Michael J. Will, MD, DDS, FACS
Maryland (301) 874-1707
Blog
Makers of Anti-Aging Products Struggle With Anti-Competition
Its an age-old problem: someone starts a company and later sells it, then starts another company and winds up in competition with the one they sold. But isn’t all fair in love, war, and business? Well maybe, maybe not.
The Superior Court of California (Los Angeles County) will have to decide in one such case involving two companies founded by the same man, industry leader Dr. Zein Obagi. ZO Skin Health (ZO), a company founded by Dr. Zein Obagi, has filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court seeking an injunction and other relief against Obagi Medical Products (OMP), another company founded by Dr. Obagi but later sold to outside investors.
The suit claims, among other things, anti-competitive practices by OMP. According to the complaint, OMP contacted a would-be e-commerce distributor that stood ready to distribute a new product line for ZO Skin Health. Apparently, OMP informed the distributor of a non-compete agreement between the parties, thus stopping, at least temporarily, the distribution of the products. Of course, OMP denies any anti-competitive conduct in the matter, and says it will vigorously defend the suit.
The demand for anti-aging skin care solutions has increased over the last decade as baby-boomers have taken advantage of advances in skin care science. In fact, between 2006 and 2008, U.S. sales alone rose 13% to 1.6 billion dollars, and the trend shows no sign of weakening.
New Study Says Patients Look Younger After Rhinoplasty
Rhinoplasty can shave a bump off of your nose and, according to a new study, a year or two off your age.
The study found that the anti-aging benefits of rhinoplasty were statistically significant, and, on average, patients looked 1.5 years younger after the procedure, according to Ali Sepehr, MD, and researchers at the University of Toronto.
During the study, 50 people guessed the ages of 53 rhinoplasty patients in before-and-after photos. The patients ranged in age from 15 to 61, and about three-quarters were women.
Patients who had a hump reduced or removed saw the greatest anti-aging effect. Among these patients, the reduction in perceived age was 1.6 years younger after surgery, compared to 1.1 years for patients who did not have a hump prior to surgery. Those with a droopy tip also saw more of the age reduction benefit.
Whether a patient was older or younger at the time of surgery was less of a factor, the researchers reported.
“Older patients tended to enjoy a greater degree of rejuvenation,” they wrote in the study. But the differences between age reduction in older vs. younger patients was not statistically significant.
While rhinoplasty may make you look slightly younger, this is not the reason people choose the procedure. Patients are usually motivated to have nose surgery in order to improve the look of their nose or to improve their breathing.
Dr. Sepehr told Reuters Health, “I wouldn’t say that in terms of the findings of this study, it adds a major reason to go forward with the procedure. It’s just a nice added benefit when somebody’s already going to get the procedure for another purpose.”
Nose surgery can reduce the size of the nose, remove bumps, improve the nasal angle and alleviate breathing problems. To learn more about nose surgery, contact Dr. Will.
Age is more than just a number – especially in terms of cosmetic enhancement numbers. As we get older, our bodies gradually begin to change, and so do our cosmetic priorities and expectations.
Though men and women of all ages seek out cosmetic enhancement, the type and frequency vary significantly across age. To elucidate cosmetic enhancement trends across age, the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) recently released an infographic on the subject.
Men and Women 19-34
Those in the 19-34 group comprise around 19.5% of total surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures performed annually. And in general, younger adults seek out cosmetic procedures to enhance body proportions, facial imbalances or skin tone and texture.
Approximately 42.9% of cosmetic procedures performed annually are within the 35-50 age group – making them the most likely to seek out cosmetic enhancement. For this age group, anti-aging and body contouring procedures are by far the most popular.
Most popular surgical procedures:
Breast surgery
Tummy Tuck
Liposuction
Most popular non-surgical procedures:
Botox, Dysport & Xeomin
Laser resurfacing
Chemical peels
Light treatments
Men and Women 51-64
Those in the 51-64 age group comprise around 27.8% of cosmetic procedures performed annually – making them the second most likely to seek out surgical and non-surgical enhancement. Anti-aging surgical procedures (rather than non-surgical) that minimize wrinkles and rejuvenate the face are the most popular.
Men and women 65 and over are the least likely to seek out cosmetic enhancement. Roughly 8.3% of surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures are performed in this age group. Though this group is small, it’s been steadily growing – increasing by nearly 80% in the past 10 years.
Most popular surgical procedures:
Neck lift
Neck liposuction
Enhancing or correcting previous cosmetic procedures
Check out the actual infographic below.
Get Back Your Smile With Dental Implants
If you have lost a permanent tooth, you’re not alone. According to statistics, 69% of adults aged 35 to 44 have lost at least one permanent tooth.
If you have missing teeth and are considering dental implants, Will Surgical Arts in Maryland offers you this overview.
Dental Implant Facts
A few decades ago the only solutions to replace permanent teeth were fixed bridges or removable dentures.
Today, patients with missing permanent teeth have the option of dental implants, which are long-term replacements that are surgically attached to the jawbone.
You can avoid the potential problems that used to come with having “false teeth” with dental implants:
Dental implants never slip
Dental implants never decay
Dental implants fuse with the jawbone, so bone loss is usually not a problem
Dental implants can last a lifetime, if cared for properly
Dental Implant Surgery in Maryland
Dental implants are small titanium posts that are surgically placed into the jawbone where teeth are missing. The metal anchors act as root substitutes, and the bone bonds with the titanium to create a strong foundation for artificial teeth.
Typically the process takes two surgical procedures. During the first, the implants are placed in the jawbone. Then for about three to six months after surgery, the implants are beneath the surface of the gums bonding with the jawbone. During this time, you can wear a temporary crown.
Once the implant bonds to the jawbone, the second procedure can be done. During this procedure, the artificial tooth is surgically fixed to the implant with a connector post.
Stem cells and their future in cosmetic surgery was one of the hot topics at the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery’s (AACS) 27th Annual Scientific Meeting that just wrapped up in Phoenix.
“We’ve learned that your own fat is a great source for stem cells,” said Dr. Mark Berman, outgoing president of the AACS. “With our current technology, we can harvest fat and actually separate the stem cells.”
Cosmetic surgeons, the AACS believes, will be one of the principal players in this new segment of medicine.
“Not only will this be the next major plateau in cosmetic surgery, this is likely to represent the next major breakthrough in medicine in general,” Dr. Berman said.
A patient’s fat can be fortified with stem cells and then used for rejuvenation procedures for many areas of the body, including the face, hands and breasts. Furthermore, liposuction, a procedure that many cosmetic surgeons perform, will most likely be the foundation for many future stem cell procedure.
Dr. Berman told American Health and Beauty that patients need to understand what procedure they are receiving and the reality vs. the marketing. He said that for the most part these procedures are simply fat transfer procedures.
“I’ve been hearing people say ‘We’re doing this stem cell facelift, we’re doing the stem cell breast augmentation,’ stuff like that. That may be good for marketing but only as long as the patient understands what they’re getting,” he said.
“Some physicians do separate and concentrate stem cells before injection, but these are not miracle procedures. More research is needed,” he added.
In other news from the meeting, Dr. Angelo Cuzalina of Tulsa Surgical Arts was named the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery’s new president.
Mini or Full Abdominoplasty: Comparing Tummy Tucks
Many women say they haven’t been able to wear form fitting clothing or a two-piece bathing suit for years because they are distressed by excess skin and fat in their abdominal area that they are unable to diet or exercise away. Loose, sagging skin and a protruding belly resulting from lax muscles and fat deposits make the tummy tuck one of our most requested procedures.
When diet and exercise won’t eliminate a small, but bothersome pouch of skin and fat below the navel, an abdominoplasty can help you regain a flat belly and taut, smooth abdominal contour.
The mini abdominoplasty (sometimes called the “scarless tummy tuck”) is a good option when you have a small amount of extra fat and or minor loosening of skin below the navel. The mini abdominoplasty calls for a smaller horizontal incision than the traditional full abdominoplasty, and it’s made near the top of the pubic hair line. Excess skin and fat are removed and loose muscles are tightened. Then the skin is pulled downward and sculpted into place. Sometimes the procedure is combined with liposuction to remove excess fatty tissue.
Is it safe to combine breast lift and breast augmentation?
According to new research published in the latest issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, breast lift and breast augmentation are safe to combine into a single surgery.
Researchers reviewed 430 breast lift surgeries performed between 2005 and 2009, and of those 430 breast lifts, 332 of them combined breast augmentation (breast implant surgery).
The average patient was 47 years old, and approximately one-third of patients were undergoing a repeat operation after previous cosmetic breast surgery.
To determine the safety of these two procedures, researchers assessed rates of complication and the need for additional surgery (reoperation).
Complications and Reoperations
Of the 430 surgeries performed, 23 percent of patients experienced complications. The most common complications were:
Capsular contracture (hardening around the implants)
Scarring
Recurrent (drooping) ptosis of the breasts
The complications above were the main reasons listed for reoperations following a breast lift/breast augmentation combo. It’s also important to note that complications and the need for reoperation were both more common in women who were undergoing a secondary breast surgery.
Risks Are ‘No More than Additive’
Compared to women undergoing breast lift surgery alone, the reoperation rate was about 10 percent (compared to 13 percent of combined surgery patients seeking reoperation for tissue-related problems).
The remaining reoperations in women who underwent combination breast surgery were related to issues with their implants, which led study researchers to believe that “the revision rate of combining the procedures is not more than additive in this study.”
Advantages of Combining Breast Lift and Breast Augmentation
Breast lift surgery and breast augmentation are two of the most commonly performed cosmetic surgeries in the U.S. and there are several key advantages to combining the two into a single surgery:
Lower overall surgical costs
Eliminates risks of two surgeries
Avoids living with disappointing results between surgeries
According to lead researcher Dr. Calobrace and co-authors “patients overwhelmingly prefer not to undergo a staged procedure and rather have the augmentation and mastopexy (breast lift) concurrently.”
Combination surgery can be a safe, cost-effective alternative, just as long as the proper precautions are taken in advance of surgery.
“With appropriate patient selection and a carefully planned operative approach, our data demonstrates a one-stage procedure can be safely performed with acceptable complication and reoperation rates.”
Report Says Some Teens Consider Cosmetic Surgery to Combat Teasing
Good Morning America recently looked at how some teens are considering cosmetic surgery in order to avoid teasing or bullying because of their appearance.
One teen that did go through with surgery is high school senior Erica Morgo. She said that she was bullied by her classmates in middle school because of her nose. “They would call me Pinocchio. And in school, in class, people would point it out. I felt helpless. I felt like a loser,” she said.
Erica’s mother, Dana Manzella, allowed Erica, then 15, to undergo nose surgery.
“I think that was definitely a good decision, because it brought her back — her self-esteem back up to be able to do activities that she did before, with comfort,” Manzella said.
Good Morning America reported that nearly 90,000 teenagers had cosmetic surgery in 2007, and doctors say the numbers are growing.
“I do see a fair amount of parents coming in with their child because of bullying and teasing and feelings of self-consciousness,” said cosmetic surgeon Dr. Michael Fiorillo. While his preference is for the teens to work out the issues first, he says there are certain situations where people are mature enough. “And surgery is a final resort,” he added.
Michelle Martin, another teen featured in the segment, waited until she was 19 years old to get a breast augmentation after years of being teased for having a small chest.
Martin said the painful recovery and scars from the surgery were a small price to pay to make up for the scars left by years of teasing and feelings of inadequacy. She said she “absolutely” feels prettier.
“This was just something to make me feel better. To make me happy. To make me feel like a beautiful woman,” said Martin.
Latest Wrinkle Smoother Xeomin Featured on The Doctors TV
Xeomin, the latest botulinum toxin injectable to receive FDA approval for use on frown lines, was featured on a recent episode of ABC’s “The Doctors.”
Merz’s Xeomin offers patients a third choice — in addition to Botox and Dysport — for those wanting botulinum toxin injections. Xeomin works in the same way as the other two do, with a few differences.
New York dermatologist Dr. Neil Sadick explains that the major difference is in the manufacturing process. All proteins are removed from Xeomin, so potentially there could be less incidence of adverse events that could occur with this toxin, according to Dr. Sadick.
Patients are happy with Xeomin, according to Dr. Sadick, who says the results are very natural, and like other toxins, Xeomin has a very low side effect profile.
He said that about 3 million toxin treatments are performed each year in the United States.
Does Xeomin last as long as Botox?
Xeomin lasts about the same amount of time as Botox and Dysport, which is usually between 12 to 16 weeks. Dr. Sadick says that most of his patients only come in about once or twice a year for botulinum toxin treatments.
When will you see results?
Xeomin, Botox and Dysport are not like dermal fillers, such as Juvederm, and results are not seen immediately. Botulinum toxins take about two to three days to set in. The maximum effect is seen in about five to seven days.
Whether it’s positive or negative, most people have strong opinions about cosmetic surgery. But would the offering of free cosmetic surgery sway more people to opt yes?
Interestingly enough, an independent survey in the UK indicates that most Brits would opt no, even if cosmetic surgery were entirely free of charge.
The survey, which was conducted by Fabriah.com, a beauty retailer that sells anti-aging skin care products (which may have swayed the results), polled 750 women in the UK. Of the 750 participants, 44 percent said they would say “yes” to free cosmetic surgery – but only if they knew the surgery would make them look younger or more attractive.
Opinions of Cosmetic Surgery Vary Across Age and Geographic Location
The results also indicated different levels of acceptance among age groups. By and large, the 18-30 year old group was thee most likely to consider surgery, while those over 55 were the least likely.
Additional factors, such as living in an urban or rural region also affected responses: urbanites were more likely to consider cosmetic surgery than those in the country.
Cosmetic Surgery Becoming More Mainstream
Even though most participants said they’d prefer to age gracefully, the numbers (44 percent) still seem to support the belief that cosmetic surgery is slowly becoming the norm.
And because the study only surveyed women, it failed to take into account one of the fastest growing demographics in cosmetic surgery: aging men.
According to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, male cosmetic surgery – which accounts for 10 percent of all surgery – is growing faster than ever. The rate of male breast reduction in particular, has doubled in the past five years.
Cosmetic surgery doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. More than 9 million cosmetic procedures were performed in the US last year, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic surgery, a one percent increase from the previous year.
“Patient care was incredible! We are so very happy our child was referred to Dr. Will. We appreciate the attentiveness given to his medical condition. Will highly recommend to others.”
another company and winds up in competition with the one they sold. But isn’t all fair in love, war, and business? Well maybe, maybe not.
If you have lost a permanent tooth, you’re not alone. According to statistics, 69% of adults aged 35 to 44 have lost at least one permanent tooth.
two-piece bathing suit for years because they are distressed by excess skin and fat in their abdominal area that they are unable to diet or exercise away. Loose, sagging skin and a protruding belly resulting from lax muscles and fat deposits make the
