Couples have found a new activity to share—cosmetic surgery.

There’s anecdotal evidence from surgeons that this is a growing cosmetic surgery trend.

Cosmetic surgeon Dr. Mitchell Chasin says, “Years ago, we would see a wife come in and she would say, ‘I can’t let my husband know what I’m doing.’ And then the husband would come in and he would say, ‘You know what, this is a secret, please don’t tell my wife.'”

But today, according to patient Ira Almeas, the man’s attitude is usually along these lines: “If you’re gonna look good, I want to look good!” Almeas and his wife each had Botox, fillers and laser treatments.

NBC’s chief medical editor Dr. Nancy Snyderman says that part of the increase in couples pursuing cosmetic procedures together is attributable to the increase in cosmetic procedures in men, who now account for about 9% of those getting cosmetic surgery.

“It’s been destigmatized with men,” says Snyderman, who says procedures like Botox and fillers have become more acceptable.

Doctors who say they are seeing more couples cosmetic surgery report that their patients are typically in their late 30s to early 60s. Usually the women are done having children and both are having trouble losing weight through diet and exercise alone.

It’s no surprise then that liposuction is one of the procedures that is very popular with couples, although men and women often target different areas.

According to surgeons, men often request liposuction for their stomach, chest or chin, while women request any number of areas, such as their thighs, neck or arms.

Reita Greene, 59, had a facelift in January and says she was motivated because, “I wanted to have at least one good picture with my grandchildren before I die.” Her boyfriend of 16 years plans to have the procedure as well.

Sources: Los Angeles Times, TODAY Show

Hyaluronic acid gel injections are popular for smoothing facial wrinkles; now in Europe they are also being used to enhance the breast.

Per Hedén, MD, PhD, of Sweden, says the injection is a simple and safe alternative for women who want to enhance their breasts, but aren’t ready to have breast implant surgery.

“Hyaluronic acid gel injection … provides immediate results with minimal discomfort, and in clinical trials, it was associated with high ratings of breast general appearance, shape and firmness,” Dr.  Hedén told Cosmetic Surgery Times.

While hyaluronic acid fillers have been used for years to treat facial wrinkles, using them for the breasts is relatively new.

The hyaluronic acid gel that has been developed for use on the breast, Macrolane, is approved for use in Europe but does not currently have FDA approval in the United States.

Dr. Hedén says there have been no serious complications with Macrolane noted in studies, but it is too soon to have any long-term data on the procedure.

Breast Implant Alternative?

While the filler offers a less-invasive alternative to implants, it actually often opens the door to implants, according to Dr. Hedén, who says that 30 percent of his patients who first try injections eventually undergo breast augmentation.

In addition to a lack of long-term data, the gel has a few other drawbacks of which patients should be aware. The absorption of the material isn’t predicable, and the amount of gel that remains after a year varies anywhere from 5 to 85 percent. In addition, patients will probably need a touch-up after nine to 12 months, according to Dr. Hedén.

Since Macrolane does not have FDA approval, breast augmentation is the procedure most women choose in order to enlarge their breasts. One other possible alternative is fat grafting. Used mainly for the face, some cosmetic surgeons now use the technique for breast enhancement as well.

Many breast augmentation patients are aware that they will need to choose the size and type of implant they want for their procedure, but many may not realize there is another important decision: where the incision will be.

While there will always be scarring with breast implants, New You Magazine recently gave an overview of some of the incision techniques being used to reduce the visibility of scarring.

Breast Augmentation Incisions For Minimal Scarring

Dr. Angelo Cuzalina, an Oklahoma cosmetic surgeon, pointed out that: “Different patients have different definitions of ‘minimal-scar’ surgery. But for some women, a scar on the breast just isn’t acceptable.”

Here are some options for breast implant incisions that avoid the breast entirely.

Arm Pit: This technique uses an incision in the pocket of the armpit and works best for those with deep armpits. One of the advantages of this incision, according to Dr. Cuzalina, is that the surgeon can visualize the muscle with a camera during surgery.

Belly Button: The transumbilical breast augmentation (TUBA) has the incision through the belly button, so the incisions are hidden in the navel. One drawback is that only saline implants can be used, and Dr. Cuzalina said that patients without a lot of fat on their stomachs may not be the best candidates.

Tummy Tuck: The transabdominoplasty, or TABA technique, can be used when the patient is having a tummy tuck at the same time as the breast augmentation. The surgeon then uses the tummy tuck incision to place the implants. However, this technique can’t be used if the patient also wants a breast lift.

If you are considering an incision technique away from the breast, be sure that your cosmetic surgeon is experienced with the technique you want, as the minimal-scar techniques can require greater skill.

There is a growing demand for cosmetic surgery to treat the hands, which often give away our age. The New York Times recently offered an overview on this growing trend of hand rejuvenation.

How Your Hands Age

As you age, your hands lose fat, volume and elasticity; because the skin is thinner and more translucent, you begin to see the underlying tendons and veins. Years of sun exposure cause brown spots to appear.

Luckily, cosmetic techniques can turn back the clock — even for your hands.

“The hands are a hot new area,” said Dr. Neil S. Sadick, a dermatologist in New York City. “Now that we have the face so well treated, we’re looking at the hands, neck and décolleté.”

Hand Rejuvenation Techniques

For lost volume, wrinkle fillers, such as Radiesse, Juvederm or Perlane, can be injected under the skin on the hand to plump it up.

Intense pulsed light or CO2 laser resurfacing are options for removing sun spots.

Some of the other techniques that are being used for hand rejuvenation include:

• • Lasers, such as ICON Laser Skin Resurfacing, MiXto Fractionated Skin Resurfacing, and Excel V+ Laser Treatments, to remove wrinkling or discoloration.

• • Renuvion to tighten the skin.

• • Sclerotherapy to treat varicose veins.

However, Dr. Sadick did not recommend surgery on the hands. He said that surgical removal of excess skin is not an option for the hands since it causes scarring and doesn’t heal well. In addition, there’s a higher risk of complications.

Dr. Amy Wechsler, a dermatologist, said the most important thing to do is to apply sunscreen to your hands.

“Treat your hands like you treat your face. People wash their hands so much these days that they’re washing off their sunscreen,” she said. Her tip? Keep a small sample size of sunscreen in your handbag and reapply after washing.

The FDA has approved a new silicone breast implant by Sientra Inc., adding to the breast implant choices available in the U.S.

Sientra’s implants have been approved for breast augmentation in women 22 years and older and for breast reconstruction in women of any age.

With the latest approval, there are now three silicone gel-filled breast implants approved by the FDA in the U.S. They are manufactured by Allergan, Mentor and Sientra.

“Sientra has successfully broken the existing duopoly in the U.S. by offering surgeons and patients a new choice,” said founder and CEO Hani Zeini, in a statement.

Zeini also said that the company will offer shaped implants in addition to standard round implants.

The approval was based on a three-year clinical trial of 1,788 participants. The trial had similar complications and outcomes found in studies of other breast implants.

“Data on these and other approved silicone gel-filled breast implants continue to demonstrate a reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness,” said William Maisel, MD, deputy director for science in the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health.

Maisel stressed that women should be aware that breast implants are not lifetime devices and recognize that long-term monitoring is essential.

Post-approval, Sientra will continue to monitor the clinical trial participants for seven years. In addition, they will have a 10-year study of 4,782 women who receive Sientra silicone implants to collect data on long-term complications and outcomes. Finally, Sientra must also conduct case studies to evaluate the association between their implants and five rare diseases, including brain cancer, cervical/vulvar cancer and lymphoma.

Learn more about breast implant choices and breast augmentation. For more on the breast implant approval, read the press release from the FDA.

According to a January 2012 poll of women on RealSelf.com, sex after breast implants or breast lifts is better than before surgery.

The poll of 55 women who had breast surgery reported a 34% increase in overall satisfaction with their sex life after surgery on average.

The poll also found:

• • 61% of women said they had sex more often after their breast procedure.

• • The average post-surgery sex life satisfaction score (8.13, on a 10-point scale) jumped two points compared to the average pre-surgery score  (6.07).

• • 70% of respondents said their overall sex life satisfaction improved after the procedure.

While the poll was not scientific, a previous study did have similar findings.

A 2007 study from the University of Florida found that women reported improved self-esteem and enhanced sexuality after breast augmentation surgery. In this study, there was an increase for ratings of sexual desire (78.6%), satisfaction (57%), and arousal (81%), compared to initial scores before surgery.

The 84 women in the study did not have low self-esteem or poor sexual function before surgery. “They were already OK with self-esteem and sexuality — they just wanted larger breasts,” said researcher Cynthia Figueroa-Haas, PhD. “They got increased levels of self-esteem and sexuality.”

While it appears that breast surgery may enhance a woman’s sex life, researchers and surgeons warn that it cannot help those women who have serious underlying psychological issues, such as body dysmorphic disorder.

Learn more about breast augmentation or breast lift surgery in Rancho Cucamonga and Victorville, CA.

Cosmetic surgery is becoming more popular among African-American women, reports ABC News.

The program spoke with black women who have undergone breast augmentation and nose surgery and featured a Botox party in Beverly Hills attended by African-American women.

One guest, Phyllis Jackson, said that culturally she feels there is pressure from the community that “African-American women don’t need to have beauty enhancements.”

Linda Caradine-Poinsett, 50, said that despite the cultural stigmas, she chose to get cosmetic procedures that gave her bigger breasts and a smaller waistline.

“I think African-American women are still in the closet about having plastic surgery…(but) I think we’re doing it a lot more,” Caradine-Poinsett said.

The butt lift, where fat is removed from areas like the stomach and then injected into the buttocks to enhance and reshape it, is also becoming more popular with African-American patients.

One black woman told 20/20, “I’ve wanted my backside larger all my life. One day I just woke up and everybody was talking about butt, butt, butt. They’d had this surgery and that surgery.”

In addition to cultural attitudes, there may also be some scientific reasons why fewer black women turn to cosmetic surgery. For instance, one surgeon explained that darker skin has natural protective factors against the sun, so blacks often don’t have the same amount of wrinkling as those with lighter skin.

While the majority of cosmetic surgery patients are white, more minorities are embracing cosmetic surgery. A 2010 patient diversity survey by the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery confirms evidence of the trend.

The survey reached out to African-Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, and Asians and found that half of respondents felt the popularity of cosmetic surgery had grown among members of their ethnic group in the last five years. In addition, blacks and Hispanics were more likely to indicate growth in popularity in the last five years when compared to other racial/ethnic groups.

A German trial found that the natural supplement Pycnogenol has anti-aging benefits for the skin, including improved elasticity and increased hyaluronic acid production.

Researchers at the Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine in Dusseldorf, Germany, had 20 female participants, between the ages of 55 to 68, take 75 milligrams of Pycnogenol each day for 12 weeks.

Their skins’ hydration, elasticity and fatigue were assessed at the start of the trial, at six weeks and at 12 weeks. According to results published in Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, Pycnogenol enhanced the skin in several ways:

• Skin elasticity improved by 25%
• Skin hydration improved by 8%
• Skin smoothness increased by 6%
• Wrinkles were reduced by 3%
• Hyaluronic acid production increased by 44%

The supplement also improved skin fatigue. Those with dry skin before the study began saw the most noticeable results.

“To date, Pycnogenol is the only natural supplement that stimulates hyaluronic acid production in human skin,” said lead researcher Dr. Jean Krutmann. “And, we are encouraged by the molecular evidence confirmed in this study that shows nutritional supplementation with Pycnogenol benefits human skin.”

Pycnogenol, which comes from the bark of the French maritime pine tree, has also been used to treat allergies and asthma and for the prevention of stroke, heart disease and varicose veins. Previous studies have shown that the supplement may protect collagen, increase blood flow to the skin and protect the skin against UV damage.

The authors concluded that Pycnogenol supplementation may be useful to counteract the clinical signs of skin aging.

For those who are looking for more than a natural supplement to fight aging, hyaluronic acid fillers, chemical peels and microdermabrasion are some of the non-surgical procedures available to improve the skin’s appearance. To learn more about non-invasive cosmetic treatments, contact Inland Cosmetic Surgery.

Curves are in. And cosmetic surgery can give you more curves, whether in the breasts, buttocks or even thighs.

For instance, RealSelf, a social media website for sharing information about cosmetic procedures, reported that in 2011 searches for butt augmentations on the site rose 39 percent, making it the “fastest moving topic on the site in terms of overall consumer interest.”

With the rise of procedures like the Brazilian butt lift, in which a patient’s own fat is transferred to enhance the shape and size of the buttocks, women are looking to enhance other areas as well.

Next Trend for Curves: Thigh Augmentation?

A study published recently in the American Journal of Cosmetic Surgery examined thigh augmentation, which uses a custom implant. The authors report that: “Breasts are getting bigger, buttocks are getting fuller, and there is increasing demand for a fuller, more curvaceous look to the thighs.”

According to the study, 18 women received the implants to achieve a fuller appearance in the thighs. During the procedure, a custom-made lateral thigh prosthesis is surgically inserted to give more curve to the lateral thigh area.

The authors reported that all patients were satisfied with the procedure. There were no major complications during the study, and they concluded that the implants helped women achieve a fuller look in the thigh without significant risk.

Realistically, there are probably more women looking for less volume on their thighs. For them, a thigh lift might be the right procedure. A thigh lift reshapes the contour of the inner and outer thighs by removing excess skin.

Traditional Cosmetic Surgery for Adding Curves

Some of the most popular cosmetic surgery procedures have always been about giving women more curves. For instance, many women who are dissatisfied with the size, shape and fullness of their breasts often turn to breast augmentation.

A tummy tuck is a popular way for a woman to get a flatter stomach. It creates a smaller waistline, which accentuates curves above and below the waist.

Did you know that we offer rewards to our patients who refer their friends for surgery?

For every friend that you refer to us and they complete a surgery, you will get a $100 Gift Certificate from us!  So if you refer 5 Friends who complete surgery, you will get $500 in Gift Certificates from us!

Also for those who switch to the Mentor Memory Gel Breast Implants, there is an additional $50 American Express Gift Certificate from Mentor Refer a Friend program!