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Monday 30 January 2012

A Revolution in Aesthetic Design. Beauty may well be "in the eye of the Beholder" but does the "Beholder" understand why?

Phi plastic surgery




"Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder" but does the "Beholder" understand why?

It is argued that beauty is an entirely personal or emotional interpretation.

Indeed all of us inherently recognise facial beauty.

However is is not generally appreciated that this recognition is founded on laws of nature related to mathematical dimensions and ratios known as "PHI".

There are certain characteristics in nature that are universally acknowledged to be aesthetically beautiful. This includes the face and is applicable across all ethnic boundaries. In fact such boundaries simply do not exist in this concept of beauty.

"Phi" is the basis for the "Golden Ratio" and in facial aesthetics it is truly an intriguing concept.   
 http://www.goldennumber.net/neophite.htm

Managing facial aesthetics in a way comply with these mathematical laws of nature enables contemporary cosmetic practitioners to beautify the face in a manner that is far more effective than simply filling wrinkles or stretching a face surgically with face-lifting. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oL0wpOXX5-k

The "PHI" concept is a wonderful tool that  illustrates to patients how treatments (while individualised and adjusted) can conform to this universal beautification principle.

Monday 16 January 2012

Safe Liposculpture-Respecting Body Physiology

We have been safely performing liposculpture under tumescent local anaesthetic in our clinic procedure rooms for 10 years now without any significant complications. In my opinion the key to safe liposculpture (apart from good general technique principles) is to limit the number of tissue regions (and the amount of fat to be removed) in any one session. One should not test the limits of a patient's safe physiologic function with excessive liposculpting treatment and avoid combining liposculpture with other operations in the one session.

As is the case in many other cosmetic procedures, pleasing and safe outcomes are founded on the avoidance of overly agressive surgery.

An Australian colleagues gives an excellent summary on Liposculpture on his website and I link to it here: http://www.facialartistry.com.au/liposuction-tumescent_liposuction.html

Friday 6 January 2012

2012!

Cosmetic practitioners are inclined to contemplate what surprises may be in the offering for 2012. In this exciting field treatment options can change rather swiftly but demand careful scrutiny.

Botulinum toxin treatments are likely to remain very popular. The injections are so tiny and in experienced hands the treatment session so quick.  Mainly used in the upper face what is not always appreciated is that while wrinkles are diminished an attractive  open-eyed appearance is achieved. This is the real magic of these injections.

Lasers treatments and alike are likely to further evolve although evidence of outcomes must be carefully evaluated for efficacy as sometimes outcomes fall well short of long term expectations.

Fillers for aesthetic facial volumisation and injectable aesthetic nasal corrections are set to replace the simplistic concept of just filling wrinkles. Although many casual injectors try their hand at these techniques, there will continue to be a widening gap between occasional injectors  and those practitioners who really understand aesthetic principles. Cheaply priced injection offers (eg. coupon entrepreneurs)  can equate with very disappointing aesthetic experiences.

Liposuction practice will continue to differentiate into those who remain classical "lipo-sculptors" or expedient thermal or chemical "lipo-meltors" (fat melting techniques-laser, ultrasound, chemical lipo-dissolving). Traditional "Lipo-sculpting" using variably sized and configured cannula is an art form that cannot be replaced by melting fat just as Michelangelo could not have sculpted his masterpieces with a blowtorch.

Plastic surgeons in Australia do not generally perform cosmetic injection treatments, often seconding these procedures to compliant medical or nursing injectors with variable experience. This trend is set to continue into the future unless more plastic surgeons accept the value and artistry of minimally invasive procedures. A recent very interesting review article about this topic "A Viable Future" http://www.plasticsurgerypractice.com/issues/articles/2011-10_01.asp
by Sarah Russel expanded on this topic when she interviewed US plastic surgeon W. Grant Stevens, MD, FACS, on the role of aesthetic education in a changing field. The following extract is very enlightening on this issue:-

Is he saying plastic surgeons will become insignificant if they don't embrace formal cosmetic plastic surgery training, nonsurgical body sculpting, and facial rejuvenation? "These patients want these nonsurgical procedures, and if they don't get them from plastic surgeons, they're going to get them from their other providers. Once they do, they will then be educated by those providers and they'll go to those providers for plastic surgery. Within a decade, they won't be going to plastic surgeons for facelifts, but to ophthalmologists or dermatologists, because they embraced those services wholeheartedly."