It is a new treatment on the market, and many people have questions about how it works, its success rate, the health and safety around this product and more. Here are some commonly asked questions about Latisse to help you decide if it is the right treatment for you.

Who can use Latisse?
Anyone can use Latisse, unless they are allergic to one of its ingredients.

How does Latisse work?
Latisse uses an active ingredient known as bimatoprost to stimulate eyelash growth. This chemical prolongs the growth phase of your eyelashes and increases the percentage of lashes that grow in this period in order to give you longer, fuller lashes.

What is the procedure for applying Latisse?
Once per day in the evenings, the patient applies Latisse to the base of his or her upper lashes. If a day is skipped, the patient is advised not to attempt to catch up on the missing application, but should rather just continue with the daily routine.

What results should I expect, and how long until they take effect?
Most individuals will notice results after four weeks of applying Latisse, but the full effect is not until 16 weeks after the initial treatment.

In clinical studies, 78% of Latisse patients saw improvements after 16 weeks of use in length, thickness and darkness of their lashes.

How long does it last?
As long as Latisse is continually applied, the effects will last. However, if the patient discontinues use, eyelashes are expected to return to their pre-Latisse state within several weeks or months.

Are there any health or safety concerns with Latisse?
In about 4% of the cases from a Latisse clinical study, patients experienced an itching sensation or eye redness after using Latisse.

A less common side-effect of Latisse is skin hyperpigmentation around the area that Latisse is applied. This results in a darkening of the skin around the eyes, and is possibly reversible if the use of Latisse is discontinued.

Rarely, Latisse has been noted to reduce pressure in the eye. If you are using any medication related to eye pressure, be sure to consult your doctor before using Latisse.

Where can I find more information about Latisse?
Latisse can be prescribed by any doctor, but some doctors are unaware about Latisse, as it is a relatively new product. Discuss Latisse with your doctor, or consult their website (http://www.latisse.com) for more information.

Exclusive to Denver and ONLY available at Grossman Plastic Surgery…DOT Therapy!
DOT Therapy is a new and exciting way to improve the appearance of damaged and aged skin!

Call today for your complimentary DOT Therapy consultation 303-320-5566 (Grossman Plastic Surgery – Denver)

We’ve Got a secret…It’s about the DOT!

The newest and safest method of skin rejuvenation has arrived!  DOT Therapy laser skin resurfacing is EXCLUSIVE to Denver and ONLY available at Grossman Plastic Surgery and Facial Aesthetics!

Your wrinkles, fine lines, crow’s feet, or sun spots, are all about to fade away due to the most advanced technology in laser skin resurfacing. DOT Therapy is the only laser treatment available that has a flexible laser technology which allows us to customize your treatments in order to achieve your desired results!

What better time than now to invest in your skin? The summer is over and the holidays are on our heels, so the timing couldn’t be better! DOT Therapy has quickly gained popularity because it has very minimal down time! If you are interested in learning more about the DOT Therapy laser, call our office for more information. Get your skin on a brand new track of rejuvenation!

Click here to watch Dr. Grossman and Dr. Capraro talk about and demonstrate DOT Laser
live on the popular morning news show “Colorado and Company”

Benefits of DOT Therapy:

• May be used on the entire face – including eyelids

• Has minimal down time and patients can apply makeup immediately after the treatment

• May be used safely on non-facial areas such as the neck, hands and décolletage

• Only a topical anesthetic is needed for the treatment

• Only the SmartXide DOT Therapy system has three different modes for a complete range of skin treatments

Technology:

• With a spot size of only 350 microns per DOT, the SmartXide DOT laser system has the optimum spot size for optimal clinical outcomes and minimal downtime.

• The DOT scanner on the laser is more variable than other products on the market
• DOT Therapy provides reliable and predictable results.  It also offers doctors optimal versatility and additional procedural applications including, single hand piece capability for treating skin tags, individual acne scars, warts, etc.

SAN FRANCISCO, September 2008 — While the secret to success after bariatric surgery may be as simple as following your surgeon’s instructions, new research shows that the deck may be stacked against certain individuals from the get-go. This includes those with diabetes and those whose stomach pouches are left on the larger size after gastric bypass surgery. The new report appears in the September issue of Archives of Surgery.

Although Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery is often successful, a handful of people do not lose weight successfully even with regular follow-up. The new study sheds light on why.

Of 310 patients with an average body mass index (BMI) of 52 before surgery, 12.3 percent had poor weight loss. Poor weight loss was defined as losing 40 percent or less of excess body weight after 12 months. Good weight loss was defined as losing more than 40 percent of excess weight.

After adjusting for other related factors, diabetes and having a larger size stomach pouch after gastric bypass surgery were independently associated with poor weight loss, the study showed.

People with diabetes may take insulin or other drugs that stimulate the production of fat and cholesterol, the authors wrote. “Other factors that may lead to weight gain in patients with diabetes include a ‘protective’ increase in caloric intake to treat episodes of hypoglycemia [low blood sugar], reduction of urinary glucose losses and sodium and water retention that are a direct effect of insulin on the distal tubule in the kidney,” they explained.

During gastric bypass, the once football-sized stomach becomes the size of a golf ball. Many bariatric surgeons estimate pouch size using anatomical landmarks instead of a more specific sizing balloon. The pouch size plays a significant role in how much a person can consume. “As the use of gastric bypass continues to grow, we believe it is critical to stress the importance of and to teach the creation of the small gastric pouch and to better standardize the technique used for pouch creation,” the authors wrote.

This does not mean that individuals are set up to fail. “Changes in the use of diabetes medications may reduce the risk of poor weight loss among diabetics undergoing gastric bypass,” the authors suggested. “Detailed attention to the creation of a small gastric pouch is essential for achieving the best results.”

The researchers are all affiliated with the University of California, San Francisco. — Denise Mann
Bariatric Surgery Improves Asthma, Autoimmune Disease

Powered By Botox And Other Fillers, Doctors Performed More Than 4 Million Minor Procedures In 2007

NEW YORK (CBS) ― The slowdown in the economy has not had the same devastating results in some offices of cosmetic surgeons. Smaller procedures are proving to be more popular than ever.

There’s also increased competition between products, which means lower costs and more options for doctors and patients.

Less invasive cosmetic procedures have steadily gained greater acceptance with Botox and fillers being the two most popular. Doctors performed nearly 4 million procedures last year.

Cosmetic business has been growing steadily even with the economic news. There’s less resistance. People know more about it. It’s in more magazines. It’s in the press more.

Bridgette Schoonover and Fiona Johnson are both under 40 and undergoing their first cosmetic procedure, having a filler injected for a smoother appearance. What makes it unique is that this relatively new brand called Elevesse costs almost 30 percent less than competing brands. For these women, in addition to erasing lines, the lower price meant erasing apprehension about costs as well.

“I didn’t want to be doing something that was a major expense at this point, just a little something that I could do again down the road, a little money here and there instead of one big chunk,” Schoonover said.

“I just got engaged and you really want to look your best,” Johnson added. “Yes, it falls into my wedding budget. There’s lot of things you have to think about when planning a wedding.”

As for the procedure, with topical anesthetic, it’s relatively quick and painless.

Expect to pay $400 to $500 per injection, with results lasting from six to eight months.

There’s also a brand to rival Botox coming early next year, so look for more competitive pricing there as well.

CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved

Understanding the Lines on Your Face…

Myriads of products on the market claim to make your skin look younger. But no anti-aging cream, exfoliating wash, European facial, age-defying makeup or herbal remedy is more powerful than the lifestyle steps every woman can take to keep her skin looking smooth and healthy for as long as possible.

Many people begin to develop fine lines around the eyes in their 40s. But any deep facial wrinkles that emerge before age 50 are generally attributable to the cumulative effects of sun exposure, cigarette smoking or both, according to cosmetic surgeons. This observation springs into dramatic relief when you compare the skin on your face and the backs of your hands to the relatively smooth, monotone skin of your buttocks.

To a lesser extent, yo-yo dieting, chronic exposure to wind and over-animated facial expressions may also contribute to premature skin aging.

Aside from Father Time, the only skin-aging factor beyond your control is genetics. If your grandmother and mother looked younger than their years, you and your children probably will, too, in middle age – particularly if you adopt a lifelong habit of using sunscreens, wearing wide-brimmed hats on sunny days, shunning tobacco and secondhand smoke, and avoiding yo-yo dieting and the other aforementioned risk factors.

Types of wrinkles

Dermatologists and plastic surgeons distinguish between two types of facial wrinkles: static and dynamic. Static wrinkles are always visible, even when all the facial muscles are resting. Static wrinkles tend to develop in skin that has thinned and stretched as a result of premature or natural aging processes.

Dynamic wrinkles occur in people of all ages, even young children. Sometimes called “laugh lines,” dynamic wrinkles appear temporarily when a muscle contracts and causes the overlying skin to crease like an accordion. Dynamic wrinkles are seen only when you are smiling, raising your eyebrows or otherwise animating your facial expression.

How sunlight harms the skin

Think back to those golden summers of your youth. Like many pre-adolescent and teenage girls, you probably donned your bikini, slathered your body with baby oil and held those foil-covered sun reflectors under your chin in the quest for the perfect, golden tan.

No one told you that decades later your skin would pay the price for those sun-soaked days in the form of dryness, wrinkles, fine lines, liver spots and perhaps even skin cancer. Government health officials have estimated that half of a lifetime’s worth of UV exposure occurs by age 18. One research study carried out in Australia found that people as young as 25 already had detectable photoaged skin on their face and the back of their hands–the parts of the body that are chronically exposed to UV radiation. Research indicates that about 90 percent of skin changes that begin in your 30s and 40s stem directly from “photoaging,” or the cumulative effects of exposure to the sun’s UV radiation.

Simply put, UV radiation – be it from the sun or a tanning bed – damages the DNA of skin cells. To make matters worse, the thinning of the Earth’s protective ozone layer is believed to be amplifying UV radiation levels. It takes many years before enough microscopic damage accumulates to create wrinkles and other visible skin changes. Using sunscreens with a skin protection factor (SPF) of 15 or more will filter out most of these harmful UV rays. Even if you failed to use sunscreens in your youth, you can prevent further UV damage by using them religiously throughout the year, even on the ski slope.

During all outdoor activities, including gardening, playing sports, walking and jogging, as well as going to the beach, be sure to use a sunscreen that blocks both UV-A and UV-B radiation. Sunscreens work best when applied liberally to all exposed skin about 30 minutes before sun exposure and re-applied every few hours or after swimming or sweating. Don’t miss the backs of your hands, and don’t be fooled by an overcast day; UV light penetrates clouds and can still harm unprotected skin. Wearing a baseball cap or wide-brimmed hat in addition to your sunscreen offers an additional measure of protection.

How smoking ages the skin

It is well-known that cigarette smoking ages people on the inside by causing lung cancer, emphysema, heart disease and an array of other health problems. But fewer people realize that smoking also ages your appearance. Chemicals inhaled from cigarette smoke constrict tiny blood vessels in the skin, reducing the oxygen and nutrient supply to delicate facial tissues. Blood-vessel constriction lasts at least an hour after a cigarette has been snuffed out. Over many years of smoking, the oxygen and nutrient deficiencies cause skin to wrinkle prematurely and lose elasticity, the ability to “bounce back” after being stretched. It is not unusual for the skin of longtime smokers to exhibit a grayish pallor.

To make matters worse, repeatedly pursing your lips around a cigarette hastens the formation of fine vertical lines around your mouth. Squinting when smoke gets in your eyes can cause premature wrinkling of the eyelids.

Dieting and skin aging

Cyclical, significant weight loss and gain, also known as “yo-yo” dieting, stretches the skin, causing it to lose its elasticity and making it more vulnerable to wrinkling and sagging under the force of gravity. Try to stay within five or 10 pounds of your ideal weight and avoid fad or crash diets.

How facial expressions age the skin

In a sense, skin has a “memory.” If it is repeatedly folded in the same way by muscle contractions, permanent static lines will eventually form. This is common in sailors who constantly squint to protect their eyes from wind and sun glare. It also can be true of people who smile broadly much of the time and those who scowl a lot. Wearing sunglasses outdoors is one way to prevent continuous squinting. Another is to become aware of undue tension in your facial muscles and to make a conscious effort to relax your face.

This article was reviewed and updated June 2007 by www.HealthAtoZ.com

Sometimes it seems as though Hollywood stars have found the fountain of youth.  Most appear not to be aging, and some actually look as though they are getting younger.  Singer and songwriter Sheryl Crow, superstar actress Kim Basinger, the talented Holly Hunter, and the ever popular Patricia Heaton are among a few of the starts who seem to be part of the plastic surgery craze among celebrities. And, why not may say.  They can afford it and have the free time, and the desire to look good is natural.  And for celebrities many believe that their public expect it, as well as the studios that give them parts in films and on TV.

Jamie Lee Curtis who as a teenage movie star began the slasher film craze with the first two Halloween films, and others that followed has been under the knife and talked about it.  Joan Rivers, and others have long praised the effects of plastic surgery.   Rivers in fact has had visible improvements to her appearance and shared information on her experiences on her E! Entertainment television outings.

Sharon Osbourne, wife of rock star Ozzie Osbourne and former star of her own TV talk show has had several procedures including a leg lift and lip injections of collagen.  Roger and Blondie singer Debbie Harry doesn’t look her 59 years of age after a face lift.  Patricia Heaton, star of the current show Over to You, and the now defunct hit show Everybody Loves Raymond, has been quite candid about a breast lift and a tummy tuck.

Kathy Griffen, comedienne and star of the TV show The D List told ET that the best advice her mother ever gave her was “Save up for plastic surgery and talk about it publicly.”  She has had liposuction, veneers on her teeth, hair straightening and a brow lift.  While it has been an inspiration for many of her jokes and funny skits, Griffen is sold on cosmetic surgery and not embarrassed by it.

Of course, advances in the science of plastic surgery have coincided with popular culture acceptance of the procedures.  The TV show Nip/Tuck about a couple of hip Los Angeles plastic surgeons has quite a following and has done more than its fair share to inform the public about various treatments available.

Plastic surgery though isn’t just for Hollywood stars.  With popular acceptance and an aging population more and more people are looking into procedures to improve their appearance ad possibly their self-esteem.

Last week, Victoria Beckham premiered her new pixie cut at Fashion Week, setting the Internet abuzz with photos of the favorite fashionista. But eagle eyes also thought they spotted another change in the posh dresser’s appearance via plastic surgery, and specifically, a nose job (rhinoplasty).

Posh Beckham has already had plastic surgery, most notably on her breasts, which have a soccer ball-shaped appearance.

She has also had rhinoplasty in the past, which has given her nose its signature-upturned appearance. But it may have changed yet again, albeit very slightly.

Posh’s short hair is reminiscent of Halle Berry’s and her new nose might now be similar to the stunning actress too. Just as Halle has had a nose job in the past to make her tip smaller and less round, the tip of Posh’s nose may also now be smaller and less noticeable.

Supporters of the nose tweak theory point out that until she revealed her new hair do, Posh wasn’t seen out and about, possibly to give her the chance to recover from surgery.  It seems quite conceivable that Posh changed her hairdo as a way to distract people from catching on to her nose job.

Posh Beckham is constantly changing her look through plastic surgery. In the past, she has used Botox and given it up and gone through drastically different haircuts and colors.

In the past, she has been openly paranoid about aging and there have been rumors about her having a plastic surgery to eliminate arm sagging. A plastic surgery procedure to reduce sagging arms is done through arm liposuction and an arm lift.

Always setting trends, we will soon be seeing other stars sporting the pixie cut, just as they started wearing a bob after Posh initially cut her hair. Victoria’s nose and body seem flawless, despite her harsh criticism and we can’t wait to see what crazy trick the fashionable Brit pulls out next.

From our family at Grossman Plastic Surgery to you and your loved ones, we wish you a happy 4th of July…

The numbers do not lie. Plastic surgery gained national acceptance in 2007 as Americans had all types of procedures done in record numbers. The latest plastic surgery statistics revealed an increase over the previous year as more people seek to improve their appearances and self-esteem.

Statistics are gathered by the American Society For Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Their 2007 Statistics on Cosmetic Surgery found that 11.7 million nonsurgical and surgical cosmetic procedures were performed in the United States. This represents a 2 percent increase over the statistics gathered in 2006. If you look over the past decade and compare the 2007 statistics to those revealed in 1997, there was a significant 45 percent increase in plastic surgery procedures performed. The absolute record for cosmetic surgery procedures done actually occurred in 2004. During that year, there were over 11.8 million plastic surgery procedures performed.

Clearly over the past five years, more people are discovering plastic surgery is a viable way to improve their physical and emotional well-being. For those displeased with a certain aspect of their appearance, plastic surgery makes significant improvements.

Of all the people getting plastic surgery in 2007, 91 percent of them were women. Even though men only accounted for 9 percent of the cosmetic surgery procedures performed during 2007, that was a 17 percent increase over the previous year for men. The number of procedures done for women only rose 1 percent. A larger number of men are realizing the benefits of plastic surgery and feel more comfortable about having procedures done.

The typical age of patients getting plastic surgery in 2007 is between 35 and 50. After this age group, those between the ages of 51 and 64 were most likely to get cosmetic surgery procedures performed. As people age, they want to get rid of flaws that make them feel less attractive. Plastic surgery gives a lift when and where it is needed.

So… which procedure was the most popularly chosen during 2007?

The statistics reveal that liposuction was the most frequently performed procedure. As people become more aware of their health and fitness, there were 456,8282 liposuction procedures done in 2007. A close runner up is breast augmentation, with a total of 399,440 procedures performed. The next most popular procedures were eyelid surgery, tummy tucks and breast reduction. A streamlined shape seems to be a priority for many Americans.

There were also five nonsurgical procedures most frequently done in 2007. These non-invasive procedure offer noticeable results. The most commonly done procedure was Botox injections, with 2,775,176 procedures performed. After this was hyaluronic acid, laser hair removal, microdermabrasion and IPL laser treatment for smoother, younger looking skin.

The numbers speak for themselves and prove plastic surgery is becoming increasingly acceptable for Americans in record proportions.

Each day, Plastic Surgeons are reconstructing lives: restoring function, improving appearances, and elevating self-Esteem, says the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Plastic surgeons performed more than five million reconstructive procedures in 2007—ranging from repairing dog bite wounds and birth defects to removing tumors and reconstructing breasts following mastectomy.

Who are these people? What happened to them? How has reconstructive surgery changed their lives?

On average, members of The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) perform more than 13,600 reconstructive procedures daily, and are bringing some of these amazing and inspirational stories to light through a new educational initiative called Reconstructing Lives.

Some of the current plastic surgery stories include:

* Elaine Ferri, a 51-year-old horse trainer from Arkansas who was kicked in the face by a filly, lost her left eye and endured more than 100 bones in her face being shattered. Her plastic surgeon, in concert with the Jersey Shore University Medical Center, is providing her care on a pro bono basis.

* Daniel Bocca, a nine-year-old little leaguer from Long Island who was found to have a tumor on his jaw while undergoing a routine dental x-ray. Plastic surgery was able to graft bone from Daniel’s leg to his jaw, allowing him to return to his two great loves —playing baseball and rooting for the Mets.

* Marie Gebrewold, a 27-year-old nursing student in Washington, D.C. whose broken jaw (a result of falling out of bed at six-months old) went untreated for more than a quarter century. The misaligned jaw will finally be corrected by plastic surgery and with renewed self-confidence, Marie hopes to move into the public side of nursing.

ASPS is pleased to serve as your resource for inspirational reconstructive plastic surgery stories, and can make these and other patients available for interview, supply before-and-after photographs, and provide statistical data on reconstructive plastic surgery.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is the largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons in the world. Representing more than 6,700 physician members, the Society is recognized as a leading authority and information source on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS comprises 90 percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States. Founded in 1931, the Society represents physicians certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

Source: American Society of Plastic Surgeons