Monday, November 25, 2013

Asian Beauty Methods Get Dangerous

"Travel Surgeries" or "Surgi-Vacations" are generally considered pretty dangerous. They are something that should certainly be carefully considered when deciding cosmetic plastic surgery options. Safety and optimal treatment outcomes can vary tremendously by location, doctors, and the travel experience itself can pose real health risks.

Another thing rarely talked about is how different global geographic areas differ in their perception of beauty and what the acceptable ways to obtain "beauty" is. Recently, several articles have surfaced on Asian beauty procedures that leave many surprised. Surgeries and cosmetic procedures are being performed in a societies where cosmetic surgery is not fully accepted. Here an excerpt from a cbsnews.com article that shows how many pursue dangerous procedures in pursuit of beauty:

BANGKOK — Her dream was to look less Thai and more like Jennifer Lopez, so the 25-year-old street food vendor went to the Internet and typed in “cheap Botox.”
That was the start of a five-year makeover for Ratphila Chairungkit that included two nose jobs, two eye-widening surgeries, chin augmentation, lip trimming, skin whitening and dozens of Botox-type injections.
The goal had been to redesign her entire face, but things went horribly wrong. “I started to look like a witch,” she recalled. Her upper eyelids sagged; her lower lids erupted in tapioca-like bumps. Her chin drooped and her nose swelled.
Her quest for beauty at bargain prices was a painful mistake. A pseudo-beautician injected commercial-grade silicone into her cheeks, chin and under her eyes; it all needed to be surgically scraped out. She spent 500,000 baht ($16,000) over five years, a huge sum by her humble standards, mostly to fix his handiwork.
“I’m lucky I didn’t die,” she said, trying to smile through her cosmetically corrected face.
The article went on to describe the problem in more detail.
Not all of Thailand’s beauty victims live to tell. The death this month of a 33-year-old aspiring model from a botched collagen injection has focused nationwide attention on the illegal beauty industry and intensified a government crackdown.
Nearly 40 illegal beauticians have been arrested in Bangkok, the capital, in the past two months, but authorities believe nearly 200 are still operating. Advertising in plain sight on the Internet, they’re commonly known as “bag doctors” because many make house calls or meet customers in vans to administer cheap injections straight from their bags.
Last week, the Health Ministry and police declared a small victory after arresting someone they called “the most dangerous” operator to date: a 37-year-old former beautician’s assistant with no medical training who had set up an all-purpose clinic in her home.
“This is terrifying,” said Phasit Sakdanarong, chief adviser to the Public Health Minister, who joined the raid and has since advised the government to expand the crackdown nationwide. “This woman was not a doctor. This clinic has no license, and the products she was using are not FDA-approved.”
“We are facing a very, very serious problem,” said Phasit. “When people go to illegal clinics like this, it is very easy to get an infection — and sometimes it is easy to die.”
Dangerous beauty treatments have become a worldwide problem as people seek cheaper alternatives to plastic surgeons. In Hong Kong, a woman died last week of septic shock after getting a blood transfusion that a clinic claimed would whiten her skin. An American woman died in March from an illegal buttocks implant in Georgia, caused by suspected counterfeit silicone.
In other areas of the world, such as South America and Europe, cosmetic plastic surgery is more commonplace and is well accepted. In recent articles, we've looked at some of these. In the United States, we have a wide range of cosmetic procedures that are performed on both men and women each year, and the numbers continue to grow as there is more acceptance. We have some of the best doctors in the world performing these procedures. Most recommend seeking services from Board Certified Plastic Surgeons, and most professionals advise you to cautiously consider the world of "medical tourism" and carefully weigh whether the risks are worth saving a bit of money.

RESOURCE/CREDITS:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505245_162-57540013/biases-on-beauty-draw-thais-to-illegal-surgery/
Associated Press writer Thanyarat Doksone and AP video journalist Papitchaya Boonngok contributed to the CBS News report.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andrea Algar is an author who writes on topics that interest her. Over the last 30 years she has written articles on a variety of topics including psychology, health, dentistry, fashion and beauty, music, cosmetic surgery, restoration, as well as performance racing 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.

Monday, November 18, 2013

New Mannequin Design Reflects Changes In Beauty

by Andrea Algar
Contributing Author

A recent story about South American mannequins that have been redesigned to reflect the new beauty standards as seen by Venezuelan women caused me to wonder if this is a trend that is occurring here in the United States.

Venezuelan Mannequin Manufacturer
According to the retailers blog, "A local mannequin manufacturer has taken advantage of the trend for Venezuelan women to resort to plastic surgery as a way to boost his sales significantly. Eliezer Álvarez noticed that even though women were happy to go under the knife to change how they looked, the mannequins in clothing stores did not reflect this new body type. He has since created the kind of woman he thought the public wanted — one with a huge and a firm behind, a tiny waist and long legs." (And I might add large breasts.)

This has apparently been extremely successful, as the new mannequins are now seen all over Venezuela in tiny shops and elaborate boutiques. It seems to emphasize the fact that cosmetic plastic surgery is becoming more common and more accepted not only in Venezuela, but all around the world.

Here in the United States, plastic surgery was once only for the rich and famous. In the 1950's and 60's, Hollywood actors and actresses who relied on good looks (and what society saw as beauty) were justified in getting cosmetic procedures, even though they fueled the gossip-mills in the process. Jump forward to the 1990's and plastic surgery was on the rise in middle America. Now in 2013, cosmetic surgery is no longer offensive or taboo, and people are pretty open about their surgeries. All ages of men and women are having cosmetic procedures at increasing rates.

In my opinion, vanity may have little to do with its acceptance as more and more people see the benefits. So far, I haven't noticed the drastic changes in mannequins here in the U.S. Maybe it's just a matter of time.

REFERENCE:
psfk.com - Mannequins Reflect Plastic Surgery's Impact on Beauty Standards

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Andrea Algar is an author who writes on topics that interest her. Over the last 30 years she has written articles on a variety of topics including psychology, health, dentistry, fashion and beauty, music, cosmetic surgery, antiques and restoration, as well as performance racing 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.

Monday, November 11, 2013

Would You Reveal Your Cosmetic Surgery To A Future Spouse?

by Andrea Algar
Contributing Author

An extraordinary news article has gone viral about a Chinese man who won a court battle claiming that his wife had given him an "ugly" baby.

Feng's wife in alleged
before and after photos
But, there was more to the story than just that. Feng's alleged that his wife had never disclosed to him that she had received cosmetic plastic surgery before he married her. According to court papers, the husband found out only after his wife gave birth to their baby daughter, who he claims was "ugly beyond description."

Feng apparently thought that his wife had been having an affair and ordered DNA tests to see whether the daughter was his or not. DNA tests revealed that he was in fact the father, and she then revealed that she had $100,000 worth of cosmetic surgeries performed before they had met. The wife, who surprisingly lost the case, was ordered to pay him $120,000!

There is a lot of controversy over cosmetic surgery in many Asian countries so it is conceivable that the story is true. However, an ABC affiliate has reportedly debunked the story claiming, "the story is likely an urgan legend given legs by numerous outlets online since 2004."

Photo from en.rocketnews24.com
Another photo (at left) showing the Feng family, was allegedly used in an advertising campaign by a Taiwan plastic surgeon. In this photo there are actually three children.

Whether or not the story is factual or purely a figment of gossip and rumor, it does make one stop and consider what you would do if you were single, met someone and later were considering marriage. Would you reveal your prior cosmetic surgeries? Would it matter what the surgery was? Would you reveal liposuction but withhold the fact that you had a nose job?

Cosmetic surgery opponents may warn that you better disclose prior surgeries before your marriage! 
What do you think?

RESOURCE:
New York Post - Man sues wife after she gives him "ugly" baby

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andrea Algar is an author who writes on topics that interest her. Over the last 30 years she has written articles on a variety of topics including psychology, health, dentistry, fashion and beauty, music, cosmetic surgery, antiques and restoration, as well as performance racing 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.