You Feel Young, But Your Skin Says Old

by Andrea Algar
Contributing Author

I saw a great little quiz on the Internet today and it prompted me to write on the subject of our aging skin - something all women worry about at some time in their life. If everyone was totally honest, it's something that does concern us when we get older, but don't usually give a moments thought to when we're young and in our prime.

Australian Beach-Goers
PhotoCredit: Malaysianmeanders.blogspot.com

For example, we all know now just how damaging the sun is, and how it can prematurely age our skin no matter how good our genes are. Somehow this doesn't prevent us from rushing to the beach to bask in the sun, or to the tanning salon to freshen up our sun-kissed look! But it's not a very good feeling when you look in the mirror and what is staring back at you doesn't at all resemble the person you feel like inside. If only we knew then...

San Antonio plastic surgeon Dr. Robert N. Young says, "The good news is that there are things you can do to help." With advances in laser treatments for brown spots, and excellent wrinkle relaxers and facial fillers for fine lines and wrinkles, you can take steps to turn back the hands of time (and those sun baked days at the beach)! And, with the use of professional skin care products which include a quality sunscreen you can keep the renewed look fresh.

Take the quiz and see how your skin is holding up...

TAKE THE QUIZ:
Daily Glow - Is Your Skin Aging Faster Than You Are? - Skin Care Quizzes

A Refreshing Story About Female Beauty And The Way We're Perceived By Others

by Andrea L. Algar
Contributing Author

A headline emerged today on AOL that caught my eye:

Sketches Prove an Upsetting Truth

The drawings above are of the same woman done by the same artist in the same time-frame -- there's just one (crucial) difference.   - Story/Photo Credit: HuffingtonPost.com

Intrigued by the headline and photos, I opened the story and read on. What was found was refreshing. The article began by asking the question, "Do women see themselves less accurately than strangers do? A new Dove campaign says yes - - and offers proof, in the form of forensic sketches."

What is revealed is that Dove was working on a new ad campaign. They recruited seven diversely different women and asked them to describe themselves in neutral terms that relayed just the facts of how they look. (I had to laugh at this, wondering how on earth they thought they'd get factual answers when how we usually describe ourselves involve comments like ..."my eyes are small and too close together," "my nose is big and my lips are too thin," or "my face is lop-sided and my left eye droops.") Gil Zamora, a forensic artist who was FBI-trained, created sketches based on their descriptions. The same artist then created sketches of the women based on descriptions from total strangers who had earlier spent a bit of time with the women in a rigged meeting.

The series of sketches revealed harsh differences when displayed side by side. What was consistent in the findings were that the women themselves portrayed themselves in far less flattering ways, while the more objective strangers saw the women as far more beautiful. It would seem to prove that women do tend to be overly critical of themselves, and that is the premise of Dove's new campaign, whose tagline is: "You are more beautiful than you think," which I like.

Those who've had friends seeking cosmetic plastic surgery are sometimes surprised when the friend reveals that he/she wants a nose job, eyelid surgery, or perhaps a flatter stomach. Sometimes we cannot "see" what they find faulty or undesired in themselves, or don't think it's quite as bad as they're making it out to be. Other times, the desire to correct a feature or enhance one's body is more easily understood by friends and family. The ultimate answer usually is in what will make that person happy with themselves. But, there are extremes that plastic surgeons look for, such as Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), where people suffer from severely inaccurate perceptions of their own body.

Perhaps this is one small step in helping women deal with their self-perception and debilitating issues that can arise such as shyness and low self-esteem, depression, anorexia, Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) and other problems. Another helpful thing we can do for ourselves is to surround ourselves with people who see our true beauty and delight in the good this can do for us!


Take a close look at all of the sketches yourself and let me know what you think. Please comment below.


REFERENCE:
Huff Post Women - Dove's 'Real Beauty Sketches' Ad Campaign Tells Women 'You're More Beautiful Than You Think' (VIDEO)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Andrea Algar is an author who writes on a topics that interest her. Over the last 30 years she has written articles on a variety of topics including psychology, health, dentisty, fashion and beauty, music, cosmetic surgery, antiques and restoration, as well as performance and classic cars. Prior to the Internet, she published a national subscription newsletter, edited two books, and produced works in photography and video. She currently contributes to several blogs on a regular basis.

How Tiny Is Too Tiny?

by Andrea L. Algar

You've probably seen photos of women who have body features that are just too large or too small for their body frame.

Guinness World Record for 15" Tiny Waist
Photo Credit: HuffPost.com

This one seems extreme and makes one wonder how in the world she can breathe! It's been a lot of years since women routinely wore corsets, which is how the then 61 year old Cathie Jung won the distinction of having the world's smallest waist at a mere 15"! Without the corset, her waist expands a whopping six inches, to a still very small size of 21". She claims that achieving the incredibly small waist "was the result of years of patience, dedication and the constant use of a corset," according to the Huffington Post.

Many women seek cosmetic plastic surgery to reduce the waist and abdomen. Liposuction to remove excess fat and even Abdominoplasty to reduce and flatten the stomach (hence the more common term "Tummy Tuck") are popular cosmetic surgeries performed by plastic surgeons around the world. The term "body contouring" has grown in popularity as it describes the desire by many men and women to perfect their body shape. And, the Brazilian Butt Lift is yet another procedure designed to effectively sculpt the body into a desired shape with small waist and ample buttocks.

The bottom line: The age of the corset may have come and gone, but the desire for a tiny tummy is still very much alive!

Woman Received IRS Deduction For Her Breast Implants

by Andrea L. Algar
Contributing Author

With the big tax deadline of April 15 looming ever bigger, strange stories are surfacing about odd tax deductions. This story is a cautionary tale of making sure you want what you ask for. A woman allegedly got approval from the Internal Revenue Service to allow the cost of her breast implants to be depreciated.



Woman Received Tax Deduction
for 56FF Breasts
Photo Credit: YouTube
The Jerry Springer Show



First off, let's be clear that this was a very unique case. Chesty Love is an exotic dancer. In an effort to further her career, she was allegedly urged by her agent to have multiple procedures to enlarge her breasts to enormous proportions. Her efforts paid off, with Love doubling her income. It also earned her an appearance on the Jerry Springer Show, being billed as the woman "with the largest breasts in the world," a size 56FF!

In a federal tax court hearing (Hess v. Commissioner, 1994), Love was determined to prove her claims that the procedures were "incurred solely in the furtherance of the business" that she was engaged in - an exotic dancer.

Love also successfully demonstrated that she suffered medical problems, public ridicule and even being shunned by her family as a result of her enormous breasts. She claimed that she planned to have the implants removed permanently once her career as a professional exotic dancer was over. As a result, the court ruled in her favor and she was allowed to claim deduction for her breast implants.

Before you try to take a deduction for breast implants, please check with your trusted tax attorney or tax preparer. Breast implants are usually NOT a deductible expense, either by health insurance or the IRS.

On a more serious note, certainly not all women who desire breast implants want such oversize breasts. Opting for extremely large implants can be more risky medically. Back and shoulder pain and complications such as rupture, bottoming out, symmastia or "uni-boob", capsular contracture, stretch marks and/or extreme thinning of the skin are more likely. Like Love experienced, the emotional risks are greater as well, as you may be subject to humiliation, ridicule and crude jokes. Not everyone is likely to share your enthusiasm for big breasts. If you desire very large breasts, be sure to discuss all of the risks with your surgeon.

Most women who go to plastic surgeons are looking for breast implants that make them larger, but in proportion to their body. Many prefer a more natural look as opposed to the "fake" look of oversize breasts. Some prefer a smaller implant that gives just a small increase in size. Some actually like the "fake" look. Others want to go as large as possible, like this exotic dancer did. The bottom line is that selecting the size of your breast implants is a very individual decision. A consultation with an experienced, qualified surgeon can help determine what size implants are recommended. A Board Certified Plastic Surgeon has demonstrated that he/she has the proper training and the professional experience necessary to help guide you through your decisions about cosmetic plastic surgery.

REFERENCE:

dailyfinance.com - Crazy Tax Deductions-Breast Implants-Swimming Pools-and-more

Correcting A Weak Chin Or Jaw Can Make Dramatic Difference In Face

by Andrea L. Algar

The face is one of the most difficult areas for patients to judge what is needed to look younger. Many automatically revert to the term "face lift", thinking that this age-old procedure is the only thing available to help turn back the hands of time.


Angelina Jolie
Photo Credit: femalefirst.co.uk



But, an experienced board certified plastic surgeon knows that there are many options to consider. Among them are the jaw. A weak jawline can affect the entire presentation of the face. It can make an otherwise normal nose appear too large, a chin too pointed, or the face too long.

Take a look at some of the "most-beautiful" celebrities and you'll note that they all have strong chins and jawlines. There is no doubt that correcting a weak chin or jaw can dramatically improve the entire face. Studies have shown that facial symmetry is an important indicator in determining beauty. A balanced, symmetrical face is chosen as "beautiful" more consistently than those which are not. Angelina Jolie has a notably strong jawline and is an example of good facial symmetry, a major reason she is thought of as one of the world's most beautiful women.

Injectable fillers may be used for small facial areas requiring subtle change, but do not work as well for the large amounts needed for areas like the jawline. Using facial fillers on the jaw can sometimes produce unpredictable results and require repeating the procedure as the product is reabsorbed by your body. The length of time the fillers last depends upon the type of product used, and results will vary with the skill of the injector.

Chin implants can increase projection and create more evenly balanced facial features and they can last a lifetime. Chin and jaw implants look and feel like natural bone structure, and provide a good foundation for face lift if needed on an aging face, or in conjunction with a rhinoplasty to correct the nose. It is a procedure that both men and women can benefit from and the procedure has a relatively short recovery time.

If you've been confused over what procedure would help to balance your facial features, consider consulting with a board certified plastic surgeon in your area. Not all plastic surgeons work on faces, so ask if they do. A surgeon who performs a variety of facial surgeries can help guide you to the procedures that will help you achieve the look you want.

REFERENCE / RESOURCES FOR MORE INFORMATION:
eHOW.com - Face Exercises to Sharpen The Jawline
cbc.ca - Strong jaw lines versus rounded chins
style-makeover-hq.com - Find Your Face Shape
YouTube - It's All About The Jaw! VIDEO

Cosmetic Surgeries Increased in 2012 Despite Poor Economy

by Andrea L. Algar

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reports that 14.6 million plastic surgery procedures were performed in the US in 2012 which is a 5% increase from the previous year. All this despite a weak national economy and people watching their purse strings a bit more than usual.

The most popular surgical procedures were breast augmentation and rhinoplasty (nose job). In addition, over 6 million wrinkle relaxer treatments such as Botox and Dysport were performed. Other treatments that are gaining in popularity include facial fillers such as Perlane, Restylane and Juvederm.

Dr. Robert Young has been performing cosmetic surgeries since he began his San Antonio private practice in 1990. To him, these trends are not new. "I've performed more breast augmentation surgeries than any other procedure, and they have been growing in popularity even more than ever over the past five to ten years," he states.

A pioneer in minimally invasive techniques in San Antonio, Dr. Young has helped thousands of women wanting to enhance their natural bustline by offering a wide range of choices in saline and silicone breast implants. He explains, "We offer choices in incision site, over or under the muscle, and in the shape and size of breast implants as well. These choices allow women to select the look they prefer, whether it is natural or intentionally enhanced, big or small or anything in-between."


REFERENCES:
dryoungforever.com - Dr. Robert N. Young, MD, FACS, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

ABOUT DR. YOUNG
Robert N. Young, founder of Aesthetic Enhancement Cosmetic Surgery & Laser Center, is a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon with over 30 years experience. A native of San Antonio, Dr. Young graduated from the esteemed U.S. Military Academy at West Point and his medical training from Tulane University School of Medicine. Dr. Young retired from the military in 1990 after having served as Chief of Plastic Surgery at Brooke Army Medical Center. He has extensive experience both as a reconstructive plastic surgeon and a cosmetic plastic surgeon, and over the past twenty years has become known as the breast doctor of San Antonio. His practice includes a fully accredited outpatient Surgery Center staffed with qualified Registered Nurses, Anesthesiologists and surgical technicians. As a leading plastic surgeon in San Antonio, Texas, Dr. Young is a member of the following professional organizations:

- ABPS Diplomate - Board Certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS)
- Member, American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS)
- Member, American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS)
- Fellow, American College of Surgeons
- Member, Texas Medical Society (TMS)
- Member, San Antonio International Society of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery (SAISPRS)
- Bexar County Medical Society (BCMS)
- Accreditation by the American Association for Ambulatory Surgical Facilities (AAAASF)