NDM-1 Antibiotic Resistant Enzyme

A new strain of bacteria has been detected entering hospitals in the United Kingdom, resistant to the most powerful of antibiotics. This super bug as it’s being coined, originated from people traveling to foreign countries seeking cosmetic surgery procedures. To date there have been roughly fifty cases of infection with this new bug that have been identified in the UK. Doctors and scientists fear that it may spread globally on a pandemic scale without any way to treat cases of the infection.

Unlike most bacterium, this super strain produces an enzyme called New Delhi-Metallo-1 or NDM-1 for short. It is this enzyme that makes bacteria resistant to antibiotics. The major concern is that the generic sequencing that creates the enzyme can be copied and transferred to other bacteria making them resistant to antibiotics as well. Most notably in E. coli bacteria.

The new super bacteria has been found in patients traveling to parts of Asia for cosmetic surgery, organ transplantation and cancer treatment.

The enzyme antibiotic inhibitor can easily migrate from one strain of bacteria to another. Most experts are in agreement that it will begin attaching itself to more serious diseases making them resistant to antibiotics as well.

According to the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases, this enzyme enhancement has the potential ability to diversify and spread. One researcher pessimistically stated, “The this will get progressively worse in the foreseeable future.” “This is potentially the end. There are no antibiotics in the pipeline.”

Recently in New Jersey, six women paid to have an unscrupulous individual inject them with industrial grade silicone. This is the type of silicone an average person can buy from a major hardware store, it is not sterile and could contain other contaminates as well. These women were all between the ages of 22 and 42. Their injections became infected resulting in serious complications.

In another national case a woman in New York died as a result of having silicone injections. The autopsy report showed the woman to have over 1,400 milligrams of silicone in her lungs resulting in silicone pulmonary embolism. This is where silicone gets improperly injected into a vein and then is carried to the lungs causing bleeding and then suffocation. Young women and transexual males are the leading users of silicone injections.

In 1992 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned silicone injections, however, people still seek out this procedure because it’s inexpensive and easier to get in some cases than professional cosmetic and plastic surgery. Unfortunately, with this illegal procedure, it is often difficult to estimate how many people are actually getting this done. However, the popularity of “pumping up parties” is increasing, which indicates the high demand and availability of silicone injections.

• $500 off Breast Augmentation
• $1000 off Mommy Makeover
• $500 off Natural Uplift for Face and Neck
• $150 rebate on Dysport – some restrictions apply
• Buy 2cc of Restylane and get one area of Dysport Free

These specials are good through September 30, 2010

Improperly fitting bra

According to one study, roughly 80 % of all women are wearing the wrong bra size. As strange as that may seem, it’s true. One of the most common issues that most women have when wearing a bra is that they choose a bra that lacks adequate support.  Improper bra support can affect a woman’s comfort, appearance and also lead to health issues down the line, including ptosis, stretch marks, chronic back pain and even headaches.

No two breasts are exactly the same so the concept of one size fits all is not applicable in bra choice, so when selecting a bra a woman needs to make sure the bra is properly fitted and is worn correctly.

Improperly fitting bra side profile

Some of the visible signs of an improperly fitting bra include:

• Marks on the shoulders, sometimes red and irritated as a result of the bra straps.
• Protruding breast tissue over the top of the bra, this is also known as double bump syndrome or muffin top.
• The bra does not touch the sternum or breast bone.
• The breast are sagging and look tired.
• The bra strap in the back raises up which reduces the frontal support of the bra.
• The shoulders are slunching forward.
• The breast move around and swing side to side or up and down with minimal movement.
• Breast tissue is protruding over the sides of the bra

If a woman suffers any of these symptoms most likely she is wearing the wrong bra size or is improperly wearing her bra altogether.

How then is a bra supposed to be worn?

• A bra needs to provide lift, support and comfort.
• A bra needs to reduce or prevent neck back and shoulder pain.
• A bra needs to improve the posture of the wearer.
• A bra needs to provide healthier circulation around the breast.
• A bra needs to make your clothes fit properly.

When in doubt get fitted by a bra specialist.  This is especially important for women who have undergone recent breast augmentation.  An augmented breast presents itself to enhance the appearance of a woman’s body yet at the same time can be a cause of continual adjustment and discomfort if the bra cup is the wrong size or the bra itself does not adequately support the breast.

How do you know if a bra really fits you?

When a properly fitted bra is put on it will seem like you don’t even notice it – forgetting that it’s even on.  The support band at the bottom should wrap around the body without pulling on the back and the straps should not pull on the front of the breasts.  The bra straps should be snug but should not be carrying the weight of the breast themselves, the bra band should be supporting the breasts.  One easy way to check this is to slide the straps off the shoulders onto her arms and see if the bra continues to support the breasts.  The breasts may sag slightly but the overall support of the breast should remain steady and provide plenty of support to the breasts.

The bra cup should fit snugly against the breast without any gaps.  If gaps are present, then this is an indication that the cup size is too big for the breast.  There should also be no double bubble or breast protruding over the top of the bra or sides of the bra, this would indicate that the bra is too small.  The bra should also be touching the sternum and not gap.

If the bra uses an underwire support, it should not poke or protrude the wearer of the bra at any time.

An excellent example of how to properly measure yourself prior to choosing a bra was produced in this video from HerRoom.

A mother deserves as much after investing her entire resources to her children and making unlimited self sacrifices for their development. However, what if she could take exceptional care and herself as well? Mothers have more options now than ever to reverse the affects of child birth and aging. Combined with breast augmentation, liposuction and or tummy tuck, can renew a mother to her pre-childbearing shape.

To learn more about Mommy Makeovers in the Inland Empire contact Face and Body Cosmetic Surgery today.

Besides choosing either a silicone or saline implant, one of the biggest decisions is the placement of the implant itself, since this will determine the way the breast will project itself after the surgery. Placing the breast implant above the muscle or sub-glandular, produces a more rounded, fuller on top look, which even though looks less natural, many women prefer.

Sub-Glandular Breast Implant Placement

Some of the benefits of a sub-glandular implant placement are:

• Produces a round augmented look in the patient
• The implants are placed inside the breast tissue – which is an advantage to the surgeon
• Less recovery time post-operatively since only skin and breast tissue are cut and displaced and not muscle.
• The ability to place oversized implants – which some women want.

Some of the disadvantages to the sub-glandular approach to breast implant augmentation are:

• Interference with ease of mammograms.
• Visible signs of the implant itself from showing through the skin – this is common for women with thin breast skin.
• Rippling of the implant when bending over.
• Increased chance of getting a capsular contraction.
• Increased rate of implant migration and losing the inframammary fold or breast crease.
• Increase probability of ptosis or the snoopy dog syndrome. This is where the breast nipple points down ward.

Sub-Muscular Breast Implant Placement

Some of the advantages of the sub-muscular approach to breast augmentation include:

• Minimizing the loss of the inframammary fold or migration of the breast implant.
• Less likely to produce ptosis
• Produces a more natural shaped look.
• Less chance of ripping or breast implant from showing through the skin.
• Lower capsular contracture rate since the implant does not come in contact with the milk glands.
• Low interference with mammograms.
• Good internal support for the breast implant.

Disadvantages of the sub-muscular approach to breast augmentation:

• Difficulty in mastering the technique by the physician – not all surgeons use this technique.
• Discomfort with the muscle post-operatively
• Longer time for recovery.

Most skilled surgeons prefer the sub-glandular approach to breast augmentation for a multitude of reasons as described here, however, it is important to get multiple opinions and do your research to determine for yourself what is best for you before scheduling your surgery.

One major study done by Devendra Singh in 1993 and subsequent follow up studies by Ronald Henss and Sybil Streeter both support the notion that that the majority of men consistently prefer women with a waist to hip ratio of 0.7. Though cultural ideal weights in women have changed over the years the consistency of the 0.7 waist to hip ratio still remains.

Waist to Hip Ratio Selection Images

Women hoping to regain their attractiveness after child birth or who have excessive mid-waist body fat and skin can use a series of cosmetic and plastic surgical procedures like a tummy tucks abdominoplasty as well as liposuction. These procedures are not to be considered as an alternative for weight loss.

A few facts about breast augmentation.

Breast augmentation is one of the most popular elective cosmetic surgeries performed in the US today with over 350 thousand women going under the knife in 2008 to have this procedure performed. Breast augmentation, using implants, has been around for roughly over 40 years now. However, it didn’t really become popular until the 1980′s. Early use of silicone filled breast implants resulted in having them banned for use in the US in 1992. This was due to complaints of breast implant rupture, leaking and other issues. However, saline implants continued to be used through this time up until silicone implants were re-approved by the FDA in 2008. The leading manufacturers of breast implants, Allergan and Mentor both spent many years funding independent studies and redeveloping new silicone breast implant technologies. The new cohesive silicone gels will not bleed out of it’s casing even in the unlikeliness that the implant ruptures or tears.

Mentor Cohesive Silicone Gel Implant

Silicone breast implants have found a new popularity as many women are choosing to have revision surgery and replace their saline filled implants with silicone implants. Silicone breast implants offer many benefits over saline implants, which include the following:

• Mimic natural breast tissue better resulting in a more natural look.
• Weigh less than saline implants – reducing the chances of ptosis and breast droopiness.
• Silicone breast implants typically perform better than saline breast implants reducing breast wrinkling and distortion

Why Breast Augmentation?

One of the primary reasons for the popularity of this procedure is due to women’s dissatisfaction with their breast size and shape. Social stigmas of small breasted women also may play into the perception that bigger breasts can make women happier by making them more attractive which increases their self-esteem. Women who choose to have breast augmentation need to consider many things.

How big do I want to be?

• Implant size is determined by its volume, projection, and base diameter of the implant.
• Skin laxity can determine probability for maximum augmented breast size.

What type of implant do I want?

• Silicone
• Saline

Surgery Options

What type of incision do I want performed?

• Inframammary – under fold of breast
• Transaxillary – in armpit
• Periareolar – around breast nipple
• Transumbilical – through belly button, saline implant only – not commonly performed

Implant type will often determine incision choice.

Most surgeon’s have their incision preference and are willing to discuss your options in your consultation prior to having surgery. Saline implants require a smaller incision since they are not inflated with saline until they are placed surgically inside the breast cavity.

Where will the breast implant be placed?

• Above the muscle (sub glandular)
• Below the muscle (sub muscular)

The placement can determine how the newly augmented breast will look. Breast implants placed below the muscle gives a more fuller projection on top.

There are many things to consider before undergoing breast augmentation and choosing the right surgeon is the most important part. Carefully, consider the credentials of the surgeon and seek out multiple opinions before scheduling your surgery.

Learn more about how some people are obsessed with excessive plastic surgery in this video.

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a chronic mental illness where someone is fixated on a presumed flaw in their physical appearance. It is also known as dysmorphophobia. To the person with BDD, their appearance seems so bad that they become extremely distressed over their imagined ugliness and don’t want to be seen by anyone.

When a person has body dysmorphic disorder they obsessively worry over their appearance and body image, sometimes staring at themselves in the mirror hours at a time. They also seek out using cosmetic surgery, sometimes excessively, to try to fix any perceived flaws but are rarely ever satisfied with their new appearance.

There are many symptoms to BDD which include the following:

• Fixated on your physical appearance
• A belief that you have an abnormality or defect in your physical appearance.
• You believe yourself to be ugly.
• Constant self-examining in the mirror or avoiding looking in the mirror altogether
• Feeling that others negatively take specific notice to your appearance
• Constant cosmetic procedures without any satisfaction
• Constant grooming
• Insecurity and self-conscious of themselves
• Not wanting their picture taken
• Continual picking of the skin
• Continual comparing of appearance with others
• Avoiding social engagements
• Wearing too much makeup or using clothes to cover up perceived flaws

Some of the body parts that BDD sufferers obsess about include:

• Skin
• Nose
• Hair
• Skin Blemishes
• Baldness
• Breasts
• Genitalia

When a person feels embarrassed or shame about their appearance it may be a good time to seek treatment for BDD. Mental health providers and health professionals are available to help with this condition. BDD rarely gets better by itself, and as people age their perceived ugliness only gets worse. If left untreated it could lead to suicidal thoughts and behavior.

Most experts do not fully know what causes BDD, however, biochemical, genes and environment may play a part in this illness. Researchers have identified developing trigger points which include:

• Having a relative with BDD
• Excessive teasing as a child
• Sexual and Physical Abuse
• Very low self-esteem
• Social pressures on perceived beauty

It is roughly estimated that approximately one percent of the entire population to have some form of BDD. However, as many as ten percent of those seeking cosmetic treatments may have BDD as well. BDD usually begins in abdolescence and demographically affects both women and men equally.

The complications that can arise as a result of BDD include:

• Suicidal thoughts
• Mood swings and depression
• Continual Anxiety
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Anorexia/Bulimia/Binge Eating
• Phobias around people
• Drug/Alcohol abuse
• Very Low self-esteem
• Isolation
• Poor attendance at work and school
• Few close relationships
• Unnecessary medical and cosmetic surgery procedures
• Solitude Confinement

A person who seeks out a mental health provider for help with BDD will often be asked with the following questions:

• When did you first discover your symptoms?
• How is your daily life affected by this condition?
• How much time in a day to you spend thinking about your appearance?
• What other cosmetic treatments have you had in the past to treat your condition?
• What have you done on your own to make you feel better about your appearance?
• What types of things make you feel worse about your appearance?
• Have others that know you well commented on your behavior or moods?
• Have you had anyone else in your family that has had a similar illness?
• What do you hope to gain from treatment?
• Are their any medications or non-prescription supplements that are taken for your condition?

Treatments for BDD include psychotherapy and mediations. While cosmetic surgery may be a procedural fix for a perceived flaw it rarely fixes the distress of BDD. The results may not meet the expectation of the person. After which they may begin obsessing about another aspect of their appearance and seek out additional cosmetic procedures. Cosmetic surgery, at best, only temporarily fixes the way people view themselves and is not a permanent treatment for BDD.

Botox Cosmetic is a medically diluted from botulinum toxin for the removal of facial wrinkles. This toxin originates from specific bacterium called Clostridum botulinum that is found in improperly handled meat products. However, Botox Cosmetic was originally approved by the FDA in 2002 for medical use. It is currently the most popular non-surgical procedure for the removal of facial wrinkles available today. Botox works by temporarily paralyzing nerves that control muscles – relaxing the appearance of wrinkles.

When Botox Cosmetic is administered by a licensed professional, it can have a positive effect on how you look. Botox treatments usually last around four to six months. However, there is a word of caution: Be wary of personal “Botox Parties” hosted in people’s homes. You should avoid these – don’t allow yourself to be practiced on by unlicensed individuals – there are considerable risks that can permanently harm you either through improper administration of this drug or with tainted botulinum toxin. Furthermore, with the success of Botox cosmetic comes the risk of illegal “Black Market Botox” becoming available without a prescription. Black market botulinum toxin is unsafe and potentially dangerous since the potency and authenticity is not approved by the FDA.

At Face and Body Cosmetic Surgery, our licensed aesthetician has years of experience in administering injectables of all kinds. To schedule your FREE consultation for Botox treatments, contact Face and Body Cosmetic Surgery today or call (909) 981-8985.