Artist Comments On Breast Enhancement With Barbie Dolls

(Click on the photo to for a better view)

Visual artist Chris Jordan, known for social commentary using visual media, has assemballed an image of a woman's breasts using 32,000 Barbie dolls. Why 32,000? Jordan chose this number as it is the number of woman that opt for breast enhancement every month in America.

Clearly, Barbie is an icon and many young girls grow up with her image firmly imprinted in their mind as a feminine role model. But, as many have pointed out, Barbie's even physically disproportionate. If Barbie were a real adult woman, she'd stand 6' tall with a 19" waist and a 39" bosom. Not to mention that blue eyes and blonde hair are a rather rare combination in human genetics.

Fat To The Future: Is Fat The Future of Plastic Surgery?

Silicone implants and botox may soon be obsolete; followed by face lifts, skin grafting and hair transplants (which may soon become a new procedure: hair implants) due to new uses found for adult stem cells found in human fat tissue.

The better know stem cells, embryonic stem cells found in fetal tissues are pluripotent or multipotent cells and are capable of growing a wide array of tissues (from skin, to bone, to more fat tissues and beyond), but not all multipotent stem cells occur in embryos. Adult stem cells found in an adult human body also exist and some of these cells are multipotent as well, most notably adult fat stem cells.

Fat stem cells could soon replace silicone implants and fat grafts transplanted to other areas of the body as both have major drawbacks, not the least of which is an unnatural aesthetic. The primary issue with fat graphs is that they have the tendency to breakdown or be reabsorbed and redistributed by the body once grafted leaving the areas to which they were transplanted looking withered and uneven. Fat stem cell enhanced grafts, however, continually produce new cells, keeping the existing cells from being broken down or reabsorbed.

Similarly, botox injections are rapidly absorbed systemically with results of the fullness they originally offered disappearing. Other wrinkle fillers, much like fat graphs, have a tendency to break down, leaving the area to which they were injected looking rather deflated. With stem cell enhanced fat injections, the filled area would remain full more permanently. All possibility of reaction to the toxicity of current wrinkle fillers would be negated by the healthy enhanced fat tissue.

Multipotent stem cells are not the only stem cells that may have major cosmetic usage. Stem cells found in hair follicles are currently being studied as scientists have discovered that a stem cell harvested from a healthy human follicle can be injected into a new area of skin and can grow a brand new, hair-producing follicle. Should the process be understood and refined, it would be the holy grail of hair restoration. Current hair restoration surgery must rely on moving existing, bald-resistant follicles to balding areas - these bald-resistant follicles are found only on the back and sides of the scalp and are finite in amount. The hair transplantation patient's grafts are restricted by the amount of hair that can be removed from the donor area. With functioning hair stem cell injections, this supply-and-demand problem would be a thing of the past - stem cell follicle growth injections would allow for an unlimited amount of follicular units to grow in formerly balding areas.

Skin grafting and face lifts may also soon reach a new level of sophistication as skin stem cells are also capable of growing new skin to repair damaged or aged areas. A surgeon could soon be stimulating facial skin to replace damaged areas at a rapid rate, removing the need for invasive surgery.

The future is looking beautiful already.

RéVive Facial Moisturizer May Be the Closest Thing To A Non-Surgical Facelift

In 1984, Dr. Gregory Bays-Brown (a cosmetic surgeon) conducted a $2 million dollar study on the healing of severe wounds of burn victims. This led to the discovery of EGF (Epidermal Growth Factor) and also to the lead scientist on the project being awarded a Nobel prize in 1986. That's where Dr. Brown comes back into the picture. In 1997, Dr. Brown patented the EGF molecule to regenerate aging skin and created a product utilizing it under the name RéVive.

When we are in our twenties, the skin regenerates new cells every two weeks, but as we age this process can take anywhere from eight to nine weeks. RéVive works to aid cells in regenerating more rapidly to replace the dead, dull layers of skin which have built up between cycles. It makes the skin appear more supple, luminous and elastic - qualities that regular facial cosmetic surgery still has trouble delivering.

“You can get rid of a turkey gobbler, and take out bags but surgery cannot give you the succulent soft skin you had in your twenties,” says Dr. Brown.

RéVive went from a single counter in Neiman Marcus in 1997 to Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, Barneys New York, Bliss Spa and 91 other high-end international cosmetic retailers. You can also purchase products (as well as get a sample pack) online at http://www.reviveskincare.com/.

Greeting Cards For Plastic Surgery?

Roses are red,
violets are blue.
Mess-up my nose job,
you'd better believe I'll sue.

With over 12 million cosmetic procedures being performed last year, one businesswoman has decided to capitalize on the trend.

Camie Dunbar, a Texas-based entrepreneur, has created a line of greeting cards for people that want to celebrate a friend or family member's cosmetic procedure. Ms. Dunbar calls her creation Lift Me Up cards and they feature messages for surgeries such as breast implants (pictured above) celebrating the arrival of "the twins." Dunbar also sells a card focused on liposuction with the front of the card stating, "I thought we could sit around and chew the fat." Inside the card reads, "Since you just had liposuction, it's probably not a good idea."

Cosmetic procedures often mark the beginning of major life changes for the patient, so I think it's very appropriate that there be some celebration and congratulations involved. Isn't it a great idea to give a friend a laugh while they recover from surgery and prepare to use their new appearance as a launching pad to improve their lives? I think so.

Lift Me Up cards are available at several specialty boutiques and spas in North Texas, as well as on Dunbar's Lift Me Up Cards website.

The Chinese Are Falling In Love With Plastic

More and more Chinese are flocking to the decadence of the Western world and opting for cosmetic procedures. Chinese government officials estimate that the Chinese people spent approximately 2.4 billion on cosmetic surgery last year alone. Many of these patients (primarily women) travel to Korea or Japan for their procedures.

Double eyelid surgery is, by far, the most common procedure requested by the Chinese plastic fans. Some opt for this look to emulate Western, or Caucasian features, though the surgery can be beneficial in enhancing vision for those who's eyelids are too narrow, which narrows their field of vision.

'Lift Magic': A Software Program That Can Predict What You Would Look Like After Plastic Surgery

Canada-based face visualization firm, Modiface has created a program called Lift Magic by which one may upload a digital photo and see what the results of any one of 14 cosmetic procedures on your face.

"The main benefit of the Lift Magic site is that it allows you to see a retouched version of your photo in literally seconds...It's easy, fun, and virtually effortless,” says Andrew Collins, a spokesperson for Modiface.

The program has also proved a hit as an application on Facebook.

Donda West's Plastic Surgeon Is Arrested Under Suspicion of DUI

Dr. Jan Adams, the doctor who operated on rapper Kanye West's mother before her death - thought to be caused by heart disease compounded by surgical complications - was arrested Thursday, June 26th under suspicion of driving under the influence with a suspended license. This is the third time the doctor has been arrested for a DUI and only the latest in a string of suspected wrong-doing by the doctor, including: allegations of botched boob jobs, lying about his credentials and several malpractice suits. In consideration of this latest arrest, the state of California is launching an investigation as to whether his medical license should be revoked or suspended.

With all the negative press and litany of indiscretions by the "good" doctor, one wonders how the man manages to keep any patients at all. Guess we now know who's sponsored by the $99.00 down, nobody's turned away plastic surgery finance plan advertised on less discriminating blogs.