the end of each episode, one was eliminated and the other went on to compete in the pageant that ran as the show’s finale. It aired for two seasons in 2004, before being canceled in 2005 as a result of low ratings.
After losing a significant amount of weight, the then-police department volunteer auditioned for the show in hopes of a tummy tuck. Arias was frustrated that she had worked so hard to get healthy and still had so much extra skin. As a result of her “sad story” the selection committee chose her for the show.
Once Arias got to the set of “The Swan,” doctors and producers set up a much more intensive transformation than she had expected. Over two and a half months of filming, she had a tummy tuck, buttock lift, inner thigh lift, dual facelift, upper lip lift, upper and lower eye lift, endoscopic brow lift, rhinoplasty, breast augmentation and breast lift — the most procedures of any contestant on the show.
A decade later, she told HuffPost Entertainment she is depressed, bipolar, agoraphobic and believes she continues to suffer from body dysmorphic disorder. She has regained the weight she lost in 1995 and refuses to leave her home, save for trips to see her therapist every few months.
There is relatively little research regarding the psychological fall out from plastic surgery, both because extreme alterations are rare and it is not in plastic surgeons’ best interest to participate in or fund such studies. Some work has been done on the effect of TV representations on adolescents’ body image and the ways in which unrealistic expectations can lead to disappointment following a cosmetic procedure. In terms of diagnoses, the topic most often discussed is body dysmorphic disorder.
“That refers to essentially an over-focus on a certain body part as being deformed or problematic, to the point that the person becomes obsessed with it,” Dr. Paul Puri, a psychiatrist, said. “Many times an individual believes getting surgery will fix it. In the research and literature, this has not been show to be a solution. It can be a problem with self-esteem, anxiety or other underlying issues, and surgeries don’t typically solve those other issues.”
Of course, sometimes, people get surgery later in life due to social pressures based on standards of beauty and youth. “Those are two largely different reasons as to why people get plastic surgery,” Puri clarified. In cases involving dysmorphic disorder, it tends to pre-exist the surgery and then be exacerbated when the results differ from what the person desires. “The case may be that if someone fixes all of their hopes on surgery, it can be extremely disappointing and actually worsen their anxiety if it is not fixed,” Puri said.
After appearing as a contestant on “The Swan,” Arias faced a lot of negative reactions from those who knew her before the surgery. “You get a lot of crap,” she said. Arias felt that some friends and family were “jealous,” and others uncertain of who she had become. The latter group included the eldest of her two sons, who said at the time, “she doesn’t look that much like my mom anymore.”
“He has told me that he felt afraid,” Arias said. “That makes me feel guilty, because I realize that if the shoe were on the other foot, I would have freaked out too.”
Perhaps the most unnerving reaction came from Arias herself. The reveal is set up as a surprise for the show’s contestants. Arias said she had caught a slight glimpse of her reflection in medical equipment, but all mirrors were covered in the two and a half months she spent undergoing her various surgeries. It was only on stage that Arias was given access to a mirror. She reacted with quiet surprise, only losing it once the cameras turned off.
“I was screaming for the executive producer,” she said. “I was screaming, ‘I want my face back!’ That’s how freaked out I was. Intelligently, I knew that was impossible. But it was so weird. It was like looking at somebody else, but it was you.”
That feeling has become less difficult to reconcile over time, but Arias was happier before the show. “I’ve had self-esteem issues all my life,” she said. “But before, I was functional. Then I go and have all this stuff done that people would give their leg for, and I’m confined inside.”
Immediately following “The Swan,” Arias experienced what she calls a boost of confidence. “Going out gave me a little bit of self-esteem,” she said. “I liked my chest. My breasts were my badges of self-esteem. I would go out and wear low-cut tank tops and see women hit their husbands for looking at me. That was never the kind of thing I would do before. I would wear normal shirts.”
Soon, though, those old feelings of insecurity came creeping back. Arias said the symptoms leading up to her current condition began shortly after filming ended, and have only worsened. She raved about her plastic surgeon, Dr. Randal Haworth — “I was blessed to have him” — but blamed the show for not providing adequate therapy to help process such an extreme change.
While on “The Swan,” Arias did receive psychological care, though those sessions largely focused on loss of her husband. In February of 2013, she spoke to the Post citing a lack of follow-up as the cause for her mental health issues.
Arias kept the 150 pounds she lost off for nearly 10 years, and shed 10 more for the show. However, after “The Swan,” she says, she lost a sense of control over her body. “I started to yo-yo,” she said. “I was 155 on ‘The Swan,’ now I’m sitting here at 248. And I’m miserable.”
To stop feeling that way, she would consider more surgery. “I would do it in a heart beat. If I had the money, I’d do the weight loss surgery first,” she said. “This is going to sound weird, because I’ve already had so much done. I would have a new breast augmentation. I would have another brow lift. I would have another facelift. I would get more liposuction. I would do all that and my arms.”
Arias would also be willing to do the show all over. “Crazily enough, I would do it again,” she said. “Knowing what I know now, knowing I would gain weight again, and knowing I wouldn’t have that other face. At least I could be a big and pretty person. I can’t imagine myself any differently.”
Arias acknowledged that stance might be incomprehensible for someone who hasn’t undergone such extreme plastic surgery. Despite wanting more surgery, she is able to recognize that her insecurities are internal. “I thought a tummy tuck would give me all the self-esteem in the world. Of course, it didn’t. All I want now is for my story to help others, so they won’t think that going under the knife is a cure-all,” she said. “For a while it may be, but everything still comes back up.”
And yet, Arias still believes the upset over female celebrities and plastic surgery comes from an inherent desire all women have to change their appearances. “The uproar every time something like that comes up in the news is personal jealousy,” she said. “Most women would like to have something done, but maybe they’re afraid or they just can’t afford it.”
By trade-offs, I am not referring to complications or risks.
By trade-offs I am referring to subtle and sometimes significant alterations in your appearance that will be incurred by undergoing a certain plastic surgical procedure. It is the doctor’s responsibility to inform the patient of these trade-offs (including risks of complications) while it is the patient’s responsibility to make an informed decision to proceed if he or she feels that the benefits of the surgery will outweigh the risks and trade-offs.
Examples of such trade-offs are the scars in and around the ear that result from a facelift. Even though they may be near invisible, they are scars nonetheless. The majority of patients feel that benefits of the facelift outweighed any of the associated trade-offs. Similarly, patients who undergo an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), mastopexy (breast lift) or brachioplasty (arm lift) should be fully aware that they will develop scars from those procedures. Though the majority will heal well with very acceptable scars, most of the time the scars will be visible to some degree.
Patients who undergo a rhinoplasty must understand that their nose will be numb, stiff and hard for up to 3 months or more while swelling can persist for 1 to 2 years. Numbness from a facelift or a browlift can last many months as well. Despite understanding these trade-offs, the vast majority of patients have no problem undergoing these procedures once they have decided to do so.
Over the years, I have found it curious that a small minority of patients undergoing lip reshaping surgery in the form of upper lip lifts and V-Y plasties had unrealistic expectations in terms of their healing and results. They were surprised even angry that they experienced numbness, stiffness and associated scarring. Sometimes a very subtle change in the nostril position occurred after the surgery. These trade-offs may arise even though the result of the upper lip lift is successful from the aesthetic standpoint-in other words, the net benefit in the sensual-youthful-beauty quotient for the face has been increased. However, a few may consider the lip lift a failure if they have experienced even a slight degree in any of these trade-offs.
Though these trade-offs can mostly be successfully reversed, a patient should not elect to undergo such a procedure if he or she will not accept that these can be normal aspects of the procedure. If one thinks about it, an upper lip lift will have its trade-offs in the same way other procedures would have their own yet it perhaps gets more attention than other anatomical features of the face because the lips are expected to not only look beautiful but also function as well.
And function they do, more than any other part of the face. Indeed, lips are used to express, emote, eat, kiss and speak-essentially they move millions of times a day! Because of these strong repetitive muscle forces around the nasal and oral region the plastic surgeon must create a strong upper lip lift that will resist these forces in order to achieve a result that is long-lasting, with minimal scarring and nasal distortion.
In fact, lip shaping procedures are the most challenging of all facial plastic surgeries, even rhinoplasties. Though the success of facelifts are measured in centimeters, brow lifts in increments of 2 to 4 mm and rhinoplasties in millimeters, lip reshaping surgery is measured in quarter-to-an-eighth of a millimeter! With those scales, one can almost consider this close to microsurgery.
In 2014, it would be a miracle to undergo an upper lip lift with an unequivocal guarantee of no scarring, nasal distortion, prolonged minor sensory changes and stiffness. If you are contemplating undergoing an upper lip lift but will not tolerate any of these tradeoffs, I suggest you avoid the procedure altogether and wait for that miracle to happen.
Better late than never! This is the second part of a blog I wrote almost one year ago about the upper blepharoplasties and brow lifts. Brow lifts are often confused and considered part of a facelift but they are not. A facelift deals with rejuvenating the areas below the lower eyelids including the midface, jowls, jawline and neck.
I am honored to be giving a talk to my esteemed plastic surgical colleagues at the California Society of Facial Plastic Surgeons annual meeting in Lake Tahoe this March. The purpose of my talk is to share my thoughts not only of brow elevation but also of controlling and creating the ideal brow shape. Ironically, as I write this, I am sitting in my hotel room having just listened to 6 hours’ worth of talks from other plastic surgeons about brow lifts and shaping as part of a meeting for the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons. As always, I come back from these meetings with one or two pearls that I am keen to incorporate into my practice to provide the best possible results for my patients.
However, I think that most surgeons miss the point about brow reshaping. We all understand that we want the tail end of the brow to sweep upwards in a glamorous yet subtle arch without creating a surprised or malevolent/samurai look (think Carrot Top or Cruella DeVille). Unfortunately, the techniques to achieve that fall short of their stated goals. Surgeons apply tension through hidden incisions behind the temple hairline in a effort to raise the outside aspect of the eyebrow, but this is soon met with diminishing returns. As in all aspects of plastic surgery, simply applying more tension to a region that is resisting movement will not will not provide long lasting elevation. After a few weeks to months, mother nature wins and the structure (in this case the outside aspect of the brow) will fall down again.
Endoscopic brow lifts are beautifully elegant operations that are performed through 2 cm hidden incisions within the hair which do not involve shaving or cutting out skin. Most surgeons, as I mentioned, will attempt to lift up the outside aspect of the brow by angling the incisions outwards on the side of the head to apply upward tension through them. Unfortunately, much resistance is encountered and the results reflect that. In a counterintuitive move, I have angled the inner incisions towards the midline and have found that I can lift the outer aspect of the brows almost effortlessly with minimal tension. The results are long-lasting and more simulate the appealing eyebrow shape of a young cover girl.
Check out the following 31 year-old patient who underwent a brow lift along with fat transfer, chin implant and a minor rhinoplasty:
I feel that brow lifts are sometimes misunderstood creatures. They are under appreciated and when performed correctly provide extremely beautiful results that not only rejuvenate the forehead, reduce wrinkles, elevate and reshape the brows while rejuvenating the upper eyelids. 70% of patients that come to my office complaining of upper eyelid sagging and all they simply need is a well performed modern endoscopic brow lift.
31-year-old female with noticeable facial asymmetry with low-set brows. Of note, she also had slightly weak chin and a subtle bulbous nasal tip
Three month follow-up showing exquisite improvement in brow position and shape. Note how her face and eyes “open up”
Preoperative photograph showing the oblique view of the same patient.
A three-month follow-up of the same patient demonstrating the chin augmentation as well as the minor change to her nasal tip. Again, note the improved brow position and shape without any look of surprise.”
“Plastic surgery won’t make you happy, but it can make you happier”
I think most sentient human beings will agree that the world it’s becoming a crazier place in which to live. We are constantly bombarded by negative imagery, negative stories, negative experiences, negative people while reminded that we are not good enough to fit the ideal as embodied by the media’s ambassadorial cadre of celebrities and certain reality stars. In more recent years, I am seeing an uptick in the amount of negative patients in my practice. I have learned to better recognize them and avoid operating on them as best I can.
Why do I do this?
The answer is simple. I avoid operating on them to better serve them . My staff and I at the Haworth Institute adhere to a basic principle of delivering the best service possible in order to maximally satisfy our patients. Yet, even if I perform the most exemplary plastic surgery and the patient is not happy with the results, then I have failed. In other words, the objective assessment of the surgical results does not match the subjective one of the patient. There are reasons for this break from reality, such as body dysmorphic syndrome and a patient’s own internal anger, discontentment, strife or call it what you will. There is much written about body dysmorphia but little is discussed about the latter situation-the angry, malcontent. Many times, these people come to a plastic surgeon seeking out surgical transformation for the wrong reasons, thinking that the surgery itself will bring a positive change in their life. When that doesn’t transpire and the patient realizes that they are still the same unhappy soul, all hell can break loose for both patient and caregiver because of unrealistic expectations. This may become a greater incendiary situation when a patient is taking Adderall or some other amphetamine-related prescription medication. Consequently, plastic surgeons should be aware of this heretofore anecdotal correlation prior to operating on anyone taking Adderall or equivalent since this may be a predictor of both disproportionate patient disappointment and anger.
I now have come up with the following saying within the last month which resonates with both my staff and myself: “Plastic surgery will not make you happy, but it can make you happier.” In simple terms, this allows me to assess whether a patient is fundamentally happy and balanced prior to operating on them. I’m sure that there will be a few patients that still slip through the cracks, so to speak, but if I can manage to avoid operating on the majority of angry, unhappy patients then I know in my heart that I did serve them well.
Coincidently, this article just came out today about plastic surgery and happiness:
Dr. HAWORTH is a board-certified (American Board of Plastic Surgery) plastic surgeon located in Beverly Hills. His specialties include all aspects of aesthetic facial and breast plastic surgery, including rhinoplasty, revision rhinoplasty, facelifts, lip reshaping and breast augmentation. For further information go to drhaworth.com
The Challenging Question in Modern Plastic Surgery
“I am fearful about plastic surgery. “Whenever I am in , Beverly Hills, LA or New York, I see people with bad work looking so fake. Their lips are and breasts are so out of proportion!”
I , as a Board Certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, hear this time and time again in conversation at dinner or in my clinic. “I don’t want to look like Michael Jackson!” is another common proclamation of patients during nasal surgery consultations. Instead of getting frustrated with these opinions, I agree with them. It is because I understand their source. It is simple; “good” plastic surgery is invisible, while so called “bad” plastic surgery is not.
Bad plastic surgery (whether it be a rhinoplasty, facelift or breast augmentation) can result from any of the following three scenarios. The first is poor performance of a procedure. Fortunately, this is a rare occurrence when a properly trained surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery performs the surgery. The second is poor healing by the patient, perhaps complicated by infection. Again, this is infrequent especially in healthy, well-selected patients. Finally, the third issue is the question of aesthetic taste. No amount of plastic surgical training will guarantee appreciation of balanced facial form and pulchritude. By way of analogy, not all self-professed artists who attend the same art school will emerge as equally talented artists.
What makes for good plastic surgery then? It is the fruit of a surgeon who’s not only technically proficient, but also possessive of a keen eye and aesthetic sense. A beautiful and youthful face reflects visual harmony between facial structures. With age, harmony turns into visual dissonance as youth cues disappear. As a surgeon, it’s my job to serve as a conductor to bring these diverging aging elements together again. Youth cues are lost as wrinkles, folds and sagging facial features arise. Most plastic surgical training emphasizes the re-establishment of major youth cues while overlooking the minor ones. In order to re create the major youth cues, I eradicate jowls; I soften the nasolabial folds, (the fatty accumulation that runs from the bottom corner of the nostril to the corner of the mouth,) contouring a strong jaw line and a firm neck and rejuvenating the eyelids through a combination of endoscopic brow lifting and blepharoplasty (eyelid tucks.)
In order to paint a convincing portrait of somebody in their youth, the surgeon should not only recreate the major youth cues, but also the minor ones. To do so, the surgeon must address the hollows underneath the eyes, the drooping corners of the mouth, the elongated upper lip (hiding the upper teeth), the sagging lower lip (exposing the lower teeth) and the elongated ear lobes. True visual choreography is required.
I’m excited by the array of minor youth cue procedures now developed. Most are relatively minimal in scope. Among these are the Endotine ST and B mid-face lift, the first vertical and reliable mid-face lift that not only addresses the hollows under the eyes, but also softens the nasolabial folds. All in all, it provides a more natural and subtle rejuvenation, avoiding that “pulled back” look. The procedure takes forty minutes when combined with a blepharoplasty (“eyelift” ). This technique is made possible by the development of a new absorbable device placed via the eyelid to elevate the cheek fat pad back to it’s position of youth.
There are other minor youth cues and I address them as well – by performing upper lip lifts with a hidden incision inside and around the nose, as well as corner lip lifts and earlobe reductions as necessary. The upper lip lift shortens the distance between the nose and the lip, allowing the upper teeth to be seen. One only has to peruse the fashion magazines to see how this look is indicative of a fresh and youthful lip region.
The before and after photos included below, are good examples of the above principals put to use. This 28-year-old girl has premature signs of aging from massive weight loss. Both major and minor youth cues need to be established to achieve harmonious balance. Consequently, I performed an endoscopic brow lift, lower blepharoplasties with fat transfer, an Endotine mid face-lift, liposuction of the neck, upper lip lift and fat transfer.
There are artists who have become doctors and doctors who have become artists. Since I have started painting as a little child and have graduated to exhibit my later work in respected galleries, I consider myself as one of the former. I am fortunate that my background has imbued me with an artist’s eye, which translates into my work. Regardless of Beverly Hills, New York or other urban center, Plastic surgeons should always strive to deliver to their patients not only the best technological advances in plastic surgery, but also in a way that reflects passion and inspiration with an aesthetic sensibility.
We all want to have the eyelids when we were 20 with minimal-to-no wrinkles, no bags, no dark circles and a smooth transition from the lower eyelid into a nice full elevated cheekbone.
But life tends to throw us a curveball. As we get wiser, our wrinkles get proportionately deeper.
80% of this is hardwired into our genetics while 20% is in our hands. In other words, genetics is our gun and the environment is our trigger.
The best treatment is prevention by avoiding environmental toxins-tobacco smoke, harsh chemicals and sun exposure are the three main culprits that come to mind.
The second treatment is maintenance through the use of hygiene, moisturizers and strategic use of topical antioxidant therapy. Among the latter is a dizzying and bewildering array of botanicals, herbals, vitamins, roots, vegetables, nutritional supplements and berries! But the two most singularly effective treatments are the use of vitamin A (derivatives of retinol, Retin-A, etc.) and fat-soluble vitamin C. The early use of these substances goes a long way in helping to prevent and diminish the wrinkles in the first place. I know many 60+ year old patients who have virtually no crows feet (without the use of Botox™) because they have been using a derivative of Retin-A for close to 20 years.
The third and final treatment is direct physical intervention through the use of either lasers, Botox™/Xeomen™, fillers (Restylane®, Juvederm®, etc) and/or plastic surgery. Plastic surgery on the lower eyelid is called blepharoplasty and can consist of any combination of skin removal, fat bag reduction and eradicating the dark circles/hollows that frame the lower eyelid from the cheek.
As a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon dealing with the most discerning of patients, I perform lower eyelid rejuvenation every day in my practice. Any blepharoplasty specialist is well aware of the potential pitfalls of performing surgery on the lower eyelid. The most dreaded complication that patients are fearful of is a changed lower eyelid shape (that “pulled down” look that was so frequent in surgery before the 1990s).
In the vast majority of cases I do remove skin through what I call a lower lid pinch technique utilizing one single stitch. This minimizes any chance of lower eyelid retraction. This scar basically heals as an invisible one, one which needs a magnifying glass to visualize. Though I still reduce protruding fat bags on occasion, the frequency with which I do perform this has dropped precipitously in the last 10 years. In the majority of cases, transferring fat with extreme sensitivity and appreciation of the delicate eyelid anatomy, will not only significantly diminish the dark circles but also hide any protruding fat pockets around the lower eyelid.
Fat transfer, if properly performed, is by-and-large permanent around the lower eyelid and should be performed by extremely experienced plastic surgeons. While adhering to this principle, the incidence of lower eyelid irregularity and small bumps can be vastly diminished.
After a lower blepharoplasty (eyelid tuck) removing excess skin, excess protruding fat bags and performing strategic fat transfer into the lower eyelid circles (hollows)
This patient has the classic signs of lower eyelid aging including excess eyelid skin with wrinkles, protruding fat bag and mild hollowing (dark circles)
After lower blepharoplasty (eyelid tuck) performed by Dr. Randal Haworth of Beverly Hills. In the surgery, he removed excess eyelid skin, reduce the excess bags of fat and performed judicious fat transfer in the dark circles
Stem cell science is in its infancy and we have much to learn. Indeed, many stem cell scientists now believe that the byproducts of stem cells (cytokines, etc) play a far more important role in healing than the actual stem cells themselves.Fat is a rich source of stem cells but to assume that the stem cells, when transplanted into the face, can miraculously know how to uniquely reverse aging is pipe-dreaming at best.
